The day I was diagnosed with advanced bone cancer, Serena’s childhood sweetheart came to our house and then mocked my condition before setting the house on fire.
But I didn’t call Serena this time. Instead, I covered my mouth and nose with a wet towel and waited for rescue in silence. This was different than what happened in my past life.
In my past life, I panicked. As soon as the fire started, I called Serena Moon, begging her to take me to the hospital to the ICU. While I was lucky enough to survive, Roman Dunbar, her childhood sweetheart, was burned alive in the flames.
Despite Roman being burnt to death, Serena told me that she never put the blame on me. Instead, she reassured me, stayed by my side at the hospital and even took time off to care for me. But on the day I was discharged, she dragged me straight to Roman’s grave.
Before I could react, she drove a dagger. It was one she had sharpened in advance. And then she stabbed it straight into my chest.
Blood splattered across her face, her eyes filled with hatred.
“If you hadn’t set that fire, Roman wouldn’t have died! Do you think you can fool me by pretending to be the victim? Dream on, James! You will pay for his life!”
As soon as Serena stabbed me, she poured kerosene over me and set me on fire. Then, I watched as the flames consumed me. I could feel my flesh burn away until nothing remained but ashes.
And then …
I opened my eyes and found myself back in the fire.
——
Thick smoke filled my lungs, choking me. I coughed violently as the pain jolted me awake from the memories of my past life.
This time, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed my phone and dialed for help, but I didn’t call Serena, the head of the rescue team. Rather, I called 911.
In the meantime, I saw Serena from a distance. She was leading the hospital staff, directing them to rescue Roman from the fire. Only after I saw him being carried out did I finally make a sound and call for help.
The rescuers turned to look at me, but their expressions were cold. They thought I was making a scene. In fact, they even berated me for wasting their time.
The wedding photo on the wall collapsed, crashing down onto my chest. Pain exploded through my body as several ribs shattered. Blood gushed from my mouth, but no one seemed to care.
I gritted my teeth, pushing through the agony. I forced myself to use what little strength I had left to crawl out of the burning house. But all the emergency equipment that was used to cool the body had already been used on Roman.
Serena didn’t even glance at me. Instead, she sneered mockingly.
“You brought this on yourself,” she said.
Pain wracked my body. Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. Blood pooled in my mouth and I could feel my life slipping away.
In my past life, when the fire broke out, Roman and I had both called Serena at the same time. Thanks to my illness, she had chosen to save me first. By the time we returned to the burning house, the flames had grown too strong. No one could get inside.
Roman was swallowed by the fire, reduced to nothing but ashes.
Serena had told me it wasn’t my fault. She even took care of me while I recovered. But the moment I was discharged, she dragged me to Roman’s grave and plunged a dagger into my chest. Blood splattered across her face as she whispered through gritted teeth,
“James, do you know what it feels like to watch the person you love burn to death? I want you to suffer ten times the pain I went through!”
And Serena made sure I did. I died in that fire, just as she had wished. But this time, I only wanted to escape after I got reborn. Yet, Serena wouldn’t let me go even in this life.
Serena refused to give me any emergency treatment. Not even a cooling pad. Indeed, she was very cruel.
Another mouthful of blood spilled from my lips. Desperation clawed at my chest as I let out a hoarse, final cry for help.
“Save me … please …”
One of the rescuers finally turned to look at me. Disdain filled his gaze. He sneered, then kicked me.
“Dang it, James! Just quit your acting. Everyone knows you hated Roman. Who would’ve thought a weakling like you would actually set a fire? Serena’s busy saving real lives. No one’s watching your performance anymore.”
“To be honest, we admire you. You’re really willing to do all this for a woman. But it’s a shame … Serena only has Roman in her eyes. You’d better pray he’s okay. Otherwise, she’ll divorce you without hesitation.”
I knew Serena didn’t love me, but I never expected even her teammates to look at me with such disdain.
The searing pain from my burns made it impossible to make a sound. My skin peeled under the intense heat, my body trembling with agony. The rescuers were busy putting out the flames. However, none of them even glanced in my direction.
