Reborn I Divorced the Man Who Sold Our Daughter

My husband always lamented that he and his first love obsession were never meant to be. His solution? Arrange a childhood betrothal between their children to fulfill the dream.

In my previous life, the idea had left a sour taste in my mouth, but I'd brushed it off as a joke. Nothing to worry about.

It wasn't until the marriage was brought up again that I learned the truth: his first love's son had severe autism. And Lambert still insisted our daughter marry him.

"What do you know? The Weiss family is the richest in Pinecrest! If her son weren't sick, you think your daughter would even get a shot at this? Count your blessings."

"Kids with that condition are docile. He won't run around cheating. I'm perfectly happy with this match."

I was so furious I coughed up blood. I made up my mind to take my daughter and run, but my heartless husband broke both my legs and locked me away.

To stop the wedding, I set a fire.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the dinner where my husband and his first love were arranging the childhood betrothal.

...

"No! I don't agree!"

My voice ripped out of me, raw and fierce, cutting through the laughter at the table like a blade.

Lambert Perry's brow furrowed as he turned to glare at me, his good mood ruined.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I must've lost my damn mind bringing you out tonight. You're nothing but bad luck!"

"Shut your mouth. Since when do you get a say in Perry family business?"

Grace Cobb, ever perceptive about what went on inside my head, spoke up with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"Lambert, don't be upset. Minnie's just taking it out on me. You know how women are, petty and jealous."

"You can't force a deal on someone who doesn't want it. The betrothal was supposed to be a happy occasion, but if someone objects, then forget it. It's not like the Weiss family's firstborn grandson can't find a wife."

The others at the table looked at me with undisguised contempt.

"Grace is Lambert's first love. If she had any ulterior motives, you think you'd even be sitting here running your mouth?"

"I've never seen a mother stand in the way of her own daughter's good fortune. We're talking about the Weiss family, the wealthiest family in Pinecrest! Grace was kind enough to think of an old friend when something good came along. Without her, Minnie Fox could crack her skull open kowtowing and still never land an opportunity like this."

"What a shame. If Grace hadn't gotten married first, Lambert would never have given up hope and settled for whoever was available. That's the only reason a certain someone got her chance."

"Besides, it's just a verbal agreement for a childhood betrothal. Is all this drama really necessary?"

They made it sound so simple, as if I were the unreasonable one.

If I hadn't lived through it all before, I would have treated the whole thing as a joke too. Would have let it go without a second thought.

But the memory of my daughter being forced to marry a man who couldn't care for himself, and my own helpless breakdown when I couldn't stop it, was seared into my mind.

My voice dropped to a glacial calm.

"The Weiss family is far above our station. My daughter Mia isn't worthy of such an honor, so we'll bow out."

"We can talk about engagements another time. Go pay the bill and wait for us outside."

Lambert's face went ashen. He shoved me out of the private dining room without a shred of gentleness.

The door slammed shut behind me. Laughter erupted on the other side.

No one ever cares when the weak fight back.

I drew a long breath and walked away.

By the time I returned from settling the check, the private room was empty.

I spent the entire night awake, turning over every possible plan.

The next day, Lambert came home with a signed and stamped betrothal agreement in his hand, grinning from ear to ear.

That document hadn't existed in my previous life. My outburst must have put them on alert.

White-hot fury surged through me. I lunged and tore the paper to shreds, the paper that held my daughter's fate in its ink.

"Mia is your daughter, not a pawn you can move around a board! What gives you the right to decide her future on a whim?"

"I want a divorce. I'm taking my daughter and leaving you!"

Lambert watched my meltdown with perfect composure, a smirk curling his lip.

"That was a copy. Tear away. I've got plenty more."

"You've been a housewife so long, Minnie, your brain's gone to rust."

"Leave me? You can't even find a job. What are you going to do, take your daughter and beg on the streets?"

"Unless you've got the power to bring down both the Weiss family and the Perrys, what right do you have to stop us?"

I stood there, speechless. My body went cold.

