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Sophie’s mother arrived—a stereotypical rural woman with a rust-colored headscarf,her face hard and unyielding.
She slapped Sophie hard,spitting on the ground,unleashing a torrent of curses.
“You little troublemaker,claiming you’re in college,and now you’re causing trouble at the police station!”
“If it weren’t for your brother,do you think I’d have kept you?”
“Shameless,fooling around with guys in basements!”
She slapped Sophie again,leaving two symmetrical red marks.
“You’ve lost all dignity!Forget school—go home and marry the butcher!”
“No arguments!”
An officer,alarmed by her intensity,intervened.
“Hey,no hitting!Ma’am,it’s not what it seems.Sophie was kidnapped—a victim.”
But her mother’s eyes gleamed,undeterred,yanking Sophie’s earlobe.
“Don’t bother,officer.I know my daughter.”
“She’s always been vile and scheming.”
“Why’d that man kidnap her and not someone else?Look at her own faults.”
Her so-called parenting“wisdom”stunned everyone.
In the end,family matters were outside the police’s jurisdiction.
Sophie,after giving her statement,was dragged away by her mother.
Our advisor said she’d withdrawn from school.
It wasn’t necessary—her grades this semester guaranteed her expulsion anyway.
But during the withdrawal,they caused a scene,giving gossipers a field day.
Sophie had promised to study,graduate,and earn money to support her brother’s marriage and household.
Now,her mother planned to marry her off in exchange for whatever dowry she could get.
But in the internet age,news spread fast.Sophie’s online lies about me hadn’t faded,and no man—not even a 40-year-old widower—wanted her,let alone paid a dowry for her.
Her mother’s plans crumbled.She beat Sophie at school,ignoring their bond.
Eventually,she found a reclusive hunter in the mountains to take her in.
The saga came to an end.Claire and I found peace.
She shuddered.
“Emma,good thing you didn’t take those flowers out of pity.You could’ve been the one kidnapped.”
My nose stung,the weight in my chest lifted.
In my past life,I was part of that pile of bones.
“Yeah,it’s over.”
Was it?
Not quite.
Ryan’s evidence wasn’t enough for a harsh sentence,but I knew his secrets from the tormentmy in my past life.
I helped the police dig deeper into the cage.
Two months later,Ryan was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possiblity of parole.
Before his transfer,I visited him.
His snake-like eyes,cold and familiar,unnerved me.
He let out a soft chuckle.
“See you,my rose.”
The nickname startled me—only past-life Ryan called me that.
Was he reborn as well?
Panic surged through me,memories of being flayed vivid.
But…
I looked at the bulletproof glass between us and smiled.
Whether he was reborn or not,what could he do?
He’d die in there.
Relieved,I said sincerely,“Hope you die happily~”
Back at school,Claire told me Sophie had taken her own life the day Ryan was sentenced.
At the hunter’s home,she’d hanged herself,leaving a note.
[Ryan.]
[I love you.]
[We’re doomed in this life.I hope to meet you sooner next time.]
I let out a cold laugh.
Sophie died unaware of Ryan’s true nature.
Maybe she was trapped in their fleeting so-called romance,unable to escape.
Even knowing the truth,she refused to accept it and choe death.
I sighed briefly,then let it go.
Nearing graduation,I began learning the ins and outs of our family business.
A rebirth was a rare gift—if I didn’t seize it,I’d be the fool.
A bright future awaited me.
