My boyfriend’s sister cursed me with an empathic link to a rag doll. She’d deliberately dunk the doll in water, making me feel like I was being drenched, then spread rumors about my chaotic private life, ruining my reputation. Next, she’d toss the doll into a bathtub full of water, and I’d instantly feel dragged underwater, gasping for air, my chest heavy, my whole body ready to explode. Because of her twisted games, I lost a critical client for the third time. I found my boyfriend, begging him to rein in his sister, the one he practically worshipped. But he just sneered, shaking his head. “You say you can feel a toy’s pain? Are you out of your mind?” With that, he lit the doll on fire right in front of me. He stared at me, his face full of scorn. “It’s burned to ashes. How are you still standing here? What a pathetic act.” The pain made my nails dig into my palms, snapping one clean off. Yet, a wave of relief washed over me—she hadn’t won. I wasn’t dead. But in the middle of the night, that familiar suffocating feeling returned. I drowned in my dream, suffocated to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to that day—the exact moment the empathic link began. This time, I’d strike first. Clutching a knife, I headed straight for that malicious girl. If I was going to die anyway, I might as well drag her to hell with me.
“Skylar, Skylar!” My colleague’s shouts jolted me awake. My head was still swimming, and I looked up to see myself slumped over my office desk. I… I’m back? In my previous life, I’d somehow become bound by this “shared sensation” system to the rag doll Blake and Chloe had gotten together. That girl, Chloe, always claimed she was emotionally unstable. The moment anything bothered her, she’d take it out on the doll. She’d pinch it, throw it, dunk it in water, cut its hair—anything you could imagine. But all that pain? I was the one who suffered it. Random aches and pains were my new normal. Even worse, sometimes I’d have no idea what she was doing, yet suddenly feel soaking wet—my suit skirt always had mysterious wet spots. One project after another fell through. Clients called me unprofessional. Someone even posted on the company’s internal forum, claiming I had a chaotic private life and couldn’t control myself. When Blake heard the rumors, he stormed up to me, demanding answers. I steadied my breathing, trying to explain the empathic link. But he wouldn’t listen. He snatched the doll from Chloe’s hand, the one she never let go of, and threw it straight into the fireplace. “Skylar, I know you’re jealous of how good I am to Chloe. But you can’t invent such a ridiculous lie to hurt her.” “You say you’re connected to the doll? Well, it’s burned to ashes now. How are you still perfectly fine?” The pain left me speechless, my entire body feeling as if it had been set on fire. But inside, I sighed with relief—finally, finally free. That night, however, the familiar sensation returned. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the past. It was the very day Chloe ruined my first big collaboration. I silently pulled open my drawer, staring at the proposal inside—a proposal I’d worked on for several sleepless nights. My eyes turned cold. “Brenda, when are our partners arriving?” My colleague glanced at the time, holding up two fingers. “Four o’clock. Two hours from now.” I nodded, quickly reviewed the proposal, and told her, “If I’m not back in two hours, don’t wait for me. Start the meeting without me.” With that, I grabbed my bag and left. Those two hours were my chance to survive. To figure out what the hell Chloe was up to, I bought a fruit knife from the supermarket. On a whim, I sent Blake a text: “Are you with Chloe right now?” He replied with a “Yup,” and I hailed a taxi straight to their place. If I could get the truth out of her, great. If not… then I wasn’t going to hell alone. The car was still about half a mile from their house when that familiar torment resurfaced. I glanced down at my phone, my heart sinking. Something was off. It wasn’t even three yet. Why was it… It shouldn’t be this early.
