This year, the weather authorities had issued multiple extreme heat alerts. Our company’s new CEO Assistant suggested we all go to a forest in the wilderness to escape the heat. But I’d been reading the news. The place she suggested had recently seen a surge in Chikungunya fever cases. This disease is primarily spread by mosquitoes, and the area she picked was swarming with them. Going there now would be a death wish! I immediately rejected her proposal and shared the news report in the company chat. Everyone was furious, accusing the assistant of ill intent, saying she wanted to send them to their deaths. The assistant was shamed into not coming to work. Then, she live-streamed her suicide attempt, leaping from a high-rise. In the live stream, she cried desperately, explaining that she hadn’t seen the news, and her suggestion to go there was genuinely for everyone’s well-being. Her death shocked the entire company. Later, my CEO husband teamed up with all our colleagues, stripped me bare, tied me up, and left me in the wild forest. I was bitten by countless mosquitoes, suffered a severe infection, and died. When I woke up again. I was back to the day the assistant, Chloe Miller, suggested we go to the wild forest to escape the heat. This time, I smiled and agreed. “That’s a great idea.” … “I see everyone’s been looking so drained from the heat lately, and work efficiency is terrifyingly low. How about I talk to the CEO and ask him to take us on a trip to escape the heat?” “I’ve already picked out the perfect spot! I did so much research to find this untouched, pristine forest. I heard it’s really cool and comfortable there.” “Much better than just blasting the AC here, don’t you think, Alice?” Her words jolted me awake. It finally hit me—was I reborn? I was back on the day Chloe Miller suggested that summer retreat in the wild forest. The weather this year was abnormal. Temperatures soared past 104 degrees Fahrenheit, with constant heat advisories. Even with air conditioning at the office, my colleagues were still miserable from the heat, completely unmotivated to work. As the company’s Vice President, all I could do was try to shorten their work hours. Chloe Miller, the new assistant, wanting to win everyone over, suggested a company-funded summer outing to beat the heat. The proposal was met with unanimous support, but I flat-out rejected it. I had just seen the news: the place Chloe Miller suggested had a high incidence of Chikungunya fever outbreaks. And since this disease is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes, her idea of going to an undeveloped wild forest meant it had never been treated for insects. It would be swarming with mosquitoes. Going there now would be no different from signing our own death warrants. My rejection drew some不满 (displeasure) from my colleagues, but constrained by my Vice President title and the difficulty of finding jobs these past few years, they swallowed their resentment. Seeing their resentful expressions, I sighed and shared the official health report about the outbreak in our company WhatsApp group. Only then did my colleagues understand me. They immediately turned around and accused Chloe Miller of ill intent, saying she knew how dangerous it was but still wanted to lead them to their deaths. Chloe Miller was ostracized and live-streamed her suicide attempt from home. She lost her footing, slipped, and actually fell to her death. In the live stream, she cried, explaining that she hadn’t seen the news, didn’t know there was an outbreak there, and that her intentions were good. She even claimed I was intentionally targeting her because she was prettier, and I was afraid she’d steal my husband. Afterward, I tried my best to explain. But my CEO husband, David Cheney, stripped me bare, tied me up, and threw me into the wild forest teeming with mosquitoes. “You said mosquito bites would kill you? Then I’ll wait and see if you die. If you do, I’ll believe you’re innocent. But if you don’t, I’ll personally make sure you go down to apologize to Chloe.” Remembering the agony of the mosquito bites, the despair before my death, I decided this time, I wouldn’t save these cold-hearted bastards. I looked down, adjusted my clothes, and composed my expression. My smile had never looked so genuinely sincere. “I think Chloe’s idea is really good. I see everyone’s been working so hard. So, Chloe, why don’t you go talk to the CEO?” Chloe hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. She was ready to argue her case, to put on a grand show of fighting for everyone’s well-being. My easy agreement forced her prepared speech back down her throat, her face twisting into an unreadable, almost pained expression. But it lasted only a second. Then she was smiling like an innocent little sweetheart, practically skipping past me. “David, I was just about to look for you.” “Look how hot it is, and everyone’s still working so hard, lots of people are getting sick. So I suggested we take everyone to a wild forest to escape the heat. What do you say?” She clung to David’s arm, playfully shaking it, a sugary sweetness in her voice. Completely ignoring me, his actual wife, standing right there. A rare gentle smile appeared on David’s usually stern face, his voice helpless yet doting. “Our Chloe is just so kind, so thoughtful. Unlike some people who only care about money.” “Since you’ve said so, I have no reason to refuse. I’ll leave all the arrangements to you. We’ll follow your lead.” I scoffed internally. They completely disregarded the fact that I was David’s wife. And I knew David’s comment about “some people” was directed at me. After all, I was the one who worked day and night to build the company to its current scale. I only let him be CEO and took the VP role to make him look good, to save his pride. In reality, I handled all the work, and he just enjoyed the good life. And now he was blaming me for only caring about money? In my last life, I would have furiously argued with him. But now, I simply maintained a polite smile, tacitly accepting everything. Chloe saw I wasn’t jealous or angry, which seemed to annoy her even more. But just for a second. Then her eyes darted around, and she came over, linking her arm through mine, acting like we were the best of friends, all sweet and bubbly. “Alice, you’ll be coming too, right?” Before I could say anything, David frowned and cut in. “She’s not going.” “Seeing her just ruins the fun.” “You won’t have a good time if she’s there.” A flicker of triumph crossed Chloe’s eyes, and her smile became even more provocative. “David, everyone’s going. It’s not right to leave Alice behind. You two are married, after all.” I smirked. *Now* you remember we’re married? I didn’t want to go anyway, and was just about to refuse. David’s face hardened, and he