His Betrayal, My Beginning

Chapter 1: The Death

I never saw it coming, that was my biggest mistake of my life.

That's what haunts me the most of all, the fact that I remained blind in love while all the signs were there blaring neon lights in front of my face but I refused to see it.

I could remember all the signs vividly that showed me something was wrong- it started with David working later than usual, the secretive phone calls that he always has at odd times of the day and never in my presence, the way he'd pull away from my touch when I reached for him.

But I'd refused to see it, convinced myself it was just a rough day at work, that it had nothing to do in our marriage.

Until I felt the cold sharp end of the knife in my stomach.

It was a Tuesday evening when I was killed in my house. I remember how it happened. I had been standing in the kitchen after making dinner which was already set out on the table cooling, , the twins were upstairs in their room playing video games.

David had texted me that he'd be late again and I shouldn't wait up for him. No surprise there.

The doorbell was pressed alerting me that someone was at the door while I was pouring myself a glass of wine.

I wasn't expecting anyone except if David managed to finish earlier and had returned, I doubted that thought because he had a home key, but I answered anyway.

Jessica was standing on my front porch, smiling that smile of hers like we were best friends and knew each other intimately. I'd only met her a number of times before, if I remembered correctly she was David's "old friend from high school" who'd recently moved back to town.

She was everything I wasn't, young, gorgeous, with a career while I was a mere housewife.

"Caroline! Sorry to drop by without seeking an invite before hand," she said, as she walked inside without waiting for an invitation from me. I closed the door like that and walked in after her as she continued speaking

"I just needed to talk to David about something. Is he home?"

"He's working late," I answered as I held on tight to my wine glass, my only support system now. "Again."

Something was on her face, but it passes away too quickly for me to see it. Was it amusement? Pity? I couldn't tell at all.

"Oh, that's too bad," she said, following me to the kitchen, as I narrowed my eyes but kept quiet.

"I guess I'll just have to talk to you instead."

I should have noticed that something was wrong there. I should have seen how she kept looking around, making sure we were alone. I should have noticed why she was blocking the door preventing anyone from entering and leaving the kitchen.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked, turning to look at her after I dropped my glass down on the kitchen counter.

Jessica's smile shifted from something cheery to something cruel and hard as she scoffed loudly.

"You know, Caroline, I've tried to be patient. I really have, more than you know. But this is getting ridiculous."

"What are you talking about?"

"David and I have given you so many chances to just walk away from this marriage," she said, moving closer towards me as she continued shaking her head in pity. "But you keep hanging on to this marriage...this farce, pretending everything's fine when it's not. It's pathetic."

She laughed seeing the genuine shock on my face as I tried to understand what she was talking about.

"Oh my God. You didn't know?" She shook her head in disbelief and happiness as if she was amused by this situation.

"After all this time, you still had no idea?" She said bringing out the knife from her purse.

"David doesn't want you anymore," she said, her voice suddenly sounding very calm and collected as I took a step back out of fear trying to understand what was going on. I looked around but there was nothing that I could use.

. "The boys already love me more. You're just in the way now." She said as I backed up against the counter scared as I tried to reason with her. "Jessica, whatever you think is happening-"

"What's happening is that I'm taking your life," she interrupted me, as she got angry and snapped. "Your husband, your kids, your house. All of it should have been mine from the beginning."

I reached for the phone, but she was faster. The pain was burning as the knife found its mark. I remember gasping, looking down at the spreading red stain on my shirt with disbelief.

"Mom? Who's at the door?"

Ethan's voice was loud enough to be heard from upstairs, sounding so innocent and unaware of what was going on. Jessica's eyes moved to the ceiling, then back to me.

"Tell them everything's fine," she said, pressing the knife harder.

"Everything's fine, honey!" I called out, my voice breaking from pain and fear. "Just talking with Jessica!"

"Is Jessica staying for dinner?" Liam asked loudly this time.

Jessica smiled, as she twisted the knife deeper. "Tell them yes."

"Yes, she's-" I couldn't finish as pain was too much for me as my body seemed to be lagging from pain.

I remember falling, feeling the cold tile against my cheek.

Jessica was standing over me, watching without any guilt on her face as she watched me dying.

"You should thank me," she whispered. "David was going to leave you anyway. At least this way, the boys won't have to deal with shared custody."

I tried to speak, but only blood came out. My last thoughts were of my boys-would they even miss me at all? Or would Jessica simply step into my place, becoming the mother they wanted?

As I was beginning to lose consciousness , I saw someone at the back door. A man's face, familiar somehow, his eyes widening in horror.

The last thing I remember thinking was: I wish I had known. I wish I could go back and save myself.

Then nothing.

