People whispered that a pregnant woman could transfer her bad luck away by losing her baby.
My roommate, who shared my apartment, was the one running this "lucky beads" business.
By causing a miscarriage, she believed she could change someone's fortune.
My roommate didn't just buy into this creepy game—she profited from it.
In my past life, I stumbled upon Isabella's secret and tried to stop her from going further down this dark path.
But Isabella, terrified I'd ruin her scheme, set fire to our place while I slept, burning me alive.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day I discovered her secret.
This time, I decided to let her be and wished her well.
1
"Hey… I'll make sure your luck turns around…"
I stood outside the closed door, listening to Isabella's sugary voice from inside.
"Miss Cooper, I've spent so much money on you for this moment. You know that, right?"
A man's sleazy voice echoed, sending a shiver down my spine.
Memories of my past life flooded back unbidden.
In that life, at this exact moment, I heard Isabella scream.
Thinking she was in danger, I twisted the lock and burst inside.
I saw her, belly swollen, with a man performing the so-called "lucky beads" ritual.
The man, face twisted with anger, grabbed Isabella and pinched her jaw. "Miss Cooper, is this your best friend? Is she in the lucky beads business too?"
Isabella scrambled to cover herself with a nearby blanket.
She waved me into the room while flashing the man a coy smile. "No, she's not…"
Later, I learned Isabella had been running a business called "lucky beads."
However, this wasn't the lucky beads anyone might expect.
2
Two months earlier, Isabella reached out after seeing my ad for a roommate.
She said she was from out of town, her husband stayed at his company dorm, and being pregnant and alone was tough, so she wanted someone to live with.
Her belly was slightly rounded, and she seemed fragile, so I didn't think twice. I signed a contract and let her move into the spare room.
Sometimes, when I got home from work, I heard a man's voice in her room. I assumed it was her husband visiting.
Only after I uncovered the truth did I realize Isabella was using her pregnancy for illegal activities.
She posted suggestive maternity photos on platforms like X and ins, luring in clients.
In certain circles, a rumor spread that if a pregnant woman lost her baby, the child would carry away the client's bad luck.
These babies were called "lucky beads."
Isabella specialized in this. It wasn't her first time.
In my past life, after I uncovered her secret, I naively thought she had a family and was just desperate for money.
I pleaded with her to stop, urging her to think of herself and her child.
Isabella sobbed as she begged me. "Penelope, please don't turn me in. I have no choice. My husband's salary is low, and if I don't find a way to make money, I can't raise this kid…"
"You can't do this, no matter what. If something happens to you or the baby, it's a matter of life and death."
Isabella sat in front of me, wiping tears and nodding. I thought she listened.
But the moment I turned away, she grabbed a kettle and knocked me out.
Fearing I'd expose her, she set the fire that burned me alive.
As for Isabella, she fled and kept running her "lucky beads" operation.
Thinking of my gruesome death in that life, I stood silently, listening to the sounds from her room, then turned and walked away.
This time, I wouldn't meddle. I'd let her walk her chosen path.
I wanted to see what fate awaited someone who'd do anything for money, even harm lives.
3
The next day, when I got home, the apartment reeked of sharp perfume, like someone sprayed it to cover another smell.
The living room looked normal, but a closer glance revealed a bit of cigarette ash on the floor by the coffee table.
"Penelope, you're back! Where were you last night?" Isabella emerged from her room in a tight, ultra-short skirt, her face caked with flawless makeup.