Chapter 2

Samuel turned back and said, "Sorry, Julia, I've been swamped lately and totally spaced. How about I pick up a bag for you? Or maybe that new necklace from Susan?"

I'd already rolled over and buried my head under the covers.

"Fine, I'll video call you when I get there," he said before shutting the door behind him.

After going through this three times, I thought I'd be numb by now.

But the corners of my eyes still grew damp.

Just then, Vera's profile picture lit up with a voice message. [Julia, I heard you lost the baby.]

[I should come see you. But Samuel heard Harris, my absolute favorite, is having an exhibition in Milanis, and he insisted on taking me.]

Her voice was so phony it made me want to gag.

I couldn't be bothered to listen anymore. I converted it to text, saved a screenshot, and forwarded it to Samuel.

He couldn't wait and video called me in the middle of the night. "Julia, I'm in Milanis. Why isn't your camera on? Are you mad at me?

"Just ignore Vera messing around. I'm here for work. Seriously, it's just my secretary and me. See for yourself."

As if nothing had happened, he put on a gentle voice and lifted his phone to show me around.

But two shadows, clearly two people, briefly crossed the floor in the shot.

Suddenly, it hit me: that night when the first loop ended.

While every house was lit up and full of family, I was all alone, got sick out of nowhere, and fell down the stairs.

I was freezing and hurting, all I wanted was to hear Samuel's voice one more time.

No matter how many times I called, he wouldn't pick up.

In the end, Vera "graciously" tossed me a photo, like she was doing me a favor.

There they were, shoulder to shoulder, making wishes together under a sky full of fireworks, looking all close and sincere.

A voice message came in from Vera. [Samuel said he'll spend every year with me. So what are you going to do, Julia?]

The laughter and cheers behind her were so lively, it only made the chill of my loneliness feel sharper.

I never heard the Christmas Day's countdown. In the vast dark, I simply closed my eyes.

"We're done. Don't call me anymore," I said, my voice shaking.

That night, I blocked everyone tied to Samuel and left the hospital for good.

To my surprise, I ran into my brother James Stone right at the elevator.

He said, "How did you end up in the hospital? If Samuel hadn't told me, I wouldn't have even known—"

Seeing his face after so long, I instinctively rushed over and hugged him tight.

James paused for a moment, then his tone softened. "Did you two have a fight? Samuel said he couldn't get ahold of you and was really worried.

"Just call him back. You have been together forever and are about to get married. You can always talk things out."

I froze for a second.

To save Samuel's reputation and keep my family from worrying, I never talked trash about him.

So everyone figured he was good to me.

After all, he had made a point of celebrating every one of her birthdays for 20 years, and he had never repeated himself once.

The wedding he was putting together for us was so romantic, even rom-coms would copy it.

No matter how much I threw a fit, yelled, or even went crazy and hit him, he always stayed gentle and soothed me. "You're a mom now. You really need to work on your temper."

By the time I tried to reach out for help, no one believed me.

Even my parents took his side and tried to talk me into staying. "You're not perfect either, so why are you always so tough on Samuel? Can't you just ease up a little?"

I tried to get away but was pushed back, and all those voices siding with him just suffocated me.

Sinking in a sea of despair, I sobbed as I begged him, "Samuel, I'm done fighting. Do whatever you want with Vera. Please, for the sake of all the years we grew up together, let me go."

But he just patted my head, like I was just his pet cat. "Looks like my Julia is worn out. Come on, take your meds and get some sleep."

The sound of the door locking behind me felt like a curse sealing my fate.

Driven by despair and hatred, I finally cut my wrists.

On my deathbed, Vera played with the son I had nearly died to bring into the world and listened as he called her mom.

I reached out desperately, but all I could grab were syringes and pill bottles scattered across the floor.

"James, Vera didn't go overseas just to study art," I said.

This time, I spilled everything, every dirty trick Vera and Samuel pulled over the years.

James hissed, "What the hell are those bastards doing, playing out some twisted sibling fantasy? In Harbor City, without the Stones, the Quinns don't mean a damn thing.

"She's got a brother, and so do you. Let's see who dares lay a finger on my little sister."

With that, he took my hand and led me away.

His hand was warm and steady, and my eyes burned with tears.

James always believed in me and stood by me, no matter what.

In the first three loops, he was always away leading his team at the border, never around when I needed him.

This time, with him here, I knew I wouldn't be left to fight alone.

With a peace I'd never felt before, I actually slept through the night.

But when morning came and I opened my eyes, I was startled to find Samuel sitting next to my bed.

From the hallway outside, the sound of Vera and my parents laughing together echoed.