In her last life, Linda refused to divorce politician Michael when he fell for twenty-seven-year-old club hostess Jessica. Ten years of cold violence and solo breadwinning ended in ovarian cancer. At her funeral, Michael handed Jessica his wage card; son Brian called Linda an ugly freak and wanted Jessica as Mom. Reborn to the day Michael demanded divorce, Linda consulted a lawyer, agreed, and in the split took commercial storefronts that would appreciate. She rebuilt herself—beauty, fitness, promotions, dating. Michael and Jessica’s marriage soured; Brian regretted discarding his real mother. Michael begged to remarry; Jessica staged public scenes and put her brother up to attack Linda with a knife and acid. Jessica went to prison. Michael lost his seat to abuse and scandal and went home broke. Linda bought a luxury apartment with the shop windfall, moved her parents in, and drove into a life that no longer waited for a man who had already celebrated her death.