Chapter 2: The Second Chance

I woke up suddenly gasping for breath as my hand went to the side of my body where the knife had been but there was nothing there.

No blood. No pain.

Just the soft cotton of my pajamas against my skin.

I looked around and saw that I was in my bedroom and the sunlight seemed to be coming through despite the half-closed blinds.

I was on the bed as the clock on the nightstand read 7:15 AM.

David was lying down beside me, still asleep, his breathing deep and even. I stared at him, in shock seeing nothing of the man that I loved but a stranger that has watched me die.

Was it a nightmare? It had felt so real-the knife, the blood, Jessica's eyes as she smirked triumphantly as she watched me die.

But it seemed like I wasn't dead because I was still here, alive with my heart pounding in my chest, very much alive.

I got out of bed quietly, to not wake David up as I made my way gently to the bathroom on shaky legs.

I stared at the face in the mirror and it looked exactly as I remembered seeing myself.

I could see my tired eyes, and my hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, with the lines that seemed to be visible on my face from years of worry.

As I poured cold water on my face, to wash off the sleep remnants and get ready and alert for the day, I had something shocking as I realized something.

The calendar on the wall. It was Tuesday.

Not just any Tuesday that was repeated once a week. But the Tuesday. The day I died.

I collapsed my legs barely strong enough to hold me up as I slid down to the floor shaking.

This wasn't possible. People didn't get second chances. People didn't come back from death.

But here I was.

"Caroline?" David's voice called from the bedroom. "You alright in there?"

I cleared my throat as I tried to maintain a fake facade around my husband. "Fine! Just... felt a little dizzy."

"Don't forget the boys have soccer practice after school. I've got meetings all day, so you'll have to take them."

Meetings. That was what he said the last time in my dream. But there were no meeting, at all. It was just the code for meeting Jessica. Had they been planning my murder together? Or was she acting alone, removing the obstacle between them?

"Sure," I managed to say when I realized that he has been waiting for a reply from me all this while. "No problem."

When I came out of the bathroom, David was already dressed up as he was checking his phone with a smile on his face.

I had been seeing that same smile about a thousand times before but never recognized what it was- meant for someone else.

He kissed my cheek absently on his way out. "Don't wait up. Late meeting."

"David," I said, grabbing his arm as he stopped looking at me in surprise at the grip as I cleared my throat and asked him. "Do you love me?"

He blinked, caught off guard by my question as I could see the hesitation and confusion on his face. "What kind of question is that?"

"A simple one."

He hesitated-just for a second, but enough for me to know my answer. "Of course I do. I have to go."

And he was gone, leaving me standing alone knowing that he lied to me in my face and that I was going to die soon by his mistress hand..

---

The morning passed quickly like that we I tried to do the things that I normally did. I made breakfast for the twins, packed their lunches, drove them to school, just doing the same old things out of habit while my mind was busy working double time as I tried to remember for clues that I missed through all the past memories.

This wasn't the first time that I had encountered Jessica. She has been a part of my marriage for a very long time since she came back from abroad two years ago. She was his first love so I knew about her although David had sworn that he didn't love her anymore.

But then David was the one bringing Jessica to our neighborhood barbecue, something that should have been a family thing done with our neighbors and gave the excuse.

"Just an old friend."

Another memory was when Ethan mentioned Jessica had picked him up from school when I was stuck in traffic.

"Dad said it was okay."

Finding a woman's earring in our car that I had no idea who it belonged to because it wasn't mine.

"Must be yours," David had said back then shrugging his shoulders.

Liam also asking if Jessica could come to his soccer game. "She promised to bring those cookies I like."

All these were suspicious moments I'd dismissed thinking that it was all coincidence or Jessica just being a good friend. I couldn't believe that I had been so blind to not notice the fact that I was being gaslighted by every turn.

But now I have a second chance at life to change my mistakes. And I wasn't going to waste it.

My first stop was the bank. I withdrew as much cash as they would allow from our joint account without them calling David to approve of the withdrawal.

Next, I went to a lawyer's office. I didn't have an appointment scheduled, but I must have looked desperate enough because they allowed me in.

"I need divorce papers drawn up immediately," I told my attorney. "And I need to know my rights regarding my children."

"These things take time," she said gently. "There are procedures-"

"I don't have time," I insisted. "If I don't get these papers filed today, I might not be alive tomorrow."

She stared at me for a long moment, shocked written all over her face as she watched me intently trying to see id I was joking. She didn't see any signs of lies as she then nodded her head slowly. "Tell me everything."

I told her not the truth but a version she would believe and more likely realistic than the fact that I had been born again.

By noon, I had temporary custody papers and an emergency restraining order. The divorce filing would take another day, but at least I had started the process.

