A Second Blossoming: Love Beyond the Ashes of Marriage

"Beep—" "She fell from that height. There's no way the baby survived. We have to operate now to save her life!" "Where's her family? Someone needs to sign the consent form, or we could lose her too." "We called her husband. He said he couldn't make it and mentioned that she should sign herself. Doesn't look like there's anyone else." The voices swirled around Maribel as she lay on the cold, sterile operating table. The fluorescent lights above her blurred, and fragments of her life played like a cruel slideshow in her mind. A bitter smile tugged at her lips. Of course, Boris Bones wouldn't come. Why would he? The person who pushed her was his precious "sister", Camila Bones. He'd probably be relieved if she just died here and now. She had loved him for years and married him for three, even carrying his child for eight months. And for what? To become a laughingstock? From the day she married into the Bones family, something about him and Camila never sat right. She tried to call it out, but Boris dismissed her, saying she was dirty-minded. Today, she finally caught them. Boris and Camila wrapped around each other like lovers, proving her every suspicion true. Camila wasn't even his real sister. She was just the child his mother adopted after losing her biological daughter during childbirth. And for this so-called sister, Boris stood back as Camila shoved her off the third floor, watching as if she were nothing. Then, they left as if nothing had happened. Anger burned through her chest, but pain from her abdomen tore her focus away. "I'm so sorry," she whispered to her unborn child. With a final beep, the heart monitor flatlined, shattering every memory. The doctor sighed. "Time of death..." ***** Darkness engulfed her, suffocating and endless, threatening to crush her soul. She wanted to scream, to fight, but her voice was lost. Then suddenly, there was light. Gasping, she bolted upright, lungs greedily drinking in air. "Mrs. Bones, you can't starve yourself just because you're upset with Mr. Bones," a voice called from outside the door, muffled but clear. "And Mrs. Lenning has been calling nonstop, asking you to convince Mr. Bones to approve the funding for Lenning Group. The company's on its last leg, and everyone's counting on you. It's your father's legacy—don't let it crumble." Maribel froze. It was Pedra. Her worried voice was unmistakable. Funding? Lenning Group? She looked around in confusion. As she looked up, her eyes landed on a framed wedding photo on the wall. It was her and Boris. She smiled sweetly in the picture, while Boris looked like he was at a funeral. Maribel only married Boris under his grandfather's support because her family went bankrupt and needed the Bones family's funding. However, Boris believed it was all her schemes and hated her to the core. Hence the poker face in their wedding photo. But that photo... should have been destroyed long ago. And the funding... Maribel had never imagined that the funding she had begged for was nothing but another chance for Boris to strengthen his control over Lenning Group. As she recalled the disgusting acts of Boris and Camila, she threw off the covers and stared at her belly. Surprisingly, there was no sign of pregnancy, nor did she feel any pain. What was happening? Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone to check the date. Could it be... Had she been transferred? Back to a year ago? Outside, Pedra's voice droned on. Maribel took a deep breath, steeling herself before letting her in. "Mrs. Bones, Mr. Bones and Ms. Bones are family. Blood ties. This kind of conflict puts him in such a difficult position. If you push too hard, Lenning Group might lose its funding..." Pedra entered, setting down a bowl of soup. Her tone was soft, almost coaxing. Maribel sneered inwardly. Blood ties? Oh, how naive she'd been to believe that. In her past life, she thought Boris' indifference was a misunderstanding. She thought his affection for Camila was purely out of kinship. She even thought her love could win him over. How stupid she was. She only learned the truth at the very end. Boris' indifference toward her was never because of any misunderstanding. His heart always belonged to someone else. Someone who was supposed to be his sister. Very well. And now, she had traveled back to the day when she had a fight with Boris because of Camila. On this day, he took Camila to the business banquet, leaving Maribel alone at home. In her previous life, Maribel had rushed to the venue to make a scene. But Boris' mother blamed her for being unreasonable and punished her. Even the funding was almost canceled. But in the end, Boris agreed to invest after Maribel's stepmother forced her to apologize. However... This was just Boris' trick to take over Lenning Group! Later, he even sold it just because Camila didn't like it. Maribel's stepmother, Claudia Lenning, had pretended to treat her well. But in fact, she was just selfish and ruthless. This time, Maribel wouldn't be fooled again. "Mrs. Bones, Mr. Bones does care about you. If you just tried a little harder to win him over..." Pedra's words dragged her back to the present. Maribel chuckled softly, lifting the bowl. She sipped slowly, savoring the warmth as if it were fuel for the storm brewing inside her. "Pedra, get the car ready. I'm going out." Since she had been given another chance, it was time to get back at everyone who had failed her. Pedra hesitated. "You're not planning to cause a scene at the gala, are you?" Maribel shot her a sidelong glance. "Don't worry. I won't." Claudia had planted Pedra here to keep tabs on her. After her father's death, Claudia pushed her into this marriage, using her as a pawn to salvage their crumbling family business. But not this time. Maribel would play smarter. She'd secure control of Lenning Group to prevent Boris from taking it over. Then, she'd dismantle every lie and betrayal piece by piece, including her stepmother. But of course, she wouldn't reveal anything to Pedra. Pedra seemed reluctant, but she eventually agreed and left. After finishing her soup, Maribel took a long, calming shower before opening her wardrobe. She selected a sleek black gown, the backless design perfectly accentuating her figure. As she styled her hair and applied her makeup, the woman staring back at her in the mirror was radiant, dangerous, and unapologetically bold. She had hidden her true self for too long—because of love and also because the Bones family expected a quiet, submissive lady of the house. Tonight, she would take the first step to ending this farce of a marriage. But before she walked away, she'd make sure she was holding all the cards. There were countless enemies blocking her way. This wasn't just survival. This was war.