No More Saving Him

When Soren came back, it was already late at night.I was still sitting on the sofa, replaying everything over and over, trying to figure out exactly where things had gone wrong and when his heart had changed."Why aren’t you turning on the lights? What are you sitting here spacing out for?"His voice was as gentle as ever. He sat down beside me and naturally reached over to wrap an arm around my waist, so normal that it almost felt as though what I’d seen earlier had been nothing more than a dream.I dodged him on instinct.The atmosphere stiffened.A trace of cool detachment surfaced in Soren’s eyes. He had clearly noticed something was off. Nevertheless, as if already annoyed, he didn’t ask anything. "I’m going to sleep first. You should rest early, too."That night, I slept terribly. Even though Soren was right beside me, my mind kept flashing back, again and again, to the moments of his death.In the first life, he died in a car accident, instantly. Blood spilled from his

Dr. Nadia gave me a small nod in greeting, then naturally changed her shoes and walked into the living room."Don’t misunderstand, Ms. Hartwell. I’m only here to help treat Mr. Vantrell."Based on Mr. Vantrell’s description, he’s constantly being troubled by memories from the past or memories that may not even exist. I wanted to take a look at his home environment. Living space can have a significant impact on mental health."Her smile was open, her wording professional. When she faced me, there was none of the seductive air she had around Soren. She appeared composed and dignified.It almost made me feel as though whatever intimacy existed between her and Soren had all been a figment of my imagination.Then, in the next second, her gaze met his.She smiled meaningfully, knowingly, and filled with a quiet understanding that belonged only to the two of them."These items should be thrown out. And this section of the sofa layout should be redesigned…"Her red lips opened and clos

As his last words fell, Dr. Nadia opened the door.Sunlight poured in, as if guiding him toward a new life. He didn’t hesitate for even a second before stepping toward her.I forced myself to move, watching as he and Dr. Nadia stood together, looking perfectly matched."Ms. Hartwell, Soren said this strawberry tart is really good. I bought an extra one especially to bring back for you."She handed me a beautifully packaged dessert.The moment I saw it, my hand jerked back as if shocked. That deep, soul-level fear surged up again, freezing me in place.I used to love strawberry tarts. In the second life, Soren had even learned to make them by hand.I disliked his skill level, though, and would only buy them from a specific shop. After work, he went to Little Bakery across the street to buy one for me.Then the billboard fell from the sky. Strawberry jam splattered everywhere.It was a scene I will never forget. From that moment on, I never touched strawberries again."It taste

After I opened the door and let them in, Soren went off to look for his things. Dr. Nadia stayed behind, sitting across from me, talking on and on about Soren—how he was, what he liked, what he’d been doing.I looked at the happiness glowing on her face and felt a tight blockage in my chest.They were moving fast. Soren really couldn’t wait to get rid of me."Where are the bracelets we bought after the college entrance exams?" Soren spoke suddenly, catching me off guard.Instinctively, I drew my hands closer to my clothes, not letting him see that both bracelets were actually on my wrists.After the college entrance exams, he had worked a summer job for two months. He woke up early and came home late, all so that when I started school, he could fasten one of those bracelets onto my wrist himself.Later, when we had money, he started giving me more expensive jewelry.Those two bracelets had been set aside. They were from a small but well-known affordable luxury brand. They weren’

The moment I hung up the phone, a flood of inexplicable emotions surged in my chest, but the strongest of them all was something like sorrow. It was the kind of sorrow that comes from realizing that no matter how many times you loop back, you still can’t escape fate.I walked backstage. The performers were already putting on makeup and changing into costumes.I steadied myself and prepared to face the performance ahead.Seven o’clock arrived. Everything restarted.I stepped onto the long-awaited stage. Looking out at the audience filling the seats below, I took a deep breath and slowly raised my arms.The music rushed, softened, then fell silent.When the piece ended, I hadn’t made a single mistake.As the lights poured over me, illuminating my entire body, I saw Lily’s upturned face in the crowd, so full of happiness and joy. It was just like all those times in the past when I had sat in the audience, looking up at the dancers onstage.That was when the seed of a dream had bee