Chapter 2

"Please, darling, I beg for your forgiveness. Stop this torment. Ryan is my closest companion, my only kin. If you swear to never strike me again and allow me to keep in touch with Ryan, I'll drop the case. I don't wish for you to face punishment," Lily's words jolted me from the harrowing flashbacks of my previous demise, leaving me in a cold sweat.

As I appeared, Lily acted swiftly. Before anyone could react, she fell to her knees, portraying a long-suffering victim of domestic abuse who still harbored affection for her cruel and egotistical spouse.

In this society, a hearing at the Court of Justice was the ultimate form of retribution, one that nobody approached lightly. To onlookers, if Lily had endured agony worse than death, she surely wouldn't have sought legal action.

My lawsuit was the first of its kind in half a century, naturally sparking widespread interest. Some news outlets, hungry for a scoop, had camped outside the courthouse with their equipment. Upon witnessing Lily's kneeling, they hastily activated their cameras and rushed forward.

"Darling, despite my love for you, keeping me from my dearest friend is more agonizing than death itself. Please, let's end this. Let's return home. If you make this promise, we can go back and rebuild our life together," Lily persisted, realizing she needed to intensify the situation.

What a proclamation of devotion. In my past life, seeing Lily weep so desperately might have melted my resolve. But having clawed my way out of hell, I won't be swayed again, especially not by the very person who pushed me into that abyss.

I fixed Lily with an icy stare and uttered each word deliberately, "If that's how you feel, then perhaps you should perish!"

The crowd surrounding us wasn't composed solely of media; many of my cyberbullies were present too. They all gesticulated at me, murmuring among themselves.

"Heavens, do such men truly exist? Don't married women deserve their own social circles?"

"I've heard Lily and her male friend have been close since childhood. If there was truly something illicit between them, why would Jack be in the picture at all? I suspect he's just envious because Ryan is attractive. He's insecure."

"Who would want to be with such a self-centered man? He even wished death upon his own wife. Lily must have been blind to fall for such a monster. It seems we must exercise more caution when choosing partners in the future."

Various insults bombarded my ears, deafening in their intensity, but I remained resolute. I strode directly into the Court of Justice.