My reborn husband fell in love with a pole dancer. After I died, he regretted it crazy.

I was born with a fiery passion, sometimes needing to release it three times a day.

But our marriage was a business arrangement.

So even when it came to *satisfying* me, Dax would only symbolically use toys. His movements were precise, devoid of warmth, never a personal touch.

Every time we finished, he'd politely ask, "Are you done?"

As if it were a chore completely unrelated to him.

But after my unexpected death, I saw this man Id always shunned like the plague go utterly insane for me.

He was like a silent, lone wolf, personally eliminating everyone who had harmed me, both openly and secretly.

He kissed my stiff forehead, his voice humbled to dust:

"Elara, if there's a next life, please love me properly, just once, okay?"

He held my cold body, then detonated explosives, taking down my enemies with him.

The moment his soul scattered, I finally saw all the hidden depth of his love, beneath that icy facade.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn to the first year of our marriage.

Overwhelmed with joy, tears blurred my vision.

This time, I swore to love him properly.

But he was a changed man. He was obsessed with Seraphina, the pole dancer from the club, going completely wild for her.

He even wanted to harvest my heart and liver, to concoct medicine for her.

I yelled, my voice raw, "You loved me so much in the last life! Why suddenly not anymore?"

In my past life, he clearly loved me to his core, loving me enough to be utterly destroyed just for a chance at my love in the next.

How could this be?

He turned back, his voice chillingly cold: "It was just an arranged marriage. When did I ever love you?"

Utterly disheartened, I called my parents.

"I want to divorce this heartless man."

The printer spit out the final page of the divorce agreement. I stared at it for a long time, a few tears escaping.

I never imagined the love in this life would dissipate so quickly.

I put the papers away, opened my phone, and saw an Ins video notification.

It was Seraphina, the dancer, and it already had thousands of likes.

In the video, Dax embraced her from behind, his chin resting intimately on her shoulder as he pointed at a limited edition Iron Man model, explaining something in a low voice.

The video title read: "My Alpha CEO's Secret Toy Collection, Worth 0-00 Million, And Only I'm Allowed In!"

My breath hitched.

I remembered that global limited edition model; he and I had pulled three all-nighters to assemble it.

The moment we finished, we were as happy as kids with candy.

He took my hand and gently placed it on the Iron Mans metal palm.

"Elara, this room, and everything in it, is our private fortress. The key is only for you."

A heavy knot formed in my chest at the thought.

In my past life, he had broken countless rules for me.

He'd canceled multi-billion dollar international meetings just to watch a midnight animated film with me.

He hated animal fur and noise, yet he silently allowed me to keep that shedding, yappy Corgi.

He never believed in ghosts or gods, but when I was sick, he knelt outside a sacred shrine for a day and a night, praying for my recovery.

I gripped the divorce papers tightly and walked straight to that collection room.

I didn't need permission; I had supreme access. He'd promised me that himself.

The door wasn't locked.

The moment I pushed it open, languid music washed over me. I froze.

In the center of the room, a long pole had been erected at some point.

And Dax, sitting on the very couch we had chosen together, was watching that dancer sway on the pole.

With a shriek, Seraphina slipped hard from the pole, falling onto the carpet.

Her short skirt flew up, revealing she wore absolutely nothing underneath.

A glaring red mark had appeared on the inner side of her pale thigh.

Dax, without a second thought, knelt down, sucking on the wound. His movements were incredibly gentle.

I let out a bitter laugh.

When he satisfied me, he'd only use those cold toys, like a cold, unfeeling surgeon.

But for her, he could kneel so devotedly, kissing her with his own lips.

I pushed the door open completely and walked in.

At the sound, he glared at me, annoyed.

"Why didn't you knock?"

I didn't understand his question. I flung the divorce papers at his feet.

"Sign it."

He was perhaps eager to return to their interrupted spectacle. He snatched the pen without even looking at the document.

He scribbled his name carelessly. His hormones were clearly dictating his actions.

I picked up the agreement and turned to leave, without a single shred of regret.

Half an hour later, I had just stepped out of the villa's front door.

A Rolls-Royce pulled up directly in front of me, blocking my path.

The window rolled down. Seraphina, the dancer, sat in the back, greeting me.

"Elara, where are you going? Dax is taking me to the 'Black Orchid' private auction tonight to bid on a dance outfit. Want to come along?"

