The Death He Never Died

I let out a mocking laugh and settled back into my seat.

'Thinking of eating? Enjoy your final feast,' I mused bitterly.

I took a seat beside Brandon. Not long after, Aria approached with a cup of water in hand and a smile plastered on her face.

"Noelle, I was wrong about you. You must be worn out. Here, have some water," she offered.

I dismissed her with a wave. "Save it, Mom. You go get some rest. I'll be the one sitting by my husband for the next three days, and I don't need any help."

Aria's face turned stormy, and she snapped, "That's not going to work. Wouldn't that lead to starvation?"

Had I not known she was fretting over Brandon, I might have mistaken her for a caring mother-in-law.

"Thanks for the concern, but if I get hungry, I'll just grab a bite to eat," I assured her.

Aria gritted her teeth, barely holding back her anger. "At least drink some water."

When she tried to force the water on me, I took the cup and pretended to sip.

Satisfied, Aria finally left.

That night, I feigned sleep beside the coffin, only to be stirred by the sound of footsteps.

"That woman is driving me mad, making my son go a whole day without food," grumbled Aria.

Melissa then said, "Let's get Brandon something to eat. He's got to be famished."

I felt Melissa draw near, gently tapping Brandon's cheek. "Brandon, it's me. Are you awake?"

Brandon's voice broke the silence, "When I came to, the drugs should've knocked me out for hours. The moment I opened my eyes, Noelle was right by my side. Man, it gave me quite the jolt.

"And how is she still standing? With her heart condition and all those extra shifts she's pulled this month, she should've been a wreck seeing me 'dead'."

Aria chuckled mockingly. "That woman doesn't care about you. If she did, she wouldn't have just stood there without batting an eyelash."

I smirked at their words. In my previous life, Oswin had actually gotten sick from their little game and ended up dying of pure rage.

However, this time around, I was given a second shot at life. I would never fall for the same tricks again.

"Son, it's time to eat. I'll figure out a plan to get you two divorced. That way, she won't see a dime of that lottery money."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. I'm so hungry that I could die."

At that moment, I feigned a groggy awakening. "Who's there? Who's talking?"

Brandon had no choice but to play dead again, while Melissa and Aria quickly hid the food and stood back.

"You've dozed off, Noelle. Maybe you should head to bed?"

I glanced at them and shook my head. "No way, I'm staying right here with my husband."

Their faces darkened with anger, but they bit their tongues, wary of messing up their scheme.

That night, I had tied a rope between Brandon's wrist and mine. Any move he made, I would be awake in an instant.

Come morning, Melissa and Aria's glares could have set me ablaze. I mean, I had kept Aria's son hungry for a full day and night. It only made sense they were fuming.

The next day, Aria tried her old trick again, offering me a cup laced with a sleeping draught.

I played along, pretending to drink, and acted as if I had drifted off.

As night fell, Aria and Melissa crept in, up to no good.

Brandon shot up in bed, thinking that if even someone in a coma had to shift positions periodically, he certainly should too.

I jerked my head up, staring at him, my eyes wide with disbelief.

"Honey, I thought you were gone! How are you sitting up?"