Chapter 3: The Realization

I parked outside the elementary school, my heart beating faster than usual as I watched the children who were coming out of their various classes.

My eyes were searching the crowd frantically until I saw Ethan and Liam who were waiting by their classroom door, with their little backpacks across their shoulders. They looked eager and excited whispering about something that I had no idea of.

But when they saw me, their faces fell from happiness to confusion.

"Mom?" Ethan said, his voice filled with disappointment as he asked. "Where's Jessica?"

I almost flinched physically from the question as I tried to keep my expression neutral as I reached Liam's backpack to take it from him.

"Jessica? Why would Jessica be picking you up?" I asked, trying to sound normal despite the anxiety that I was feeling.

Liam pulled away from me with a sad face as he mumbled something out.

"Dad said Jessica was coming to get us today instead of you. He texted us during lunch so we thought she would come."

I remembered last Tuesday-the day I had died-as I hadn't picked them up.

I'd been busy with grocery shopping, and when I got home, the boys were already there, alone in the house.

David had said the school called because I was late, so he'd left work early to get them before heading back to work.

That was a lie now that I could see it.

"Change of plans," I said, forcing a smile on my face as I tried to keep them unaware of what was going on for as long as I could.

"I thought we could go for ice cream before heading home."

"But Jessica promised to take us to the arcade," Ethan protested, arguing with me pouting visibly unhappy.

I knelt down, looking both my boys in the eyes as I touched them to get their attention.

"Listen, I know you like Jessica a lot. She is like a cool aunt to you but today you're coming with me since I am here first. She can pick you up next time like she always helps. But we need to have some family time, just the three of us."

The twins looked at each other, but I couldn't understand their looks.

Were they disappointed? Annoyed? Or was there something else that I was unaware of.

"Fine," Liam finally said, but the boys didn't look happy at all which made me feel hurt by their actions.

In the car, the silence was loud and awkward as hell. Neither boy would speak to me, as they resigned themselves to staring out of their windows with identical scowls on their faces.

I tried to liven the mood so many times by asking about their day, about homework, about anything, but received only one-word answers or shrugs that showed that they weren't interested in what I had to tell them.

When did I lose my children? When did Jessica become the mother they preferred all this while for them to think this was normal?

By the time I got them back home, I was moments away from bursting into tears.

The boys got down from the car without any words the moment I stopped, and they ran to the front door and waiting impatiently for me to unlock it.

"Go wash up," I said to them gently as they pushed past me into the house. "I'll make lunch."

They ran up the stairs without responding to my instructions, and I heard their bedroom door slamming shut.

Taking a deep breath as I tried to control myself. I had about six hours before Jessica would come to kill me, if my dream was anything to be sure of. I had enough time to feed them, get their clothes and get them out of here.

I decided to start making a light lunch for them, it was sandwiches, My mind was also working double time trying to come up with an escape plan on how to get the boys out of the house before Jessica arrived.

We could go to my sister's place in the next town over-Sarah would take us in, no questions asked.

After getting their lunch ready for them and setting the table, I made my way upstairs to call the boys down.

As I got closer to their room, I heard Ethan's voice, which was loud enough whenever he was speaking out of excitement or disappointment.

"She's here right now, we are at home not in school! Mom picked us up instead."

I stopped, stiffening outside the door, my hand raised to knock.

"Is she alone?" Jessica's voice, was the one I heard. It seemed that it was on speakerphone.

"Yeah," Liam answered innocently this time around . "Dad's at work."

"Good." Jessica's voice spoke as I could hear something like satisfaction in her voice. Her voice got a bit lower as she kept on speaking.

"Remember what we talked about? About making Caroline go away so we can all be together?"

"Will it be soon?" Ethan asked happily as he continued speaking. "You said we could have a new mommy."

"Very soon," Jessica said promising them. "I just need you two to be patient and brave for me for a little while longer. Would you like that? To have me as your new mommy instead?"

"Yes!" Both boys shouted happily giggling to themselves.

I nearly collapsed as my legs were shaking which made me lean against the wall. My own children were also involved in this.

They knew, that Jessica wanted to replace me, although they had no idea that she wanted me dead. Only for her to be their new mummy and they wanted it.

"Good boys," Jessica said happily as she added. "Now, is your mom making lunch?"

"Yeah," Liam said. "Stupid sandwiches again."

Jessica's laugh was like poison being forced down my throat as I strained my ears to hear more.

"Don't worry about it okay. When I'm your mommy, I'll make your favorite foods every day. No more boring sandwiches."

"When are you coming over?" Ethan asked.

"Later today," Jessica said. "I have a surprise. But it's our secret, remember? Don't tell your mom I'm coming."

"We won't," the twins promised together.

"I have to go now," Jessica said as she added. "Be good for your mommy while you still have her."