001: Twenty-seven Stabs

DEDICATION

To all the women who don’t fucking need a man to save them… I have bad news.

My female lead hunts.

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PROLOGUE

ANNA'S POV

"I'm pregnant," I announced, only for pain to slice through me. I froze, my eyes widening as reality hit. Nicholas pulled out the knife, and I staggered backward, my both hands clutching my bleeding stomach.

"N–ich… la—" I choked on blood. My legs gave out instantly, crashing me to the floor. The love in his eyes, those eyes I once thought were oceans died right there, burying every lie he ever told me like waves swallowing secrets.

Betrayal screamed through my skull.

"Help me!" I muttered to my friend, my friend: who just stared down at me, sipping her drink like she was watching a movie. That’s when it hit me. They were in this together.

"Anna, couldn’t you just die without me getting my hands messy?" Nicholas sighed, staring at his hands like I was the inconvenience. Irritation crawled across his features.

"Why?" I choked out through a mouthful of blood. He heaved another sigh and walked closer.

"Just die already. I tried so many times… poison: you survived. Car accident: you survived. Then the spiking: you fucking escaped. I realized the heavens must REALLY be protecting you, huh?" He scoffed, running a hand through his hair. I was still in disbelief.

This man once told me he loved me. He’d cupped my cheeks. Kissed me. Made love to me every night. And all the while he was trying to kill me. Every “misfortune” had been him.

“…the only way to get rid of you was to get my fucking hands messy!” he roared, shoving my head aside. I couldn’t fight back. All I could think was, my baby… is she gone?

Tears welled and streamed down my face uncontrollably. And then I smelled her on him. Kara.

"Nicholas, end it already. Her blood is unpure. She doesn’t deserve a silent death," Kara hissed, glaring at me like I was filth. My friend. The girl I had clothed. Fed. Sheltered. Pity had turned into this. Why? Why?

Nicholas dragged the knife across my cheek, cutting me shallowly. It stung. "Thanks for the assets you signed over to me, though," he cooed, smiling like the demon he truly was.

"Fool," he spat, then drove the knife into me again. This time I didn’t fight. His body pressed into mine as he stabbed me over and over. This was my punishment, apparently—for making him murder my family, for making me hate my childhood best friend, for turning my sister against me. All things he twisted to blame on me.

A broken laugh ripped from my lungs, loud enough to make him pause. He stared into my blood-filled eyes—eyes full of something that scared him.

"Nicholas," I rasped, "I curse you."

"Curses? You're dying, mi amour. Nothing can ruin me. Honestly? Stomping on your corpse would be heaven to me." He laughed, veins bulging across his face.

"Shush," he whispered mockingly, placing his final strike into my belly. "Take that fetus to hell with you." He leaned in, caressing my hair like I was a pet. How could he feel nothing? If he hated me, fine, but what about his child? How could he kill another life with such ease?

My vision blurred. I imagined my unborn daughter’s tiny voice whispering mama.

I would never hold her. Never hear her laugh. She would never live. "I'm sorry," I whispered, touching my belly.

Nicholas ripped the knife out. I collapsed, choking on blood, my eyes wide and fading. So this was death: cold fingers dragging my soul downward. No escape.

"Nicholas… if I had another life… I’d finish you off with every stroke you gave me," I thought. But thoughts meant nothing. My life seeped out of me until—

Beep. Beep.

A machine cried beside me. My thoughts tangled. Everything felt wrong.

"Is she alive?" a familiar voice asked, one I never thought I’d hear again.

My eyes snapped open. Two faces hovered over me: Xena and Kelly. So close I almost had a heart attack.

"Where am I?" I croaked. Kelly’s mouth dropped open, and she looked at the doctor.

"Did she become crazy?" she whispered and Xena yanked Kelly’s hair.

"Don’t talk nonsense," she scolded.

Five years ago—Nicholas had hit me with a darn ball. He’d been the campus heartthrob. And I’d been a lovestruck idiot like every other girl.

"Wait!" I yelled, making both of them jump. I sat up, staring at the doctor. The same doctor, my thoughts spiraled.

"What’s the date?" I demanded. The doctor blinked, while my friends exchanged confused looks.

"Anna, you hit your head. Can you read my lips?" Kelly exaggerated slowly. Xena rolled her eyes.

"Tuesday, 19th April 2018," she said, checking her phone.

My head rang. I snatched her phone, staring at the date.My eyes widened, I reached for my shirt pulling it upwards, the doctor looked away ins discomfort..

No bruises. No cuts. No stab wounds. My stomach was whole. I was five years alive before my murder...I was reborn.

"Yesssssssss!" I screamed, making everyone jump. I threw myself onto my friends, squeezing them tight.

"Bitches, I’m fucking back!" I yelled. They hugged me back.

“No vulgar words, Anna,” Xena warned. I pouted. God, I missed them. In my past life, Nicholas had isolated me from them. Loving a scumbag had been my death sentence.

My thoughts froze, my gaze drifted to the door...It creaked open.

"Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you," he said, his soft, charismatic voice filling the room.

Nicholas.

I stared at him, hatred burning so sharp he shivered.

Pretend. Pretend, my mind screamed. I forced a shaky smile.

“O-of course,” I muttered, pretending to be nervous. The innocent face that would one day kill me made my skin crawl.

“Thank God. For a second, I thought a pretty girl hated me,” he said lightly. In my previous life, I had blushed right here. Now I clenched my fists.

“We have lectures. Thanks for caring,” I said, dragging Xena and Kelly out. The last thing I needed was to breathe the same air as that bastard.

Now that I was back… the promise I gave him in death echoed in my mind.

Kelly snapped her fingers. “Spill,” she demanded. I scratched my head, pretending to play dumb.

“What?”

They exchanged looks, but my eyes widened as Kara approached.

Oh. Right. She went here. I’d been too blinded by Nicholas to notice last time.

“See you later!” I blurted, running off. I couldn’t handle the rage brewing inside me.

Nicholas, you murdered me and your child in cold blood.

Watch me return it tenfold.

Snap!.

"AHHHHHH!" A scream erupted behind me. I paused, my lips curling into a small, dark smirk.

The real fun was about to begin.