Chapter 5

Harvey's Pov

He turned around, grabbed his coat, and walked toward the front door. “Shit. This whole thing is making me angry. I’m going out for a drink. Try not to make a mess and call the ambulance after she's dead.” The door slammed shut behind him.

I lay on the floor, my breath shallow, my body growing weaker by the second. I couldn't move my arms. Then, I felt someone kneel down beside me.

Olivia. Ever since I found out about all of this, she hadn't said a word. She looked down at me, a cruel, mocking smile on her face. She raised her hand and slapped my cheek, not hard, but enough to mock me, to humiliate me in what I knew were my final moments.

“Look at you,” Olivia whispered, her voice dripping with venom. “You stuck-up bitch. Always acting like you were some prim and proper princess, looking down on everyone. Well, look where that got you.”

She leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Unfortunately for you, you’re going to die here. And once you're gone, I will become Derek’s wife. I’ll have his name, his money, and his house.”

I could barely breathe, but I forced myself to look at her. “But since you’re going to die anyway,” Olivia giggled, tapping her chin playfully, “I’ll tell you a little secret. Just to make your departure a bit more interesting.”

She leaned down, her lips brushing against my ear as she whispered, “The child I’m carrying... it isn’t Derek’s.”

My eyes widened in shock. With the last of my strength, I choked out, “W... What? Aren’t you... aren’t you scared? What if Derek... finds out?”

Olivia pulled back and giggled, a sweet, sickening sound. “Derek is an idiot. He’s so blinded by his own ego that he’ll never find out. He thinks he's so smart, but he’s just a fool. And now that you’re going to die, no one else knows the secret. It’s perfect.”

“Der... Derek...” I tried to call out, my voice failing me, my eyes staring toward the door.

“Oh, shut up already,” Olivia hissed, her face twisting into a mask of pure hatred. Suddenly, her hands flew to my throat and she squeezed. “I've been thinking about how I wanted to get rid of you after all these years but I finally have a reason now. Goodbye, Harvey. In your next life, I hope you become more sensible.”

Her fingers dug deep into my neck, cutting off the tiny bit of air I had left. I thrashed weakly, my hands clawing uselessly at her arms, but I had no strength. My vision began to fade to black, dark spots dancing before my eyes. My body grew colder and colder, the pain in my head numbing as darkness slowly enveloped me.

I was dying. My hands fell limp to the floor. My chest stopped moving as the cold finally took over and everything went silent.

*************

Gasppp!!

I gasped violently, my eyes flying open. My heart was hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. I sat up quickly, my hands immediately flying to my throat, checking for Olivia’s suffocating grip. But there was nothing there. My neck was warm and completely uninjured.

I looked down at my hands. They were clean. There was no blood on my hands and not even on my head. I wasn't on the ground where I was sure I died, but rather, I was seated on the chair inside the doctors office as the man in front of me spoke.

“Due to your sickness, it's hard for you to give birth to a child. You're infertile, Mrs Harvey.”

Those exact same words echoed in my ears and I stared dumfounded at the doctor in front of me. What the hell was going on? Why was I hearing this doctor say the exact same words I heard him say a few hours ago?

“Mrs Harvey? Are you listening to me?”

I slowly turned my gaze towards him, my head working overtime. Did I… Did I come back to the hours before I died?!

I pinched myself hard, wincing when I felt the pain. I felt pain which means it's real, I had really come back to life.

“Ha… Hahaha.” I chuckled, my feelings a strange mix of bewilderment and excitement.

"Mrs. Harvey? Are you alright?" the doctor asked, his brow furrowing as he looked at my face. I didn't answer him. I immediately jumped up from the chair, the sudden movement loud enough to make the doctor flinch in surprise.

I didn't waste any more time. Without saying another word, I grabbed my purse and dashed out of the doctor's office, slamming the door behind me.

If I was given a second chance, if I really came back to life, why didn't I come back to the time before I married Derek? Why now?!

As I opened the door and rushed into the hallway, what I saw hours ago repeated itself in front of me. Once again, Derek’s arm was wrapped tightly around Olivia's shoulders, and he was smiling down at her.

"Look at them," one nurse whispered to the other, her voice carrying across the hall. "They are such an enviable couple. The wife is pregnant, and the husband always comes with her for a checkup. He hasn't missed a single checkup for the past month."

Hearing those exact words again made my entire body shake with a mixture of anger and disgust. My fists clenched so tightly at my sides that my nails bit painfully into my palms. I stood there, rooted to the spot, watching them be all lovey-dovey in public.

Why did I even rush towards them? I was so stupid, I should have known what would happen. I really should have known!

But before I could even decide to turn away and leave, Derek happened to turn his head. His eyes clashed with mine and his warm smile instantly vanished, replaced by a deep, ugly scowl. He murmured something to Olivia, and the two of them began walking directly toward me. Olivia clung to his arm, putting on a timid, fragile front, but I could see the cold calculation hidden in her eyes.

They came to me this time around.

"Harvey?" Derek barked as he stopped a few feet away from me. He looked me up and down with utter contempt. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me now?"

I didn't answer. I just stood my ground, my eyes drilling into his face. Seeing my silence, Derek took it as a sign of weakness. He crossed his arms, raising his chin as he continued to speak in that same arrogant, condescending tone he always used to make me feel small.

"I told you I was busy with work, and yet you follow me to the hospital? Do you have no shame?" he sneered, his voice loud enough to draw attention from the surrounding people.

"You're acting pathetic, Harvey. If you think acting like a crazy, paranoid stalker is going to make me want to come home to you, you're dead wrong. You need to learn your place and stop making a scene. Olivia is pregnant and I came here with her for a check up. Stop being so annoying and go back home. Once I'm done with her, I'll come to…”

"I agree," I said, my voice steady but cold, cutting him off.

Derek blinked. He stopped mid-sentence, his arrogant smirk faltering for a split second. He stared at me, clearly thrown off by my sudden composure. "What?"

"I said, I agree," I repeated, taking a slow step forward. I looked him dead in the eye, then shifted my gaze to Olivia, whose eyes narrowed slightly at my tone.

"You agree on what?" Derek asked, his voice laced with confusion and annoyance.

I smiled, tilting my head to the side with a very huge smile, “The open marriage. I agree to it.”