Chapter 1

“I didn’t kill Benedict!” My scream tore through the storm as I slammed the mansion gate, rain and tears mixing down my face. My hands ached from pounding the iron bars, but I didn’t stop. Someone had to listen.

“Madam, please leave,” the guard said coldly. “The boss told us not to let you in.”

His words crushed me. My heart splintered like glass. Leo my husband was inside. He should have been the one person to defend me, to believe me. Yet I was being locked out like a stranger, like a murderer.

“No, please! I didn’t do it. I’m innocent. Leo will believe me!” My voice cracked, desperation tightening in my chest.

But even as I begged, the humiliation from earlier burned inside me. At the hospital, Leo’s entire family had turned on me. Every single one of them had pointed their fingers at me, blaming me for Benedict’s death. No one cared to hear my side. No one saw that I was a victim too.

“I didn’t do it. No, I didn’t,” I whispered over and over, like a broken prayer.

Tears blurred my vision as I banged the doorbell repeatedly, hoping, praying Leo would come out.

“Madam, please,” the guard said again, his voice colder than the storm. “The boss will be mad at me if he finds out you’re still here.”

My body trembled. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand with my cold fingers, gripping tightly. “Please, I beg you. Let me see Leo. I need to explain… I need him to hear me.”

“Get a hold of yourself!” the guard snapped, shoving me to the ground. I landed hard, pain shooting up my foot. The sharp crack told me instantly I had fractured my ankle. Before I could even cry out, a familiar voice cut through the rain.

“Leave her to me, Charles.”

I froze. It was Anna.

Even under her leather jacket, her protruding stomach was the first thing I noticed her pregnancy. Benedict’s child. Her heels clicked against the wet ground as she approached, her red lips curved into something unreadable. I thought this was my chance. Relief broke through my pain like sunlight. “Anna,” I whispered, balancing on one foot. “I didn’t… I didn’t kill him.”

“Of course you didn’t,” she said with a small smile.

Thank God. My chest loosened. “Then let’s go tell Leo. He’ll believe you more than me.” I reached to hold her hand, clinging to the hope she brought. But she pulled back sharply and shoved me instead. My head slammed against the doorpost with a sickening thud. Warm blood mixed with the rain, running down my face. My vision swam. Through the haze, I felt the sting of her heel pressing into my back, grinding into my skin.

“You’re such a fool, Susan.” Her voice was laced with cruel amusement. “I know you’re not Benedict’s killer… because I am.” Her words struck like lightning. My heart stopped. “What…?”

Anna leaned closer, her perfume sweet, her eyes deadly. “I kidnapped you. I killed Benedict. And then I made it look like you did it.”

The ground tilted beneath me. My lips trembled. “You… You monster. He loved you. He’s your baby’s father.” She laughed, the sound hollow. “Benedict was nothing but a pawn in my game. I never loved him.” I shook my head in disbelief, tears burning my eyes. “How could you be so heartless? Wait till I tell everyone, Leo will know the truth!”I tried crawling toward the doorbell, but Anna’s shadow loomed over me. A violent kick sent pain shooting through my body.

“You think I’m scared?” she sneered, pulling out a pistol from her coat. The metallic click of the safety being released echoed louder than the thunder. “Try it.”

Her tall figure bent low, her red hair plastered to her face by the storm. She looked unhinged, like someone who had lost her soul long ago.

Still, I pushed myself forward, my body screaming with pain, my ankle throbbing. My spirit wouldn’t let me stop.

She dragged me across the mud, through the pouring rain, toward the garden. My stomach twisted in agony when I saw where we were. The tree. The place where I buried my little angel.

“No… not here,” I cried, my chest shattering all over again.

“Yes, here,” Anna whispered, her grin wide, almost gleeful. “You should reunite with your baby. Maybe even apologize for being such a weak mother.” Her words pierced me deeper than her heels ever could.

“Anna… please…” My voice was hoarse, trembling. She crouched in front of me, her lipstick smeared, her eyes glowing with madness. “Do you want to know the rest of my sins?” I swallowed, tears choking me, but I nodded.

She picked up a stone, tossing it between her hands like a child playing a game. “I made your husband hate you. I made you lose your baby. I drugged Leo on your wedding night. And yes… the night Grandpa died, it was me.” Her words tore me apart. “My baby? No… not my baby!!” Rage burst through me, stronger than the pain. I sprang to my feet, grabbing her collar. “Why, Anna?! Why did you ruin me?”

The gunshot cut me off.

The pain was like fire ripping through my stomach. I collapsed, clutching the blood pouring out of me. My strength left me in waves.

Anna looked down at me, calm, heartless. “You impatient fool. You didn’t even let me finish my story.”

“Y..yo..you..I will..I promised…”

I cursed, I wish I could do more than curse, but my soul drifted out of my body and I sank into a bottomless pit of darkness, so this was how it felt to die.

I thought they said when one dies, you forget your resentment, hatred, and anger. Was it all a lie? Cause right now I felt all of these emotions strongly.

“God, or any entity that can hear me, I don’t care what you want in return, if you’re truly the omnipresent, then let me live even if it's for a day, let me clear my name and fight for my justice.” I sobbed.

“Your path lies ahead Susan. You’re dead, only the almighty can exalt justice on your behalf.” I heard a loud divine voice in my ears.

“Justice? Almighty? Where was he when I was being framed? Where was the almighty when I lost my baby? Why does she have to walk the surface of this earth while I perish?” I yelled at the tip of my voice, in the stillness of the bottomless pit.

“His way is not the way a mere human can understand.” He responded to me again.

“I don’t care about any bloody way or path, send me back, I will seek vengeance myself!” I didn’t know how or where I got the strength from, but I knew I wasn’t going to back down easily, no, the pain in me was too great to go away just like that.

There was silence from the other side and for a moment I thought, my soul might have just been abandoned to perish in the middle of nowhere but then….

“Very well then, Susan, your wish had been granted. The hands of time have been moved backward, so you shall live.”