In my past life, my husband and best friend secretly changed our vacation plans. They knew I had a severe fear of deep water, yet they still took me diving. I wanted to refuse, but they said this would help me overcome my phobia. One was my husband of three years, the other was my best friend since childhood—I chose to trust them! But they brought me to a deserted island, where I accidentally caught them having rough sex under a palm tree. After I discovered them, they immediately abandoned me and swam away in their diving suits! Because of my fear of water, I survived on wild fruits for a week on that island, until I was finally torn apart and devoured by wild beasts! Meanwhile, they collected my massive life insurance payout and lived happily ever after! After my rebirth, they once again suggested a vacation. I smiled and agreed! Half my body was hanging over the edge of the yacht, the cold metal railing digging painfully into my skin. Derek and Megan each grabbed one of my legs, pulling me down with all their strength. I gripped the railing for dear life, my knuckles white from the effort. Memories of nearly drowning in a river near my hometown as a child wrapped around me like seaweed, making it impossible to breathe. Derek knew about this. I looked at him with reddened eyes, my voice trembling uncontrollably. “Derek, I’m scared.” A flash of undisguised annoyance crossed his face. “Emma, we finally get a chance to have some fun together. Can you please not ruin it?” “It’s just getting in the water. It’s not going to kill you.” Megan had a smile plastered on her face while she kept pulling. “Come on, Em, don’t be scared. There’s a breathing mask, oxygen—Derek and I will protect you.” When Derek saw I wouldn’t let go, he pulled even harder. My whole body lurched, and I almost slipped off. The icy seawater slapped against my calves, and a bone-chilling cold instantly spread through my entire body. Derek cursed under his breath. He released my leg and climbed nimbly back onto the yacht from the water. Before I could even catch my breath, he kicked me off. Splash The freezing, salty seawater instantly flooded my mouth and nose, choking me until my vision went black. Megan’s piercing laughter cut through the water into my ears. “Oh my God, Emma, you look like a drowning chicken! I’m dying!” I finally managed to surface, desperately gasping for air, feeling like my lungs were about to explode. The breathing mask was still hanging around my neck—I hadn’t had time to put it on properly. Derek stood at the edge of the yacht, looking down at me. He didn’t even reach out a hand. I slowly slipped on my swim ring and followed behind them. Derek and Megan moved through the water like fish, diving down and then surfacing again. Watching Derek’s athletic figure in the water, my eyes suddenly stung. Our first meeting was also in water. He was a swimming instructor, and I had signed up for lessons to overcome my childhood trauma. That day, I slipped and fell into the deep end. The terror of drowning from my memories instantly consumed me. I thrashed wildly, certain I was going to die. He pulled me out of the water and held me tightly in his arms. I still remember the warmth of his embrace, and the comforting words he whispered in my ear. “Don’t be scared. I’ve got you.” Later, we grew closer and closer. On the day he proposed, he knelt down and promised me. “Emma, as long as I’m here, you don’t have to be afraid of anything. I’ll protect you forever!” Two years ago, during a heavy storm, the city flooded—water up to our knees. He carried me on his back, step by step, through the murky floodwater. When we reached safety, the bottom of his foot had been sliced open by broken glass in the water, bleeding profusely. But he just breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at me. “Good thing you didn’t have to touch the water.” But now, he was trying to kill me—with someone else’s help! 2 My thoughts snapped back to reality, and I suddenly realized the two people ahead of me had disappeared. All around me was nothing but a vast white expanse of ocean, stretching endlessly with no sign of the yacht. I called out tentatively. “Derek? Megan?” Except for the sound of the waves, there was no answer. I was trying to decide whether to swim back now or wait for them a little longer. Just then, the water in front of me erupted with a splash, and someone burst up from below! “Ahhh!” I screamed in terror, my heart nearly leaping out of my throat! Megan clutched her chest, looking annoyed. “What are you screaming for? You scared me!” I was still catching my breath, my heart pounding. She rolled her eyes dismissively. “It was just a joke. Relax.” I bit down hard on my bloodless lips and asked her. “Where’s Derek?” Megan jerked her chin toward a direction. “He found a small island up ahead. You were taking forever, so he sent me back to get you.” She urged me impatiently. “Let’s go, hurry up!” I looked toward that hazy direction and offered a warning. “There might be wild animals on an uninhabited island. We should probably stay off it.” Megan laughed like she’d just heard the funniest joke. “Emma, you’re such a coward.” She looked me up and down, her eyes full of undisguised contempt. “Honestly, I have no idea how someone like Derek—who loves extreme sports—ever ended up with someone like you.” With that, she swam off without looking back, leaving me behind. I watched her retreating figure and slowly curved my lips into a smile. Oh, Megan. I warned you. You just wouldn’t listen! The waves pushed me, bit by bit, toward that dark green, isolated island. In my past life, this was the island where I was torn to pieces! The searing pain of beasts ripping through my flesh, the crunching sound of my bones being crushed, the endless despair in my final moments—it all came flooding back. I finally crawled onto shore. Derek was standing not far away, waving at us. Seeing how slowly I moved, Derek’s patience finally ran out. He grabbed me roughly and dragged me forward. “Emma, your pathetic whining makes me sick!” “I want a partner who can