The night my in-laws were kidnapped, my husband went camping with his first love. I didn’t try to stop him. I just called the police immediately. In my last life, I had stopped him. He went to save his parents, but he never went to be with his first love. Later, his first love was mauled to death by wolves in the mountains, her body mutilated beyond recognition. Afterward, Julian became a silent shell, until I was pregnant and about to give birth. He threw me into those same deep mountains. “Anya Smith, if it weren’t for you, Serena wouldn’t have died!” “How can you live so peacefully? I want to watch you suffer every single pain she endured!” Torn apart by wild beasts, I died, taking my unborn child with me. When I woke up again, I was back on the day my in-laws were kidnapped. This time, he didn’t join the rescue. He got his wish and saved his first love, but his hair turned completely white overnight. I screamed in terror, my eyes snapping open. Drenched in cold sweat, my clothes clung to me. The phantom pain of flesh being torn still lingered. I instinctively reached down, touching my flat stomach. Listening to the frantic beat of my heart, tears streamed down my face like broken pearls. I fumbled for my phone and checked the time. I had been reborn. Back to the day my in-laws were kidnapped. Soon, the kidnappers would call, demanding a thirty-million-dollar ransom to be delivered within thirty minutes, or they’d kill them. Julian and I grew up together. Our parents had always planned for us to marry. Whether it was a family alliance or my own feelings, I was destined to be his wife. I knew he had an ex, but his family didn’t approve of her. Before we married, I’d asked him if he was marrying me willingly. If he was marrying me because he loved me? He’d said yes to everything. I stepped into our marriage with a hopeful heart. But after the wedding, he grew distant and cold. He was still in contact with his ex. I pretended not to see, not to hear, staying silent. I loved him. I didn’t want to lose him, and I didn’t want to lose our marriage. For that, I paid with my life, and I also caused the death of the child I’d carried for ten months. Given a second chance, I wouldn’t make the same mistakes. I watched Julian Hayes run down the stairs, and slowly rose from the sofa. When our eyes met, he looked at me and said in a low voice: “I won’t be home tonight.” I didn’t say anything, turning my head to look at the phone next to the sofa. It was ringing – the kidnappers. I quickly picked up and put it on speaker. “Mr. and Mrs. Wallace are with us. Thirty million dollars ransom, deliver it to Liberty Square in thirty minutes. If you dare call the police, I’ll kill them immediately!” The kidnapper’s voice boomed into Julian’s ears. He merely frowned slightly, then let out a scoffing laugh. “Anya Smith, is this supposed to be funny?” “Is it fun having them both play along with your little act?” I stared at his face, remembering him watching me descend into hell. Ten years of love had already vanished into thin air. “Julian Hayes, you heard the call. What you do is your business, I’m not getting involved.” “If you want to believe it’s an act, fine. Whatever.” “But let me emphasize this one more time: I am not playing games with them.” Perhaps my tone was too calm, because Julian hesitated for a moment. But in the end, he turned and strode out the door. Last life, when the call came, Julian believed the same thing. But I knew I wasn’t playing an act with his parents, so I did everything I could to stop him from leaving. After a night of searching, his parents were rescued. But as soon as they were safe, he left. When he returned, he brought back news of Serena Cross’s death.