Through my dazed state, I heard one of her teammates exclaim, “Why is there so much blood? Damn, this is bad. Is something really wrong with James?”
“What could possibly happen to this weak-ass grown man? I think he just wants Serena to come running to him. He’s probably faking it.”
Still, someone reluctantly suggested, “Fine, let’s call Serena over and see.”
But when she arrived, there was no concern in her voice. Instead, what greeted me was cold interrogation. A gloved hand slapped my face twice.
“James, wake up! Quit pretending. I’m here.”
Her tone was sharp, full of impatience.
“How could you act so stupid? You set a fire and got yourself burned like this. Was it fun to see the consequence of your action?”
Even now, Serena believed that I was the one who started the fire. It was me who was jealous and putting on an act. Even though I wanted to explain, my throat was too scorched to form words. The pain in my chest from my broken ribs was unbearable.
Desperate, I reached for her sleeve, hoping she’d finally understand that I needed help. But she hesitated for only a second before shoving my hand away.
“Nice performance. If Roman hadn’t told me you hid after setting the fire, I might have believed you.”
With that, she turned and walked away without a second thought.
The next moment, I heard someone shout, “Serena! Blood! He’s bleeding!”
“Is he actually injured?”
“Don’t worry about him,” Serena said coldly.
“Roman said James’ blood is just fake blood. He’s just acting fragile, that’s all. Let him keep up the act if he wants to.”
The pain became too much. My vision blurred. After that, everything faded into darkness.
In my dreams, I returned to the time I first met Serena.
At a university lecture, Serena stood on stage. Her expression was as cold as ice. Her professional skills were unmatched to none. She had an aura that made many men want to challenge her. I was no exception.
The moment I saw Serena, I was captivated. I started asking around, trying to learn everything I could about her. At that time, I was just an intern lecturer. She barely acknowledged me.
Determined to earn her attention, I worked harder than ever. When I finally became a full-time professor, I invited Serena to dinner as a thank-you dinner. That night, I noticed something change in the way she looked at me.
I seized the opportunity, pursuing her with everything I had with flowers, cakes and expensive gifts. Eventually, I got what I wanted. She accepted my confession. I thought it was the start of something beautiful. But in reality, it was the beginning of my nightmare.
Once we were together, Serena became distant. Every date was interrupted by work or an emergency rescue. I never doubted her excuses. Not until our wedding day. That morning, an email arrived from overseas.
It was from Roman.
He had documented their ten-year relationship in excruciating detail. Every moment they had shared, every memory they created together. It was all there. The truth shattered me.
Every time she canceled on me, every time she disappeared, she had been with him. And the worst part? I didn’t even have the courage to confront her. I was terrified she would leave me.
In my past life, after Roman died, Serena had been eerily calm. For a moment, I had foolishly thought that meant I had won. But I never knew how wrong I was.
Even though I was terminally ill and dying, I thought I was the happiest man in the world. Unfortunately, the sudden rush of love clouded my judgment, made me reckless. I stopped thinking rationally.
It wasn’t until I was discharged from the hospital, only to die by her hands, that I finally understood one thing. Serena never loved me. She wasn’t risking her life for me. She was taking her revenge.
Because in Serena’s heart, from beginning to end, the only person she truly loved was Roman.
When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital ward. But Serena wasn’t there. Instead, an unfamiliar man stood beside me.
“You’re awake? I’m your neighbor from downstairs. I went up to check on the fire and that’s when I saw you lying there alone. So I sent you to the hospital.”
His voice was filled with concern as he asked, “How do you feel?”
I tried to move my limbs, my entire body sluggish and unresponsive. As I glanced down, I caught sight of the gauze wrapped tightly around me. My hands stilled.
The man hesitated before speaking again, his voice softer this time, “I’m sorry. When the doctors brought you in, they said the burns were severe. Most of your skin…”
I forced a bitter smile.
“It’s not your fault. Even if you hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”
“But … thank you for bringing me here.”
Even a stranger could see that I was barely holding on.
Yet, my Serena, who I had been married to for five years, hadn’t even bothered to look at me.
My downstairs neighbor who sat beside me grew agitated.
“I don’t understand what’s wrong with that rescuers. Why didn’t they help you?”
