When the plane was crashing, my husband, the pilot, stared at me and his mistress, a conflicted expression on his face. But I didn’t hesitate. I thrust the last parachute into their hands. In my previous life, after much deliberation, my husband had given the parachute to me, his pregnant wife. He stayed behind on the doomed plane, intending to commit a lover’s suicide with his mistress. Yet, their imagined shared death didn’t happen. His mistress died in the crash, but he miraculously survived. From then on, my husband stayed by my side every day, eagerly awaiting the birth of our child. I was overjoyed, but on the day our baby was just a month old, he suffocated her to death right in front of me: “If you hadn’t insisted on coming, there wouldn’t have been one less parachute on the plane.” “You killed my greatest love, and today, I’ll make you feel that same pain!” Overcome with grief, I died with him. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the plane crash.
“Attention passengers, please remain calm. Grab your life vests, no pushing or shoving!” That familiar voice pulled me back from the darkness. I didn’t rush to grab a life vest or parachute. Instead, my hands flew to my belly. My baby. Still safe and sound inside me. As I stood there, stunned, a hand tapped my shoulder. I looked up in surprise. It was Brenda, the chief flight attendant of this luxurious flight. She looked at my dazed face and rolled her eyes in disdain: “The captain said the passengers should evacuate first. As the captain’s wife, you’ll be among the last to evacuate with us.” I paused, then gave a different answer than I had in my previous life: “I’m just a regular passenger on this flight. Why should I take on the responsibilities of your crew?” Brenda’s lips curled into a sneer as she watched me: “Who doesn’t know you shamelessly tagged along just to keep an eye on Ms. Serena?” “You’re already pregnant, and still so jealous all the time. You took the seat that was meant for Ms. Serena, forcing her to squeeze into the cockpit. I might as well tell you now, there’s one less life vest on this plane.” With that, Brenda fastened her own equipment and continued checking on the other passengers’ preparations. I sat in my seat, a whirlwind of emotions inside me. I had actually been reborn back to this moment. In my previous life, my pilot husband, Liam, had also illegally brought his mistress, Serena, on board. But I had no idea; I was just coincidentally booked on this flight for a meeting in the same city. I’d bought the very last ticket at the last minute. So Serena, who’d boarded for free thanks to her connection with the captain, was reluctantly squeezed into the cockpit. But with an extra person on board, there was one less life vest. After the crash, I, completely oblivious, had intended to stay until the very end and die with Liam. But at the critical moment, Liam grit his teeth and handed me the last emergency kit. Facing my grateful tears, he’d said: “Eleanor, please raise our child alone. Tell him his dad was a hero.” He urged me to put on the life vest and strap on the parachute. However, the moment he pushed me out of the plane, I heard him whisper to his mistress, Serena: “My little Serena, we may not be able to live together, but to die together… isn’t that a form of happiness?” To my disappointment, Serena died in the crash, but Liam miraculously survived unharmed. But later, this man, who wanted me to tell our child he was a hero… Suffocated our month-old daughter right in front of me. The chilling memory made me tremble uncontrollably. He was the one who wanted to die with his mistress. He was the one who chose to save me. He, Liam, was the one who violated regulations, resulting in an extra person on board. So why, in the end, did my child have to pay for his mistress’s life?! My innocent baby, my innocent self. I just happened to buy the last ticket. Why did I end up like that? I shook uncontrollably with memories of the past. Brenda walked past me, sneering sarcastically: “Captain’s wife, huh? Look at you, trembling like that. You’re nothing compared to our Serena.”
