Breaking Free: Reclaiming My Life

In my past life, I met Vince Simonds through a classmate's introduction. But it wasn't until a year after our marriage, when I gave birth to our daughter, that I discovered he had a hereditary mental illness.

Furious and heartbroken, I wanted a divorce.

But he threatened me, saying that if I left him, he would kill my entire family.

With no way out, I endured years of suffering, trapped in a nightmare until I was forty-five. It wasn't until Vince finally died that I could finally breathe again. But just when I thought I was free, a crueler fate awaited me-my daughter was diagnosed with the same illness.

In that moment, my world collapsed. The despair was too much to bear, and I fell ill, never recovering.

Then, as if by some miracle, I woke up back in the past.This time, I would not make the same mistakes. I would stay far away from Vince, cut ties with toxic friends, and reclaim the life that should have been mine.

01

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the past.

Before I could fully grasp my surroundings, a familiar voice reached my ears.

"Roy, why don't you come home with me this weekend? I've already told my parents about you. They're so excited to meet you, especially knowing you're a top student at Arcadia University.

"After we meet my parents, let's set a date to visit your family. I'll bring plenty of gifts to impress them. I'm sure your parents will be pleased with me too.

Let's get engaged first. After you graduate next year, we'll get married.

Once we're married, we should have a child. My parents are still young and energetic; they can help us raise the baby."

Vince finished speaking, his face full of warmth and affection as he gazed at me.

But a cold sweat broke out all over my body.

Because in my previous life, this was exactly how he had acted-gentle, considerate, making me believe I had found true love. I had fallen for it so easily, rushing into a relationship with him.

For two years, we dated. We met each other's families, got engaged, and followed the expected path to marriage.

In our second year of marriage, we had a beautiful daughter.

I thought I was the luckiest woman in the world.

But fate was cruel.

Vince's behavior took a terrifying turn. He started talking to himself, staying up all night, and wandering outside aimlessly.

When I finally took him to the hospital, the truth hit me like a hammer. He had a hereditary mental illness, one that had been carefully concealed from me. Worse, he had been hospitalized multiple times before.

All along, he had been taking medication to control his condition.

But after we got married, he stopped taking his medication because he was afraid that if I found out, I would leave him.

And he wasn't the only one. His aunt had the same illness.

These things were no secret in his hometown.

They had moved to this city to escape their past, to start fresh where no one knew the truth.

By the time I uncovered their deception, it was too late.

I was trapped.

They knew full well about their family's history of mental illness, yet they still chose to marry me.

This was nothing short of deception.

And worst of all, I had just given birth to our daughter.

The thought that she might inherit his illness sent me into a spiral of despair. Hatred consumed me.

When Vince and his parents realized they could no longer hide the truth, they resorted to desperate pleas. His parents begged for my forgiveness. Vince wept, swearing he had kept it from me because he loved me too much, because he was afraid I would abandon him.

When I tried to leave, he threatened suicide. I had no choice but to stay.

But as his condition worsened, so did his temper. The man who once showered me with kindness began lashing out. He left bruises on my skin, marks of a life I never imagined for myself.

I reached my breaking point. I told him I wanted a divorce.

But I never expected him to threaten me, saying that if I divorced him, he would kill my entire family. He claimed that even if he did, he'd be found mentally unfit to stand trial and avoid serious punishment.

I was terrified.

So, I endured. For years, I suffered in silence.

Until I was forty-five, when Vince finally died. I thought I was free.

But just days after his death, my world collapsed again. My daughter, the bright, intelligent girl I had devoted my life to, was diagnosed with the same illness.

That moment shattered me completely.

I fell ill, unable to recover.

And as I lay on my deathbed, my life flashed before my eyes-years of suffering, betrayal, and lost dreams.

It was all because I had married Vince.

If I could do it all over again, I swore, I would never make the same mistake.

And then, as if the universe had heard my plea, I woke up and found myself back in the past.

This time, I would stay far, far away from Vince.

02

Seeing Vince's feigned gentleness, my mind raced, searching for a way to turn him down.

I knew Vince had long seen me as his future wife. I had a good education, a mild temperament, decent looks, and I was the only child of my parents.

I had everything that made me a "perfect" match.

Vince frowned when I remained silent.

"Roy, what's wrong? Are you worried about something? Oh, I know! Are you afraid my parents won't like you?"

He smiled and lightly touched my hair.

"Don't worry. You're beautiful and accomplished. Of course, they'll love you."

Right. His family liked me because I checked all the right boxes.

But what if I didn't? What if I had a serious personal issue?

What if my family was struggling financially, and I needed their help?

Would they still be so eager?

With that thought, I put on a hesitant, guilty expression and cautiously spoke.

"I need to tell you something, Vince... I haven't been completely honest with you."