A familiar dampness spread through my crotch, making me feel sticky and incredibly uncomfortable. The taxi driver caught my eye in the rearview mirror, a discomforting smirk twisting his lips. “You’re in a real hurry, aren’t you, miss? Rushing to see your boyfriend?” As soon as he said that, my heart clenched, my breath catching in my throat. All the slut-shaming rumors from my previous life echoed in my ears. More than the inexplicable shared sensation, it was those baseless lies that truly broke me. Even the person I loved most had twisted his face in rage, demanding if I’d betrayed him. How do you even describe that feeling of being abandoned by the whole world? Just as I got out of the car, the dampness suddenly vanished. Before I could even sigh in relief, my stomach lurched violently, and a sharp pain ripped through me. It felt like someone was twisting my intestines, writhing in agonizing spasms. Gritting my teeth, I stumbled to Chloe and Blake’s front door and pounded on it. Chloe opened it, head down, clutching a rag doll tightly. She was gripping its head and feet, twisting it back and forth as if wringing a towel. Cold sweat poured off me from the pain. I lunged forward, snatched the doll, and straightened its limbs. My body instantly relaxed, and the pain slowly receded. “What are you doing!” Blake suddenly appeared from the corner, his face grim. He shot me a furious glare, then quickly pulled the agitated Chloe into his arms to comfort her. “It’s okay, Chloe, don’t be scared. Big brother will get your doll back.” He reached out to snatch the doll from my hand. When I didn’t let go, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped me across the face. My cheek burned, but I barely registered it. Clutching the doll tightly, my voice trembled. “Blake, please… make Chloe stop. Really, just leave me alone…” “If she keeps taking her anger out like this, I’ll actually die…” “I can’t take it anymore…” I cried out, but he remained unmoved. Blake first frowned at the trembling Chloe in his arms, then let out a laugh. “Skylar, how long are you going to keep this up?” “I get it, you don’t like me looking after Chloe. But she’s my own sister!” “Girlfriends can be replaced. A sister? You only get one!” He finished, roughly pried my fingers open, took the doll, and gently placed it in Chloe’s arms. “Chloe, don’t be scared. Your brother won’t believe that crazy woman.” I clearly saw Chloe’s lips curl into a sly, cold smile. She stared at me, then suddenly lifted the doll high and slammed it onto the ground. My body instantly felt like it was plummeting from a great height, every organ rattling out of place. Excruciating pain radiated through my limbs, yet my skin remained untouched. I struggled to open my eyes and saw her forcefully stomping on the doll’s arms and legs. “Chloe… don’t… please…” The pain was too intense for me to speak a full sentence; I could only beg in broken whispers. But hearing my pleas, she seemed to get even more excited. Perhaps she grew tired of playing, so she picked up the doll and walked over to me, swinging it back and forth. “What’s ‘sister-in-law’ muttering about? I can’t quite hear you.” “Could it be… you’re jealous of how good my brother is to me?” She watched my tormented expression like a predator fixated on its prey. “Sometimes I really envy you. To suffer so much and still be alive.” She leaned in and whispered in my ear. I shivered uncontrollably, nearly passing out. She… she knew everything! I recoiled in terror, accidentally bumping my backpack. The fruit knife inside clattered to the floor. Chloe and I both froze, our gazes snapping to the knife. I reached for it— But she was faster. She bit down hard on the doll’s arm. A sharp pain shot through my right arm, and I flinched. In that instant, she grabbed the knife first.
She slowly moved the knife back and forth across my face, as if sizing up her prey. That feeling of being watched intensely sent cold sweat dripping down my back. Before I could react, Blake was already there. His face was etched with anxiety. He took a long stride, stepping over me where I lay on the floor, and rushed straight to Chloe. First, he spoke to her in soft, soothing whispers, then gently took the fruit knife from her hand. “What if you hurt your hand! This is a real knife, so dangerous!” He said, cradling Chloe gently in his arms, not even sparing me a glance. Meanwhile, I lay on the floor, gasping for air, and he actually chuckled a few times. “Skylar, you always said this doll was you, right?” “If Chloe rips this doll to shreds, will you just… die along with it?” They were both completely insane, each more twisted than the other. Listening to them laugh together, I clenched my teeth, crawling inch by inch toward the door. There was still time before my last death. I refused to believe I couldn’t find a way to break free! By the time I reached the office, it was already four in the afternoon. Brenda saw me and immediately rushed over, grabbing my hand. “Skylar! Your proposal was amazing! The client signed on the spot and specifically requested you to lead the project!” “Everyone saw your hard work these past few days. The boss even said you’re getting a promotion and a raise this time!” Hearing that it had worked out, I finally let out a sigh of relief. Actually, ever since the day I’d been reborn, I’d started planning my escape. While I was testing Chloe, trying to figure out what the empathic link was all about, I also pushed the project forward. Sure enough, Chloe’s attention was diverted, and the project landed smoothly. As