In my last life, a severe illness I had prevented my husband from traveling to the border for a business trip. He immediately canceled his flight, pulled me into his arms, and gently comforted me. On the phone, he only told my sister: “The project is crucial. You go in my place.” But no one expected that the so-called partner was a black-hearted scam company. My sister had her organs harvested and was tortured to death. I was heartbroken. He held me as I broke down, promising in a choked voice that even though my sister was gone, he would love me twice as much. He kept his word. For ten years, he wouldn’t let me suffer a bit, spoiling me into a useless mess. Until the day I went into labor, in such agonizing pain I nearly passed out. Yet, he pressed down hard on the call button, his words dripping with venom. “If you hadn’t gotten ‘sick’ so conveniently back then, I wouldn’t have let her go alone to that meeting! I could have saved Chloe! You killed her!” “Chloe must be so lonely down there. You and this bastard child, go keep her company!” Only then did I realize that ten years of ‘love’ had been nothing but a cruel deception. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day he was supposed to leave for the border. This time, I took the phone from his hand and personally booked two one-way tickets for him and my sister.
“Anya, are you really sure I don’t need to stay? Your health…” Liam held my hand, his brow furrowed, his face etched with worry and reluctance. “I’m fine. And Mom and my mother will both take care of me. You go, don’t worry.” I shook my head, my voice hoarse, “Besides, how important is this project? It’s the result of countless all-nighters you and Chloe pulled. We’re so close to the finish line; how can we let it be delayed because of me?” Liam’s mom patted his shoulder, “Exactly! Anya’s right! You and Chloe have both lost weight because of this project. It’s about to succeed, so hurry up and get ready to leave.” My mom quickly echoed, “Yes, Liam. Chloe’s only been with your company for a year, and she’s already helping you shoulder such an important project. It’s all thanks to your guidance.” “We’ve got Anya covered here. You two just go, don’t worry.” Liam leaned down and pressed a kiss on my forehead, his voice gentle, “You focus on recovering. We’ll bring back good news.” I nodded obediently, watching him and my sister, Chloe, leave the hospital room. My dear sister and husband, in this life, I’ll grant your wish. May you be a cursed pair, bound even in the afterlife. Half an hour later, Chloe’s SnapChat updated. She leaned intimately against Liam’s shoulder, their heads close as they looked at documents, a palpable intimacy between them. The caption was a brutal stab to my heart: “My hard work and my love are both by my side. How incredibly lucky I am!” I stared at that photo, my stomach churned violently. A year ago, Chloe graduated from college and joined Liam’s company. I never imagined that, under the guise of work, the two would spend their days and nights together. The office, hotels, the car, even the marital bedroom Liam and I shared—all had borne witness to their intimate moments. For the sake of this family, I swallowed my pain and tried everything to win my husband back. Thinking about it now, it was utterly ridiculous. How could someone whose heart had already changed ever want to come back? In my last life, I deliberately stood in a heavy rain to get a high fever, stopping my husband and sister from going on that business trip to the border. I succeeded, but I didn’t foresee Chloe choosing to go alone. Nor did I foresee that the project was a vicious, predatory scam that devoured people whole. When the news came that my sister had died in a foreign land, I lived in endless self-blame and guilt. I thought I had killed her, that my pathetic selfish desire had destroyed her life and their shared career. It wasn’t until the day before I was due to give birth that I discovered a recording of my sister and husband plotting to kill me after they returned. Only then did I see their true faces! My emotional agitation from the recording led to a difficult labor. And my husband seized the opportunity to personally send me and my unborn child to the chopping block. Starting over, I only wish that despicable pair, so consumed by their twisted ‘love’, may they be a cursed pair, eternally bound even as ghosts in the afterlife! My phone screen lit up again. Chloe sent a SnapChat message, her tone innocent: “Sis, guess what surprise brother-in-law has prepared for me tonight?”
