Reborn to Ruin Them All

The scream tore from my throat, but no sound came out. I was back. My hand flew to my belly-round, firm, eight months pregnant. Sunlight poured into my apartment. I was alive.

But the memory was searing: that sterile hospital room, the monstrous pain of losing her, my baby girl ripped away. Mark's family, their greedy faces, haunted my vision. They wanted my company, my money. They watched as my child and I died.

Just three days. That's all I had before the loan sharks would come, the harbinger of my past life's ruin. They called my unborn daughter 'worthless' plotting my divorce and even grooming Mark's mistress to bear their 'heir.' They'd publicly shame me, all while seizing my assets.

The burning injustice was a raw wound. To protect their name and inheritance, they'd sacrifice an innocent life. How could family be so cold, so utterly devoid of humanity, willing to let me and my child perish for their selfish desires?

But not this time. Now, I knew their every cruel scheme. My shattered past had armed me with foresight. This time, my baby girl would live. This time, I was ready. And they would pay. They would pay for every tear, every life they tried to extinguish. Their downfall begins now.

The scream tore from my throat, but no sound came out.

I was back in that sterile, cold hospital room.

The pain, a monstrous wave, crashed over me again, the memory of my daughter, my sweet baby girl, ripped away.

My husband Mark's family, their greedy faces, swam in my vision.

They wanted my money, my company, and when I wouldn't give it, they let us die. Me and my baby.

Then, darkness.

Now, light.

I gasped, my hand flying to my belly.

It was there, round and firm. Eight months pregnant.

My apartment. My king-sized bed. Sunlight streamed through the window.

I wasn't dead.

I checked my phone. The date.

Three days.

Three days before my brother-in-law Kevin's loan sharks would come calling, demanding the money he owed.

In my past life, that was the start of their overt pressure, the beginning of the end.

Not this time.

This time, I knew. This time, I was ready.

My baby girl would live. And they would pay.

My company, Innovatech Solutions, was thriving, a leader in AI-driven logistics.

They thought it was failing in my past life, an easy target.

It would seem to be failing again.

I took a deep breath, the plan forming, cold and sharp in my mind.

First, create the crisis.

I dialed Maria, my loyal executive assistant.

"Maria, it's Sarah. We have a problem. A big one."

I laid out the fabricated emergency, a key investor pulling out, potential bankruptcy, personal liability.

Maria, bless her, didn't question. She knew my past life's hell, she knew my resolve now.

"I understand, Sarah. What do you need?"

"Spread the word. Make it look real. I need to be convincing."

Next, Mark.

I called him, letting my voice tremble.

"Mark, something terrible has happened. Innovatech... I think we're going under."

Silence. Then, a hesitant, "What? What are you talking about, Sarah?"

"Our biggest investor... they pulled out. There are... legal liabilities. I could lose everything, Mark. We could."

I heard the slight shift in his tone, the barely concealed calculation.

"Oh, Sarah, that's... awful. Don't worry, I'll come home. We'll figure something out."

He arrived an hour later, his face a mask of concern that didn't quite reach his eyes.

He held me, but his touch was distant.

"My parents," he said, "We should go to my parents. They can help us think."

Perfect. Just as I remembered. Just as I planned.

The first test was about to begin.

The drive to Mark's parents' suburban house was tense.

Mark kept patting my hand, saying, "It'll be okay, honey," but his eyes darted around, already calculating.

I played the part of the distraught, terrified wife.

Brenda, my mother-in-law, opened the door, her smile tight when she saw my distressed face.

Tom, my father-in-law, stood behind her, his expression unreadable.

"Sarah, dear, what's wrong?" Brenda asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

We sat in their overly ornate living room.

I recounted the "disaster" at Innovatech, the potential bankruptcy, the legal threats.

Brenda's eyes, usually so sharp for a designer handbag or a piece of gossip, glazed over at the business talk but sharpened at the mention of "legal liabilities."

"Well," she said, exchanging a look with Tom. "That's... unfortunate. Business is so risky, isn't it? Especially for a woman, and pregnant too."

Subtle blame, check.

Tom cleared his throat. "We don't have that kind of money to bail out a company, Sarah. Our funds are tied up."

Refusal to help, check.

Kevin, Mark's younger brother, slouched in an armchair, pretending to look sympathetic.

"Wow, sis, that's tough. Wish I could help, but you know, I'm broke," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

He was the reason the loan sharks were coming, the black hole of their finances.

Brenda sighed dramatically. "You know, Sarah, some people just have bad luck. Maybe you're a bit of a... jinx. Ever since you married Mark, it seems there's been one thing after another."

She gestured vaguely to the car accident that killed my parents years ago, an accident they'd always subtly implied was somehow my fault for being in the car, even though I was a passenger.

I bit back the anger. "The legal issues... they said because I'm the CEO, the liabilities could extend. It might even affect Mark's career at the law firm if things get messy publicly."

That got their attention.

Tom leaned forward. "Affect Mark's career? How so?"

"If I'm facing lawsuits, bankruptcy... it could reflect badly on him, on the family name."

Brenda's eyes narrowed. She leaned towards Mark, whispering, but loud enough for me to hear.

"Mark, if she goes to jail, her debts could fall on you. And that baby... it's a girl, isn't it? What good is a girl? She can't carry on the Carter name. She's worthless to us."

My blood ran cold, even though I expected it. The exact words from my past life.

Mark looked conflicted, then his face hardened.

He turned to me. "Sarah, maybe... maybe Mom has a point. This is a lot. We need to think about... options."

Tom nodded slowly. "Perhaps a separation... a divorce... might be best to protect Mark's future."

There it was. The escape hatch they wanted.

Brenda seized on it. "Yes! A quick divorce. Before this scandal breaks. And Mark, we should find out about the baby for sure. My friend, Susan, she's an ultrasound tech. She can do it discreetly. If it's a boy... well, maybe we could reconsider helping. A boy would be an heir."

Mark looked at me, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Yeah, Sarah. Let's find out the gender. It might... change things."

The bait was set. And they took it, hook, line, and sinker.