I didn’t argue. I just raised a hand to wipe away a tear from my eye. She was right. In the eyes of all Liam’s friends and colleagues, I couldn’t hold a candle to Serena. Serena was once the most stunning flight attendant on their crew, and she certainly seemed a better match for a captain like Liam. But Serena was the one who left after snagging a rich businessman in First Class, which is why Liam ended up marrying me. Thinking about that, a sharp pain flared in my chest again. Maybe they’d both been sick of me being in the way, willing to die together rather than endure me for another day. As the plane violently shook, I gripped the armrest tightly, barely managing to steady myself. The screams grew more piercing, and the flight attendant’s announcement finally blared again: “The plane has descended to a suitable altitude. Passengers who have donned their equipment, please line up and evacuate in order.” I glanced back frantically, watching the main group jump out one by one. My fingernails dug slowly into my palms. Amidst the chaos, Liam’s voice sounded above my head: “Eleanor, who told you to come along?” “I already married you. What more do you want?” “It’s all because of you that there’s one less emergency kit on this plane! Tell me, what am I supposed to do now?!” That last sentence, Liam’s voice was hoarse and hesitant. It reminded me of my past life. Back then, I’d seen Serena, shielded by Liam, and instantly understood. I’d cried, demanding an explanation from him. But he gave me no explanation. He simply shoved the life vest onto me and pushed me out of the plane. Now, looking at the ‘perfect couple’ in front of me, all I felt was a bitter laugh. My husband, whom I’d loved and cared for with all my heart for so many years, now seemed so utterly pathetic. I decisively pulled out the last emergency kit and gently handed it to Liam: “If that’s what you think, then you wear this life vest.” “Liam, take your mistress and get out of here.” Liam looked utterly baffled: “Eleanor, what’s your game? Why are you suddenly so generous?” “Do you have some kind of scheme? What are you really trying to do?!” He shielded Serena firmly behind him, as if protecting a priceless treasure. It was as if I was handing him not a life vest, but a bomb that would kill his precious ‘first love’. Watching Liam’s surprised and angry gaze, I slowly shook my head: “This plane is about to crash, Liam. I’m giving you the last life vest so you can make up for not saving your mistress.” “So, in your eyes, that’s a scheme?” Liam stared fixedly at me, an emotion I couldn’t decipher swirling in his eyes. In the dead silence, Serena suddenly burst into tears: “My dearest Liam, I know it was wrong of me to board without a ticket, but now that Eleanor is willing to let us go, we should hurry.” “Eleanor was lucky to marry you, and besides, we’re soulmates, neither of us wants to escape alone. This is the best way…” Listening to Serena’s crying, Liam suddenly moved his gaze away from me as if he’d been shocked. His hands trembling slightly, he quickly helped Serena put on the life vest: “You’re right. Eleanor is lucky. She’ll be fine.” With that, Liam bent down and, completely ignoring me, meticulously checked Serena’s equipment. Once he was sure everything was in order, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist. Under my silent gaze, the two of them vanished before me.
The plane, once stable, was now like a tattered plastic bag swaying wildly as it plummeted. I pressed my lips together, gripping the seat beside me, and slowly moved into the cockpit. So the cockpit was this spacious. No wonder Serena loved hiding in here. Liam and I had been married for years, yet every time I suggested visiting the cockpit, he would always frown and refuse: “You’re not part of the crew, what right do you have to visit the cockpit?” “It’s full of important equipment. If you break something, do you think you can afford to pay for it?!” After being scolded so many times, I’d just given up. I never imagined that in this life, I’d actually have a chance to enter the cockpit, to enter Liam and Serena’s love nest. Fumbling my way into the pilot’s seat, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. Right in front of this seat, there was a sticker. On it, Serena’s name. I’d only ever heard of boyfriends putting “girlfriend’s seat” stickers in their cars; today was truly an eye-opener. It turned out that, even at such close quarters, Liam had proudly displayed his love for Serena in the cockpit. I reached out, intending to peel off that glaring sticker, but as I got closer, I noticed a line of small text beneath it: “If we cannot live together, may we be buried together in death.” I suddenly felt an itch on my face. Reaching up, I wiped away a tear. It turned out they had already made vows of living and dying together. My heart felt dead. Through the front window, I watched the ocean getting closer and closer, then simply closed my eyes. In the darkness, I remembered many things. Liam and I, we weren’t deeply in love, but we were always respectful towards each other. That was until Serena was dumped and ran crying into Liam’s arms at the airport, just as he was changing shifts. She acted as if she couldn’t see my hand intertwined with Liam’s, wrapping her arms around his waist, tears streaming down her face. That was the first time I ever saw Serena. At that moment, Liam warily glanced at me, then, in front of everyone, quietly let go of my hand. I was furious, and I pulled Serena away from Liam. Liam’s face instantly darkened. He warned me not to disrupt him from comforting a colleague. That’s right, even though Serena was currently unemployed, in Liam’s words, she was a colleague who stood shoulder to shoulder with him. As captain, he would buy her breakfast, fix her light bulbs, and clear her clogged drains. And when she had her period, he would thoughtfully arrange for me to make her ginger and brown sugar tea. I couldn’t endure such humiliation and argued with Liam countless times. Yet each time, he would give me the same answer: “Serena is already so pitiful. Can’t you have some sympathy?” “You’ve already gotten what you wanted by marrying me. Do you really need to keep me on a leash every day to be satisfied?!” These scenes that once tore me apart now only felt absurd. I pressed my lips together, opened my eyes, and looked at the rapidly approaching sea, awaiting either death or a new beginning. After a deafening crash, the plane’s windows shattered under the enormous impact. Yet, those sharp fragments miraculously bypassed me, carried away by the water. Watching the shards of glass, swept by the waves, stab into my left side, my heart suddenly lurched. Serena had once, in a roundabout way, added me on SnapChat, and her profile signature was peculiar: “I am on your left, close to your heart.” No wonder Liam was unharmed in my previous life, while Serena died instantly. It was all because of their ridiculous vows of love. I was an excellent swimmer, but under such violent impact, I still choked on a lot of water. Coupled with the discomfort of my pregnancy, I ultimately couldn’t make it to shore. