Tricked, But Not This Time

After my husband’s brother passed away, my sister-in-law, Maisie Frost, used the excuse of being pregnant with his child to demand that my husband, Alex Freddrick, take care of both families.

My mother-in-law, Susan Freddrick, was thrilled and immediately agreed. She even served Maisie a bowl of chicken soup that had been simmering for hours. However, the moment Maisie took a sip, my stomach churned violently, and I doubled over, gagging uncontrollably.

So it was true—being sent back in time and to this life hadn’t changed anything. I wasn’t pregnant at all, yet every single pregnancy symptom that should’ve been hers was showing up on me.

While I was still in shock, Maisie pushed the chicken soup away with a look of disgust and started whining for something spicy.

“Alex, this chicken soup is way too bland. The baby wants something tastier! Please?”

Alex just looked at her with helpless affection. With a sigh, he said, “Alright, alright, my princess. If you don’t want soup, what do you want instead?”

Her eyes lit up instantly. “Yay! I want spicy tamales, mango, and some fried chicken too!”

Hearing her rattle off junk food like that, I immediately stepped in front of her. If she ate those things, it wouldn’t just hurt her; it would torture me, too. One round of her morning sickness was enough to kill me nearly.

I blurted out, “Alex, she’s pregnant. How can you allow her to eat all that unhealthy stuff?”

Even Susan, who had been waiting for me to explode about the “two families” arrangement, froze at my words. Then, she actually sided with me.

“She’s right! Pregnant women need nourishing food, not all that junk! Alex, don’t spoil Maisie like this.”

Immediately, Maisie’s eyes filled with tears. She burst into sobs, her voice cracking with false misery.

“Why are you picking on me, Clara? I’m only craving a few little things because I’m pregnant! Do you hate me that much? Is it because I took Alex away from you? Fine, I’ll book an appointment tomorrow. I’ll get rid of the baby and leave!”

Things were exactly the same as before. From the moment Maisie got pregnant, I suffered every one of her symptoms, so she was my first suspect. However, she always played the pitiful victim, and Alex never once believed me.

“You’re jealous of her, aren’t you? That’s why you made up this ridiculous story. Enough already! My brother’s dead, and she’s carrying his only child. Of course, I should take care of her! You’re just acting to make things difficult!”

From then on, Alex moved out with Maisie and stayed glued to her side. Anytime I tried to visit, he’d throw me out mercilessly.

Once, I even collapsed outside their door from unbearable nausea. Alex came out, carefully supporting Maisie in his arms while sneering at me.

“Tsk. Are you done with your little act? Get lost already. Maisie’s carrying a baby. She doesn’t need your bad vibes around here.”

After that, the two of them lived away for three whole months. During that time, I was hospitalized fifty times for everything from morning sickness to allergic reactions to signs of miscarriage.

Later on, Maisie launched a livestream campaign as a “hot single mom.” At six months pregnant, she danced and jumped for three straight hours.

That very night, my uterus gave out. I bled out and died until I opened my eyes again, realizing I had been sent back in time. However, this time, I was going to find the key to breaking this curse.

Hence, when I caught Maisie glaring at me maliciously, I lowered my head and forced a smile.

“Maisie, I didn’t mean to upset you. If you want those snacks, I’ll get them for you.”

However, in my heart, I was already planning something else.

If Maisie could use her pregnancy to torture me, then fine. I’d hit back even harder. This time, I’d buy the snacks and a bottle of abortion pills.