chapter 2
He smirked, smugness oozing. "So desperate to lock me down, huh?"
He rubbed Chery's earlobe, comforting her, then turned to me with mocking indifference. "Fine, name the date. When do you want the wedding? Since you're so hell-bent on marrying me, I'll..."
I cut him off, calm as a still lake. "Let's break up."
His head snapped up, his eyes blazing with shock and fury. "You're dumping me?"
Ignoring Luna's gleeful expression, I met his glare evenly. "Yep."
"What's this, another one of your games?" he scoffed, unconvinced. "Everyone knows you've been glued to me since high school, like a stray dog I can't shake. You finally get a shot at a ring, and now you're bailing? Stop kidding yourself. You're still wearing my ring."
He pointed at my hand, triumphant, as if he'd caught me in a lie.
I glanced at the silver band. "Whoops, forgot. Thanks for the reminder."
I slid it off and, with a flick, sent it sailing off the rooftop.
The ring was a birthday gift from our college days, bought with his first scholarship check, engraved with our initials.
Once, after a car accident left me unconscious, I'd clung to it like a lifeline.
Julian knew it meant everything to me, but not anymore.
His brows knitted into a scowl, but he still didn't buy it. "I don't care what stunt you're pulling. Apologize now, and I'll pretend this never happened. You want to be Mrs. Vance? It's yours."
"I wish we both got what we deserve." I smiled faintly, turning to leave.
Behind me, Luna's voice piped up. "You're not going after her?"
Julian's cold laugh followed. "Nah, she'll come crawling back. A woman who'd scheme to carry my kid? No way she's walking away for real."
...
Julian was right about one thing. I was indeed pregnant.
It happened after a fight with Luna. He was drunk, mistaking me for Luna, and we had a crazy night.
Weeks later, I found out about my pregnancy.
He knew it, too.
In my last life, I leveraged that debt of saving his life to force a proposal.
We got married, but Luna's suicide plunged him into a vengeful spiral. He stuffed me with food and supplements until my belly swelled unnaturally.
When labor came, he refused to take me to a hospital.
The baby was too big. I was torn apart, screaming. My vision went red with pain. I tried to push but could not.
Blood pooled beneath me, and my child suffocated. I bled out, dying in torment.
Back home from the hospital, I rested a hand on my still-flat stomach, feeling the faint flutter of life. It was time to end this cycle.
I crashed hard, sleeping four hours straight. When I woke up, a text from Julian was waiting.
[My mom is sick. Come to the house.]
Julian was a moron, but his mom, Eleanor Vance, had always treated me like her own.
Our parents were friends. Mine died young, and his parents took me in.
Their care for me was real.
But that text? It wasn't Julian's style. He never used punctuation.
This had to be Luna, meddling with his phone and setting a trap, but I went anyway.
At the Vance Mansion, the door swung open, and a bucket of ice-cold water doused me from head to toe.
The chill pierced my bones, a sharp cramp seizing my abdomen.
Laughter erupted from inside.
Blinking water from my eyes, I saw a crowd of young men and women, their gazes mocking.
In the center stood Luna, smug as ever. "Make her kneel."
A heavy boot slammed into my back, forcing me to the floor.
Luna sneered, clutching a bottle of liquor. "You know Julian can't stand you, you pathetic leech. Sneaking a baby to trap him? Today, you'll regret ever carrying his kid."
She thrust the bottle at me, expecting fear, but I didn't even bat an eyelid.
When she poured the fiery whiskey down my throat, I didn't struggle.
I didn't want Julian or his child.
I drained the bottle, wiped my mouth, and looked at her. "Got more?"
Luna spat, "You're insane."
She grabbed a glowing-hot curling iron, its tip red with heat, and lunged toward my eyes.
A scream cut through. "Blood. She is bleeding everywhere."
Agony ripped through my core, my face paling to ash.
Luna froze, then smirked, her cruelty reignited. Dropping the iron, she stomped hard on my belly before anyone could react.
Blood gushed, and I blacked out without a scream.
...