Goodbye, Jess, Hello, Genius

The music was too loud, the crowd too thick. Then came the screams, the smell of smoke, the fire. My body moved to save Chloe, a reflex from a past life I shouldn't remember, a life where her disgust and obsession with her childhood crush, Ethan, had led to my suicide. But then the cruel memories flooded back: Chloe, my girlfriend, reaching for Ethan Hayes amidst the chaos, screaming his name. I tried to pull her away, but she shrieked, yanking free, choosing him. I let her go. Her mother publicly shamed me. Chloe and Ethan, now campus heroes, revelled in their 'tragic romance,' while my life became a living hell. Then came the bombshell: Ethan was my estranged father's illegitimate son, and they both waltzed into my exclusive robotics lab, orchestrated by him. They framed me, painted me as the jealous ex, leading to my suspension. Why was history repeating, yet so much worse? I was the villain, they the victims, but I knew their twisted truth. Chloe's calculated manipulation, Ethan's cruel games, my father's puppetry – this wasn't just heartbreak; it was a setup designed to ruin me. My past life's pain was a shield now, a brutal teacher. But they underestimated me. I'd been here before. This time, my eyes were wide open. A discreet security camera, a digital recorder-their every lie, their every malicious move, would be exposed. My life would be different. It had to be. I wouldn't be their fool again.

The final handful of dirt hit my daughter Maya' s small casket. My wife, Jessica, was inexplicably absent from our only child's funeral. But the true horror unravelled when I overheard her voice from the study on a video call, casual and cold: "Maya… her birth was an inconvenience from the start." My stomach twisted. She' d skipped the funeral to go on a date with her college ex, Blake Harrison, who was now at our dinner table later that day. She'd already boxed up all of Maya's cherished belongings, labeled "Donate." My precious girl, labeled disposable. Jessica then threatened to ruin my career and steal my life' s work, Project Beacon, a revolutionary AI I had secretly poured years into. The woman I married wasn't just detached; she was a monster. She had orchestrated Maya's death, presenting it as aggressive treatment, all to clear the way for a reunion with an old flame. How could anyone be so calculating, so devoid of humanity, especially towards their own child? The grief that choked me transformed into pure, calculated fury. "I want a divorce," I told her, my voice steady. But that was just the start. The AI she thought was her leverage, the one she planned to use to destroy me, was already patented under a trust – the "Maya M. Miller Benevolent Trust." This wasn't just about my career; this was about securing Maya' s legacy. And I was just getting started.

My Manhattan penthouse, a testament to my late father-in-law Michael Rossi's empire, felt like a gilded cage. As Michael' s chosen "legacy guardian," I was loyal, a steady presence. But to his daughter, my wife Isabella, I was just background noise, an obstacle to her obsession: rockstar Jules Vance. One day, she swept in, reeking of expensive perfume, ready to jettison for Austin and Jules. I handed her a stack of company papers, including a marital separation agreement Marc and I had subtly slipped in. Without a glance, she scribbled her name, dismissing our anniversary, her father's legacy, and me. Her heels clicked away, the door slamming shut, sealing my fate. She hadn't even noticed the separation. I was bound by a promise to a dead man, meant to protect a woman who saw me as a ghost, a joke to her and her flamboyant lover. Her casual cruelty and constant dismissal had built an insurmountable wall. Years of emotional suffocation, of being the quiet anchor to a woman who resented stability, finally took their toll. How could a marriage, painstakingly built by her visionary father, a man who saw me as a trusted son, be dissolved with such a careless flick of a pen? Her indifference was a brutal symbol of her utter disregard. I was simply exhausted. This time, her ignorance was my liberation. With her signature on that separation agreement, the decision was unequivocally made. I packed a single duffel bag, climbed into my old pickup truck, and drove north. Leaving the glittering city, the endless drama, and the woman who didn't want it, irrevocably behind. My new life had finally begun.

