My brother–in–law, Dan had racked up a mountain of debt from shady loan sharks. As a result, his entire family turned on me, through my mother–in–law’s directions, pressuring me to hand over my dowry to bail him out.
I refused. So Dorothy–my mother–in–law–threw a hysterical fit, threatening my husband, Nelson, with death if he didn’t do something.
He didn’t resist his mother’s plea. So, he took money from my bank account behind my back.
When I found out, I confronted the Reeds in a screaming match that ended with me going into early labor. When things got critical, they refused to pay for the emergency surgery that could have saved me.§
Why?
Because they’d just learned I was carrying a girl.§
Dorothy and her family begged my husband not to waste money on me.”
“It’s just a girl,” she’d said. “Even if she survives, it’s a waste. That money should go toward paying off your brother’s debt.”}
“And let’s face it–giving birth is always risky. Her parents are gone. If she dies, everything she owns becomes yours.”
On New Year’s Eve, I died on that operating table. Me and my unborn daughter, gone–just like that.
But then I woke up. Back in my living room. On the couch. Drenched in cold sweat.
I looked down–and there it was. My belly, eight months pregnant, round and heavy.§
I’d come back. I’d been reborn.{
I glanced at my phone. Three days left until the loan sharks came on Dorothy’s door.
–8
The faces from my past life–their cruelty, their indifference–flashed through my mind. I forced myself to breathe, to stay calm.
I rested a hand on my belly. “It’s okay, baby girl,” I whispered. “This time, I won’t let anyone hurt us.”}
Then I heard the door open. Nelson was home.
Nelson strolled in, smiling brightly and holding a shopping bag, a picture of cheerful domesticity.
Such a stark contrast from the cold, distant man I remembered from before.
I turned my eyes toward him, letting a serious expression settle on my face as I slowly put down my phone.}
As expected, Nelson noticed something was off right away. He quickly asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t look happy.”
I gave a tired sigh. “Something’s gone wrong at the company: One of our projects hit a funding issue. Since I’m the legal representative, I might be held personally responsible.”[
Nelson’s face fel!. He dropped onto the couch beside me in shock.
I explained that if I could just plug the funding gap, we’d probably be fine. But all of my money had already been invested upfront. I didn’t have anything left to cover it.
He went silent. His jaw tightened. His expression grew serious. Then, he promised he’d find a way to help me.§
! pretended to be touched. But in truth, I felt nothing but cold disappointment.
If I hadn’t seen his true colors in my previous life, I might have fallen for that performance all over again. He wore that mask of concern
so well.
That evening, we went to see his family.}
The moment we walked in the door, Dorothy’s cheerful face dropped like a stone.
With a sneer in her voice, she snapped, “I told you, women have no business running companies. Now look! You’ve dragged the whole family down with you.”
I lowered my head, pretending to feel embarrassed and gave Nelson a small tug on his sleeve.§
He opened his mouth to defend me, but Dan jumped in before he could get a word out. “Come on, bro. We all know what happened. That’s a ton of money. What are you guys planning to do about it?“D
“Don’t even think about asking me for help. I’ve got nothing–I’m still single, remember?”
Nelson gave me a troubled look.
“If I can’t fill that hole, I might actually go to jail.” I spoke quietly, just loud enough for everyone to hear. “And I’m still pregnant–with Nelson’s baby…“}]
Dorothy cut me off with a scoff. “You don’t even know if it’s a boy or girl yet, so don’t start using that baby as an excuse.“}
“Alisha,” she continued, folding her arms, “After we heard what happened, our whole family talked it over. We’re just a regular middle–class family. We can’t take on that kind of burden. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.”>
In my past life, Dorothy had sworn she’d do anything–even threaten suicide–to convince me to hand over my dowry to cover Dan’s debts. She also said that if I were ever in danger, they’d spare no effort to help me.”
When it really came down to it, all those promises turned out to be nothing but lies–just bait to manipulate me.
1/2 5.0%
D
When it really came down to it, all those promises turned out to be nothing but lies–just bait to manipulate me.”
C
Thank God, I wasn’t that naïve idiot anymore.”
