Saving Him Before It All Began

The day my husband, Caleb Vale, buries his first love, Layla Shaw, he stands in front of me and throws our wedding ring into the sea.

For the next 12 years, the breakfasts I bring him go straight into the trash, and the scarf I stay up all night knitting is tossed into the fire and burned to ash.

The cruelest moment is when he looks me in the eye and says, "Aurora, if you really want to please me, you might as well go die."

But when a mugger comes at me with a knife, Caleb still steps in front of me without a second's hesitation.

As he lies dying in my arms, he uses the very last of his strength to force out a few broken words. "Go... I hope I never see you again in my next life."

At the funeral, Helena Rogers sobs until she faints. "This is all my fault. I never should've arranged your marriage..."

Everyone around us pities him and resents me. They whisper that I'm a jinx and wonder why I'm not the one who died.

And honestly, I wonder the same thing. Why not me?

After Caleb is lowered into the ground, I climb to the top floor of the building and jump.

As I hover on the edge of death, a cold, mechanical voice echoes in my mind. "Binding complete. Wish detected. The system will now send you back 12 years."

On the day my husband, Caleb Vale, laid his first love, Layla Shaw, to rest, he turned to me and flung our wedding ring into the sea.

For the next 12 years, the breakfasts I brought him were tossed away untouched, and the scarf I painstakingly knitted through the night was thrown into the flames and burned to nothing.

He was the cruelest when he looked me in the eye and said, "Aurora, if you really want me to be happy, you might as well go die."

But when a mugger lunged at me with a knife, Caleb stepped in front of me without a moment's hesitation.

As he lay dying in my arms, he used the last of his strength to force out a few broken words. "Go… I hope I never see you again in my next life."

At the funeral, Helena Rogers sobbed until she fainted. "This is all my fault. I never should've arranged for you two to be married…"

Everyone around us pitied him and resented me. They whispered that misfortune followed me and wondered why fate hadn't taken me instead.

And honestly, I wondered the same thing. Why not me?

When Caleb was finally buried, I went to the top floor of the building and let myself fall.

As I hovered on the edge of death, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in my mind. "Binding complete. Wish detected. The system will now send you back 12 years."

…

"Aurora Wynne, you really are something," Caleb coldly said. He continued, "You used Grandpa's dying