My boyfriend’s sister tied me to a rag doll with an empathic link. She deliberately dunked the doll in water, making me feel like I’d been drenched, then spread rumors that I had a messy private life, ruining my reputation. Next, she threw the doll into a bathtub full of water. Instantly, I felt myself dragged underwater, gasping for breath, my chest heavy, like I was about to explode. Because of her twisted games, I lost a third important client. I confronted my boyfriend, begging him to rein in his sister, who he spoiled rotten. But he just scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re telling me you can feel a toy’s pain? Are you losing your mind?” Then, right in front of me, he lit the doll on fire. He stared at me, his face full of mockery. “It’s burned to ashes. How are you still standing here? What kind of pathetic act is this?” The pain was so intense, my nails dug into my palms, and one snapped clean off. But deep down, I felt a strange relief—she hadn’t won. I was still alive. Yet, in the dead of night, that familiar suffocating feeling returned. In my dream, I was choked to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to that day—the exact moment the empathic link began. This time, I’d strike first. Clutching a knife, I headed straight for that malicious sister. If I was going to die either way, I might as well drag her to hell with me.
“Chloe, Chloe!” My colleague’s shout snapped me awake. My head still felt fuzzy. I looked up and realized I was slumped over my desk. I… I was back? In my past life, I somehow, unknowingly, became bound to that rag doll Jake had given to his sister, Luna, through an “empathic link” system. That girl, banking on her fragile mental state, would take out all her frustrations on the doll whenever things didn’t go her way. She’d pinch it, throw it, dunk it, cut its hair—anything you could imagine. But all that pain? I was the one who suffered it. Random aches and pains were a constant. Worse, sometimes I had no idea what she was doing, then suddenly felt wet—my dress would have mysterious damp spots. My deals kept collapsing, one after another, and clients started calling me unprofessional. Someone even posted on the company’s internal forum, claiming my private life was a mess and I couldn’t control myself. When Jake heard the rumors, he stormed up to me, demanding answers. I tried to steady my breathing, desperate to explain the whole empathic link situation. But he wouldn’t listen. He snatched the doll, which Luna always kept close, and tossed it straight into the fireplace. “Chloe, I know you’re jealous of how much I care for Luna. I get it. But you can’t make up such a ridiculous story to hurt her.” “You say you have a connection with the doll? Well, it’s burned to ashes now. How are you still standing here, perfectly fine?” I was in too much pain to speak, my entire body feeling as if it had been set on fire. But deep down, I felt a strange relief—finally, finally free. That night, though, that familiar feeling returned. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the past. It was the very day Luna ruined my first important collaboration. I silently pulled open my drawer, my gaze hardening as I looked at the proposal I’d spent several sleepless nights perfecting. “Ms. Miller, when are the clients expected to arrive?” My colleague glanced at the time and held up two fingers. “Four o’clock, so about two hours.” I nodded, quickly reviewed the proposal, and told her, “If I’m not back in two hours, don’t wait for me. Just start the meeting.” With that, I grabbed my bag and left. These two hours were my chance at salvation. To figure out what Luna was up to, I went to a grocery store and bought a fruit knife. On the way, I SnapChatted Jake: “Are you with Luna right now?” He replied with a “Yep,” and I hailed a cab, heading straight for his place. If I could get the truth, great. If not… then I wouldn’t go to hell alone. About a mile from Jake’s house, that familiar torment began to surface again. I glanced down at my phone, my heart sinking. Something was wrong. It wasn’t even three o’clock yet. Why… It shouldn’t be happening this early.