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a sterile white hospital room. Seeing me awake, the young nurse, Chloe, at my bedside offered a sweet smile: “Your condition isn’t good right now, so don’t rush to get up. I’ll go call the doctor!” She quickly walked out of the room, and before leaving, as if afraid I’d be bored, she specifically turned on the TV. The news channel was reporting on the plane crash from two days ago. However, as the reporter’s mouth moved, the report stated there were no casualties. My heart gave a violent jolt. No casualties? Then what was I? Perhaps I’d been unconscious for too long, but as soon as I sat up, I felt dizzy. As my vision blurred, the doctor rushed over and steadied me: “Are you alright? A fishing boat out at sea rescued you. Do you remember your family’s phone number? I’ll help you notify them.” I opened my mouth, and after a long moment, I gave Liam’s number. Not that I wanted to contact him, but he was indeed my last remaining family in the world. The doctor held his phone, gave me a sympathetic look, and put it on speaker. On the other end, Liam’s slightly hoarse voice came through: “Who is this?” Besides his voice, I vaguely heard a woman’s whining: “Liam, my foot still hurts so much.” Liam chuckled softly, seemingly picking up something: “You drama queen, why are you so clumsy? Let me put some medicine on it for you.” The doctor, listening to their flirtatious banter, rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, interrupting them: “You’re Liam, right? Your wife, Eleanor, is currently at Oceanside Hospital.” Immediately after, I heard Serena’s shriek, the sound of things crashing, and Liam’s horrified accusation: “The plane crashed, the fuel leaked, and it burned to ashes. Completely gone. And you’re telling me Eleanor is still alive?” “Who are you, and what’s your game?!”
I calmly took the phone from the doctor, whose face was growing increasingly grim, and spoke coldly: “He’s the doctor who saved my life.” “Liam, I’m not dead. Are you very disappointed?” Liam’s voice, previously full of accusations, suddenly caught in his throat. After a long silence, he nervously lowered his voice: “Eleanor, don’t tell anyone you’re alive yet.” “I… I need a favor from you. I’ll come find you later.” With that, Liam abruptly hung up. The doctor and nurse watched all this, speechless. Then they both pointed at the TV behind them: “Liam, your husband, is he *that* pilot from the crash?” “How could he leave his pregnant wife on a crashing plane, and he… how could he tell the rescue team that all the passengers safely escaped?” Yes, how could he tell the rescue team that all passengers had safely escaped? It turned out my husband not only shamelessly took the last life vest but also sealed off all my chances of survival! I lowered my eyes, my heart heavy with bitterness. My hands clenched into fists, but I didn’t know how to speak. Seeing my distress, the nurse realized she had said the wrong thing. She covered her mouth and helped me close the door to the room. I buried my face in the crisp white bedding and finally burst into tears. That afternoon, Liam didn’t come. Instead, Brenda, the chief flight attendant who had been so disdainful of me on the plane, arrived. She pushed the door open. Seeing my haggard face, a flicker of embarrassment crossed her features, but she still lowered her gaze and walked over, placing a pile of various health supplements on my bedside table: “Eleanor, Liam can’t get away right now, so he asked me to come check on you first.” I managed a faint smile, too tired to even lift my eyelids: “Is he busy accompanying Serena?” “What, in your crew’s eyes, am I—the pregnant woman who gave up her parachute and miscarried in a plane crash—still worth less than your former colleague?” Brenda kept her head down, not daring to meet my eyes. After a while, she suddenly tried to speak in a low voice: “Eleanor, you know, ever since Liam became captain, I’ve been his chief flight attendant. I watched him like he was my own younger brother.” “Now he’s… he’s committed a grave error, hiding your death…” “Because Serena wants to rejoin the crew. If it’s found out now that she boarded illegally, then…” Brenda’s voice trailed off, finally falling silent. I lifted my head and stared at her for a long time: “You knew it was Liam who illegally brought someone onto the plane, and you knew I suffered all this because of Serena.” “But now, you, as the chief flight attendant, a position second only to Liam on the plane, have come to persuade me… to persuade me to act like nothing happened, is that right?” Brenda, who had once been so proud and biased towards Serena over me, quietly listened to my questions, her head bowed deeply. She didn’t speak for a long time. Since she wasn’t speaking, I simply closed my eyes to rest. This chief flight attendant was a capable woman, and also Liam and Serena’s love bodyguard. Ever since Serena was dumped and returned, Liam always found excuses to go out. We often argued. Sometimes, when he was annoyed or too lazy to explain to me, he would push the blame onto Brenda: “I’m with Brenda.” “Brenda called for us to hang out, it’s rude not to go.” “It’s not just the two of us; Brenda is there too. She’s always fair and impartial, what’s there to worry about?” I thought about Liam’s past excuses and suddenly laughed aloud: “You know, whenever Liam went to meet Serena in secret, he always told me you were there too.” “He also said you were the most fair and impartial, and asked me what I had to worry about!”
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