While I was changing clothes, my neighbor, Linda, crossed a line I never expected. When I found out I was pregnant, my husband immediately assumed I had cheated on him. He rushed home that very night to confront me. Through tears, I told him the horrific truth. Furious, he stormed off to confront Linda, but he too fell victim to her cruelty. Realizing her secret was about to be exposed, Linda made a chilling decision—she poisoned all three of us. Now, in this second chance at life, I swear I will drag every filthy secret of hers into the light for the world to see. “Janie, change into something dry. Look at you, you’re soaking wet,” Linda said as she rummaged through the closet for clothes. I froze, my hand trembling over the buttons of my shirt, staring at Linda’s back with a mixture of disbelief and fear. This isn’t happening… right? Linda turned around with a confused look. “What’s wrong, Janie? Aren’t you going to change?” Forcing a weak smile, I stammered, “I-I’m fine… I just need to use the bathroom first.” Without waiting for her response, I stumbled into the bathroom and locked the door tightly behind me. The strength drained from my body as I slid down against the door, trembling uncontrollably. I stared at my pale, shaking hands—hands that were still untainted, unmarred—and tears began to stream silently down my face. I clamped my hand over my mouth to muffle my sobs. It was today. It was this rainy day. It was in this house. This was the day Linda destroyed me. Linda wasn’t just my neighbor; she was practically family. She was incredibly close to my father-in-law, so much so that she lived in his house while renting out her own to make extra income. My husband and I had even joked about when they were finally going to get married. But whenever the topic came up, Linda and my father-in-law would exchange awkward glances and quickly change the subject. Eventually, my husband and I stopped asking. My mother-in-law had passed away years ago, and Linda had stepped in to care for my husband and his father ever since. She was even there the first time I met my husband’s family, helping to “vet” me. When she found out I was an orphan, her eyes filled with an almost overwhelming pity. In the two years I’d been married, she’d treated me with kindness and care, always looking out for me. But after what happened, I had no idea how to cope. I could only cry in despair. Linda knelt before me, sobbing and begging for forgiveness. She swore she’d make it up to me, that she’d never tell anyone about what she’d done. But I was too shaken to accept her apology. I shook my head and tried to run for the door. That’s when the always-gentle Linda transformed into a monster. She sprang to her feet, grabbed me, and held me back with a terrifying strength. I screamed for help, my cries directed at my father-in-law, who was standing nearby. He hesitated for a moment, looking conflicted. But then, he pulled out a bundle of rope. And just like that, I was tied up and locked in a room—for an entire month. No one suspected a thing. My father-in-law went to my workplace and told my boss I needed some time off to deal with a “family emergency.” Meanwhile, Linda used my phone to reply to my husband’s texts, keeping him in the dark. Trapped in that room, I screamed until my voice was hoarse. But no one came to help me. Linda would bring me meals every day, trying to convince me to “let it go” and pretend nothing had ever happened. “We can still be family,” she’d say. Bound hand and foot, I wriggled helplessly on the bed like a caterpillar. At first, I spat in her face and hurled the vilest insults I could think of. But as time went on, I grew weaker. Reason told me I needed to conserve my strength if I ever wanted to escape. One day, I drank every last drop of the porridge Linda brought me. Her eyes lit up at the sight, and she spoke to me in a gentler tone, trying once again to persuade me. I closed my eyes, unwilling to even look at her or my father-in-law.
The turning point came a month later. After finishing a bowl of porridge, I suddenly vomited it all back up. My stomach churned violently, and I was pale as a ghost, struggling to suppress the urge to throw up again. Panic flashed across Linda’s face as she rushed to call my father-in-law. The two of them decided to force-feed me some medication for my stomach. But the vomiting didn’t stop. For a week straight, everything I ate came right back up. Linda sat helplessly on the edge of the bed while I lay there, utterly drained. Then, as if struck by inspiration, she clapped her hands together and hurried out of the room. Exhausted, I drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, Linda and my father-in-law were standing over me, their faces pale and stricken, as if something even worse had happened. Linda dropped to her knees with a thud and stammered, “Janie… you… I…” My voice was hoarse as I croaked, “What? Are you finally going to let me go?” Linda squeezed her eyes shut and muttered, “You… you’re pregnant.” I froze, my eyes widening in disbelief. My husband had been working out of town for four months. I already knew who the father was.