He blamed everything on me. After Julian left, I immediately called the police. Thirty million dollars was no small sum, and they wanted it in cash. I couldn’t just produce it instantly, and there was no guarantee the kidnappers would release them even if they got the money. So I had to call the police, let the professionals handle this. After I dialed 911, the local precinct dispatched officers. But before they arrived, I got a call from someone familiar. “Ma’am, it’s Officer Miller. Are you and Julian having a fight?” My brows furrowed. I asked in a low voice: “Why are you calling me?” “Well, you called the police, right? We’re acquaintances, but filing a false report isn’t a small thing. You and Julian can argue all you want, but you can’t be so reckless.” “Julian and Serena have nothing going on. If you keep acting out like this, you’ll just make Julian a laughingstock.” After listening for a while, I finally understood what he meant. “What are you implying? Julian told you I filed a false report?” A silence stretched on the other end. I let out a soft laugh, then said firmly: “Officer Miller, I advise you to dispatch officers immediately and handle this situation. Otherwise, I’ll file a formal complaint.” Officer Miller scoffed: “Anya Smith, don’t treat everyone like Julian, at your beck and call. I’m not your private security. You crazy woman, Serena Cross is worth more than a strand of your hair.” After hearing that, I hung up. Then I redialed 911, and also filed a complaint against Officer Miller. The other officers arrived about fifteen minutes later. They asked me a few questions and listened to the recording of the first call. Everyone looked serious. They quickly traced the incoming number, but it wasn’t registered. Calling back led to a disconnected line. We could only wait for them to call again. The officers were waiting, and I was contacting my private financial manager. “How much liquid cash do I have in my accounts?” “Seventeen million? Prepare all of it.” After hanging up, I called Julian’s uncle, Mr. Harrison. Hearing about Mr. and Mrs. Wallace’s kidnapping, he gasped: “Who did this? Is Julian there?” “I don’t know who the kidnappers are, and Julian went camping with Serena. Uncle, the kidnappers want thirty million in cash. I can’t raise enough on my own. How much can you contribute? I’ll pay you back in a week.” “Child, you’re saving my brother! Don’t talk about paying back! How much more do you need?” “Thirteen million.” “Don’t worry, I’ll get it.” Thirty minutes passed quickly. The other party called again. I quickly answered. The technical officer beside me immediately started tracing the call, but shook his head a moment later; they couldn’t pinpoint the location. My heart sank further. I heard the person on the other end say sternly: “Time’s up. Has the money been sent?” “Not yet. Please give me more time. My husband isn’t here, and I don’t have that much money on hand.” “I told you, if the money isn’t here on time, I’ll kill them!” I pleaded frantically: “Don’t hurt them! You want money, right? Killing them means you won’t get any money, won’t that be a failure? Just give me another thirty minutes, and I promise I’ll have the money ready.” As soon as I finished speaking, I heard my in-laws’ screams from the other end of the line. The kidnapper’s sinister voice returned: “Thirty minutes. Five fingers each! “If you want to stall, keep stalling!” After the call ended, Officer Miller appeared at the doorway. He had heard the last part, and now stared at me, his face ashen.
He stammered, trying to explain: “Julian called me and said it was the elders playing along with you, just to keep him home…” I couldn’t be bothered to speak. The police officer beside me said: “Call Julian. Tell him what’s happening.” Officer Miller acknowledged and stepped aside to make the call. From his phone, I heard the line was busy. I thought of my mother-in-law’s delicate nature, how she’d need someone to blow on her fingers if hot water touched them. Now, who knew how much pain she was in. I took a deep breath to calm myself and quickly called Mr. Harrison. His line was also busy. A few minutes after I hung up, Mr. Harrison called back. Before I could even ask if he’d raised the money, I heard him sigh and say: “Anya, it’s not that I want to lecture you, but how could you use such a thing to trick your elders? Your father-in-law and mother-in-law dote on you, but you should also advise them to be reasonable. If I hadn’t asked Julian, you would’ve given me a heart attack.” At that moment, my heart died. “Julian told you this was our act? Uncle, you don’t have to believe me, but can you reach my in-laws? The police are right here with me.” The person on the other end sighed repeatedly, then said: “Julian has someone else in his heart, child. If it’s too much, just divorce him. That way, you’ll both be free.” I hung up the phone. Officer Miller finally got through to Julian. Officer Miller said: “Julian, come back quickly. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace really seem to have been kidnapped.” The voice on the other end wasn’t Julian’s, but Serena Cross’s. “Officer Miller, are you guys playing along with Miss Smith’s act too? Your Julian is grilling right now. I’ll call him to the phone.” After her words fell, I heard Serena relaying Officer Miller’s message. Julian didn’t even take the call. He just said to Serena: “Hang up. That crazy woman Anya Smith, she never wants anyone to be happy.” The call ended. Officer Miller looked at me, his brows furrowed. I lowered my gaze and smiled bitterly: “I have no idea, but they want the money delivered to Liberty Square. Even though I don’t have enough, I have to go. If I go as bait, won’t that increase your chances of solving the case?” The female detective beside me said: “Ms. Smith, I’ll go deliver it instead.” I smiled: “What if the kidnappers recognize me? If you go, won’t that just provoke them? You can protect me from the perimeter. I’ll go myself.” Since no one had a better plan, they agreed to my request. When the kidnappers called again, I lied, telling them I had gathered enough money. I asked them to confirm the delivery location, where I would deliver the money, and they would release my in-laws. I heard a cold laugh, followed by a chilling reply: “Fine.” A sudden unease gripped my heart. Before he hung up, I quickly asked: “I need to hear my in-laws’ voices.” “What’s the rush, Ms. Smith? You’ll see them soon enough.” With that, the call disconnected. I had my financial manager withdraw the cash. Dragging a suitcase full of money, I drove to the location the kidnappers specified. Then I received another call from the kidnappers, telling me to go to the underground parking lot; my in-laws were waiting for me there. I ignored the money; the police were upstairs. I sprinted to the underground parking lot. I found my mother-in-law’s car in the parking lot. The doors were open. They both had their throats slit, blood gushing out. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I ran frantically, dialing 911 as I went. “Someone has been slit in the throat at Liberty Square’s underground parking lot. Please hurry!” I clutched their hands tightly: “Mom, Dad, hold on! The doctors will be here soon!”