impatiently ordered me. “Fine, then you come along. But let me make one thing clear: don’t cause Chloe any trouble, or don’t blame me for not giving you face.” On the day of the outing, the weather continued to heat up. My colleagues wore light clothing, a lot of skin exposed. Only Chloe and I were completely covered in long sleeves and pants. After a three-hour drive, we arrived at the spot Chloe had described. City-dwelling corporate drones rarely got a chance to experience nature. My colleagues were immediately captivated by the scenery. “Chloe found a truly beautiful spot.” “Yeah, and it’s so cool and comfortable here. The office AC can’t even compare.” “Look, there are so many small lakes over there! We can play in the water soon.” Everyone joyfully ran into the forest, heading towards the lakes. But I stayed in the car, not wanting to get out. Chloe saw I had no intention of leaving the car, and her face immediately fell, looking crestfallen. “Alice, are you unhappy with my arrangements?” “But you agreed back at the office.” “I spent days putting together this plan. It’s really a wonderful place. You should come down and join us.” I could tell she wouldn’t give up until she’d dragged me into this. And many colleagues were starting to look over, their faces showing a hint of displeasure. This was Chloe’s goal: to undermine my standing in the company. I sighed and gave her a big smile. “I didn’t say anything. I just wanted to rest a bit before joining you all.” I doused myself in mosquito repellent, pulled my collar high, and tightened my pant legs before finally getting out of the car and heading towards the main group. By the time I arrived, some people had already taken off their clothes and gotten into the water. I frowned, watching the mosquitoes dancing on the water’s surface. That’s when Chloe walked up to me, enthusiastically inviting me to join them in the water. “Alice, it’s so hot, you should take off your clothes and play with us too!” I shook my head, refusing. Chloe immediately looked crestfallen, her eyes welling up like she was about to burst into tears. Just then, David walked over. “Alice, didn’t I warn you not to bully Chloe?” “Get back to the car right now! You’re annoying me.” I let out a sigh of relief, about to turn back to the car. Chloe spoke up again. “David, don’t scold Alice like that. We’re all out here together. How can we just leave her alone in the car while we play?” The surrounding colleagues also gathered around, a cacophony of voices trying to mediate, though their main point was still that I was being a killjoy, practically wanting to rip my clothes off and drag me in themselves. But I wasn’t angry. Once they had said their piece, I pulled out a pregnancy test report from my pocket. “Sorry, I’m pregnant. I can’t join you in the water.” Chloe hadn’t expected this. She stared at me in disbelief, then turned to glare at David, her eyes full of accusation. Before they could react, I continued. “I came today because I didn’t want to spoil everyone’s fun. So, I’ll just go back to the car and wait for you all.” With that, I turned and headed for the car. My colleagues didn’t know what else to say. After all, she was pregnant; if anything happened, no one wanted to be responsible. Chloe’s face went absolutely ashen. She’d clearly planned to trap me, but I hadn’t fallen for it. And now, she’d heard the one thing she never wanted to hear: I was pregnant! David finally snapped out of it, rushing forward to pull Chloe into his arms. Then he whirled around and roared at me: “Why didn’t you say you were pregnant sooner?” “You had to wait until now to say it, making us look like heartless villains who forced you despite your condition! How could you be so cruel? Chloe’s plans were well-intentioned. Your stunt makes her look bad, like she intentionally tried to harm you, leaving her caught between a rock and a hard place.” Listening to his accusations, a bitter taste filled my mouth. He knew I was pregnant, but his first thought wasn’t concern for me or our child. Instead, he blamed me for the timing of my pregnancy, all for another woman. We were once the perfect couple, envied by everyone. When we were broke, we shared every meager meal. When our startup failed, we encouraged and supported each other. Even before Chloe came along, our relationship was still very strong. We never fought; he barely ever even raised his voice at me. When did he start to change? Perhaps the first time Chloe cried in front of him? Or when Chloe hugged him and called him ‘big brother’? Or maybe even earlier, the first time he saw Chloe. That explained why Chloe, someone who hadn’t even finished a decent college degree, had climbed to the position of CEO Assistant in just half a month. I’d tried to tell him many times that Chloe wasn’t suitable for her job; she did nothing but cry. David would just brush me off. Then he’d get a cold look on his face, furious, telling me to mind my own business. Later, he grew colder towards me, showering more attention on Chloe. That’s why he didn’t even know when I’d found out I was pregnant. I didn’t want to look at them anymore and just got into the car. The weather grew hotter. Soon, it would be prime time for the virus-carrying mosquitoes to be active. I watched my lightly dressed colleagues still playing joyfully by the water, while Chloe remained far away, bundled up. Their cheerful shouts occasionally drifted over. “Chloe’s choice of place is truly amazing! I feel alive again.” “Yeah, Chloe is really our lucky star!” “Chloe, anything you need in the future, just say the word. If you say east, I won’t go west.” Seeing the red bites all over their skin, I found it ironic. They were having fun now, and the water was cool, so they didn’t feel much. But staying in there would only increase their risk of infection. Plus, constant movement speeds up blood flow, allowing toxins to quickly spread throughout their bodies. Just as I thought this, as if to confirm my prediction, A frail colleague was the first to feel unwell. He suddenly vomited, then collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain… I rushed over to check on him. His entire body was covered in red rashes, and he was writhing on the ground, screaming in agony… Soon, one after another, colleagues began to collapse, vomiting non-stop, and screaming in pain… I stepped forward, calmly observed them, and said evenly, “They seem to have contracted a virus.” A few female colleagues who hadn’t gone into the water due to their positions stood there, their faces pale. “Sir… Mr. CEO… they really do seem to have contracted a virus!” David looked panicked, and Chloe’s face also went white. “How… how could they get infected so easily…” Unlike David, my expression remained calm.
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