It’s hard to describe how I felt when I heard those words. Samuel was leaning forward, burying his face in Chloe’s neck, inhaling the scent of her long hair. Chloe was his therapist. Samuel had been saying lately that his mental state was a bit chaotic and he needed to see a doctor. I didn’t expect it to be this kind of “seeing”. The intimate scene between them was jarring. The pain of betrayal instantly consumed all my rationality. I wanted to rush in and confront him, asking why he would do such a thing. For three lifetimes, Samuel’s heart had always been with me, from beginning to end. I believed this with all my being, but the reality of this fourth life hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in such disbelief that I wondered if I had misunderstood something. Then the Samuel I thought loved me most – the most devoted and faithful Samuel – spoke. He glanced sideways, playfully twirling the long hair of Chloe who was sitting on his lap, and sneered: “Dr. Feng, do you think I’m really crazy? “But I feel like the three previous deaths weren’t fake. Even now when I think about that pain, I still get chills.” Chloe clutched her chest, showing exaggerated concern: “What should we do? You won’t die again this time, will you?” Samuel curved his lips into a smile: “How could I? I’ve played along with Sophia every lifetime, but ended up dying by her side each time. “Originally I wanted to see how she would save me, but now I think she must be bad luck. Look how well I’m living now that I’ve stayed away from her. “This lifetime, I have you, Dr. Chloe.” His voice lilted upwards at the end, causing Chloe to blush and coyly chide him: “Well, you’ve found the right person. Dr. Chloe will cure you this lifetime.” At that moment, the laughter of the man and woman inside sounded distorted, as if coming through a filter to my ears. Those few sentences from Samuel’s voice kept replaying and amplifying in my mind, constricting my heart and leaving me breathless. I leaned against the wall, gasping for air. I can’t remember how I got home that day. I only remember collapsing onto the sofa, feeling like all the strength had been drained from my body. As if my spine had been removed, I went limp. This is not an exaggeration at all. What had supported me through multiple rebirths was the obsession with saving 28-year-old Samuel. In our first life, he died when we were most in love. We had just gotten our marriage license, and he was driving us on a trip. I was still admiring the ring in the car, saying I wanted to design a matching set of earrings. Before he could even finish saying “Okay”, an out-of-control truck crashed into us on the highway. In that instant, time seemed to slow down. In my eyes, widened with horror, I clearly saw him lunging towards me, half his body shielding me. In the end, I saw his eyes, unable to close, bloodied, filled with love and pain. I cried out hoarsely, weeping in disbelief. There was only one thought in my mind – no, no, Samuel can’t die, we still have so many things we haven’t done… I have to go back, I have to save him! Suddenly, it was as if a voice in my head asked me: Are you sure? Are you sure you want to give up your future, to go back and do something that might fail, to repeat it over and over? I said yes. So I spent a lifetime, two lifetimes, giving it my all… And in this life, he tells me he knew everything. He just watched me desperately, pathetically, begging him to live. He even said I was bad luck, that I was the one causing his death.
