Breaking Free From Mr. Ceo novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Chapter 1 

The sharp, shrill wail of an ambulance siren cut through the chaos of the bustling city streets like a blade through fabric. Its mournful cry echoed off the towering buildings, reverberating through the air with a sense of urgency that could not be ignored. 

Inside the ambulance, Rosalie Talley lay on the stretcher, her consciousness gradually slipping away. The distant, muffled voices of the paramedics reached her ears, their conversation blending into the chaotic hum surrounding her. 

One of the paramedics took her phone. A moment later, Rosalie heard the sound of a call being made. 

“Hello, is this Rosalie Talley’s husband?” The paramedic’s voice was calm but urgent. “Your wife was in a car accident. We’re on the way to the hospital right now. Please–” 

“Is she dead?” A cold, emotionless male voice cut her off mid–sentence. 

The paramedic was momentarily stunned, instinctively answering, “No” 

“I’m busy. Call me when she is.” 

“Wait-” 

Before the paramedic could finish speaking, the line went dead. The monotonous beeping of the disconnected call echoed in the cramped ambulance, each tone dripping with cruel indifference–mocking, ridiculing, as if laughing at Rosalie’s foolish devotion. 

Even as her consciousness faded, Julian Galloway’s words somehow stabbed into her mind with painful clarity, each syllable carved deep into her soul. 

A bitter smile curved her lips. She let her eyes drift shut as a thought surfaced in her hazy mind. She pondered, That’s enough. Some people are just born cold–hearted, aren’t they? How could I have been so naive to think I could ever change him?‘ 

Her fingers twitched slightly before her arm went limp, slipping lifelessly to her side. 

The last thing she heard was the paramedic’s voice, urgent yet distant. “The patient’s heart has stopped…” 

Rosalie sat up abruptly in bed, her breath coming in shallow gasps. 

Dazed, she stared at her hands–soft, smooth, and completely unscathed. Her flawless skin bore no trace of injury, not even the faintest scratch. 

She wondered, her heart pounding against her ribs, ‘What is going on? Wasn’t I in a car accident? Wasn’t I supposed to be in the ambulance, being rushed to the hospital? Then why am I back in my bedroom, without a single wound on my body?” 

A sudden, unbelievable thought crashed into her mind. 

Rosalie’s breath caught as she snapped her gaze to the clock on the wall. The glowing numbers read January 1, 2020. 

She thought, a shiver running down her spine, ‘Have I traveled back in time?‘ 

It sounded absurd–something that only happened in movies or novels. But there was no other explanation for why she was lying in her bedroom, completely unharmed, while the clock displayed a date from one year ago. 

She wondered, ‘Is the universe giving me a second chance? A chance to make a different choice?‘ 

1/2 

14:54 Mon, 3 Mar 

Chapter 1 

The memory of Julian’s cruel words before her death in her past life flashed through her mind, making her lips curl into a bitter, self–mocking smile. 

Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, she turned sharply, yanking open the drawer of her bedside table. 

“Of course.” Rosalie let out a cold laugh, her eyes landing on the divorce agreement, the bold letters standing out unmistakably 

Julian had sent it over through his lawyer just yesterday. Even when it came to ending their marriage, he couldn’t be bothered to meet her in person. 

In her past life, she had stubbornly refused to sign it, clinging to a marriage that had long since withered into nothing but a legal bond on paper. 

Their relationship had only grown more strained–Julian had barely come home for a year, and even when he did, he’d never spared her more than a few indifferent glances, let alone talking to her. 

She still didn’t know what exactly she had been holding onto or why she had been so desperate to keep a dead marriage intact. 

She had thought that as long as she stayed by Julian’s side–as long as she remained his wife–one day, she would finally reach his heart. 

But reality had been cruel. 

Even when she lay on the brink of death after a severe car accident, he hadn’t shown the slightest concern. He hadn’t even cared enough to ask if she would survive.