My best friend ran to me, crying hysterically. She claimed her husband was a violent, sex-obsessed psycho who wouldn’t even leave her alone during her pregnancy. Looking at the dark purple bruises covering her skin, my heart ached with a mixture of pity and rage. Without hesitation, I paid out of my own pocket to hire the most ruthless divorce lawyer in the city for her. But the moment she turned around, she got pregnant with their second child. To make matters worse, she told her husband that I was the one trying to sabotage their beautiful marriage. To get revenge, her husband dragged me into a dark alley, brutally assaulted me, and tortured me to death. And my best friend? She stood right there, ignoring my desperate pleas for help, calmly recording the entire thing on her phone. Afterward, she uploaded a carefully edited version of the video online, playing the ultimate victim. “I can’t believe my best friend tried to seduce my husband while I was pregnant!” With endless, suffocating hatred, I died. But then, I woke up. I was reborn, back to the exact moment she came to cry to me. This time, I just smiled at her and said: “He wants to get intimate with you even when you’re pregnant? Oh my god, he is literally obsessed with you! He loves you so much!”
“Chloe, I don’t care what anyone says. I am definitely divorcing him this time.” My best friend Ruby’s screeching voice echoed in my ears. I shook my pounding head, trying to force myself awake. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Ruby, standing in front of me with her clothes half-off, showing off a body covered in nasty purple bruises. Her face was contorted with anger. Staring at this eerily familiar scene, I pinched my thigh as hard as I could. The sharp sting shot through my leg. It was real. I had actually been reborn. In my past life, Ruby had come to me crying just like this, stripping off her clothes to show me her injuries. She had screamed, “Chloe, Marcus is a literal beast! I just gave birth, and he forced me to do that to him while I was still healing!” Seeing her battered body, I had felt so much pain and anger for her. I spent my own savings to hire the best divorce lawyer available. But instead of leaving him, she got pregnant again almost immediately and sold me out to save her own skin. To please Marcus, she even set up a trap to force me to marry his creepy cousin, Justin. I fought back with everything I had and managed to escape. But in the end, a furious Marcus dragged me into a filthy alleyway. He beat and assaulted me until I took my last breath. All the while, Ruby stood there, holding her phone, recording my slow death. She completely ignored my screams. Later, she edited the footage and posted it on Instagram to play the victim. “I can’t believe my best friend tried to seduce my husband while I was pregnant.” Overnight, I became the internet’s favorite punching bag—the “homewrecker” who tried to steal her bestie’s husband. Meanwhile, Ruby used her sob story to gain millions of followers, making a fortune off of sponsorships. The suffocating terror of being tortured to death still gripped my chest. Instinctively, I clenched my fists, digging my fingernails into my palms to hide the burning hatred in my eyes. Seeing that I hadn’t responded for a while, Ruby snapped. She raised her voice, yelling at me. “Chloe! Are you even my friend? I got beaten to a pulp, and you’re just standing there daydreaming?!” She marched over, grabbing my chin and forcing my head up. She made me look directly at her bruised body, repeating every word slowly. “Chloe, I said I’m divorcing him. I. Am. Divorcing. Him. Did you hear me?” She stressed the word “divorce” over and over again. I immediately understood her hidden agenda. She didn’t actually want a divorce. She just wanted me to validate her anger and offer her financial support so she could use me as leverage to threaten Marcus. She chose me because she knew I was a soft-hearted fool. In my past life, I hadn’t seen through her sick game. I had stupidly thrown my money and energy into helping her. And it cost me my life. Remembering this, I swallowed the bitter hatred rising in my throat. I casually brushed her hand off my chin and said in a flat tone: “Are you seriously throwing a tantrum over such a minor issue? Didn’t you say he was your soulmate?” Ruby froze. Then, her voice went up an octave. “This is domestic violence! Domestic violence happens once, and then it happens forever! How can you call this a minor issue?!” Her voice carried a note of panic. I sneered in my mind. So, she did know that abusers never change. She and Marcus had had a whirlwind romance. She hadn’t even met his parents before she decided she absolutely had to marry him. As her best friend, I couldn’t bear to see her ruin her life, so I begged her to slow down. But she just sent me a wedding invitation when she was already visibly pregnant. I was furious, but looking at her pregnant belly, I had no choice but to accept it. I even bought her an expensive designer necklace as a wedding gift. And the moment she got beaten, I tried to save her. In return, she destroyed me. How utterly pathetic. Just then, a frantic, heavy pounding echoed from my front door. BANG! BANG! BANG! The violent noise made the walls shake. I looked at the rattling door, then at Ruby’s guilty, pale face. I knew exactly what was happening. This was my new apartment. No one knew the address except Ruby. The beast slamming against my door could only be Marcus. I didn’t know what Ruby had told him to make him this furious, but it definitely wasn’t anything good. I forced down the disgust rising in my chest. A second before the door was kicked open, I seized my chance and yelled at Ruby