When Samuel came home, it was already late at night. I was still sitting dazed on the sofa, replaying in my mind where exactly things had gone wrong, when exactly his heart had changed. “Why are you sitting in the dark? What are you spacing out about?” His tone was as gentle as always. He sat down next to me and naturally reached out to wrap his arm around my waist, acting so normal as if what I had seen earlier was just a dream. I reflexively dodged his touch. The atmosphere became awkward. A hint of coldness flashed across Samuel’s eyes. He had clearly noticed my abnormal behavior. But as if tired of it all, he didn’t inquire further. “I’m going to bed first. You should get some rest too.” That night I slept poorly. Even though Samuel was right beside me, my mind kept flashing back to scenes of his death. In our first life, he died instantly in the car accident. Blood poured out from his body, soaking through my shirt. In our second life, we got married but didn’t go on a honeymoon, so that car accident never happened. But then a freak accident occurred. He was picking me up after work when a billboard suddenly fell from above. It landed squarely on top of him. I watched helplessly as the tall man was crushed without a trace. It was as if fate was determined to take his life. I refused to accept it, so we came to our third life. This time I quit my job. After we married, I hardly left his side for a moment, terrified that he would have an accident if I wasn’t paying attention. So we made it to his 28th birthday without incident. On his birthday, the candlelight illuminated his sparkling eyes. In the warm glow, he professed his love to me, eyes glistening: “Sophia, I’m so lucky to have you.” My heart was racing. But then his smile seemed to fade, his face becoming blurry. An overwhelming sense of dread nearly knocked me over. Then Samuel coughed up a mouthful of blood. Perhaps too much time had passed, or perhaps my mind was too panicked to retain other memories. I don’t remember the name of his illness, it seemed to be some rare condition. His life ended so suddenly, almost absurdly abrupt. My final memory is of a stark white hospital room. In the deathly silence, only the faintly glowing monitor by his ear persisted in beeping, as if desperately clinging to his last traces of life. How could I accept this? How could I possibly be okay with this? Samuel and I met when we were young. Back then, I was a country bumpkin who had come to the city. Because I was pretty and had an enviable talent for dance, some girls in class started picking on me. I endured and endured, until the day they knocked over my grandmother’s pancake stand. Amidst the mess on the ground, I held back tears as I helped my grandmother up. The girls stood there looking pristine and superior, laughing with shrill voices. They called me Pancake Girl and told me to go back home and make pancakes. My grandmother was mute. She moved her lips silently, gesturing to wipe the oil stains off my clothes. The girls laughed even harder. That’s when Samuel appeared. He was holding a camera and made one phone call to summon the school leaders. He was a good student from a well-off family, quite an impressive figure in our small town. It was evening, and though the day had been gloomy, somehow at that moment the sunlight broke through the clouds, shining directly onto Samuel. He reached out his hand, holding a clean, neatly folded handkerchief. The first thing he said was: “I’m sorry I didn’t come help right away. I wanted to get evidence on camera first.” Even now, I still remember how my heart pounded that day. Fierce and strong, it sustained me as I traversed alone through countless worlds of his death.
Even by the second morning, I was still in a daze. Samuel got up at this time. He put on the clothes I had ironed for him and glanced at me setting breakfast on the table. “You’re not going to the dance troupe? “You’re just going to stay at home all the time? There’s not much for you to do here anyway…” His voice trailed off at the end, tinged with confusion. I paused while wiping the table and looked up at him. But I only saw him quickly averting his gaze. “Have breakfast at home. I’m not eating. Don’t see me off, and don’t come pick me up tonight either. “I’m going to see Dr. Chloe.” He rubbed his brow, his tone flat. In the past, I definitely would have worried about his condition. But now, I only felt a chill in my heart. He was about to turn 28, and we were about to get our marriage license. In previous lives at this time, I had completely lost interest in work, spending my days anxious and afraid. So I simply quit my job at the dance troupe and truly became a full-time housewife. Back then, he thought I was working too hard and said with a smile: “Then don’t go anymore. From now on, just dance for me alone. With me here, what do you have to worry about?” I accompanied him to and from work. He proudly introduced me to his colleagues. He raised his hand to show off our matching rings. But now, he looked at me warily and coldly, telling me: “Stop watching me all the time. Find something to do for yourself.” I caught my breath, followed by the loud slam of the front door. An eerie silence fell over the house. I sat at the table, mechanically picking at the breakfast in front of me. It was still warm, but tasted unusually cold in my mouth. How did things end up like this? Ever since Samuel started therapy, the distance between us seemed to gradually grow. He began to resent and reject my presence. After spending three lifetimes with me, had he now found true love? But saving Samuel was like a program hardwired into my very being. Suddenly being told to give up felt like losing the center of my life. I felt I should rush up and confront him, ask if all my efforts over the past few lives were just a joke to him. But then why did he keep playing along with me each time? But I still acted as if nothing had happened. I watched helplessly as Samuel grew more and more distant and cold towards me, as we spoke less and less. I watched as Chloe and he grew closer, to the point where some nights he didn’t even bother pretending anymore, openly calling Chloe from the balcony. In the darkness, even through the glass, I could see the smile spreading across Samuel’s face. Then one evening, I stubbornly sat at the dining table like a bitter wife, waiting for him to come home. It was almost 9 PM. After reheating the dishes countless times, Samuel finally returned. Except Chloe came back with him.
