Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 “Forget about it, Irene, I’ll make you regret the day you married me.” Neil went back to his cold demeanor, as if he could see right through my intentions. “You want to live separate lives? So be it.” I was taken aback. Was he willing to accept me cheating, just to make me regret marrying him? I never thought being forced to marry me would be such a burden on him, that he’d go to such extremes for revenge.- Just as I was struggling to understand this, Neil abruptly grabbed me, pulling me close against his body. He licked his lips, eyes hazy. “Want me to satisfy you first?” “No!” I pushed Neil away immediately. If we were destined to part ways, there was no need for unnecessary contact. Neil squinted, his gaze sharp. He was a smart man, he must have noticed my odd behavior these past few days. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Are you Irene’s twin sister? Huh?” How could a woman who’d loved him for ten years suddenly act so out of character? I managed an awkward smile. “Guess.” “Irene, our marriage is not simple. If it ends, it will involve a lot of interests. I don’t have time to play out some love-hate drama with you. If you can’t resist the loneliness and want to have some fun…” He didn’t answer my question but leaned in close to my ear. “Remember to use a condom. I’m not going to raise your illegitimate child.” I was someone who’d already experienced death, and I should’ve been calm. But for some reason, I slapped Neil, hard. My palm was stinging. Neil’s cheek bore the red mark of my hand. He turned his head, his perfect jawline outlining his handsome profile. Even after being slapped, he still looked so handsome. He slowly turned his head back towards me, his eyes dark and terrifying, as if he was going to kill me the next second. My hand was trembling, not from fear, but because the slap had reopened my wound and my hand was bleeding. Neil glanced at my hand, then turned and left, leaving me with his cold back. I watched as the blood dripped from the bandage, and it felt good, better than bleeding inside during my past life.

After that slap, Neil disappeared again. His name was all over the tabloids, appearing in nightclubs, in the office, but he never came home. I was counting the days, just half a month till the day Neil and Bonnie met. During this time, I would occasionally bump into Bonnie, order a black coffee, and quietly watch her work. Her every smile and frown were deeply etched into my eyes. If I were a man, I would like her too. “Bonnie, your boyfriend is here!” A coworker alerted Bonnie. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Yes, I remember she had a boyfriend, but the poor guy was no match for Neil. Even if he was deeply in love with Bonnie, he couldn’t stand a chance against the power and status that Neil wielded, and he became a joke to fate. The café door was pushed open, and a young man wearing a white T-shirt and light blue jeans walked in. He was wearing a white baseball cap, holding a box of Takoyaki, looking clean and refreshing. I was stunned. Was he that college student? “Oscar, what are you doing here?” Bonnie was as happy as a hamster, welcoming her food-bringing master. “I was handing out flyers nearby, so I thought I’d come and see you. Brought you some Takoyaki.” The college boy smiled, his eyes crinkled up like Bonnie’s, like crescents. They looked like a sweet couple, yet they would be forcibly torn apart by Neil. Bonnie looked both delighted and worried. “Just coming to see me is enough. You’re working so hard handing out flyers, don’t waste money buying me food.” “I work hard to earn money so I can buy snacks for my adorable girlfriend.” The college boy was good at sweet talking. I thought about it, Neil never bought me snacks. I didn’t really like snacks either. The college boy didn’t stay in the café for long because Bonnie was still working. I sat in the corner with my head down, afraid that he would look at me one more time in the crowd and recognize me as the woman who tried to seduce him in the nightclub not so long ago. As soon as the college boy left, I quickly paid the bill and left too.

“Madam.” Bailey always addressed me this way. “Home.” I was exhausted, the people and things in my life were becoming increasingly complex. I rubbed my temples. My brain cells didn’t seem to be enough. Not long after the car started, I spoke again, “Bailey, let me I just wanted to drive. I gripped the steering wheel, focusing on the road ahead. When I saw the college boy waiting at the traffic light ahead, I seized the opportunity, stepped on the gas, and charged ahead, successfully knocking him down. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” I hurriedly got out of the car to help him up, only to see his leg bleeding profusely, severely injured. “Ma’am?” The college boy called out to me in surprise, gritting his teeth against the I told Bailey, “Quick, take him to the hospital.” The boy’s name was Oscar, a 21-year-old college student. I sat on the hospital bench, looking at Oscar’s contact number that I had just saved my phone, feeling somewhat desolate. In the end, I was too petty. The only revenge I could think of was an eye for an eye. Since Bonnie could take my husband, why couldn’t I take her boyfriend? Although she was forced into it, she later accepted Neil, when he was completely crazy. If Bonnie had never accepted him, he might have been more rational, considering The q The hospital was bustling. I was in the late stages of breast cancer with lymphatic women who often got angry and repressed were likely to get breast cancer. possibility of getting any return for his efforts. past life and spent my last days in the hospital. Doctors said that I covered all of Oscar’s medical expenses, and generously compensated him for his part-time anymore. onal fees a

lost wages. Because of his hospitalization, he couldn’t work Truth be told, I was a real gabber. In just half a day, I pretty much knew Oscar’s life story. He was fro work, and he’d got a sister who was already hitched. an average farming family, both parents were involved in agricultural No wonder Neil managed to snag his girlfriend. “You take care of yourself. I’ll pop in every now and then,” I said as I was leaving, playing the big sister role with a kind smile on my face. 1/2 17:54 Chapter 4 ‘No worries, ma’am, I’m still young and in good shape, I’ll bounce back quickly,” Oscar said, showing off his pearly whites, his answer so innocent. Did he just flirt with me by saying he was young and in good shape? I mean, I was not exactly over the hill myself. I was only 27, not 72. But due to five years of a suffocating marriage and my chronic habit of ski pping meals, I felt like I was aging both men tally and physically. I gave a little nod. On my way home, I swung by the drugstore and picked up some supplements.