An Affair with Death

Looking around at the familiar yet strange environment, I could not believe my eyes that I had returned.

The pain in my abdomen reminded me that I was not in a dream. I was in the place where I worked.

While I was still thinking about my tragic death, Melody Christie approached me. I looked at the time on my phone. I knew what she would ask.

It was the peak of summer. The city council required every unit to work round the clock. Our bureau was no exception.

Coincidentally, the city council inspection team came for an inspection that night. Melody was busy having an affair and was not at her shift.

She was caught red-handed and fired the very next day.

That was the only time the city council inspection team ever made an inspection, so I clearly remembered the date—the 25th of July.

After getting fired, Melody blamed me for it. She reckoned all that had happened because I would not swap shifts with her.

Just as I went into labor, she came to my house. She cornered me by the staircase and pushed me down the stairs.

Since I did not have my phone with me, when my husband came home and took me to the hospital, about seven hours had passed.

I had lost too much blood. I did not survive.

Thankfully, the universe was fair. I was brought back to life, returning to the time before everything had happened.

This time, I would never put myself in danger again.

As I was thinking, Melody approached me and asked to swap shifts.

I said, "Melody, can I discuss something with you?"

Melody asked, seemingly on guard, "What is it, Lucy?"

"Melody, I want to buy a house. Can you lend me 30,000 dollars? I know you have the money. You'll surely help me, right?"

Melody was stunned. Her reaction was a mixture of confusion, annoyance, and bafflement.

Before she could say anything, I picked up my bag and left. I said, "Melody, you have to help me! You know my bank account. Just wire the money to me. I need to head to my mother's to ask her for money. If I get there too late, she'll be unhappy with me and won't loan me the money."

Another colleague said, "Melody, who the hell does she think she is? The audacity she has to ask you for 30,000 dollars. She's mad. Ignore her."

It was Brandon Jensen—Melody's number-one bootlicker.

When I reached my mother's place, I never thought my husband, Zach, would be there too. Seeing the both of them working in the kitchen, tears welled up in my eyes. That was the life that should have been mine.

This time, I would make the people that hurt me pay. I would also cherish my life. I would live.

The next day, when I got into the office, there was a huge commotion.

"Lucy, did you hear? The inspection team came last night. Someone left their shift," Mary, another colleague, whispered to me.

At that moment, Melody was by the stairwell, tugging on Officer Lowe's arm. "Officer Lowe, please explain to the city council. I had a medical emergency last night. I only left for a while."

Officer Lowe, a beer-bellied man, said impatiently, "Melody Christie, you're fired. You should be looking for a job instead of crying here."

Many heads popped out from all the other offices, watching the scene unfold. After all, gossip and drama were the things that made everyone's life in the office bearable.