I sneered, not bothering to reply. Liam’s FaceTime call arrived as expected: “Anya, we’ve arrived. Just got to the hotel.” He looked at the camera, his voice tender: “Feeling better? Did you take your medicine?” “Did you eat well? Is your body feeling better? I’m not there with you, I can’t even feed you myself.” If I didn’t carry the memories of two lifetimes, I might have continued to drown in his fake affection. But now, I leaned weakly against the headboard, softly murmuring, “Hmm.” “I ate. You don’t need to worry. Get some rest.” “How can I not worry? Not seeing you, I always feel uneasy.” His voice was sickeningly sweet, dripping with feigned tenderness. In my last life, I was so moved by his meticulous care that I was completely infatuated, thinking he was just having a moment of foolishness and still loved me. So I willingly played the fool and waited for him to come back, only to finally be killed by him, along with my unborn child, all for his ‘love’. The next second, Chloe burst into the frame. She was wearing a bathrobe, her face flushed, with faint marks of intimacy visible around her collar. Seeing me in the camera, Chloe feigned surprise and covered her mouth: “Oh, brother, are you video calling sister?” Liam turned and looked at her fondly, then explained to the camera: “Chloe’s room’s water heater broke, so she had to come here to shower.” What a pathetic excuse. Chloe walked closer with a smile, naturally wrapped her arms around Liam’s waist, and leaned her head intimately against his broad back, flashing me a provocative smile. “Don’t worry, Sis, I’ll take good care of brother-in-law for you. Look, he’s had a long day, I was just about to give him a massage.” Before I could react, she pulled a black card from Liam’s pocket. “Oh, by the way, Sis, look at this,” Chloe’s voice was innocent: “Brother-in-law said that after this project is successful, he’ll use the credit on this card to buy me an ‘Ocean’s Heart’ necklace as a reward. He said that only I deserve the elegance of that necklace.” Ocean’s Heart! Last year, for my birthday, I had pestered Liam repeatedly about wanting that necklace, but he refused, saying it was “too flashy, not suitable for you!” A rush of blood went straight to my head, my nails digging deep into my palms. Liam gently ruffled her hair: “Anya, Chloe has put a lot into this project. This is her deserved reward. You’re always so generous, you won’t mind, right?” I masked all my emotions, weakly coughed a few times, my voice hoarse: “…I don’t mind. Then you two… get some rest early.” With that, without waiting for their reaction, I hung up the video call. The screen went dark, reflecting my pale, cold face. Less than ten seconds later, Liam sent a SnapChat message. [Anya, I’m sorry. Chloe didn’t mean it. She’s just a childish act. Don’t be mad at her.] [About the ‘Ocean’s Heart,’ I was wrong. When you get better, I’ll take you to pick out an even more beautiful one, okay? Please don’t be angry with me.] I looked at his hypocritical explanation and found it utterly ridiculous. Did he think I was still the fool from my last life, who would soften with a few sweet words? I didn’t reply, throwing my phone to the side.
The next morning, my fever broke. Despite the nurse’s objections, I checked myself out of the hospital and returned to the home Liam and I shared. I stood up, ready to clear out Liam’s belongings and start my new life. While tidying the study, I found a locked metal box. In my last life, I had curiously asked Liam what was inside, and he just smiled gently, saying it contained some of his little secrets. I never thought to open it. But now… I found some tools and pried open the small lock. The moment the box opened, my breath hitched. Inside were a thick stack of photos and a journal. All the photos were of Liam and Chloe. There were pictures of them together at the beach when I didn’t know; pictures of them at an amusement park wearing matching couple headbands; and there was even one… of Chloe in my pajamas, kissing Liam’s cheek, in Liam’s and my own bedroom. The earliest one was from the second year of our marriage. My hands began to tremble uncontrollably. I opened the journal. The first page of the journal read: “To my one true light, my Chloe.” It documented all the little moments of his and Chloe’s “love.” [April 7th, Sunny. Today, Anya got upset with me again because of work. I’m a bit annoyed. Only when I’m with Chloe can I truly feel relaxed and happy. She’s like the sun, capable of illuminating all my shadows.] [August 15th, Rainy. Chloe said she liked that limited edition bag, so I secretly bought it and gave it to her. Seeing her surprised smile, I felt it was all worth it. Anya never gets happy over these small things; she’s too boring.] [December 1st, Cloudy. I argued with Anya again today. She doesn’t understand how hard I work. I ran away from home, and Chloe found me. She stayed with me all night in the cold wind, even taking off her own jacket for me. At that moment, I truly wanted to abandon everything and elope with her.] So it wasn’t a case of love blossoming at work; they had been secretly involved for ages! Nauseating. Absolutely sickening! I had to burn all memories of Liam. I grabbed a bucket and a lighter, then lit and tossed all the photos and gifts I had gathered into the bucket. Burn! Burn it all! Burn away this disgusting past! I stood over the pile of ashes, feeling something within me slowly peel away. Just then, my phone buzzed incessantly. It was a message from my sister, Chloe. She and Liam were walking side-by-side on a bustling foreign shopping street, Liam patiently choosing an expensive scarf for her. They were dining in a high-end restaurant, she held up a wine glass, smiling brightly, and Liam looked at her with doting affection. The latest message showed a foreign businessman enthusiastically clapping Liam’s shoulder, saying in broken English: “Mr. Miller, your wife is truly young and beautiful, you two are such a perfect match!” Chloe shyly lowered her head and linked her arm through Liam’s, and Liam, too, just smiled, silently confirming everything. I finished watching with a blank expression, then tossed my phone aside. No anger, no sadness. After all, that despicable pair was about to embark on their “bright” future together. The next morning, just as dawn broke, my phone suddenly rang. The name “Liam” flashed on the screen. My heart clenched. Was he calling to announce a death? I took a deep breath and pressed the answer button. “Anya, darling, are you awake?” Liam’s voice was as gentle as ever. I froze, unable to speak for a moment. How could this be? In my last life, wasn’t Chloe tortured to death on the third day? Had the torture lasted longer for both of them this time? “Good news! The project is a success! They loved our proposal and signed the contract first thing this morning!” Liam’s voice was filled with joy: “I’ve bought tickets for tomorrow. I’ll be home soon!” Boom!
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