Chapter 2
Regret?
My heart seized.
A bitter memory of my sister's mangled body flashed behind my eyes, and the familiar, gut-wrenching sobs threatened to overwhelm me.
Back then, I had been convinced her death was my fault. If I hadn't been pregnant, I might have followed her into the grave.
But now, something felt wrong.
In my last life, I did exactly what Bella's silent voice told me to do, and it led to nothing but ruin.
So was she lying to me? But why? Our father was long dead. Lucy and I were all she had left. She depended on us. Why would she want to harm us?
And then there was Robert.
My gaze shifted from my mother to my husband.
Bella insisted he wanted to kill me, but he had always been so good to me.
Even if he had found someone else, he could have just asked for a divorce. I would have given it to him. Why would he want me dead?
The most chilling part was that, in my last life, when I had fled the house in a panic, he really had chased me with a knife.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, the moonlight glinting off the blade, I would never have believed it.
Spending five years together, we had been married for two years. What went so wrong?
First things first, I needed to keep Lucy safe.
"You've been at the dorm so much. I feel like we never talk anymore," I said, pulling her into a side hug. "Stay with me tonight. Let's have a real sister night. I miss you."
When she agreed, a wave of relief washed over me.
At least for tonight, she wouldn't be out on the road, destined for a fatal crash.
As for her boyfriend, I would have him thoroughly investigated tomorrow.
Just then, Robert emerged from the kitchen with some steaming soup.
At the exact same moment, Bella's thoughts exploded in my head.
[Daisy, don't eat it! He put something in the soup to make you miscarry! If you eat that, you'll bleed to death! You and the baby will be dead!]
I turned to look at Bella, whose eyes were wide with terror.
Neither could she speak nor move, but her body shook with the force of her silent plea.
[My poor Daisy! The man you share a bed with is a monster! He's trying to kill you and his own child just to be with his mistress! Listen to me! Take Lucy and run!]
I studied Robert's face. He was handsome and gentle, the picture of a devoted husband. There was no hint of the monster my mother described.
A mistress?
I had full access to his phone, and during my entire pregnancy, he had barely left my side.
When would he even have had the time?
He scooped up a spoonful and held it to my lips.
"Try it, sweetheart. I spent the whole afternoon making this. It's good for the baby."
His eyes were filled with warmth, but the silent screams in my head sent a chill down my spine.
Was there poison in this soup?
Bella's silent pleas grew more and more hysterical in my head.
[Don't drink it! Daisy, please! He's trying to kill you!]
My hand shot out, purely on instinct, and knocked the spoon away. The soup splattered on the floor.
Robert stared at me, stunned.
"What's wrong? You were just saying you wanted this last night. I spent all afternoon making it for you."
I scrambled to compose myself, forcing a weak smile.
"I'm sorry. I just suddenly lost my appetite. You have it."
Right now, I didn't trust anyone, not even him.
He hesitated and set the soup on the table. He didn't take a sip.
"What do you want for dinner, then?" he asked gently. "I can make you something else."
"You're not having any?" I asked, feigning steadiness.
He shook his head, replying, "No, I'm not really hungry either."
I took a small step back.
I said, "Just make something for yourself. I think I'm going to go stay with Megan for a few days."
Megan Stone and I have been best friends since college.
Robert's brow furrowed, and a flicker of something like panic crossed his face. It was there and gone in a second. If I hadn't been watching him like a hawk, I would have missed it.
"No! You can't go!" he blurted out.
"Why not?" I shot back.
Seeing the alarm on my face, he instantly softened his expression, becoming my loving husband again.
"Daisy, you're pregnant. It's not safe for you to be staying somewhere else. If you need to get out of the house, I'll go with you. You shouldn't be on your own right now."
But all I could see was the glint of that knife. Was he chasing me to protect me from someone else in that dark alley? Or was he the one I should have been running from?
Until I knew the truth, I couldn't let my guard down.
Honestly, I didn't trust anyone but myself.
I slipped my arm through his, reverting to our old, familiar dynamic.
"I just want to have a girls' night with Megan," I purred, leaning against him. "I'm a pregnant lady, so you have to indulge my whims, right?
"Besides, it's Megan. We've been best friends for years. What could possibly happen?"
I tilted my head, pouting. "Don't you trust me?"
He opened his mouth to argue, but a sudden, heavy thud cut him off.
We both turned. Bella had thrown herself from her wheelchair. She was on the floor, desperately, pathetically, banging her head against the hardwood.
Robert rushed to her side, gathering her back into the chair.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
I calmly took hold of the wheelchair, intending to push her into her room. But her hand shot out and clamped onto Robert's wrist with inhuman strength. I couldn't pry her fingers loose.
Just as I was about to use more force, Robert knelt beside her.
"Are you trying to tell us something?" he asked softly. "Here, write it down."
Bella gave him a look of profound gratitude. Her hand shaking, she scrawled a few words on the notepad he offered.
[Daisy, take me with you! Don't leave me!]
Her silent voice screamed again.
[Daisy, you're doing the right thing! Get away from this murderer! Now that you haven't drunk the soup, he'll find another way! Take me with you, and I'll protect you!]
[If you don't, you will die!]