My home was about to be submerged by floodwaters, but my rescue captain husband took all his team members to save the woman he’d always pined for – Celeste. That’s when I knew: he’d also been reborn. In my last life, when my husband found out I was in danger, he rushed to save me. Because of that, he missed Celeste’s call. She had a severe depressive episode and ended up taking her own life. But right before she did, she posted online, claiming I’d cyberbullied her for years and stolen her beloved. After her death, I was cyberbullied relentlessly. My husband, Julian, said he didn’t blame me and treated me as he always had. But on the day I gave birth, he broke my limbs and my baby’s. Then, in front of Celeste’s grave, he threw my son and me into a small, portable tub. “I never would have married you if I’d known you’d been bullying Celeste for so many years!” “You can swim, yet you deliberately called me to save you. It’s all your fault Celeste took her own life!” I listened to my baby’s heartbreaking cries, and died in despair. When I opened my eyes again, it was this very day – the flood. This time, let him go save his precious Celeste. …
My house was a cozy two-story home in the suburbs. I’d already run up to the second floor, but the torrential rain was relentless, and the water level was rising incredibly fast, already up to my waist. My baby inside me seemed to sense my fear, moving uneasily too. “It’s okay, baby, we’ll be saved!” I touched my belly, trembling as I climbed onto the desk. This time, I didn’t call Julian. Instead, I called Ben, the deputy captain of the rescue team. But it was Julian who answered. “Enough, Scarlett. This is a critical moment for saving lives. Can you stop causing trouble? You know how to swim, and we have a kayak at home. You’re the least likely person to get into trouble!” He roared in frustration before hanging up. He completely forgot that I’d almost drowned trying to save Celeste before, and since then, I’d had a deep-seated fear of water. As for the kayak he’d given me for my birthday… Celeste had simply said she wanted it, and he’d immediately loaded it into her car. I hadn’t even touched the packaging. But after being reborn, I’d given up on explaining anything to Julian. I called Ben again. This time, he answered himself, but his attitude wasn’t much better than Julian’s. “Seriously, Scarlett, are all you pregnant women this dramatic?” “No matter how deeply Julian feels for you, he can’t handle this kind of trouble. The captain has already taken the other team members to save Miss Celeste. Stop calling; no one has time for your nonsense. You’re just wasting valuable rescue resources!” “You’re only getting away with this because you’re the captain’s wife. Otherwise, I’d curse you out. I hate it when women just cause more problems!” Ben cursed at me before blocking my number. Actually, it didn’t matter if he blocked me or not. Just moments ago, all network communications had crashed. I couldn’t make calls or send messages. Even worse, standing on the desk wasn’t much help. The water quickly rose to my armpits, and I started to feel chest tightness, gasping for air. In about twenty minutes, the water would completely swallow me. I strained to lift my neck, trying to breathe more easily, but tears flowed uncontrollably. In my last life, as soon as the flood reached the second floor, I’d called Julian for help. He was an orphan and had always yearned for his own small family, so he deeply valued the child in my womb. When he received my distress call, he was even more anxious than I was. Julian rushed to save me at top speed, missing Celeste’s call in the process. She then jumped into the floodwaters to take her own life. Before she died, she posted a video, claiming I’d cyberbullied her for over a decade, causing her severe depression. Now, her beloved had also been stolen by me, and she couldn’t bear it anymore. Because Celeste was a well-known anti-depression influencer, this video made me the target of such intense cyberbullying that I had a mental breakdown. I explained I’d never done any of those things, but the internet didn’t believe me. Aside from my family, only Julian stayed by my side. He said it wasn’t my fault, treating me with an unprecedented tenderness and care. I actually felt fortunate, believing I’d chosen the right partner, that I was the happiest woman in the world. However, on the day I gave birth, Julian took us to Celeste’s grave. He made my baby and me atone with our lives in front of her tomb. “You know how to swim, and you had a kayak at home; you wouldn’t have drowned. Yet you insisted on calling me for help… In these ten years, that was the only time I chose you, and it killed Celeste. You truly deserve to die!” But I was his wife, and I was carrying his flesh and blood! Wasn’t it his duty to save us? Julian dragged my hair, cursing me with the vilest, most disgusting words, his eyes bloodshot as if possessed. “If a single strand of Celeste’s hair fell out, I’d feel like I hadn’t taken care of her. How *dare* you bully her right under my nose?” “Does it hurt to watch your own son die? When Celeste died, I felt even worse than you do now!” “Didn’t you lie, saying you almost drowned that day? Then you should also experience what it feels like to drown!” I wanted to say I’d never bullied Celeste. I wanted to scream for help. But I couldn’t utter a single word. I listened to my baby’s painful, sharp cries, as water filled my eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. In the end, I could only die, helpless and despairing, tears streaming down my face.