soon as I followed Brenda into the office, confetti burst from the ceiling. “Congratulations, Skylar, for landing the big deal!” “Congratulations, Skylar—” But before my colleagues could finish their congratulations, someone stared at the hem of my skirt and gasped. “Skylar, why is your skirt wet? Where did you get water on it?” My heart tightened. I looked down, and my skirt was already drenched. Immediately, that familiar cold, damp sensation spread through my entire body. I didn’t have time to explain. I grabbed my bag and rushed into the restroom. I remembered clearly: soon, Chloe would pretend to give the doll a bath and press it underwater. That feeling of suffocation had once made me completely lose control in front of a client, leaving me frozen and humiliated. Back then, my colleagues thought something was wrong with me and sent me to the hospital, but tests showed nothing. Sure enough, just as I closed the stall door, The sensation of drowning washed over me like a tide. I felt like a leaf floating in water, clutching the doorknob tightly. As if that was the only way to hold onto a shred of support. It was as if I truly became that doll; icy water poured into my mouth and nose, stinging my throat like needles. My lungs felt like they were being squeezed by a powerful hand, constantly compressed, on the verge of being crushed to dust. Just as consciousness began to fade, the doll was finally pulled out of the water. I gasped for air, coming back to life. Still breathing heavily, my phone suddenly rang. It was Chloe calling. I hung up immediately, but my head felt like it was violently pushed underwater. The suffocating sensation returned, then vanished just as quickly. The phone rang again. My eyes red, I stared at the flashing name on the screen, finally hitting answer. “Sister-in-law~” Her voice was sinister, as if coming from underground. “Did your project this afternoon… go through?”
She was convinced I’d completely humiliated myself this time. Just looking at the phone screen, I could feel her barely contained glee. I pretended to fall for it, playing along with Chloe’s words. “Are you really that hateful towards me? What do you gain by making such a mess?” “If I sign this big contract, I’ll have money to help with your illness. Wouldn’t that be better?” She let out a cold laugh, her tone chilling. “Why are you so much like me? And you stole my favorite brother… as long as you…” Perhaps she was too triumphant; her words slipped out too far. Realizing she’d let something crucial go, she immediately slammed the doll into water on the other end of the line. “If you don’t lose all your reputation, how can you be worthy of all the suffering I’ve endured over the years?” The splashing of water was the last sound I heard. Then, it was as if someone had choked me, my breath cut off, and I plunged into darkness. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by my colleagues. Facing their worried gazes, I swallowed hard, struggling to say, “I’m fine, just too tired.” The doctor standing nearby nodded. “All the tests are normal. She probably just passed out from exhaustion.” Well, what else could I say? I couldn’t exactly tell them I drowned with a doll and actually felt myself die, could I? After my colleagues left, I lay in bed, lost in thought. Just then, Blake’s call came in. The moment I answered, he unleashed a torrent of shouts. “Skylar! Where are you? Get over here right now!” “Chloe told me everything! You provoked her, that’s why her condition worsened!” “I must have been blind! You’re actually this kind of person! Just wait, I’m going to let everyone know how hypocritical you are!” I didn’t even get a word in before he hung up. Minutes later, a colleague forwarded me a post. The title was suggestive, the content insinuating, asking in every line what kind of scandalous things I’d been up to. Even my manager called, advising me to put my current project aside and get some rest. I took a few deep breaths, my fingers trembling as I clicked on the post. Sure enough, it was Blake, posted anonymously. In his words, I became a cunning, deeply manipulative, and jealous character. Even the collaborative project I’d fought tooth and nail to secure was twisted into something I’d achieved through illicit means. Being stabbed in the back by the person I trusted most—that pain cut deeper than any knife. All the grievances from both my past and present lives welled up, and for the first time, I felt utterly useless. Tears streamed down my face, soaking my pillow. In that moment, I genuinely considered just ending it all. Anything was better than being played with like a toy by Chloe. I fumbled for the razor blade hidden under my pillow, about to act. Suddenly, my mind jolted, like being struck by lightning. I understood! Everything became clear! How Chloe had made me and her doll share sensations! I violently threw the razor blade into the trash, vowing never again to waste another second on such despicable people. I immediately called a car to a certain place. When I emerged, a cold smile played on my lips. Chloe, so this was it. I could distinctly feel the strange connection had been severed. I felt like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted, completely refreshed. Just then, Blake’s FaceTime call popped up. I let it ring, ignoring it. Only when enough time had passed did I unhurriedly tap to answer. “What do you want?” “Skylar!” He roared as if he would explode. “What did you do?! Chloe suddenly started spitting blood!”
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