The Phoenix Wife

“Weeks after my C-section, exhausted and clinging to my newborn, Lily, my husband Jake burst through the door, reeking of cheap perfume and stale beer. Trailing behind him was Tiffany "Tiff" Evans, openly pregnant, a smirk on her face. "Tiff's pregnant," he announced, not even looking at me or our baby. "I want a divorce. Now. And she's moving in today." My world spun. Not again. A terrifying vision, sharp as shattered glass, of a past life: the exact same words, the exact same betrayal, ending with Lily's tragic death and my parents consumed by flames, all set by Jake. In this life, later that very day, Jake's drunken rage caused Lily to fall twice. She lay lifeless. My father's house, my family's legacy, was ripped away through his cruel deceit, leaving me alone with my baby's cold, still body in a seedy motel. How could fate be so cruel as to force me to relive this nightmare? The injustice was a crushing weight, my grief calcified into a chilling resolve. There were no tears left, only a burning, vengeful fire within. This was my second chance, a horrifying replay. And this time, armed with future knowledge, a silent vow erupted from the depths of my soul: They would all pay. Every single one of them. For Lily. For my parents. I wouldn't just survive; I would make them wish they'd never been born.”