A familiar dampness spread across my lap, making me feel sticky and incredibly uncomfortable. The cab driver peered at me in the rearview mirror, his lips twisting into an unsettling smirk. “Looks like you’re in a hurry, sweetheart. Rushing to see your boyfriend, are we?” The moment he said that, my heart lurched, and I almost stopped breathing. All those nasty rumors from my past life echoed in my ears. More than the inexplicable empathic link, it was the slut-shaming rumors—the baseless accusations—that truly broke me. Even the man I loved most had questioned me, his face twisted in rage, demanding if I’d betrayed him. How could I describe the feeling of being abandoned by the entire world? The moment I stepped out of the cab, the dampness suddenly vanished. Before I could even sigh in relief, my stomach clenched violently, and a sharp pain ripped through me. It felt like someone was twisting my intestines, wringing them out in agonizing waves. Gritting my teeth, I staggered to Jake’s front door and pounded on it. Luna opened it, her head bowed, clutching a rag doll tightly. She was twisting the doll’s head and feet in opposite directions, like wringing out a wet towel. Sweat beaded on my forehead from the pain. I lunged forward, snatched the doll, and forced its limbs back into place. My body instantly relaxed, and the pain slowly receded. “What are you doing?!” Jake suddenly appeared from the corner, his face grim. He glared at me fiercely, then quickly pulled the distraught Luna into his arms, comforting her. “There, there, Luna, don’t be scared. Big brother will get your doll back.” He reached out to grab the doll from my hands. When I wouldn’t let go, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped me across the face. My cheek stung, but I ignored it. Clutching the doll tightly, my voice trembled. “Jake, please… make Luna stop. Please, let her stop hurting me…” “If she keeps doing this, I’m really going to die…” “I can’t take it anymore…” I cried out, but he remained completely unmoved. Jake first frowned at the trembling Luna in his arms, then chuckled. “Chloe, how long are you going to keep this up?” “I get it, you don’t like me looking after Luna. But she’s my own sister!” “I can find another girlfriend, but I only have one sister!” He finished speaking, roughly pried my fingers open, took the doll, and gently placed it back in Luna’s arms. “Don’t worry, Luna. Your big brother won’t believe a crazy woman like her.” I clearly saw Luna’s lips subtly curl upwards, a cold, sinister smile flickering across her face. She stared at me, then suddenly lifted the doll high and slammed it hard onto the floor. My body instantly felt like it had plummeted from a great height, my internal organs jarring out of place. An agonizing crushing pain shot through my limbs, yet my skin remained perfectly intact. I forced my eyes open and saw her forcefully stomping on the doll’s arms and legs. “Luna… stop… please…” The pain was so intense I couldn’t speak a full sentence, only managing disjointed pleas. But hearing me, she seemed to grow even more excited. Perhaps tired of playing, she picked up the doll and dangled it in front of me, swaying it back and forth. “What’s my dear future sister-in-law mumbling about? I can’t quite catch that, sweetie.” “Could it be… you’re jealous of how good my brother is to me?” She stared at my pained expression like a predator fixated on its prey. “Sometimes, I actually envy you. You suffer so much, and yet you’re still alive.” She leaned in close to my ear, whispering. I shivered, almost blacking out. She… she knew everything! I scrambled backward in terror, accidentally bumping my backpack. The fruit knife inside clattered onto the floor. Luna and I both froze, our eyes simultaneously fixed on the blade. I reached for it— But she was faster. She bit down hard on the doll’s arm. A sharp pain flared in my right arm, and I flinched. In that split second, she snatched the knife.
Slowly, she moved the knife back and forth across my face, as if sizing up her prey. That feeling of being utterly scrutinized sent cold sweat trickling down my spine. Before I could even react, Jake was already there. His face was etched with worry. He stepped over my fallen body, heading straight for Luna. He cooed to her softly for a few moments before gently taking the fruit knife from her hand. “What if you cut yourself! This is a real knife, so dangerous!” He spoke, tenderly pulling Luna into his embrace, without even a glance at me. And there I lay on the floor, gasping for breath, while he actually chuckled. “Chloe, didn’t you always say this doll was you?” “If Luna tore this doll to shreds, would you go down with it?” They were both insane, one more twisted than the other. Listening to them laughing together, I bit down hard on my teeth and began to crawl, inch by inch, towards the door. There was still some time before my last death. I refused to believe I couldn’t find a way to break this curse! By the time I reached the office, it was already four in the afternoon. The moment Ms. Miller saw me, she rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Chloe! Your proposal was brilliant! The client signed on the spot and specifically requested you to lead the project!” “Everyone has seen your hard work these past few days. The boss even said you’re getting a promotion and a raise!” Hearing that the deal was done, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Truth be told, from the day I was reborn, I’d been planning my escape. On one hand, I was probing Luna, trying to understand how that connection worked; on the other, I had proactively pushed the project forward. Sure enough, with Luna’s attention diverted, the project landed successfully. The