Knock, knock, knock! The sound of rhythmic knocking echoed from the door behind me. Linda’s voice, tinged with worry, called out, “Janie, are you okay in there?” I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to sound calm. “I’m fine. Just… stomach trouble.” Steeling myself, I resolved not to let today unfold the same way it had in my previous life. Flushing the toilet, I stepped out of the bathroom. Linda was sitting casually on the living room couch, her expression seemingly innocent. I couldn’t bear to look at her any longer. Grasping for an excuse, I decided to get rid of her. “Linda, I’m really craving ribs today. Could you make me some corn and rib soup?” “Well, there aren’t any ribs left in the house,” she replied with a smile. “I’ll head out and grab some.” I nodded and watched as she got up, slipped on her coat, and left through the front door. As she walked out, I returned to my bedroom, closing the door behind me. I knew she wouldn’t try anything immediately. In my past life, when our three bodies began to decompose, the stench prompted Linda to file a complaint with the property management. When the property staff opened the door and found our corpses, they quickly called the police. Footage from the building’s security cameras revealed that Linda had been returning to the apartment every four days. The authorities set a trap, and she was eventually arrested. During her interrogation, Linda confessed everything, breaking down in tears and saying she regretted it all. She claimed she didn’t know what came over her when she first attacked me. When my husband, Zane, confronted her, she panicked and made one mistake after another, spiraling out of control until her mental state completely crumbled. When the investigators asked why she had also killed my father-in-law, Linda’s expression turned grim. She insisted that he bore responsibility for everything that happened. “If it weren’t for his… peculiar habits all these years, I wouldn’t have gotten used to this… this way of life,” she muttered. Tears streamed down her face as she choked out her final words: “This was his punishment, his atonement. And I… I was the one who started it all…” But she couldn’t finish her sentence. Her voice cracked, and she fell silent, shaking her head as if the weight of her guilt had rendered her speechless.
The sound of the door clicking shut snapped me out of my thoughts. I quickly pulled out my phone, my hand trembling as I dialed my husband’s number. “Zane, you have to come home today. I have something important to tell you,” I said, my voice shaking. Hearing the panic in my tone, he tried to reassure me. “Calm down, Janie. What’s going on? Take your time—I’m here.” I clenched my fist, digging my nails into my palm to keep myself steady. “It’s not something I can explain right now. Please, just come home today.” Zane hesitated. He’d only recently started his new position in another city, and taking leave so soon would be difficult to justify. The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Taking a deep breath, I hardened my voice and said, “Zane, if you don’t come home today, we’re done. I’ll file for divorce.” Before he could respond, I hung up. My heart raced as I stumbled to my closet, digging out clean clothes. My hands shook so badly that it took me several tries to get dressed properly. Grabbing my car keys from the entryway, I bolted out of the house and drove straight to my office. When I arrived, my coworkers who were working late greeted me warmly. “Good evening, Manager Monroe!” “Didn’t you already leave for the day? What brings you back?” “Manager Monroe, want to grab dinner with us?” I forced a smile and responded to each of them politely. “Good evening! Just came back to handle a work issue. You all enjoy dinner—I’ll head upstairs now. Keep up the good work!” Once I reached my office, I sank into my chair, burying my face in my hands as I let out a long, shaky breath. The rain had stopped, and the sky outside was bright and clear. Sunlight poured through the windows, and a faint rainbow arched across the horizon. For the first time in what felt like forever, the weather was beautiful.
I pulled out a sheet of paper and began jotting down everything I could remember from my previous life. This time, I’d stay far away from the people and events that had once made my life a living hell. No one who committed such heinous acts would escape the consequences this time. I was deep in thought when the sound of my phone ringing startled me. Frowning, I glanced at the screen. Seeing Linda’s name pop up, my expression turned ice-cold. “Janie, where are you? I bought the ribs—should I start cooking them now?” Suppressing a bitter laugh, I replied flatly, “I’m at the office. Won’t be coming home tonight. Bye.” Without waiting for a response, I hung up, then stood and fed the paper I’d written into the shredder. I watched as the memories of my past life were reduced to tiny scraps. There was no way I’d leave something that incriminating lying around. The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. My mind was too preoccupied to focus on work—I could only think about my next move. It wasn’t until a timid knock on my office door pulled me back to the present. One of the interns peeked in and said softly, “Manager Monroe, Mr. Lee wants to see you in his office.” When I entered Mr. Lee’s office, he greeted me with a warm smile, his chubby hands folded on his desk like a friendly mascot. “Take a seat, Janie,” he said. I nodded politely. “Mr. Lee, is there something you need?” After sipping his tea, he got straight to the point. “Janie, there’s no need for small talk. You’ve been with the company for three years now, and your abilities speak for themselves. The board is planning to open a branch in Seabridge, and I’d like you to lead it. What do you think?” The news hit me like a bolt of lightning. It felt like a gift from the heavens. In my previous life, I’d been locked away during this exact time and had never even heard about this opportunity. This was a rare chance. If I accepted the position, a couple of years of hard work at the new branch would pave the way for a promotion when I returned. I was thrilled, but I kept my expression carefully measured—just enough to show interest without appearing overly eager. Mr. Lee seemed pleased with my reaction. But instead of giving him an answer right away, I asked, “When would I need to move?” Waving his hand, he replied, “No rush. Anytime within the next month.” I thanked him and promised to think it over before leaving the office.