Ava Rodriguez's brilliant brother, Leo, won the acclaimed American Justice Fellowship. His future was supposed to shine, a beacon of hope for their family. Then, he died. They called it suicide, but Leo's last scrawled words to her were: "Don't accept the fellowship." Ava knew they were lying. He was murdered, just like every other fellow who threatened the powerful. For three years, she buried herself in law, watching, waiting, preparing to expose the truth. Now, she's won the fellowship herself, her proposal a direct challenge to the corrupt system. But as she publicly declares her brother was murdered and vows to expose the truth, the trap springs shut around her. Suddenly, she's not the grieving sister seeking justice, but the prime suspect in a series of horrific murders. Evidence - her brother's unique custom pen, her IP address near other "suicide" scenes - mysteriously emerges, painting her as a cold-blooded serial killer. Even her own mother, distraught and masked, appears, "confessing" to the crimes to protect Ava, unknowingly deepening the meticulously planned frame-up. The world spins into a nightmare of accusations and twisted truths. She' s being set up not to shine, but to be destroyed, with her "suicide" in federal custody as the perfect final act. How could they twist everything so perfectly? Why her mother' s desperate, bizarre act? The narrative has been set: Ava Rodriguez, brilliant law graduate, or monstrous serial killer? Refusing to be another silenced victim, Ava stages a high-stakes escape from federal custody. She races to the darkest secret her family holds, the one place she believes the real truth lies-her father's grave. Under the harsh glare of news cameras and the FBI, a shovel in hand, she prepares to dig. What she unearths will either expose a shocking family secret and a vast conspiracy, or bury her forever.

The scent of woodsmoke and damp earth was the first sensation I knew. Then, memory, sharp and cruel, flooded back: Sadie' s smile, Beau' s laugh, and my wagon, piled with preserves, tipping violently. I sat bolt upright in my Havenwood bed, not the ravine, bathed in spring sunlight. My nightmare first life was over; I was reborn. My childhood friend, Sadie, had always eyed my jam-making skill with dark envy. I simply created art from local flora using family recipes. Sadie desperately coveted the Harvest Festival Championship, town admiration, and shallow Beau Sterling. I innocently revealed the legend that the champion marries Beau, which Sadie ruthlessly exploited. Sadie, manipulative and ambitious, conspired with Beau to sabotage my wagon, staging an "accident." They left me for dead, shattering my dreams and existence for hollow prestige and a fleeting title. The betrayal, from my best friend and the admired man, was a venomous sting, worse than any physical pain. How could they be so cruel, so consumed by ambition, just to destroy my life? Now, breathing crisp Vermont air, I was alive and remembered everything. My former kindness was gone, replaced by cunning forged in betrayal's fire. This time, I would protect myself and Havenwood from such insidious people. My first move was clear: Sadie.

The searing pain slammed into me, horrifyingly familiar, as I gasped awake in the birthing suite of my sprawling Texas estate. This was it: the day my first child was due, the very day my entire world spiraled into a nightmare in my last life. I remembered every agonizing detail: my mother, Eleanor, abandoning me in labor, leaving for my stepsister Brittany's lavish birthday party, then her monstrous rage, blaming me for Brittany's death. I remembered the poisoned christening, my husband Ethan collapsing, our baby lifeless, then Eleanor dragging me to Brittany's grave, her hands tightening around my throat, murdering me. Now, reborn, I realized the chilling truth: Eleanor was reborn too, and already, her creature, Nurse Gretchen, stood over me, determined to repeat history, actively trying to force my crowning baby back inside me. The pain was unbearable, the betrayal absolute, as I screamed, knowing she meant to murder my child before its first breath, just like before, all for a twisted obsession with her adopted daughter. How could my own mother be so utterly, undeniably evil, to repeat such a heinous act against her own flesh and blood, attempting to erase my family once more? Just as despair threatened to consume me, a familiar, powerful presence erupted into the room: Ethan, my husband, his eyes blazing with a fierce, knowing protectiveness that mirrored my own reborn memories. He remembered too. With him by my side, we would no longer be victims; we would confront the depths of Eleanor's cruelty, unravel her darkest secrets, and wage a battle not just for our baby's life, but for the justice denied in a past life.

The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."

Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."

Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."

My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.

Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."

Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."