If only I'd known. If only I'd known... I hated my younger self for being so blinded by love, for believing every honeyed lie that came out of that worthless man's mouth.

I hadn't just ruined my own life. I'd dragged my daughter down with me.

The thought squeezed the air from my lungs.

No.

There was still time.

Mia Perry was young. I could find a way to take her and leave the Perry family behind, far from all of this.

But my plans fell apart almost immediately.

Mia came home from school that afternoon. I tested the waters, asking casually: if Mommy and Daddy got a divorce, who would she rather stay with?

She didn't hesitate. She threw herself into Lambert's arms, beaming.

"Daddy, obviously! I see how hard he works to give me a better life. What have you ever done?"

"When I grow up, I'm marrying into the Weiss family and living the good life. If you want to go suffer, go ahead. I'm not going with you."

"And Aunt Grace is going to be my mother-in-law! Just thinking about it makes me so happy."

The ground dropped out from under me. I stared at the daughter I'd raised with my own two hands. She'd always been so sweet, so obedient. Always clinging to me, saying Mommy works the hardest, I love Mommy the most. My little angel. How had she turned into this?

Could a child this young really fake it so perfectly? Fool a grown woman without a single crack?

"If you're going to leave, then leave already. Nobody's stopping you. But don't go back on your word!"

"Aunt Grace gets upset every time she sees you. Once you're gone, she can come over and spend time with me and Daddy."

Every word from my daughter's mouth was a blade, slicing my heart into ribbons.

"That's my girl. Good taste and good judgment!" Lambert crowed, puffing up with pride. The words landed like a slap across my face.

So Mia was willing? She actually wanted this? Then what had all my sacrifice in my past life been for?

No. She was just a child. She didn't know any better. I couldn't hold it against her.

I stumbled forward, desperate to hold her, but she darted behind Lambert like a startled animal.

"Don't touch me! Get out of this house!"

"If you really cared about me, you wouldn't be standing in my way, acting like you know what's best for me."

"Daddy, make her leave! I don't want her anymore!"

After all that, the divorce was inevitable.

Lambert used Mia's rejection as his excuse and threw me out the door.

"Minnie, we were married. I wasn't planning to be this cruel. But you've got no one to blame but yourself. Your own daughter can't stand the sight of you. If I were you, I'd walk into traffic and save everyone the trouble."

Mia grabbed a fistful of her allowance and tossed it on the ground at my feet, looking down at me like I was nothing.

"Consider that my contribution to your retirement fund. Don't come back looking for me. I'm sick of seeing your face."

"Daddy, call Aunt Grace! I can't wait to tell her the good news. Hee hee!"

I stood in front of the closed door for a long time, unable to move.

I drifted through the streets like a ghost, deaf to the noise and bustle around me.

I found myself standing by the river, watching the churning water, my mind completely blank.

After being reborn, I'd been holding on by sheer willpower, determined to get my daughter out before things spiraled to their worst.

But she didn't want to come.

Rod Weiss. Pinecrest General Hospital. ICU.

A text from an unknown number. Cryptic, out of nowhere. It shattered my trance before I could even think about who sent it. The words on the screen hit me like cold water, and suddenly I was wide awake.

Rod Weiss was the only son of the wealthiest family in Pinecrest, and Grace Cobb's husband.

At that moment, news of his coma hadn't reached the outside world. But I'd been reborn, and I knew the truth: he didn't have long to live.

In the future, everything the Weiss family owned would pass to Grace and her son. No wonder she had the audacity to act the way she did.

That's right.

A memory surfaced, sharp and sudden. Something I'd overheard Lambert say in my previous life. I broke into a run toward the hospital without a second thought.

No matter what it took, the debts of my past life would be repaid.

And Grace Cobb would be first.

But things didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped. The Weiss family had locked down the entire floor where the hospital room was located, terrified of a leak. Ordinary people couldn't get anywhere near it.

I didn't give up. I crouched in the corridor and waited for an opening.

Before I could come up with a plan, a group of bodyguards in black surrounded me.

"Name your price. Finding this place means you've got some skill."

