Chapter 9
692words
"Five, four, three, two, one… Time's up!" Arthur yelled. "There goes your chance. Come on, Syd. Let's go to the cops."
I stopped them. "Hold on!"
Arthur turned to me angrily. "What tricks are you trying to pull this time?"
Oh, nothing much. I just wanted him to get to know the father of his grandchild. The guys with whom we had dinner that night, as well as the ones who shared a room with Sydney, stood in a line.
Their pale complexions from consistent all-nighters made them look malnourished.
"Take a good look," I said. "Pick whichever one you like. He'll be the father of the baby."
Sydney completely lost it. She screamed and rushed toward me. "Are you trying to kill me, Chloe?"
How about the fact that she actually killed me in my previous life? Not to mention, in this one, she tried to drag Dad down with her. It didn't make sense that she was the only one allowed to ruin others' lives.
I shot Sydney a look of unmasked contempt, then turned back to stare at Arthur. "Go on. Pick your poison."
He glared at me, eyes wide. "What do you mean?"
It appeared Sydney never told him about her exciting private life. Fine, I would do him the favor. I laid it out, one sentence at a time. With every word I said, they lowered their heads a little more.
"I didn't know she had it in her."
"If she were my daughter, I'd have kicked her out long ago."
The chatter around us only amplified. Sydney got so mad that she lunged at them, scratching and screaming. "Shut your damn mouth, you nosy bitches!"
They weren't having any of it. One shove sent her flying back.
"Enough! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?" Arthur boomed, dragging her with him. "Come on, we're going home. I'll find someone to marry you."
Knowing her father would do what he said, Sydney immediately panicked. "Dad, I beg you! I won't go back! I promise you I'll study hard and repay you in the future!"
He wasn't listening at all. All he saw was his pride being trampled in front of so many people. No matter how much she resisted, he dragged her away.
Just before they disappeared, Sydney screamed, "This isn't the end, Chloe!"
Try again next life, Sydney.
…
"Congratulations, Felicia."
Sitting before me was no longer the sad, miserable Mrs. Walmsley from before. Instead, she was now the bright and confident woman she deserved to be.
"Tell me, how exactly did you make him leave with nothing?" I asked curiously.
She raised her glass proudly. "Just a little trick. That fool really thought I could look past every mistake he made. The truth is, I've stopped loving him a long time ago."
Terrific. I didn't expect anything less from an amazing woman like her.
"How are you doing, though? After everything…" I mumbled, failing to say the rest.
Felicia took it far better than I expected. "I only wanted a child back then to keep him tied to me. Now that he's gone, it doesn't matter anymore. At least I'm well and alive. I've got plenty of time ahead of me to enjoy life."
Honestly, at that moment, I admired her from the bottom of my heart.
"By the way, I've always wanted to know why you hate Sydney so much," she said. "Did she ever hurt you badly?"
As I listened to Felicia, it felt like my parents' screams from my previous life were ringing in my ears again. They pushed me away over and over, trying to save me, but the raging fire gave none of us a chance.
"Chloe, are you okay?"
Her words pulled me back. At some point, my eyes had already filled with tears. I wiped them away and lifted my glass. "To peaceful days ahead, for both of us."
From that day on, I finally allowed myself to enjoy all the beauty and happiness this world had to offer. As for Sydney, she could rot in the life she made for herself, stuck in a never-ending quicksand.
