Chapter 3

Cora POV

My vision was blurry as I managed to open my eyes. I opened them to find myself in a hospital room, and I was taken aback. I closed my eyes again, wondering if it was all just a dream, because I distinctly remembered taking my last breath in that room. Did someone manage to save me? That was the question swirling in my mind.

As I opened fully my eyes, a nurse was standing over me, checking my vitals. “You’re awake!” she exclaimed, immediately alerting the others. “What’s going on?” I managed to ask, but she rushed out of the room without answering my question.

I struggled to sit up in bed, my mind foggy and disoriented. The sterile scent of the hospital room hit me as I looked around, trying to piece together what had happened, but everything was a blur.

“Where’s my phone?” I muttered, glancing around until I spotted it lying on the stood beside the bed.. I picked it up, my hands trembling slightly, and powered it on.

My eyes widened as I read the screen.

12:00 a.m., April 25th, 2025.

“What?” I whispered, my heart racing.

How is that even possible?

Wasn't it July 25th when I took my last breath?

Before I could think further, the doctor and nurse returned to the room. “You’re awake, that’s great news,” the doctor said, beginning to run some tests on me.

Memories came flooding back as I lay in the hospital bed. I recalled a similar incident given me a sense of deja Vu, everything was becoming clear and clear, I had fainted and spent two days in bed, just three months before discovering I was pregnant.

“How long have I spent here?” I asked urgently, trying to piece together what had happened. “Two, three, four, five hours?” I demanded, seeking clues.

“You’ve been here for 48 hours,” the doctor replied, and I took a deep breath as the truth began to sink in. It was becoming clearer now – maybe I had been given a second chance at life, one that I had desperately wanted, to escape the people who had hurt me.

“You’re fine now, ma,” the doctor said with a smile. “I’m happy nothing serious happened to you.” I nodded, and the doctor and nurse promptly left the room.

I knew Aston and Sloane would arrive soon, and I decided to count down to four to confirm my suspicions. “One, two, three, four,” I whispered to myself, and right on cue, they both walked into the room together.

“Hey, sis, I’m so happy you’re awake,” Sloane said, rushing to my bedside with a fake smile plastered on her face. I couldn’t believe she was pretending to care – she had never liked me before, and now she was putting on a show.

Aston chimed in, “You scared the life out of me, thanks to Sloane who told me to be strong.” I chuckled to myself, thinking, “What a joke.” They were both pretending to be concerned, but I knew the truth – they didn’t care about me.

I decided to keep my cool and play along, knowing I couldn’t reveal my secret – that I had been reborn and remembered everything. I spotted a lipstick stain on Aston’s cheek and leaned in closer to investigate. “What’s that on your lips? Isn’t that a woman’s lipstick?” I demanded, my voice firm.

Sloane’s face turned pale, and Aston jumped out of bed, checking his reflection in the mirror. “Gosh!” he exclaimed, his eyes filled with disdain, his mouth curled into a smirk.

“Are you cheating on me with another woman?” I demanded, maintaining my composure. Aston quickly turned back to me, his expression pretentious.

“Why would I do that?” Aston protested, trying to defend his cheating behavior. “This lipstick isn’t even intentional.” He sounded unconvincing, and I knew his true nature had already been revealed.

“What do you mean it wasn’t intentional?” I pressed, waiting for his excuse. “Did it happen unaware?”

Aston hesitated before speaking. “It was my secretary… she wanted to slip, and I helped her up. I didn’t know her lipstick was on my cheek.” I laughed inwardly at the absurdity of his excuse. In my previous life, I would have been convinced by such a weak explanation, but now I saw it for what it was – a blatant lie. The lipstick was clearly Sloane’s, my own sister. I realized I must have been incredibly naïve and dense in my past life to have believed such obvious deceptions..

The next day, as Aston returned from work, I intercepted him in the living room doorway, blocking his path. “Hey Aston,” I called out, my voice firm.

“What?” he demanded, looking at me with a mix of annoyance and curiosity.

“I have something to tell you,” I said, handing him a paper. He glanced at me warily before opening it, feigning ignorance.

“What’s this?” he asked, as if he couldn’t see the obvious contents.

“Can’t you read anymore?” I replied, my tone firm but controlled. “These are divorce papers. I’ve already signed them. I’ve packed my bags and I’m leaving. I was waiting for you to come home so you could sign them too.”

Aston smirked, his expression revealing he wasn’t sad about the divorce, but rather angry that I had taken the initiative to end the marriage. “Are you serving me divorce papers? I mean, why the divorce papers?” he demanded, his voice laced with indignation and pride.

“Yes, I’m done with this marriage,” I declared, and Aston scoffed in response.

“And you think you’re the right person to serve me this?” he demanded, his pride wounded.

“Can you just sign them? I don’t have time for this chit-chat!” I shouted, frustrated that he wasn’t willing to let his pride go.

“I won’t sign them,” he retorted, dialing my parents’ number. “In fact, I’m calling your parents right away.”

After making the call, he turned to me and said, “Your parents want to see you immediately.”

I scoffed, unfazed. “It doesn’t matter what they have to say. Can you just sign the divorce papers, or I’ll take legal action?” I shouted at the top of my voice, my patience exhausted..

“How dare you shout at me!” Aston exclaimed, his face red with anger, as he tried to attack me.

But a sudden surge of adrenaline and determination took over me, and I pushed him back with unexpected force, sending him tumbling to the floor, his hand straining as he tried to break his fall.

“If you want peace, then sign these divorce papers,” I said, my voice firm and commanding. “I’ll be back tomorrow to collect them.”

With that, I turned and walked out of the house, knowing I had to get out of there before Aston’s anger boiled over into something more sinister. I couldn’t let him hurt me again. I was taking control of my life, and I wouldn’t back down.