The Witch He Abandoned

The Thornes built their aromatherapy business generations ago, but their ancestors made a fatal mistake and brought down a divine curse.

For ninety-nine generations, every Thorne heir drew their punishment on their eighteenth birthday.

Julian Thorne was the last. He drew the worst punishment: death from hemorrhage in ten months.

The only way to break it was to marry a witch from the Old Bloodline and complete the life transference ritual. The witch inscribes a sigil on a parchment and infuses the child's blood essence on it, and the curse transfers to the parchment.

I was that witch. My family owed the Thornes a blood debt going back three generations, so I married Julian, gave him a child, and performed the ritual to save his life.

I was terrified of missing the ritual window, so I didn't even use anesthesia as the baby was cut out of my womb.

However, Julian drove ninety-nine soul spikes into my body while I was still bleeding from the delivery, then set me on fire.

"Miriam is the real heir. You're nothing but a fraud who wanted to marry up.

"You drove her into the wilderness to protect your position. She went into labor alone and died with the baby. Even dying, she thought of me. She finished the ritual and saved my life.

"You deceived my father. I'm destroying your soul. You'll pay for what you did to them."

He ignored my screaming while he drained our newborn's blood essence.

I watched helplessly as my child's life faded.

Then I was nailed to a cross and burned until there was nothing left.

When I opened my eyes, I was back on my wedding day.

Julian Thorne knelt before his father, his voice sharp and frantic.

"Father! Miriam is the true heir of the Old Bloodline. Only she can save my life."

"Celeste Shannara is nothing but a fraud. Are you really going to let a liar destroy your son's life?"

He stared at me, his eyes overflowing with a hatred identical to the moment he set me on fire in our past life.

With that single look, I knew. He had also been given a second chance, and he was desperate to change everything.

The phantom agony of the soul spikes and the suffocating heat of the flames felt as if they were still etched into my skin.

The stinging pain made cold sweat pour down my face.

Without hesitation, I stripped off my bridal gown.

"Mr. Thorne, please burn the marriage contract. From this moment on, the engagement is void. I'm more than happy to step aside for Julian and Miriam."

Julian looked at me, stunned.

He clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily.

After all, in my last life, I had begged and pleaded to marry him.

"Celeste, what kind of game are you playing now?

"If you're playing hard to get to make me back down, you've miscalculated. I'm only ever marrying Miriam in my life!"

Years ago, when