Chapter 1 Everyone in Oakridge Estates envied me-a simpleton-for becoming the wife of Captain Julian Hawthorne. But they didn't know. When I was eight years old, I had once taken an injury in Julian's place. That incident nearly took my life and left my intellect forever stunted at the age of eight. Julian carried that guilt with him. He promised to marry me and to care for me for the rest of his life. And for a long time, he really did. While other men had wives who were graceful, refined, and poised, Julian never looked down on me for my clumsiness or slowness. Even when the flood came, he gave me the chance to live instead of taking it for himself...until Violet Sterling appeared. After that, Julian came home less and less. Even the child we had adopted together said, "I wished Aunt Violet were my mom. I don't want a fool for a mother." Before I could even process my grief, I was sent back to my hometown-back to the old cottage, dilapidated and crumbling. That was where I died. And when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Julian made his promise to But this time, I didn't want his guilt. And I didn't want to marry him. I should have been dead. Dead in that drafty, broken cottage. Yet when I opened my eyes, I saw Julian before me, tall and striking in his uniform. His voice was gentle. "Eleanor, would you let me take care of you from now on?" I lowered my eyes, knowing what he meant-that we would spend a lifetime together. The last time, I had said yes. Not long after, I had been wrapped in a scarlet wedding gown. Truth be told, the idea of marrying Julian had thrilled me. It had been my birthday wish every single year since I was eight. But my mind was in a fog, as if I were still trapped in a dream. In that dream, Julian had spoken those same words. He had married me-but not long after the wedding, he regretted it. Chapter 1 7.14% I remembered the last time I had clung to his hand, sobbing, begging him not to leave me. He had shaken me off with a cold, exhausted look. "Eleanor, let me go." "You took the hit for me when we were kids. I felt I owed you for that. But haven't I spent all these years taking care of you? Haven't I repaid that debt by now?" "Please, do this one last thing for me. Grant me the divorce, and let me be with Violet." Violet. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. In my memory, Julian was always at her side. The other wives in Oakridge Estates whispered that she was extraordinary, a brilliant scholar who had studied abroad, the kind of woman I could never measure up to. They said she and Julian were meant to be. Not me-not the fool who couldn't even read properly. I bit my lip, feeling wronged and resentful. The truth was... I hadn't been born a fool. I had grown up with Julian, gone to school with him. People used to praise me for being bright. But when I was eight, I drank a poisoned bowl of red bean pudding in his place. When I woke, there were people crowding around my bed. An old doctor with a white beard shook his head with a sigh. "There's no cure. The damage to her brain is permanent. She'll remain like this for the rest of her life." I hadn't understood what that meant. All I remembered was Julian's small arms wrapped tightly around me as he cried and cried. Finally, his young voice choked out a promise. "Eleanor, it's my fault. When we grow up, I will marry you. I will take care of you always." I didn't understand what marriage was, so he explained: marriage meant two people could stay together for a lifetime. My eyes immediately lit up. I grinned so widely that my cheeks hurt. That sounded wonderful. Because I liked Julian more than anything. I wanted us to stay together always. But after that day, something changed. The other children in Oakridge Estates stopped playing with me. They skirted around me, gathering in little groups far away to whisper and laugh. Chapter 1 7.14% I had run to Julian, confused, asking why. He had patiently soothed me. "It's okay, Eleanor. You're just sick. Once you're better, they'll play with you again." "And besides, you'll always have me. I'll play with you. I'll always be here for you." And he did. True to his word, Julian married me when I was nineteen. But not long after... he met Violet. And he came to regret it all. Chapter 1 7.14%