The night my in-laws were kidnapped, my husband was getting ready to go camping with his first love.
I didn't stop him at all—I just called the cops right away.
Last time, in my last life, I had stopped my husband from leaving, and he stayed to help rescue his parents. But because of that, he wasn't there to protect his ex. She ended up getting attacked and killed by wolves in the mountains. It was brutal.
Since then, he never spoke to me again. Not until I was pregnant and close to giving birth. That's when he dragged me to the mountains.
"If it weren't for you, Debbie wouldn't have died!" he shouted. "How can you even live after what happened, Denise? I want to see you suffer the same pain she went through!"
That night, beasts tore my body apart, taking my life with my baby.
But then I woke up. I was back on the day my in-laws were kidnapped.
This time, my husband didn't join the rescue. He went after his first love instead. But when he came back, he was never the same again.
——
The memory of my death jolted me awake, screaming. My whole body was drenched in sweat, and I could still feel the pain of my flesh being torn apart. My hands instinctively went to my stomach. It was flat now. I listened to my heartbeat, and tears poured down my face, unstoppable.
I reached for my phone, fumbling to check the time.
I was alive again.
I was back to the day my in-laws were taken.
Soon, the kidnapper would call, demanding five million dollars in half an hour—or they'd kill my in-laws.
My husband and I grew up together. Our parents arranged our marriage when we were kids—basically a "baby date" that everyone expected would turn into marriage someday.
Whether it was a family arrangement or my feelings, I was meant to be his wife.
I knew he had an ex-girlfriend, but his parents disapproved of her.
Before the wedding, I'd even asked him. "Are you marrying me because you love me? Is this what you want?"
He said yes.
And I entered into the wedding, believing him.
But after the wedding, he was distant. He never let go of his ex, still sneaking around with her. I acted like I didn't catch him. I didn't confront him.
I loved him too much to lose him or our marriage.
But because of that, I lost my life—and the baby I had carried for 10 months!
This time that I've been given another chance to live, I won't make the same mistake!
I looked up and saw Anthony—my husband—running down the stairs. Slowly, I stood up from the couch.
When our eyes met, he said, "I won't be home tonight."
I didn't say a word. I just glanced at the phone by the couch—the kidnappers' call was coming.
As soon as it rang, I quickly answered and put it on speaker.
"If you still want to see your dear Winston and Adelle alive," a rough voice began, "bring five million dollars to Hopewell Square. You have 30 minutes. Don't call the cops, or I'll kill these two old hags on the spot!"
The kidnapper's words reached Anthony's ears. He frowned slightly but then let out a scoff.
"Seriously, Denise, you think this is funny? Do you enjoy getting them to help you put on some kind of stupid show all the time?"
I stared at his face, remembering how he stood and watched when I died in my last life.
The love I had for him for more than a decade had long disappeared.
"Anthony, you heard the call. Do what you want. I won't stop you."
"Think it's an act if you want. I don't care."
"But let me make one thing clear: I'm not playing some games here with your parents."
Maybe I sounded too calm because he hesitated for a second. In the end, though, he turned around and walked out without looking back.
In my last life, when he got the call, he also thought it was just pretending.
But I knew his parents were really missing, so I tried everything I could to stop him from leaving.
That night, we searched endlessly, and eventually, we rescued his parents.
But after that, he left.
When he came back, he brought the news that his ex was dead.
