Turn Around and Start Anew

"Get in the kitchen and cook. Don't be an eyesore here," Jake sulked.

To get my bracelet, I swallowed my pain and started cooking.

Dinner was barely done when a scream came from the living room. I rushed out and found Sarah sitting on the floor. Beside her was a shattered vase.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," she whimpered.

Jake came out of the bathroom and scooped her up. Turning to me, he snapped, "What is wrong with you? Sarah is weak, and you let her place a vase?"

Before I could explain, Sarah sniffled, "It was my fault. Don't blame her."

Jake's face darkened. "She doesn't deserve your kindness. She's just a cheating nobody. Probably knocked up by some random guy. You're too nice, and she's taking advantage."

His words hit like a punch. I thought he'd loved me once. Turned out, he always saw me as trash.

Turning away, he carried Sarah to the bed and made me pick up the glass shards by hand. He even banned me from eating.

My hands trembled as I bandaged them.

Then the kids spiked their fever. Their faces were flushed, and they wailed nonstop. I grabbed medicine and wet towels to cool them down, barely able to get a breath.

Sarah watched me, crying fake tears. When Jake came to her, she threw herself into his arms.

"I failed the kids," she sobbed.

He slapped me. "You couldn't save your kid, so you hurt Sarah's? You're insane!"

My face stung, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I bit my lip and said, "I lost my child because you insisted on divorcing me. You're the cruel one."

"Enough!" he snapped. "Divorce or not, you're hurting people now."

He was right about one thing. In my past life, even without a divorce, he killed our newborn. He threw us into the sea for sharks to tear apart.

The kids' cries grew louder, but Jake kept berating me.

To calm things, I focused on getting their fever down. After hours, their temperatures finally dropped.

But Jake wasn't done. "You're sleeping on the living room floor from now on. Screw up again, and you'll regret it."

He stormed off with Sarah, leaving me alone. I grabbed two old blankets from the storage room and collapsed on the floor.

Soon, their flirty giggles echoed from the bedroom, each sound like a knife in my chest.

Pain and hatred overwhelmed me. I passed out in tears.

...

The next morning, I woke up aching, weaker than ever.

Jake took Sarah out, laughing. Neither of them paid me any attention.

After breakfast, Jake left for work.

In the afternoon, I got the kids to nap and was about to rest when the doorbell rang.

I opened the door and saw a group of sketchy guys. Their expressions screamed trouble.