at the top of my lungs: “What?! You want to divorce Marcus over something so stupid?! “Didn’t you tell me he’s the love of your life? “He wanted to be intimate with you right after you gave birth—doesn’t that prove how obsessed he is with you? “Honestly, Ruby, you need to grow up. You’re a married woman now!” I screamed as loud as I could, making sure Marcus could hear every single word through the door. Ruby was completely stunned by my sudden change of attitude. She stared at me, her eyes wide with utter disbelief. But the moment Marcus burst through the door, a look of smug relief washed over her face, her eyes instantly filling with adoration. I looked up. Sure enough, Marcus walked in holding a heavy iron tire iron. He glared at me, swinging the iron bar back and forth. It looked like he was ready to crack my skull open at any second. This was only the third time I had seen him. The first time was at their wedding, which had been too rushed for me to get a good look at his face. The terror of my past life flashed through my mind, making my blood run cold. I clenched my jaw, forcing a calm smile onto my face, and said to Ruby: “Couples fight all the time. See? Marcus is already here to take you home.” Hearing my words, Ruby let out a sweet, triumphant laugh. Her ego inflated instantly. She said haughtily, “I guess you’re right. Tough love is still love. If he didn’t care about me, why would he only hit me and not anyone else?” I was completely dumbfounded by her twisted logic. I glanced at her face. She tilted her chin up proudly, refusing to look at Marcus, waiting for him to beg for her forgiveness first. But Marcus’s eyes were locked onto her exposed, bruised body. In the next second, he lunged forward, grabbing her and kissing her violently. He muttered, “Didn’t I show you enough love? Fine, let me show you how much I love you right now…” Ruby put up a half-hearted struggle, which only turned Marcus on even more. Watching them practically get it on right in front of me made me want to throw up. To stop them, I deliberately swiped a glass cup off the table. CRASH! The loud noise finally made them freeze. Ruby’s face was flushed, her legs shaking, but her eyes were filled with smug satisfaction. Marcus, on the other hand, glared at me with a dark, murderous expression. Under his terrifying gaze, I trembled slightly but forced myself to speak. “This is a newly renovated apartment. The fresh paint fumes are toxic… it’s bad for conceiving a baby boy.” My voice shook. I wasn’t sure if Marcus would buy it, but I had to take the gamble. Fortunately, Marcus just gave me a chilling look, then scooped Ruby up in a bridal carry and walked out. He looked as desperate as a starved animal. Ruby clung to him with a smug, seductive smirk. The moment they left, the adrenaline drained from my body. I collapsed onto the floor, my knees weak, staring at the empty doorway. My mind spun rapidly as I began to plan my next move.
Without my interference this time, Ruby got pregnant with their second child much faster than in my previous life. She posted her ultrasound photo all over Instagram, acting like a clueless, pampered princess. “My amazing hubby is so strong! Got me pregnant again in a flash. “And guess what? It’s a boy this time! ” She attached photos of a massive diamond ring alongside some highly inappropriate, semi-nude pictures of her and Marcus. It was nauseating. I knew for a fact she had given birth via C-section only three months ago. Her uterus hadn’t even fully healed, yet she was bragging about being pregnant again. It meant Marcus had forced himself on her almost immediately after she got home from the hospital. Graphic, bloody medical scenarios flashed through my mind. I felt sick to my stomach. Just then, my office door was slammed open. Ruby and Marcus barged in, looking frantic. “Chloe! You have to help me! “Those incompetent doctors at the clinic actually told me to get an abortion! This is my son they’re talking about!” Ruby’s eyes burned with a vicious hatred, so intense it felt like she wanted to kill me on the spot. I looked at the couple, then at the ultrasound report on my desk. I rubbed my aching temples. I deeply regretted not taking a personal day today. As an OB-GYN, any decent doctor looking at her chart would advise an abortion. Getting pregnant two months after a C-section was practically a suicide mission. It was basic medical common sense. But it was obvious that neither Ruby nor Marcus cared about medical science. They only wanted one thing: to bring this baby to term. Preferably a boy. I decided to keep my tone strictly professional. “Looking at the ultrasound, the fetus is currently healthy. “However, regarding your maternal health…” Before I could finish, Marcus cut me off with an ecstatic shout. He swept Ruby into his arms, yelling in excitement: “Baby, did you hear that?! The baby is healthy! “My family finally has an heir! My mom’s psychic was right, this one is definitely a boy!” Ruby gave him a strained smile, then looked at me with a desperate, pleading gaze. She whispered under her breath, “Chloe… I just had a C-section two months ago. My body can’t handle this…” I almost laughed out loud. Why didn’t she think about her body when she was busy letting him use her? I ignored her silent plea and said coldly: “I can only confirm the fetus is viable. If you want to know about your own health, you need a full physical workup. “Do you want me to schedule that?” Seeing my cold indifference, a flash of pure hatred crossed Ruby’s eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but Marcus cut in again. “Baby, your bestie literally just said the baby is healthy. What are you hesitating for? “Don’t you want to give me a