"What?"

Under his expectant gaze, I continued slowly.

"It's true that I'm an only child, but I lied about my family's situation. My dad isn't an executive. He's a security guard. My mom isn't a teacher. She's a housekeeper. And we're not well off... we're still renting.

If we get married, I'd like to have my parents live with us."

I watched as the smile on Vince's face disappeared bit by bit.

Then, I delivered the final blow.

"When I was little, I had a medical issue that left me with complications... The doctor said it's unlikely I'll ever be able to have children. So... if we do get married, there won't be kids. I think your parents should know that upfront."

His expression darkened.

"Are you serious?"

Tears welled in my eyes.

"I'm sorry... I just love you so much. I was afraid you'd leave me if you knew, so I kept it from you.

But... I mean, you're not just with me for these things, right? True love conquers all."

I knew Vince. For all his issues, he was still a man who cared about status, appearances, and legacy.

His family was well-off, sure, but could they really afford to take on two dependents?

Especially when they were expecting me to care for Vince once his condition worsened?

And now, I'd thrown an even bigger problem into the mix-no children.

Vince had always been traditional. In my last life, after I had our daughter, he pressured me to have another child. But once I discovered his condition, how could I?

He tried to force me. If I hadn't been secretly taking birth control, he might have succeeded.

"Oh, by the way. When we visit your parents, should we bring a gift? My parents are going through a rough patch financially, so they couldn't send me any money this month. I'm a little short. Vince, would you mind lending me some? I just want to make a good impression on your parents. You wouldn't say no to that, would you?"

I said, striking while the iron was hot.

Vince's expression twisted. For the first time, he couldn't even fake a smile.

Through clenched teeth, he muttered, "I think we should hold off on meeting my parents for now."

"Why? Are you... are you having second thoughts about me?"

I burst into tears, wiping them on his sleeve.

Vince flinched and yanked his arm away, looking thoroughly shaken.

He had cracked.

"I think we should take some time apart. I have a lot going on at work... I need to go."

Then he left in a hurry.

I let out a silent breath of relief.

All I did was give him a taste of his own medicine.

In my last life, wasn't this exactly how he deceived me?

03

After scaring Vince away, I felt amazing and headed straight back to my dorm.

Not long after I got back, I received a message from Vince.

He said that after careful consideration, he had decided we weren't right for each other and that we should break up. He also told me not to contact him again.

Ha. That was the best news I'd heard all day.

I immediately blocked and deleted every way I had to reach him.

The moment I finished, a weight lifted off my shoulders.

I was a junior this year, and since I had no more classes, everyone was busy looking for internships.

In my previous life, I had been so caught up in my sweet little romance with Vince that I didn't care about work and ended up taking the first internship I could find.

But this time, I wasn't about to waste my time.

I opened my laptop and sent out a few applications to companies back home. Just as I was about to call my parents, the door suddenly flew open with a loud bang.

"Roy Holland, get out here!"

The voice belonged to Virginia Clarke, my so-called best friend from my previous life. And she was the one who had introduced me to Vince.

She and Vince had grown up in the same small town, though his family later moved away. Apparently, they reconnected after starting college.

She thought we were a perfect match, so she set us up.

Vince was handsome and charming, and I had actually been grateful to her at first, thinking she had my best interests at heart.

It wasn't until later, when Vince started showing his true colors, that I realized something was off.

By then, Virginia had already gotten what she wanted. She had married rich.

Dressed in designer clothes and glittering jewelry, she admitted everything to me.

She had known all along that Vince was unstable. She had introduced us on purpose because she had always been jealous of me.

She thought I had everything. I had grown up in comfort, with loving parents who gave me whatever I wanted. I was confident, outgoing, and never had to struggle for anything, not even getting into the university she had worked so hard for.

To her, I was a princess.

She hated that I could effortlessly have things she could only dream of.

Meanwhile, she had been born into a family that only valued boys. Her parents adored her younger brother but either ignored or abused her. They had never once shown her real love. Even when she got into a great university, instead of being proud, they complained about the cost.

The stark contrast between us festered inside her, twisting her into someone who wanted revenge.

So when she reconnected with Vince, she saw an opportunity.

She knew how controlling Vince was. She knew that if I married him, I'd be trapped in that miserable life forever.

"You always act like you're above me. Well, I'll make sure you fall so low you never rise again.

Roy, you'll never be better than me now. I'm part of high society, and you'll be stuck with a lunatic for the rest of your life."

Right now, Virginia wasn't as arrogant as she had been back then.

She had stormed in, ready to yell, but when she saw the cold look in my eyes, she hesitated.

She went quiet and, without another word, slowly closed the door she had just kicked open.

"Roy, I heard you broke up with Vince?"