moment I followed Ms. Miller into the office, confetti cannons burst overhead. “Congratulations, Chloe, on landing such a massive deal!” “Congratulations, Chloe—” But my colleagues’ congratulations were cut short when someone gasped, staring at my skirt hem. “Chloe, why is your skirt wet? Where did you get that water?” My heart clenched. I looked down, and the hem of my skirt was already soaked. Then, that familiar icy, damp sensation rapidly spread through my entire body. I had no time to explain. I grabbed my bag and bolted for the restroom. I remembered clearly: Luna would soon use the excuse of bathing the doll to dunk it underwater. That suffocating feeling had once made me completely lose control in front of clients, leaving me paralyzed and utterly humiliated. At the time, my colleagues thought something was wrong and rushed me to the hospital, but all the tests came back normal. Sure enough, the moment I locked the stall door, the sensation of drowning swept over me like a tide. I felt like a leaf adrift in water, clinging desperately to the doorknob. It was as if only by doing so could I grasp a tiny bit of support. I truly felt like that doll, icy water gushing into my mouth and nose, piercing my throat like needles. My lungs felt like they were being squeezed by a powerful hand, constantly compressing, threatening to crush them to powder. Just as my consciousness began to fade, the doll was finally pulled out of the water. I gasped, sucking in a huge breath, coming back to life. As I was still panting, my phone suddenly rang. It was Luna. I hung up immediately, but my head felt like it was being shoved underwater again, the suffocation returning, then instantly vanishing. The phone rang again. My eyes red, I stared intensely at the vibrating name on the screen, finally pressing answer. “Future sister-in-law~” Her voice was chilling, like it was coming from underground. “Did your afternoon project go well?”
She was convinced I’d made a complete fool of myself this time. Just looking at the phone screen, I could feel her barely contained glee. I pretended to fall for it, playing along with Luna’s question. “Are you really so set on hating me? What do you even gain by making things like this?” “If I sign this big contract, I’ll have money to help you get treatment. Wouldn’t that be better?” She scoffed, her tone sinister. “Why are you so much like me? And you stole my favorite brother… As long as you…” Perhaps she was too smug; she’d said too much. Realizing she’d slipped up, she immediately smashed the doll into the water on the other end of the line. “If you don’t end up disgraced, how can you ever make up for all the suffering I’ve endured these past years?” The splashing water was the last sound I heard. Then, it was as if someone had choked me, my breath cut off, and I sank into darkness. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed, my colleagues gathered around. Facing their worried gazes, I swallowed, struggling to say, “I’m fine, just really tired.” The doctor stood by, nodding. “All tests are normal. You probably just passed out from exhaustion.” Right, what else could I say? I couldn’t exactly tell them I’d drowned with a doll and actually felt myself die, could I? After my colleagues left, I lay in bed, lost in thought. Then, Jake’s call came in. The moment I answered, he unleashed a torrent of shouts. “Chloe! Where are you? Get over here right now!” “Luna told me everything! You provoked her, that’s why her condition worsened!” “I must have been blind, to think you were this kind of person! Just wait, I’m going to let everyone know how fake you are!” I didn’t get a word in before he hung up. A few minutes later, a colleague forwarded a post to me. The title was suggestive, the content insinuating, asking in every line what kind of scandalous things I’d been up to. Even my manager called, urging me to step away from my current project and take some time to recover. I took a few deep breaths, my fingers trembling as I clicked on the post. It was Jake, of course, posted anonymously. In his words, I was a scheming, jealous, insidious character. Even the collaborative project I’d fought tooth and nail to secure was twisted into something obtained by improper means. To be stabbed in the back by the person I trusted most—that pain cut deeper than any knife. All the grievances from my past and present lives welled up, and for the first time, I felt utterly useless. Tears streamed down my face, wetting my pillow. In that moment, I truly considered just ending it all. Anything would be better than being Luna’s toy. I reached for the razor blade I’d hidden under my pillow, about to act. Suddenly, my mind reeled, as if struck by lightning. I understood! Everything became clear! How Luna had created that empathic link between me and her doll! I furiously threw the blade into the trash, vowing never to waste another second on these rotten people. I immediately called a car to take me to a specific place. When I emerged from there, a cold smile touched my lips. Luna, it was exactly as I suspected. I could distinctly feel that the strange connection had been severed. I felt like a massive weight had been lifted, completely refreshed. Just then, Jake’s FaceTime call popped up. I let it ring, ignoring it. When enough time had passed, I slowly, deliberately answered. “What do you want?” “Chloe!” He roared as if he would explode. “What did you do?! Luna suddenly started throwing up blood!” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Jake, you’re not making any sense. I’m not a god; how could I make Luna suddenly throw up blood?” “When you take her to the hospital, you should get your head checked too.”
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