son?” His voice dropped, laced with a dangerous threat. Ruby flinched. Instinctively, she tried to shift the blame onto me to appease him. She clung to Marcus’s arm, whining like a child. “Babe, of course I love you, and of course I want to give you a son. “It’s just… Chloe kept telling me before that getting pregnant so soon after a C-section would kill me.” She shot me a smug, triumphant look. Sure enough, Marcus snapped. He kicked my heavy office desk, flipping it completely over. Before I could react, I was thrown to the floor along with the desk. But Marcus wasn’t done. He slowly walked toward me, his towering shadow looming over my fallen body. The skin on my hands was scraped and bleeding, throbbing with sharp pain. I looked up at the security camera on the wall, quickly calculating the angles in my head. As Marcus stepped closer, I positioned myself in the camera’s blind spot. Then, with all the strength I could muster, I kicked him squarely in the groin. My kick landed perfectly. It was enough to send him crashing to the floor, howling in agony. Watching him writhe in pain brought a rush of pure satisfaction to my chest. Ruby rushed to his side, glaring at me like a feral beast. “Chloe! You bitch! What did you do to Marcus?!” The hatred in her eyes was so raw, it was almost hard to believe. We had grown up together. We used to share everything. We were inseparable. Yet, she had dragged me into hell twice. Neither in my past life nor in this one had she ever cared about my life. The ghost of being assaulted still haunted my skin. Even after taking countless showers since my rebirth, I still felt dirty. I had nightmares every single night. I couldn’t hold back my rage anymore. I stood up, walked over to her, and blocked the camera with my body. I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look me in the eyes. “Hurts, doesn’t it? But this pain is absolutely nothing compared to what I had to go through.” At this moment, all my mercy was gone. Only hatred remained. I didn’t care about the consequences anymore. In this life, I was going to drag them both straight to hell. Ruby was clearly terrified by my sudden madness. She quickly helped a groaning Marcus up and scurried toward the door. Before leaving, she spat out a weak threat. “Just wait, Chloe… you’ll pay for this.” I casually brushed the dust off my clothes, completely unfazed. “Bring it on. Let’s rot in hell together.”
I thought that after that incident, Ruby and I were officially done. Yet, she actually had the audacity to show up at my apartment again, heavily pregnant. This time, she brought a few of our former college classmates with her. I couldn’t throw her out in front of everyone, so I swallowed my disgust and let them in. As soon as she sat down, Ruby began proudly showing off her brand-new bag. She raised her voice, making sure I could hear her from the kitchen. “Marcus bought me this Birkin bag. It cost seventy thousand dollars! “He said it’s a reward for being such an obedient wife. I guess I’m just lucky. I’ve got the wide hips to carry his heir.” Our former classmates squealed in envy, praising her for marrying a rich, handsome guy, begging her to introduce them to some of his wealthy friends. Ruby basked in their flattery, boasting that she would take everyone out for a lavish seafood dinner. But my suspicion only grew. The others might not know, but I knew very well that Marcus wasn’t some rich heir. He was a high school dropout from the projects who survived on welfare. Even if he had landed a decent job, there was no way he could afford a seventy-thousand-dollar bag. Then, Ruby leaned in closer to the girls, whispering mysteriously: “Honestly, making money is so easy… “As long as you’re good at pleasing wealthy men, forget about designer bags—luxury cars and penthouses are yours for the taking.” The other girls squealed with excitement, joking about their own bodies and how “fertile” they looked. I was highly curious about this “easy money” scheme, so I kept my ears open. But Ruby suddenly glanced toward me and lowered her voice to a whisper. I immediately realized why she had brought them here today. She wanted to use my apartment and my professional status as a doctor to legitimize whatever shady business she was running, recruiting these girls into her scheme. I brought out a plate of sliced fruit and joined them, acting casual. “What kind of moneymaking scheme are we talking about? Count me in!” I softened my tone, pretending to be naive and greedy. Ruby’s eyes lit up. She pulled me down to sit beside her, running her hands over my body, nodding in approval. “Chloe, you’re a natural. With your body, you’ll make a absolute fortune.” I had always been naturally curvier than most girls. To find out what she was up to, I forced myself not to recoil from her touch and smiled. “Really? I guess I’ll have to follow your lead to get rich, Ruby.” My submissive act highly pleased her. She immediately pulled out her phone and called Marcus, telling him to come over and pick us up. Our classmates were practically drooling with envy, begging Ruby to introduce them to rich guys just like Marcus. It made my skin crawl. I excused myself to go change. Watching Ruby brainwash those girls in my living room, I knew this “business” was deeply illegal. Actually, the reason Ruby and I became best friends wasn’t just because we grew up together. It was because I had always sensed a darkness in her—a darkness that mirrored my own. It was a dangerous thrill, and I loved it. I smiled, fingering my necklace, and quickly typed a message on my phone. Once finished, I hit send. Right on cue, Ruby’s impatient voice yelled from the living room: “Chloe! Hurry up! We can’t keep them waiting!”
