I woke up on the day my legal guardian, Beau, became delirious from painkillers.
This time, I didn’t stay by his side. I did as he asked and called Claire.
In my previous life, I’d fallen in love with Beau—the man who raised me.
That day, he’d had an accident and taken too many painkillers, losing himself completely. Instead of calling Claire, I’d stayed with him.
A month later, I found out I was pregnant.
Beau married me for the baby.
On our wedding day, Claire was in a horrific car accident while traveling overseas.
Before she died, she called Beau one hundred and ninety-nine times, begging for help.
He didn’t answer a single one.
Later, Beau stared at those one hundred and ninety-nine missed calls in silence.
He didn't break that silence until the day I went into labor, when he locked me in the basement.
I begged him to take me to the hospital.
He just stood there, watching as our child and I died together on the cold floor.
The last thing I heard him say was, “If you hadn’t gotten pregnant, I never would have married you. I wouldn’t have missed Claire’s calls, either. You deserved this.”
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that day.
...
“Xenia, call Claire. Now.”
Hearing those words again jolted me back to reality.
I was really back.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Claire’s number without a second thought.
Beau Mercer’s face was flushed, his breathing shallow and ragged. His eyes were unfocused, lost in the haze of the drugs.
Last time, that look had been enough to make me disobey him.
It had ended in my own brutal death.
This time, I avoided his gaze and slipped out of the room.
“Just hold on, Beau. Claire will be here in ten minutes.”
The door clicked shut behind me, and I heard him murmur my name.
I didn’t answer. I just stood outside the door and waited.
Ten minutes later, Claire arrived.
Her eyes landed on me first, her expression a complicated mix of suspicion and relief.
She scanned my clothes, and only after confirming I was untouched did the tension leave her shoulders.
Before pushing the door open, she threw a sentence over her shoulder.
“You can go. You’re not needed here.”
I turned and went upstairs to my room.
It wasn't until late that night that the sounds from downstairs finally faded.
I sat on the edge of my bed, the memories of my last life replaying in my mind.
Back then, I’d been so in love with Beau that I’d stayed to take care of him myself.
A month later, I was pregnant.
He married me.
But on our wedding day, Claire died in an accident.
He lost the woman he’d always wanted to marry.
He didn’t lash out right away.
He held all that rage inside until I was about to give birth. Then he locked me in the basement.
The pain was so blinding I nearly passed out. I cried. I begged.
I told him I didn’t care if I died, as long as he saved the baby.
But he didn’t move.
He just stood there and watched me bleed out, watched our child die before it could even be born.
In this life, I did what he wanted and called Claire.
And soon, I would leave this place for good.
The next morning, Claire was at the Mercer breakfast table.
Beau took a bite of his eggs and a sip of coffee before speaking.
“Claire is my girlfriend, and I intend to marry her. You will all treat her with respect.”
His gaze landed on me, and he tapped his fork against his plate.
“Especially you. Show my future wife some respect. Don’t make trouble.”
I nodded.
The corner of Claire’s mouth twitched into a smug little smile.
I ignored her and stood to go back to my room.
I’d barely pushed my chair back when Claire’s voice, thick with crocodile tears, stopped me.
“Beau, does Xenia not want me here? I know how important she is to you. If she doesn’t like me, maybe I should just go.”
A few tears slid down her cheeks as she spoke.
Beau’s brow furrowed, his eyes snapping to me.......