"But if a single word of this gets out, the Weiss family will make sure you regret it."

Phyllis Weiss fixed me with an icy stare, her gaze cutting like a blade.

They'd mistaken me for a reporter sniffing around for a story. The frustration surging through my chest nearly boiled over, but it dissolved the instant I noticed the silver streaking through the old woman's temples.

She was a mother. Just like me, sick with worry over a child whose future hung in the balance.

I clenched my jaw. No more hesitation. The words I'd been turning over in my mind for so long finally spilled out.

"Rory Abbott is Grace Cobb's illegitimate child. He has no blood relation to the Weiss family whatsoever. And he has severe autism."

"I understand that news of having no heir would be devastating for the family right now. But are you truly willing to hand over everything the Weiss family has built to an outsider whose origins you can't even verify?"

"The Weiss family didn't hold on to the top of Pinecrest by making foolish choices. I trust you'll know what to do."

The color drained from Phyllis's face. Storm clouds gathered behind her eyes, and the jade bangle on her wrist caught the light, its hairline fracture suddenly visible.

But she hadn't survived decades in the business world for nothing. Within moments, she reined in her composure.

"I'll investigate whether this is true. But until the Weiss family reaches a final decision, I expect not a whisper of this to reach anyone outside these walls."

If I hadn't been desperate to bring Grace down, I never would have exposed another family's secrets. Phyllis's condition was more than reasonable.

I agreed without hesitation.

If the Weiss family cut Grace loose, the childhood betrothal would collapse on its own.

After all these years with Lambert Perry, I'd finally learned one bitter truth: feelings meant nothing when real money was on the table.

Confirming the truth would take time. In the meantime, I needed to survive.

At Phyllis's suggestion, I stayed on at the hospital as a caregiver to make ends meet. In my spare hours, I picked up my old craft again, sketching fashion designs.

After all, this was a fresh start. I'd need to earn my own living from here on out.

But Lambert had always sneered at my work. Confidence wasn't exactly something I had in abundance.

On top of that, after Mia was born, I'd rarely had the chance to throw myself fully into anything of my own. I'd barely kept up with trends in the industry.

Forget it. Overthinking won't help.

I'd raised my daughter with my own two hands. We'd never been apart, not once.

Phyllis was desperate for answers. Within days, she had the paternity test results in hand.

The moment I heard, I couldn't hold back any longer. I slipped away to the school gates, just to catch a glimpse of my girl.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

"Mia Perry! I've told you eight hundred times to look after Rory at school. What have you been doing?!"

"Useless little brat. Just like your mother."

Grace had Mia's ear twisted between her fingers, spitting venom, all because her precious son had wet his pants and no one had changed him fast enough.

My daughter's face was flushed scarlet. She flinched and cowered, unable to get away, stammering apology after apology through trembling lips.

"Aunt Grace, I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time. Please give me one more chance."

Lambert stood right there beside them like a bystander, impatience written all over his face.

I couldn't hold back. I rushed over and pulled my daughter free, gently patting her back to soothe her.

"Don't be scared. It's okay. Mommy's here."

The small body beneath my hands went stiff, and my tears fell before I could stop them.

"Lambert, are you even human? How can you betray your own daughter's trust like this?"

"No matter what, Mia is your flesh and blood. You just stood there and watched someone else bully and hit her."

Lambert glanced at me sideways, a careless smirk on his lips.

"Mia doesn't know how to behave. Grace is willing to discipline her as her future mother-in-law. That's Mia's good fortune."

"The one who has no business meddling here is you. What's the matter? Left home and realized you can't even feed yourself? Regretting it already?"

I had no desire to argue with him. I tightened my arms around my daughter.

"If she's so keen on discipline, she should start with her own kid. Mia is still little. She's not obligated to wait on your precious prince."

"Come on, sweetheart. Mommy found a job. Let's go."

I thought these past few days would have been enough for Mia to see that staying with Lambert was a mistake. But those small hands shoved me away without mercy, and she ran to Grace, tilting her face up with a desperate, pleasing smile.