I didn’t want to go through that agony again, which is why in this life, I sought help from other members of the rescue team. To my shock, Julian had already ruined my reputation within the rescue team, convincing everyone not to save me. I watched my meticulously decorated wedding home being swallowed by the flood, a bitter ache seizing my chest. Julian had once said that his childhood home was a small two-story house with a yard, and that kind of place felt like a true home. So, I gave up buying a house in the city, pouring all my savings into building a small house with him in his old village. Back then, he hugged me, his eyes red, thanking me for giving him his ideal home and promising to love me forever. And I actually believed him… What a joke. As the water reached my neck, I refused to sit by and wait for death. I forced open the highest window and, amidst the howling wind and pouring rain, precariously balanced myself on the sill. Below me, less than two feet away, was rushing floodwater. There was nothing on the roof to hold onto for support. If I lost my balance and fell, I’d surely die. Luckily, I still had some good fortune. Two rescue boats passed by. “Help!” “Help me!” I waved my arms, screaming for help. The first boat heard me and steered closer. It held a middle-aged couple. “It’s a pregnant woman.” “Don’t be scared, darling, we’ll save you now!” Hearing their comforting voices, my eyes stung with tears, and I repeatedly nodded. Thank goodness these strangers were willing to help me. But just as they brought their boat closer, the second rescue boat also approached. Ben was in it, along with several people he’d already rescued. Ben saw someone about to save me and frowned in disgust. “Brother and Sister, you don’t need to bother with her. She can swim, and she has a kayak. Everyone else might get into trouble, but she won’t.” He was Julian’s teammate and best friend; he never questioned Julian’s words. Ben shouted at me, “No wonder Julian always says Miss Celeste is a pampered lady, but kind and generous, while you, an unsophisticated country bumpkin, are selfish and greedy… He really wasn’t wrong about you! Scarlett, you’re wasting rescue resources. Do you know how many lives could be lost because of you?!” With the window open, wind and rain poured into the house, and the water level rose even faster than before. The others listened to Ben’s endless rant, growing desperate. “Are you out of your mind? That’s a pregnant woman! You want her to swim? Would *you* dare to swim in floodwaters?” “She’s a pregnant woman, almost swept away by the flood, and she can’t ask for help? Does she have to die for it not to be a waste of resources?” “Don’t listen to this idiot! Just save her!” Both rescue boats simultaneously sped toward me. But it was already too late. I clung tightly to the window, but the surging floodwaters still ripped me away. I bobbed up and down in the torrent, no matter how hard I thrashed or cried for help, I couldn’t grasp anything to save me. The two rescue boats, which had seemed like my only hope, quickly vanished from my sight. Terror, fear, then finally, despair. In my last conscious moment, I painfully caressed my belly. “I’m so sorry, baby.” “Mommy still couldn’t protect you…”
In a hazy dream, I was transported back to a long time ago. Julian confessed his feelings to me after Freshman Orientation Week. I had never considered dating, but if it was him, I simply couldn’t refuse. We got together. Soon after, rumors reached my ears. Many people said: “Julian’s truly in love with Celeste, but he’s just an orphan who was fostered by her family.” “That privileged lady doesn’t even like him. She was afraid her crush would misunderstand their relationship, so Julian just found a random girlfriend.” “Otherwise, why would Julian, the school heartthrob, ever notice an unsophisticated girl like Scarlett?” I thought Julian wasn’t that kind of person, so I asked him directly if it was true. He said no, and I believed him. After we started dating, Julian was wonderful to me. From high school to junior year of college, our classmates’ relationships came and went, but we remained as if perpetually in love. Even the ones who spread rumors in high school changed their tune. They said they envied us, saying it seemed Julian truly loved me. I always believed that, until senior year, when Celeste returned from studying abroad. “Celeste is sick.” “Celeste is upset.” “Celeste forgot her umbrella.” “Celeste…” My once perfect, attentive boyfriend started to frequently ditch me for another woman. The name “Celeste” became a constant ache in my heart. So, when Celeste actively sent me a friend request, I accepted it. I felt like a thief, sneaking glances at her Ins posts: Turns out, on my birthday, Julian went with her to get her nails done. Turns out, on our wedding anniversary, he was cooking for her at her house. Turns out… There were so many. My eyes stung with tears as I scrolled. My body ached all over. I opened my eyes and found myself in a hospital room. Ben was guarding me nearby. When he saw I was awake, he looked excited, awkward, and guilty. “Scarlett, you’re finally awake. I’m so sorry. Julian said you were just being dramatic and trying to get attention, and I misunderstood you.” “When you were swept away, I was terrified.” “Thank goodness you were lucky enough to be rescued midway, or I really would have regretted it for the rest of my life!” I didn’t respond to him. My stomach was cramping terribly, and crimson blood streamed from between my legs. I tilted my head back, gasping for air, but it felt like I was back in my last life, when Julian broke my limbs and threw me into that tub… The pain was so intense I couldn’t even scream! Ben, terrified, quickly called for doctors and nurses. The doctor came in, holding a stack of test results, his brows deeply furrowed. “The pregnant woman suffered a severe infection in the flood. The baby can’t be saved. We need immediate surgery. Has the patient’s family arrived yet?” “Coming right away, right away!” Ben frantically called Julian. In his haste, he accidentally put it on speaker. Julian’s angry voice blasted from the phone: “Ben, what kind of benefits did Scarlett give you that you’re helping her lie now? And here I thought you were my best friend!” Ben fired back, “Before you speak, lay a hand on your heart! How severe was this flood? Did you really have no clue whether your two-story house would be flooded?!” From Julian’s end, Celeste whimpered, saying she was scared of the thunder outside. Julian’s voice instantly softened with concern: “Celeste isn’t doing well. I need to stay with her. Stop bothering me with calls!” I had always known how much he cared for Celeste. But even now, in this moment, I felt an overwhelming chill. This was the man I had loved with all my heart for over a decade… The medical instruments shrieked, a piercing alarm. The doctor rushed over instantly: “Patient is hemorrhaging, heart rate dropping rapidly! Prepare for emergency resuscitation!”
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