The sky gradually darkened, the soft pink hues of dusk fading into deep shadows. Only the faint glow of streetlights illuminated the paths of late-night wanderers. My phone lit up with the familiar ringtone. After an entire afternoon of waiting, the key player had finally arrived. Zane’s usually clear voice was now slightly hoarse, the exhaustion from his long journey evident. I simply told him to come to my office and refused to discuss anything further. When I saw Zane’s tall, clean-cut figure appear, my chest tightened, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. I threw myself into his arms and began to sob uncontrollably. I cried with all the helplessness and sorrow I had bottled up—the endless nightmare of my previous life, Linda’s twisted facade, my father-in-law’s disgusting complicity, and the way Zane and I had been dragged into such unimaginable horror. Zane’s face, initially filled with traces of anger and fatigue, softened with pure concern as I cried. He wrapped his arms around my waist, his other hand gently stroking my hair like he was calming a child. “What’s wrong, Janie? What happened? Tell me, okay?” I choked on my words, wanting to explain but finding it impossible to speak. Noticing my struggle, Zane gently reassured me, “Take your time. I’m here. Just breathe.” After a few moments, I pulled myself out of his embrace and began hesitantly sharing bits and pieces of what had happened. Who would believe something so outrageous if it wasn’t ripped from the plot of a soap opera or a novel? Even if they believed it, how could I ever say it out loud? Exposing my deepest vulnerabilities would strip me bare—turning me into a defenseless target, like a declawed tiger or a fish laid out on the chopping block. So, I chose my words carefully. I only told Zane that Linda was intersex and had been in a long-term, inappropriate relationship with my father-in-law. Today, she had crossed a line and tried to harm me. The concern on Zane’s face was quickly replaced by shock and disbelief. His expression hardened as he said, “That’s a serious accusation, Janie. You can’t just say things like that.” I had anticipated his doubt, so I calmly laid out my plan, which I had carefully prepared in advance. To my dismay, Zane immediately rejected it. He adamantly insisted that Linda would never do something like that. “You’ve noticed something was off for a while now, haven’t you?” I asked, my voice sharp like an arrow piercing through his defenses. Zane’s face stiffened, his features twisting slightly. After a brief pause, he let out a heavy sigh and took my hand, trying to reason with me. “You shouldn’t jump to conclusions, Janie. Please, let’s be respectful.” I stared at our clasped hands, my tone turning cold. “Respect? Understanding? Those don’t justify what she’s thinking about doing to me.” Zane’s face shifted through a range of emotions before he finally nodded, his expression conflicted.
I drove home, placing my phone on the vase stand in the living room before heading to my bedroom to change clothes. I slipped into a dark red dress adorned with subtle, elegant embellishments. Delicate lace cutouts at the hem and intricate patterns on the fabric added a touch of sophistication. I draped a unique shawl over my shoulders, breaking through the dark tones with a striking contrast. The look was bold yet refined, exuding an air of cold elegance and undeniable confidence. Leaning casually against the kitchen doorframe, I smiled and asked, “Linda, how do I look in this?” Linda, who was chopping vegetables, froze for a moment. Her eyes flickered with something dark—greed and desire. She wiped her hands on her apron and glanced toward the living room. I smirked internally. At this hour, my father-in-law would still be at the park playing chess. It was just the two of us at home. The perfect opportunity. Linda licked her dry lips, her eyes fixating on my waist. “Janie, you look beautiful. There’s just a loose thread on your dress. Let me cut it for you.” Feigning trust, I turned and walked toward the living room. The moment I reached the couch, a sudden force slammed into my back, pinning me down. Linda, with her farm-hardened strength, easily overpowered me. I screamed and struggled, but she grabbed a towel from nearby and stuffed it into my mouth to muffle my cries. “Mmff!” I yelled, my voice muffled by the towel. Bang! The front door flew open. Zane stood in the doorway, his face dark with fury. His jaw clenched as his eyes burned with rage. Through gritted teeth, he growled, “What the hell is going on here?!”
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