Second Chance, Second Curse

ar. I knew this ceiling. I had stared at it for hours on the first night of my marriage, f

weight. The lab. The particle accelerator had malfunctioned. I remembered the sensati

at felt stiff and new. Outside the window, the sun was bright, shining on a perfectly manicured garden where peop

memory. Not a dream. It was today. I had gone

t hollow marriage all over again? To spend another decade loving a woman who felt nothing for me, a woman who treated me

solute

at did nothing to soften the coldness in her eyes. In my first life, I thought she was just nervous. I spent

sp and emotionless as I remembered. She didn' t l

aid. The words came out firm,

rew together in a slight frown. There was no hurt, no shock, just... annoyance

, Ethan? Our families are wa

on' t love me, Sophia. I know you' re only marrying me for some reason you' ve never bothered to explain. In ou

lating appraisal. She took a step closer. "Last life

I didn' t learn about the depth of their connection for years. Her childhood friend. The man she always had time for. The man whose calls

reaction of a woman caught in a lie about love. It was something else.

re talking about," she sa

ling over. "I know I wasted ten years of my life waiting for you. I know that our marri

of this life that had brought me nothing but a slow, grinding he

e shaking with an intensity that s

tch

there. He was older, with graying hair and a face that looked like it had been carved

he asked. His voice was calm, but

mind reeled. Wha

tant, replaced by a professional mask. "No, Director Thompson. J

eavy, assessing look. "Mr. Miller. I' m Director T

epped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

re," I started, "but th

e to Sophia Hayes is a matter of national security." He let that sink in. My brain, the same b

you provides a crucial cover for her current operation. An operation that is vital to the interests of this country

s unrequited wasn' t just unrequited, it was a tool. A prop in a spy movie I didn' t know I was in. The pain was so sharp, so sudden, it felt like a physical b

my voice hoarse. "I refuse

and quantum entanglement. It has... applications. Applications that certain foreign powers are very interested in. Your life coul

sionally, but it was a threat. My lif

m a pr

e. You' ve dedicated your life to scientific advancement for this country. What we are asking is for

t there, you will say your vows, and you will begin your life with her. You will play the par

old composure, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. Our eyes met. There was no apology in

given a second chance, only to find myself in a cage with gilded bars. With a heavy heart, I walked out of the room and towards the woman who was, and was to be,