"Aunt Grace, I'll take better care of Rory from now on. Please don't send me away."

Grace arched an eyebrow, triumph dripping from every pore.

"You heard her. Your own daughter can't stand you. Honestly, I almost feel sorry for you."

"Take the hint and stay away. Stop showing up and making everyone sick."

Lambert's eyes stayed locked on Grace the entire time, his expression one of doting adoration, as if every word from her mouth were gospel.

People streamed past in every direction. I stood there, mortified, my face burning like a boiled shrimp.

Grace wasn't done with me. She pulled out an invitation card, a smile playing on her lips.

"To show how much we value Mia, I've arranged a grand engagement banquet."

"As Mia's birth mother, I do hope you'll attend on time."

I wanted nothing more than to photograph that smug face and show it to Mrs. Weiss Sr.

Her husband was lying in a hospital bed, hanging between life and death, and she had the leisure to throw a party.

Bound by my agreement not to reveal Rod's condition, I swallowed the words before they left my mouth.

Lambert caught the look on my face and took it for petulance.

"If it were up to me, you wouldn't be invited at all. Save Mia the embarrassment."

"Grace is too generous with you. That's the only reason you think she's someone you can push around. With her status, she doesn't need to lower herself like this."

"Marrying into the Weiss family is the greatest stroke of luck Mia will ever have. If you dare ruin this for me, you'll never see her again."

That bone-deep favoritism, that shameless devotion to Grace, reignited the fury inside me.

A cold laugh escaped my throat. Word by word, I peeled back Grace's mask for all to hear.

"Lambert, you're worse than an animal. You'd sell your own daughter just to claw your way into the Weiss family."

"Too bad your precious first love has been lying through her teeth, fooling everyone. Rory isn't Rod Weiss's biological son."

The words landed like a bomb. Gasps rippled through the crowd, drawing even more onlookers who stopped mid-stride, eyes darting between Grace and the boy at her side.

Rory kept his head bowed throughout, silent, as if he existed somewhere beyond the reach of this world.

Grace had managed to string the wealthiest family in Pinecrest along without anyone catching on. She was no amateur.

In the blink of an eye, fat tears rolled down her cheeks, and her trembling, pitiful voice tugged effortlessly at every stranger's heartstrings.

"If you have a problem, take it up with me. Smearing a child's mother right in front of him? Are you even human?"

"I don't know how many times you need us to explain this. Lambert and I may have known each other since we were young, but there has never been anything inappropriate between us."

"We're both women. You open your mouth and spread filthy lies about me without a shred of proof. Aren't you afraid that kind of karma will come back to bite you?"

People instinctively sided with the underdog, and the crowd gathered at the school gates was mostly mothers with children of their own. Grace's words struck a nerve.

"If someone talked trash about me in front of my kid, I'd rip her mouth off."

"Ha. She's got the nerve to mess with the wife of the richest man in Pinecrest. Must have a death wish."

"If you ask me, she's just jealous that Mrs. Weiss is more popular. I mean, if your own husband and daughter can't stand you, there's clearly something wrong with you."

Amid the barrage of accusations, Lambert refused to be outdone. He charged forward and kicked me hard to the ground.

"The biggest regret of my life is marrying you!"

"Grace is the love of my life. No one gets to slander her in front of me."

His fists rained down. I couldn't fight back. All I could do was curl into myself, shielding what I could.

"Stop!" An aged but commanding voice cut through the chaos like a blade from heaven.

Lambert's eyes were bloodshot, too far gone to even look before he whipped around and snarled, "Where'd you come from, you old hag? At your age, you should know better than to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Get lost!"

Before the last word left his mouth, several bodyguards rushed in and pinned him to the ground.

Finally freed, I slowly uncurled my limbs and let out a long, shuddering breath.

Through the haze of blood clouding my vision, I saw Grace's face drain white in an instant. Her voice trembled.

"Mom, what are you doing here? Did something happen to Rod? I'll bring Rory home right away."

Lambert lifted his head in disbelief, his voice thick with terror. "Mrs. Weiss?"