"No." My voice was cold.

Seraphina's eyes instantly welled up: "Elara, do you hate me?!"

"Elara," Dax's voice was icy, devoid of any emotion. "Seraphina is kindly inviting you. Don't be ungrateful."

In the end, I was shoved into the back seat of that car.

The auction house was set up in a private estate.

Dax was incredibly generous, bidding on a performance outfit worn by the famous star Lady Gaga for Seraphina, drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd.

The auctioneer cleared his throat, his voice carrying a hint of mystery: "The next item up for bid is somewhat special. It's an original, never-before-seen copy of a video. The protagonist is a rising star in the dance world. Starting bid, five million."

A highly intimate video of Seraphina and her ex-boyfriend flashed across the large screen. The entire room erupted in uproar!

The high-definition footage, amplified gasps, made every explicit detail excruciatingly clear.

"What a figure, truly explosive..."

"Those twin peaks, I'd love to play with them. Must feel great."

Lewd laughter from men, mixed with women's gasps and disdain, instantly exploded into chaos.

Seraphina's face went ashen. She pointed at the screen, trembling uncontrollably: "It's not me! That's not me!"

Suddenly, she spun towards me, tears streaming down her face: "Elara! Can you really not tolerate me?! Did you have to use such a low-down trick to ruin me?!"

With that, she sobbed, covered her face, and ran out.

Dax's eyes darkened. He stood up, his voice low, yet it made the entire room dead silent.

"This video, and all its backups, sent to my office within an hour. One second late,"

He scanned the room, "I promise you, no one in this room will see the sun tomorrow."

Then, he turned and stared at me: "Elara, you'd better pray this has nothing to do with you."

My mind was a blank, a chill seeping into my bones as I returned to the villa.

I stared at the ceiling. How did it come to this?

I sat there numbly all night until, at dawn, the front door was kicked open with a bang!

Dax stormed in, radiating cold fury, his eyes bloodshot.

"Do you know Seraphina tried to cut her wrists?!" His voice was a raw roar.

"If she hadn't been found in time, she would be dead!"

"How could this happen? I didn't do this!" I couldn't hold back any longer and stood up from the couch.

He sneered, pressing closer: "Not you? She'd just try to kill herself for no reason?"

"You must have forced her! Don't push your luck!"

I knew I was innocent, and further explanations were useless if he was determined to believe otherwise.

"I'm tired, Dax." I shook my head. "I don't want to explain anymore."

He seized my wrist, his grip making me wince in pain.

"You're tired?"

"Elara, you ruined her, and now you say you're tired?!"

My heart twisted violently, a sharp, suffocating pain gripping my chest, stealing my breath.

I clutched my chest tightly. My vision began to spin.

In my previous life, he knew I had a congenital heart condition and couldn't handle stress.

My vision went black, and I collapsed straight down.

In a haze, I felt myself fall into an embrace.

He caught my falling body, his face etched with terror.

I heard him scoop me up, racing out like a madman.

"Elara! Hold on! I'm taking you to the hospital!"

When I woke up again, I was in the hospital.

Dax's grim face was hovering close by, looking down at me.

"Elara, you certainly know how to pick your moments to get sick," he slowly began.

"Seeing Seraphina try to cut her wrists, you decided to use your illness to stage a bigger drama, hoping to guilt-trip me?"

He let out a cold laugh, leaning closer.

"Cut the act. Our marriage is just a contract. I don't have time for your melodramatic performances, and I certainly won't pity you."

My heart felt utterly cold.

Sure enough, the look of panic I'd seen on him before I passed out was just a hallucination brought on by my sudden cardiac arrest.

The day I was discharged, I pushed open the door to a scene I wish I hadn't witnessed.

Seraphina was wearing my silk robe, curled up in Dax's arms on our matrimonial bed.

When he saw me return, he pulled Seraphina even tighter into his embrace and said to me:

"Seraphina just got out of the hospital. The doctor said she has severe depressive tendencies and needs 24-hour care."

"All of this is your fault. At my home, at least I can ensure she won't do anything foolish again."

He seemed afraid that I might act on impulse and hurt her further.

But I had no strength left to argue: "Whatever."

Anyway, the divorce agreement was signed. Soon, this wouldn't be my home anymore.