Chloe nodded a greeting to me, then naturally took off her shoes and entered the living room. “Don’t misunderstand, Miss Sophia. I’m just here to help with Mr. Samuel’s treatment. “Mr. Samuel described being troubled by memories from the past, or memories that don’t exist. So I came to look at the home environment, which can actually have a big impact on one’s mental state.” Her smile was open, her words professional. Facing me, she was completely different from the coquettish woman by Samuel’s side earlier – very proper and dignified. It almost made me feel like her intimacy with Samuel had been my imagination. But the next second, her eyes met Samuel’s, and she flashed a meaningful smile, full of their private understanding. “Get rid of these few things, and redesign the sofa layout over here…” Her red lips opened and closed, but by the end I could no longer make out what she was saying. I only saw our carefully decorated home being completely changed by her. Her gaze turned smug and challenging as she lifted her chin to look at me: “One must always look forward. It’s best to throw away old things.” She took a charm off her bag and hung it by the front door, her tone coy: “Mr. Samuel, seeing something bright and colorful before leaving home will improve your mood.” “This is our marital home…” I watched Samuel’s lips curl up involuntarily as he reluctantly saw Chloe off. Then I spoke up, my lips trembling. “What’s wrong?” he asked, puzzled. Our carefully designed marital home – how could you just bring another woman back here, casually rearrange our decor, and leave her traces behind? “Sophia, Dr. Chloe is a professional. If things aren’t arranged properly, they should be changed. I’m sick – should I just stay sick?” His tone was a bit exasperated. But I could hear the underlying impatience. “Don’t be so stubborn. If you don’t like the current arrangement, we can change it again later based on your preferences.” Bitterness welled up in my throat. I took a deep breath and forced a smile: “Samuel, aren’t we supposed to get our marriage license next month? “Do you still want to go through with it?” Samuel frowned: “What are you going on about? Just because Chloe came to look at the house? Sophia, I think you have too much free time on your hands. “If you have nothing to do, go find something. Stop obsessing over me and jumping to conclusions. Now you’re even saying such things.” He was about to say more, but froze in place. My tone was very flat and cold: “Let’s call it off.” Just three words, but I struggled to get them out. Samuel didn’t react at first, confusion in his eyes: “What did you say?” As he spoke, his voice trembled slightly, as if suppressing some joy. I suddenly remembered what he had said in front of Chloe: “She’s always clinging to me, like bad luck by my side. How could I not have problems?” The tears pooled in my eyes, but I held them back. Instead, a wave of grief and anger rushed to my head. The cold blood seemed to ignite, and I let out a silent laugh: “What? Are you satisfied that I said we should call off the wedding? “Samuel, you haven’t really fallen for someone else, have you? Are you that eager to get rid of me?” Realizing I seemed to be joking and toying with him, his face instantly darkened, his expression frightening: “Sophia, I think you’re the one with mental problems. Is this funny to you? “No wonder my condition has been poor lately. Turns out you’ve been affecting me.” He looked down at me imperiously, angrily tossed his coat aside, and went to sleep in the guest room. Silence fell over the living room again, but that oppressive feeling lingered. I looked up at the ceiling, and the tears I had held back for so long didn’t retreat, but rushed out in a flood. After that day, things became even more strained between Samuel and me. He began openly going to see Chloe. Faced with my heartbroken questioning, he just looked at me coldly, his expression mocking: “Then why don’t you give up on me? Go ahead and call it off. “Your world doesn’t revolve around just me.” He was so calm, making me look like the crazy one. I was left speechless. I couldn’t accept it. I had invested four lifetimes. My sunk costs were too great – so great that I didn’t have the courage to give up everything from before. I kept thinking I should wait a bit longer, until the day we were supposed to get our marriage license.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296081”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #校园School
Leave a Reply