Chapter 3

A few days later, Stella Vance came to see me.

In my previous life, she’d pretended to be my kindhearted best friend, offering comfort to the grieving widow.

All the while, she was in cahoots with my husband, conspiring to deceive me.

I bet they’d been making a fool out of me the entire time.

Just like now, Stella put on a show of sympathy.

“It’s been so long, Maya. I can’t believe this happened. It’s such a tragedy.”

I replied blandly, “It’s in the past. I’m not one to dwell in sorrow.”

Stella feigned delight, grasping my hand.

“That’s good. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to move on.”

My eyes immediately recognized the familiar ring on her finger.

I had seen an identical ring in Ben’s bag shortly before he “died.”

At the time, he’d sworn it was a surprise for our wedding anniversary.

In my previous life, after his death, the ring had vanished.

Later, when I saw a similar ring on Stella’s hand, I’d been overcome with emotion and mourned all over again.

Now, everything was clear.

I pretended to notice it by accident.

“Your ring is beautiful, but it looks… familiar.”

Hearing this, Stella’s expression became flustered.

“It-it’s a gift from my boyfriend.”

“Your boyfriend is very sweet. I hope I can find a good boyfriend who treats me well too.”

Stella looked stunned.

“What boyfriend?”

I smiled.

“One has to move forward, you know. I can’t stay single forever, can I?”

As expected, Stella became frantic.

“You’re thinking of remarrying? What about Justin? How could you do that to Ben’s memory?”

Watching her anxious face, I almost burst out laughing.

Of course, she’d be anxious.

If I remarried, who would be their cash cow, feeding this family of vampires?

Seeing that I wasn’t joking, Stella’s face changed drastically, and she hurried away.

Soon after, Sophie’s call came through, and she immediately launched into a furious tirade.

“Maya, Ben hasn’t even been gone that long, and you’re already thinking of abandoning your husband and child? Do you even have the decency to face your son?”

Then I heard Justin’s tearful voice from the other end.

“Mommy, I want Mommy! I don’t want Mommy to marry someone else!”

I asked Sophie to put Justin on the phone.

Sophie, thinking I’d softened, quickly handed the phone to him.

I feigned remorse.

“Sweetie, Mommy is useless. I can’t even support myself, so I have to marry someone else. What can I do? Your daddy is dead, after all. This won’t be your home anymore, but I’ll still visit you sometimes…”

Justin yelled into the phone, “Mommy, don’t marry anyone else! Daddy isn’t dead! He’s alive and well!”

Before he could finish, Sophie snatched the phone back.

“The child’s babbling nonsense, don’t take him seriously!”

She hung up immediately.

I didn’t bother with it. I packed my things and went to a party.

Thanks to this house, many people seemed interested in me, the "widow."

A few days later, while I was having dinner with a guy a relative had set me up with, a man suddenly stormed in, enraged.

“Maya, that’s enough! Stop making a scene and come home with me!”

I cast a sidelong glance at Ben Carter, but said nothing.

It was Leo Miller, the man across from me, who stood up.

“Excuse me, who are you? Is there a problem?”

Ben’s rage turned into a sneer.

“I’m her husband! She’s my wife! Our marital affairs are none of your business!”

Leo was amused. He turned to me.

“Didn’t you tell me you were a widow? What, did your ex-husband just rise from the dead?”

I replied calmly, “I don’t know him. My husband died years ago, and his identity has been officially revoked.”