Just as I was about to speak, Seraphina tugged at his sleeve, her voice weak: "Dax, it's time for my medicine."

She lowered her gaze, but her eyes, at the very edge, darted a defiant look at me, "The doctor said to take it with 104-degree Fahrenheit warm water; it's good for recovery... Elara, could you get me a cup?"

Dax turned to me and snarled, "Didn't you hear her? Go pour it."

I walked towards the bar counter in the living room, which was covered in Dax's various business trophies.

"Is the water not ready yet?" Seraphina's voice came from behind me.

I ignored her. Suddenly, she ran over and violently smashed one of the crystal trophies onto the floor!

After a sharp, shattering sound, she lunged, grabbing my hand and violently pressing it against the razor-sharp crystal base!

"Ah!"

I shrieked. Excruciating pain shot through my entire body like an electric current, and blood instantly gushed out.

When I pulled my hand away, my palm was mangled and bloody, the bone clearly visible.

Seraphina quickly picked up a small shard and lightly grazed her forearm with it.

Then she stumbled and fell to the floor, her eyes immediately welling up.

"What's going on?" Dax rushed in at the sound.

Seraphina immediately started crying: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have asked Elara to get me water... otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten angry, deliberately smashed your trophy, and then used the pieces to cut me..."

Dax's face instantly hardened. He strode over to me, seizing my injured wrist.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

I was shaking uncontrollably from the pain. I held up my mangled, bloody, and horrifying hand.

"Dax! She did this herself!"

I stared at Dax intensely.

"The living room is covered in surveillance cameras... One look at the footage would prove it!"

"No need to check." He cut me off coldly. "I believe Seraphina."

I felt as if my heart had been hit by a large truck, shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Elara, you truly are beyond redemption." Dax's voice was laced with icy venom. His eyes swept over me, then he grabbed my other, uninjured hand, holding it in a vise-like grip!

"No! Dax! You'll regret this!!"

My scream was swallowed by the sickening scrape of flesh against crystal.

The intense burning pain made my vision go black.

When consciousness returned, both my hands were wrapped in thick, white bandages. The pain had dulled to a throb.

Mr. Henderson, our old butler, was standing by the bed, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"Madam, you're finally awake. I'll go inform the master."

"No need." I managed a weak smile, my voice hoarse as if sandpaper had scraped it.

"These hands, he destroyed them."

Mr. Henderson's body stiffened, his face etched with incredulity.

"How could... the master used to not even let you clip your own nails, fearing the scissors would harm you..."

Tears finally streamed uncontrollably from my eyes.

Yes, the whole world knew he once cherished me.

But why, after being reborn, was that deep affection completely gone?

It didn't matter now, anyway.

The agreement was signed; soon, I'd be completely free of him.

Thinking that I would leave soon, I had to say goodbye to Grandpa Arthur, no matter what.

As soon as I entered, I saw him leaning on the couch, looking unwell.

"Grandpa, Dax and I... are separating."

Noticing the pain in my voice, Grandpa Arthur sighed deeply and patted my hand: "Never mind, that boy doesn't have the good fortune. Even if I die, I'll never let that kind of woman into my family's home!"

My nose stung. In my past life, Grandpa Arthur protected me just the same way.

"Grandpa, it's time for your blood pressure medicine." I stood up. "I'll get it from the next room for you."

When I returned with the medicine, I was about to knock, but heard a muffled groan from inside through the door crack.

Pushing the door open, I saw Seraphina standing in front of Grandpa Arthur, a pillow on the floor.

The old man's wizened hands hung limply, he was close to suffocating.

"Let him go!" I pushed her away like a madwoman. Grandpa Arthur was breathing weakly, his eyes rolled back.

"Help! Call a doctor, fast!"

My scream drew everyone's attention.

Dax's face changed instantly at the sight: "Grandpa!"

He roughly pushed me aside and rushed out, carrying Grandpa.

Inside the recovery room, Dax looked at us, his face grim. "Tell me, what happened?"

"It was Elara!" Seraphina shrieked, pointing at me. "I saw her smother Grandpa with a pillow!"

"She... she was trying to harm Grandpa! I tried to stop her, but she tried to attack me too..."

Dax's gaze was like ice: "Grandpa treated you like his own granddaughter. How could you do such a thing?"