If There's a Next Life

When I said no, Vera Barrymore's head snapped toward me.

"You don't want to?" Her voice rose without her seeming to notice, disbelief written all over her face.

My nails dug into my palms as I looked up and met her eyes.

"I don't want to," I said again, slow and deliberate.

Her expression froze.

Sebastian Cooper, who'd been leaning against her shoulder the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

"Vera, I should just go," he said, barely above a whisper. "You know I don't want to put you in a hard spot."

The words had barely left his mouth before the hand clutching his stomach started trembling again.

Vera's face fell instantly. When she looked back at me, her eyes had hardened with resolve again.

She said the same line she'd said in my last life.

"Sebastian got hurt at our wedding. I can't just abandon him. If you don't agree to this, then we don't have to get married at all."

Watching her be as coldhearted as I remembered, I felt nothing but relief.

We'd never actually suited each other. I was some directionless playboy from a rich family, and she was the hardworking, ambitious heiress who actually had her act together.

Vera had looked down on my useless ways since we were kids, and she'd never liked having me trail after her either.

The whole marriage only happened because I'd begged my parents to arrange it.

Since I'd been given a second life, I figured everything might as well go back to where it started.

So I nodded without a shred of hesitation.

"Fine. The wedding's off."

Sebastian, still tucked against her, lit up instantly, his hands shaking with excitement.

Vera, though, didn't look nearly as relieved as I'd expected. She just looked dazed. Her dark eyes stayed locked on me, her lips pressed into a thin line.

A second later, Sebastian let out a pained yelp, staring at her in confusion.

"Vera, that hurts."

Only then did Vera seem to notice how hard she'd been gripping him, and she let go in a hurry.

Sebastian coughed twice, then rubbed his tired face against her hair.

"Vera, I'm exhausted. I want to rest."

At that, Vera stood and helped him toward the bedroom.

As she passed me, she paused for a second and, for once, actually explained herself. "Sebastian's condition isn't stable right now, and I need to stay by his side," she started, before I cut her off.

"Don't bother telling me. Whatever's going on between you two isn't my business."

In my last life, she hadn't explained herself either, but she'd done exactly the same thing anyway.

We'd barely been married, and already she spent every night at Sebastian's side while I, her own husband, slept alone.

I used to lie there listening to the two of them through the wall, laughing and carrying on, while I cried silently into my pillow with my teeth clenched so hard on the sheets so I wouldn't make a sound.

I wasn't going to live through a single day of that again.

Vera's face darkened completely. "I hope you really don't care," she said, her voice sharp with sarcasm, "instead of just making me deal with a call from my parents in the middle of the night."

With that, she stopped looking at me and turned to help Sebastian upstairs.

In my last life, I really couldn't do anything about her. All I ever managed was crying like a whipped dog and running to her parents to complain.

But I'd been given another life, and I wasn't doing that again.

So I opened my chat with Mom and typed out a quick message.

Me: [Mom, I don't want to marry Vera anymore.]

Her reply came back almost instantly.

Mom: [Just wait for us. I'll handle everything else.]

I finally relaxed, and I fell into a heavy sleep.

Once I'd drawn a clear line with Vera, I figured Sebastian would at least know to behave himself.

Instead, the next morning, I was jolted awake by a scream that tore through the entire mansion.