stand beside me and experience life and see the world—not some cowardly little mouse!” Megan suddenly burst out laughing. “Don’t be mad at her, Derek. She’s always been like this.” “When we were kids, she was scared of chickens. Now she’s scared of dogs. Her courage is smaller than a pinhead.” “Isn’t that why we planned this trip? To toughen her up?” I frowned at her. “What do you mean?” Megan smiled mysteriously. “You’ll find out soon enough!” They exchanged a look, then grabbed me from both sides and dragged me to a tree, tying me up tightly with rope they had brought. Derek dusted off his hands. “If you can make it through tonight, you pass the test!” I stared at him in disbelief. “There could be wild animals on this island! Tying me up here—are you trying to kill me?” But seeing the terror on my face only made Derek and Megan smile with satisfaction. No matter how much I screamed behind them, they didn’t look back once. The scorching sun burned my skin, quickly raising blisters that stung like fire. When night fell, they built a fire in a cave. From where I was tied, I had a clear view of everything inside. In the flickering firelight, Megan tilted her head up and kissed Derek on the lips. Derek only froze for a moment. The next second, he took control, pressing his hand against the back of her neck and deepening the kiss aggressively. As they tangled together, Megan opened her eyes slightly and looked directly at me over Derek’s shoulder. In her eyes was undisguised triumph and mockery! I felt every last trace of warmth in my blood crystallize into pure hatred. The night grew deeper. The firelight in the cave flickered, casting two intertwined shadows on the walls. Their panting, their shameless laughter—it all reached my ears. I closed my eyes, refusing to watch that disgusting scene any longer. The blisters the sun had burned into my skin throbbed with stabbing pain in the cool night sea breeze. The bloody welts on my wrists and ankles from the ropes had long gone numb. Hunger and thirst tortured my body, but my mind was clearer than ever. My gruesome death in my past life. Their betrayal in this one. Scene after scene replayed in my mind like a movie. I rubbed my wrist against the rough bark of the tree behind me, over and over. The sharp edges of the bark dug deep into my flesh. The pain made my whole body tremble. But this pain was nothing compared to what they had put me through! Blood ran down my wrist. The sticky sensation mixed with the salty sea breeze, giving off a strange metallic smell. A small tear appeared in the rope. I pulled hard, and the rope binding me snapped. I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. My wrist was a bloody mess—I could almost see the white of bone. I steadied myself against the tree trunk and stood up shakily, then slipped silently into the dense forest nearby. 3 Derek was woken by the blinding sunlight. Megan was still asleep, a smile lingering on her lips. Derek nudged her. “Wake up. It’s morning.” Megan reluctantly opened her eyes and yawned. “What time is it? I bet that little coward Emma pissed herself from fear.” Her voice was full of schadenfreude. “Let’s go check out her pathetic state!” Derek nodded, and they walked out of the cave together. But when their eyes fell on the tree outside, they both froze. Under the tree—nothing. Only a piece of broken rope lay alone on the ground, stained with dried, dark red blood. Where was I? Megan’s eyes instantly lit up with excitement, and she nearly jumped for joy. “A wild animal must have dragged her off last night!” “This is perfect! Absolutely perfect! Saves us so much trouble!” She laughed maniacally, as if she’d just heard the best news in the world. But Derek’s brow furrowed tightly. He crouched down and carefully examined the traces on the ground. “Something’s wrong.” Megan’s laughter cut off abruptly. “What’s wrong?” Derek pointed at the broken rope and the surrounding ground, his expression cautious. “Look—the rope looks like it was worn through, not bitten.” “And besides this blood, there’s not a single sign of a struggle on the ground.” “If there really was a wild animal, it wouldn’t be this clean.” The smile on Megan’s face froze. “Then… where is she?” Derek stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands. “I don’t know.” His gaze swept over the dark, dense forest around them, a cold glint in his eyes. “Alive or dead, I need to see for myself.” “Without seeing her body, I can’t let my guard down.” Megan’s face went pale. “What do you mean? You’re going to look for her?” “This island gives me the creeps. I’m not going in there!” Derek shot her an icy look. “Then stay here alone. I’m going.” With that, he headed into the depths of the forest. Megan gritted her teeth. Even though she was terrified, she reluctantly followed. In my past life, after Derek and Megan brought me to this island, they quietly put on the diving gear they had prepared in advance and left. Because I was afraid of water, I could only wait alone for rescue! And I ended up dying a horrible death! So after my rebirth, the first thing I did was learn how to swim. My hatred helped me overcome my fear! Watching their figures disappear into the trees, I silently made my way to the spot where they had hidden the diving equipment in my past life. I threw away one set, put on the other, and left this island. Derek. Megan. Enjoy your thrilling wilderness survival experience! The terrain on the island became increasingly treacherous. Towering trees blocked out the sunlight, and a damp, rotting smell filled the air. Megan was already timid by nature, and now her face was pale with fear. “Derek, I’m so scared. This place is terrifying…” “Let’s go back, please? Emma must be dead by now. The animals have probably eaten her—bones and all!” Derek turned to glare at her impatiently. “Shut up! If you want to leave, go ahead!” While they were talking, neither of them noticed the danger at their feet. Two seconds later. “Ahhh!” A terrified scream echoed through the silent forest.
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