When we walked down to the street, Marcus was waiting in a rusty, dented van. He sat in the driver’s seat, heavily chain-smoking, his face dark and menacing. Our classmates had never met Marcus in person before. Seeing his sketchy appearance, they immediately looked disgusted, holding their noses as they whispered to Ruby: “Ruby… is that your driver? Why is he so dirty?” Ruby’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. She tried to cover it up quickly. “Why do you care what the car looks like? As long as he takes you to make money, who cares?” But looking at the sketchy van that didn’t match Ruby’s “trophy wife” persona at all, the girls hesitated. Nobody wanted to get in. Looking at them, I knew for sure that whatever Marcus and Ruby were doing, it was highly dangerous. I decided to play along and give them an out, while pushing Ruby further into the trap. “Ruby, if they don’t want to make money, forget it. Let them stay poor. We don’t need them.” I walked over and linked my arm with Ruby’s. Encouraged by my support, Ruby sneered at the girls. “Chloe is right. You guys are destined to be poor. Don’t go then.” I patted Ruby’s arm while subtly signaling the other girls to leave. But they ignored my warning, standing there, torn between fear and greed. Just then, Marcus got out of the van. He threw his cigarette butt onto the ground. He marched straight toward us, and without a word, slapped Ruby hard across the face. “Bitch! Stop wasting my time! You can’t even handle a simple task!” The force of the slap sent Ruby spinning, and she knocked into me. Instead of fighting back, Ruby immediately knelt on the pavement, begging for forgiveness. Marcus ignored her. He began walking around me, his filthy, lustful eyes scanning my body like he wanted to strip me right there. Under his creepy gaze, I forced myself to look terrified, lowering my head in submission. Seeing my submissive act, Marcus lost interest and grunted. The other girls were terrified, trembling in a corner. Marcus looked around to make sure there were no security cameras. Then, he grabbed the girls one by one and violently threw them into the back of the van. He shoved me and Ruby in last. No one dared to breathe, terrified of triggering his explosive temper. The girls who had been dreaming of quick cash were now crying silently. I frowned. This was an undeveloped area with zero surveillance. If anything happened to us here, the police wouldn’t even know where to start looking. But the trap was set. I could only pray that Ethan had received my text. The drive was brutal. The bumpy mountain roads made everyone quiet down. The initial excitement was entirely gone, replaced by pure dread. One of the girls began to gag from motion sickness. She whimpered to Ruby in the front seat: “Ruby… please tell your husband to pull over. I’m going to throw up…” But Ruby ignored her, busy feeding Marcus chips. She replied carelessly: “Just throw up in the car. Who cares?” Some of the girls began to complain, but Marcus just sped up, ignoring them completely. I had prepared myself for this, so I remained calm. I pulled out tissues and water from my bag, passing them to the girls, whispering for them to stay quiet. They calmed down slightly, clutching the water bottles. I stared out the window as the van climbed deeper into the desolate mountains, my heart pounding. I kept touching my necklace, drawing comfort from it, before closing my eyes. After about four hours, the van finally screeched to a halt outside a remote estate. The sudden stop jolted us awake. Before we could figure out where we were, two men wearing black ski masks threw the back doors open. They brutally dragged us out, snatching our phones and bags, and stuffed gags into our mouths. We were forced down a dark corridor and shoved into a massive iron cage. Everyone was crying, desperately regretting their greed. I looked around. The cage was already filled with dozens of other young women, all staring blankly at the floor.
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