Chapter 2

Miranda froze for a second, probably not expecting me to laugh.

I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face.

I guessed fate finally decided to cut me some slack. I had a second chance to relive my life.

When I stayed silent, Miranda grabbed my arm. "Go repent your sin in the church! You killed my son, and you still have the nerve to stand here?"

I didn't resist. I just let her take hold of me.

My fingers quietly slipped into my coat pocket, found my phone, and, by memory, I started recording.

"Miranda," I said, lowering my eyes, my voice shaking. "Is Andrew... is he really gone?"

"How dare you ask?" Miranda screamed, her spit hitting my face. "If you hadn't begged for those stupid ravioli, would he have taken time off? Would he have gotten into that accident? You're a murderer! Our family won't forgive you!"

The red recording light was still on. That was enough.

"Andrew was the last of the Hampton family, our only hope, and you killed him!" Miranda shouted, her anger boiling over as she waved her hand toward the end of the hallway. "What are you all standing around for? Drag her out of here!"

Four big guys moved in, ready to grab me.

I recognized two of them. They were the same ones who dragged me out of Blissful Hospital in my last life. One twisted my arm, the other yanked my hair, hauling me off like I was livestock.

This time, there was no way I would let them succeed.

"Wait!" I took a step back. "I need to go to the bathroom."

Miranda scowled. "Quit stalling! You can hold it till we get to the shrine!"

"I really can't hold it," I said, squeezing my legs together and putting on my most desperate face. "Give me a minute. With all of you here, do you really think I could get away?"

She waved her hand impatiently. "Hurry up and get back! Don't try anything funny!"

I turned and walked toward the restroom, keeping my pace steady. Once inside, I bolted the stall door and, with trembling fingers, dialed 911.

The call connected after just two rings.

"Hello, I need to report a crime," I whispered hurriedly, my voice urgent. "I'm on the third floor of Blissful Hospital's inpatient wing. Someone is illegally restraining me and trying to forcibly take me away.

"My husband died here today, and my mother-in-law is trying to kidnap me and lock me up in the countryside."

The operator asked, "Ma'am, please stay calm. Can you tell me your exact location?"

I said, "I'm in the restroom on the third floor of Blissful Hospital's inpatient wing. Four or five men are guarding the door. Please hurry. They could break in any second."

The operator replied, "Okay, ma'am, we're sending officers right now. Please keep your phone on and stay safe."

I hung up, switched my phone to silent, and clutched it tightly in my hand.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later, Miranda started banging on the door.

"Cecily! Did you fall in or something? Get out here!" she yelled.

I stayed silent.

"Cecily!" The pounding got even louder. "Are you messing around in there? If you don't come out, I'll have them kick the door open!"

"Just a minute," I said, faking a weak voice. "Miranda, don't freak out. My stomach really hurts."

"Deal with it! Get out of here right now!" Miranda snapped.

I ignored her, sitting on the toilet lid with my knees hugged to my chest, counting the seconds as the watch's hand circled.

One round, two rounds, three rounds...

It went quiet for a few seconds, then I heard Miranda's voice, low and urgent. "Kick the door down."

"Miranda, this is a hospital. Should we really be doing this?" One of the guys hesitated.

"What are you scared of? If anything happens, I'll handle it! Just kick it down!" Miranda snapped.

The door shook, and the lock let out a harsh metallic screech.

Another kick. This time, the wood of the door frame cracked.

I stood up and pressed myself into the corner, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of my throat.

The door burst open on the third kick.

One of the guys shoved half his body inside and grabbed me roughly. "Get out!"

I didn't fight back, just let him haul me out.

Miranda stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, her face dark as a storm cloud. "Well, Cecily, looks like you finally learned how to scheme against me, huh?"

I said, "Miranda, I really just needed to use the bathroom."

"Don't give me that crap!" Miranda snarled, yanking my hair hard. "I was going to let you leave with a shred of dignity, but you had to make trouble for yourself! Drag her out!"

The four men grabbed my arms and dragged me toward the end of the hallway.

My shoes scraped the floor, leaving two long marks, but I couldn't help the smirk tugging at my lips.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway.

Two police officers in uniform appeared at the elevator.

"Stop right there! What's going on here?" one of them called out.

Miranda's expression changed instantly, and she let go of me without thinking.

I shook off their grip and nearly fell as I stumbled toward the cops, my voice cracking with panic and tears.

"Please, officer, help me! They're trying to kidnap me!" I begged desperately.

"Don't give me that crap!" Miranda shot back, her voice frantic. "I'm her mother-in-law. My son died today, and this curse brought disaster on him! I'm taking her home so she can think about what she did. How is that kidnapping?"

"Then why'd you bring all these men with you?" the officer said, glancing at the four muscle-bound guys. "And why did you bust down the bathroom door?"