“I’m calling Julian. I’m telling him to come right now.” They looked at me weakly, shaking their heads. “Anya, after we’re gone, divorce Julian. Your father’s and my stocks, properties, funds, and cash are all for you. We’re sorry.” I choked, shaking my head frantically: “No, you didn’t do anything wrong to me. It’s my fault for not getting enough money, for delaying. It’s my fault.” “Anya, don’t blame yourself. It has nothing to do with you. The kidnappers never intended for us to live.” I kept calling Julian, his phone ringing endlessly, but no one picked up. I sent him a SnapChat message. “Julian Hayes, Mom and Dad are badly hurt. Come back quickly.” The message sank into the sea, met with silence. I kept sending messages, kept calling… Until they slowly closed their eyes, Julian remained out of reach. The ambulance arrived, but there was no need for resuscitation. I stood up, my vision swam, the world spinning. I grabbed the car door frantically, and a hand steadied me. I turned to see Detective Evans, the officer who came with me. “Ms. Smith, the money wasn’t taken. The kidnapper who came for the money fell from a height during the arrest and is currently unconscious.” “Please accept my condolences.” None of us slept that night. Everyone returned to the precinct. After I gave my statement, the forensics team collected evidence from Mr. and Mrs. Wallace’s bodies. There was more than one kidnapper, but only one had been caught. Given the heinous nature of the crime, the atmosphere at the precinct was tense. They were determined to apprehend all the culprits. After the police finished collecting evidence, I contacted the funeral home. Julian still hadn’t returned my calls or messages. I sent notifications to his family and friends. But I didn’t notify Mr. Harrison again. He learned the news from others and called me in a rage. “Anya, aren’t you going too far? Even if you and Julian aren’t getting along, your in-laws treated you well. Is this how you honor your elders? How could you joke about their lives and deaths?” I waited for him to finish his tirade before slowly speaking: “I’m at the precinct. I just finished my statement and arranged for the funeral home. If you don’t believe me, you don’t have to attend the funeral. I didn’t intend to notify you anyway.” A moment of silence on the other end, then he said in a low voice: “You say you’re at the precinct? Let a police officer talk to me!” Just as I was about to hand the phone to Detective Evans, I heard a police officer’s voice from the other end: “Mr. Harrison? This is Riverside Precinct. We need your cooperation in a case!” When Mr. Harrison was brought to the precinct, I was still there. He lunged at me when he saw me: “Anya Smith! Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you say you weren’t acting? You killed my brother and sister-in-law, you murderer!” I looked at him coldly, and said faintly: “I did tell you. I even asked you for money. It was Julian Hayes who told you not to believe me. Julian Hayes killed his parents, and you were his accomplice!” His face went pale, his lips trembling as he brushed past me. I turned to watch his retreating back, raising my voice: “Uncle, when I called you, the officers working on the case were all right here, listening.” He didn’t turn back, but I saw his regret. Detective Evans was still beside me. I turned to her. “You can go back to work. I’ll just wait for the funeral home staff.” She shook her head slightly, apology in her eyes: “I’ll wait with you.” While waiting for the funeral home staff, I called my lawyer. “Mr. Davis, please draft a divorce agreement for me. I’m divorcing Julian Hayes.”
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