Chapter 1

“Please don’t kill me, Blake i’m carrying your child”.I pleaded, but all pleas fell on deaf ears and I held my belly in agony as my husband and my best friend stabbed me multiple times.

With one thought on my mind i lost all consciousness.

“If I get another chance at life, I’ll make sure they both pay.

I woke up sweating, my heart still hurting, I looked around, I wasn’t in that cold ware house instead I was in my old bedroom.

How did I get here?

Just Minutes ago i had been brutally stabbed by my husband and my best friend .

I looked around confused, what was going on? The curtains, the poster, the bed everything was the same.

I touched the spot where I had just been stabbed and it was closed, no sign that anything odd had happened, I slowly pushed myself out of bed, my legs still trembling, my pulse wouldn’t slow down,I frantically looked around my eyes searching for anything to confirm my suspicions.

I spotted my phone on the bedside table, beside me,i hurriedly picked it up and checked the date

Tuesday February 2022.

Just 2 years before I had stupidly married and fully handed all of my shares worth billions of dollars to Blake,which then made him the sole owner of the company.

I was given another chance

My hands shook as I touched my face

“I’m really back” I whispered

Before I could properly think my stomach growled and it came with a sharp pain,My mind drifted back to how I was starved for almost a week by the kidnappers before I was finally killed.

Dragging myself to the kitchen, i frantically searched for anything to eat before I die,this time from severe hunger.

luckily I found a large box of cold Mac and cheese in the fridge, without thinking I pulled it out and dropped to floor.

The first bite almost broke me.

I didn’t even bother heating it up, I was too hungry to even care.

Scooping handful after handful into my mouth, I felt like if I stopped eating at any moment I might pass out, my hands shook so badly the food almost slipped through my fingers.

My stomach hurt from how empty it was but I just kept eating.

Drops of tears dropped into the pack before I realized I had been crying

I kept eating fast, not stopping until I cleared every single pasta in the pack.

My breaths were shaky,eyes burning and my hands still trembling even though the food was gone

I curled up on the kitchen floor, the empty pack beside me

The cold tiles pressed against my skin but I didn’t move

And soon I drifted off, still laying there, too drained to even stand.

About 3 hours later i woke up to my phone ringing nonstop, I had unknowingly slept off on the kitchen floor.

I picked up the phone and as I saw the ID flashed across the screen, my blood ran cold,my whole body shuddered from fear, it was him

My killer, ex husband and current boyfriend Blake.

I didn’t know what to do, I kept contemplating if I should take it or not.

Finally after much deliberation, I answered the call

“H hello” i said, my breath shaky, my hands trembling, I was sweating terribly.

I’ll be coming home soon with Monique ,I hope you’ve cooked, you know how Monique likes your cooking, he said with that cold tone he usually used on me

He didn’t even wait for a response, he ended the call.

In my last life Blake had turned me someone who constantly begged for love, doing everything to prove I love him, I lost my family, myself and in the end I lost my life

But not this time.

I stood up from the cold tiles with renewed strength.

I was no longer the girl who obeyed his every command even though i was hurting, the girl who was scared to lose him, the girl who waited for him to choose her.

I was Clarissa hart, daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the city, a woman who had willingly given her life to the wrong man.

Not again.

Today I would take the first step.

I would see my parents again.

The parents I haven’t seen for years, the parents I didn’t get to hug one last time before my death, Blake made sure of that

And so as fast as i could, I grabbed a few clothes, freshened up and walked out to my car, a Toyota Camry, I was using in my past life, I had the money to buy a proper car for myself but as usual I spent all my money trying to please Blake.

When I touched the steering wheel, it felt like freedom.

“Mom, dad, I’m coming home” I whispered as I drove off

The house looked exactly the same, tall black gates,trimmed hedges and security guards on alerts

For some reason a bitter taste filled my mouth,

Would my parents be happy to see me?

Did they miss me?

So many question poured in my head, I pushed the thoughts aside, I had faced so much worse, I could do this.

The black gates of the harts mansion opened slowly as my car approached, The guards stared in shock whispering amongst themselves, they looked like they had seen a ghost, I didn’t blame them, I had vanished for years without a word

I drove into the compound, the breeze heavy around me.

Home.

My throat tightened.

I tried to steady myself as I stepped out of the car, the air filled with the scent of fresh flowers from my mother’s garden, I almost broke down

A maid rushed out first, her eyes widened the moment she recognized me

“Miss Clarissa? Is that really you?

I smiled weakly. “ yeah… it’s me.”

Before she could say more, the front door burst open.

My mother stood there, she looked a bit aged since the last time I saw her but as beautiful as always.

Her hair was a little shorter than I remembered

Her eyes wide.

Her hand covering her mouth.

“Clarissa?

The sound of her voice, soft and trembling hit me harder than any pain I had ever felt

I ran to her, my legs moving faster than my mind

She wrapped around me so tight I thought I might break

“Clarissa,my baby, oh my baby” She cried, her voice shaking

I’m sorry mom, I’m so sorry” I whispered with choking on my tears

I felt a strong pair of hands wrapped around us, it was my father, he didn’t say a word, he just held us and I knew he was crying

“ You’re home, my baby, you’re finally home” he finally said

And fresh set of tears flushed my face.

We held each other for a long time, just breathing each other in,scared that someone would break us apart again.

Suddenly my phone buzzed

My heart stumbled

Slowly I pulled away from my parents

And slowly unlocked my phone

Blake

I’m almost at the house

Open the door, Monique is starved

My blood ran cold

My fingers tightened around around the phone, but not from fear this time but from deep hatred

I calmly smiled, a wicked smile, as I switched off my phone.