Chapter 2Reborn as the Villainess

Joseph scrambled to his feet, his hands gripping my shoulders. I kept my head down, a statue of unwilling compliance. Finally, he settled for second best, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

In the car on the way home, he cast a sideways glance at me. “Is my little ostrich still sulking about the pajamas from last night?”

The casual intimacy in his voice caught me off guard for a second. In this timeline, at this moment, our biggest fight was over something so trivial.

A cool breeze rushed through the half-open window. The silhouettes of trees and guardrails blurred and receded, time rewinding at a dizzying pace.

Now I remembered. I had bought a matching set of pink couple’s pajamas, hoping he would wear them with me.

He’d refused. Said he hated the color.

I had been hurt. It was just for wearing around the house. My frustration wasn't about the pajamas, but about his unwillingness to bend, even for something so small.

Joseph leaned over and wrapped his arms around me. “Babe, that color is just too bright. I wouldn’t feel comfortable. How about we exchange them for black ones? They’re cool, and they’ll make your skin look even paler.”

But three years from now, to make Ava Mills happy, he would put on a bright pink Hello Kitty hoodie.

“Alright, alright, I’ll wear it for you,” his ghost-voice would say. “Anything for my little princess. But in exchange, tonight…”

I clenched my fists, a bitter smile touching my lips. Love could not withstand comparison. The moment you start comparing, you’ve already lost. Utterly and completely.

“I’ll return the pajamas,” I said, gently pushing him away. I smoothed the sleeve of my dress, my voice soft. “I’m starting to understand. What you want should always be the priority.”

And so now, I would bring Ava to him ahead of schedule.