He shook his head in disbelief.
“If I hadn’t gone up there, you would’ve died! Where’s your family? Does your wife even care about you?”
“If you give me her number, I can call her for you. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“I already reported that rescuer unit. People like them are a disgrace to society!”
I exhaled weakly and whispered, “My wife is dead to me.”
My neighbor fell silent, his expression shifting from anger to sympathy. He offered to take care of me until I was discharged, but I refused. Instead, I transferred the hospitalization and surgery fees to him and urged him to leave.
But even after he was gone, the fire wasn’t just a memory. It had become a scandal. In the online world, the story exploded.
The fire at the head of the rescuer unit’s home had become the number-one trending topic in the internet. My neighbor had posted a photo of me lying unconscious on the ground in the comments section. Immediately, the internet erupted in outrage.
People were furious. They questioned whether the rescuer units only existed to put out fires. If that was the case, shouldn’t they just be called firefighting teams? They ignored a living, breathing human being. Was that truly their duty?
I read through the relentless storm of criticism. And yet, I felt it was still too light of a punishment for Serena. I opened my phone, ready to send her a message asking for a divorce.
But before I could, a message from Roman popped up.
It was a photo. He was in the same hospital as me, just a few floors below. And in that photo, Serena was sitting beside his bed, carefully feeding him porridge. She even blew on it gently to cool it down before bringing the spoon to his lips.
Her eyes held warmth. Tenderness. I had seen this picture a thousand times before. And yet, this time, it evoked nothing in me.
I silently closed the chat and called Serena. It wasn’t until the fifth call that she finally answered. Her voice was sharp, impatient.
“You have the nerve to call me?” she angrily berated me.
“What do you want? Are you asking if Roman is dead? Well, I’m so sorry to disappoint you! He’s alive and well, thanks to me!”
“James, I’ve known you for years, but I never expected you to be this kind of person. Do you even realize what you’ve done? You tried to kill someone! Have you lost your mind?”
She let out a cold laugh before her voice turned icy.
“I’m giving you one hour. Get out of your ward and apologize to Roman immediately.”
“Otherwise, we’re getting a divorce.”
Before I could respond, Roman’s weak, hoarse voice drifted through the phone.
“Serena, don’t blame James. It’s my fault. If he says I set the fire, just let him believe it. Don’t argue with him … his health is poor. You’ll only make things worse for him.”
Serena let out an annoyed sigh.
“You’re too kind,” she said, her tone filled with disappointment.
“That’s why he keeps walking all over you. We knew each other first, Roman. Who does James think he is? What right does he have to attack you?”
Her voice turned sharp as she continued, “Don’t worry. This time, I’ll make sure he remembers his place!”
Their conversation was sickening, but I remained unfazed.
Calmly, I interrupted, “Fine. Let’s get a divorce. I agree. I’ll send you the papers right away. Make sure you sign them.”
For a moment, there was only stunned silence.
Serena clearly hadn’t expected me to be the one to end things. Just as she was about to explode, I hung up. Before I could block her number, my phone was flooded with messages.
[Serena: Where are you? James, have you lost your mind today? I ignored your pathetic health before, but now you’re pushing it? Maybe you were just pretending to be sick all along!]
[Serena: Do you really think I won’t divorce you? You’ll be the one begging on your knees when you regret it!]
[Serena: Also, take down the news online! If you don’t, I’ll expose your true face to everyone!]
I didn’t bother reading further. I deleted the messages and blocked her number. Even though I had suffered through betrayal in my past life, it still hurt. For just a fleeting moment, I felt the sting of it again.
As the nurses entered to change my dressings, they chatted amongst themselves, oblivious to my presence.
“The patient downstairs is so handsome and his wife is stunning,” one of them gushed.
“They’re such a perfect match! I heard they were childhood sweethearts. A real campus love story.”
Another nurse sighed dreamily as she said, “You’re behind on the latest gossip. Miss Moon actually paid to reserve a window seat in the hospital cafeteria, just so she could personally cook soup for her husband every day!”
“She’s so devoted,” a third chimed in.
“I went to apply medicine to him earlier, but she wouldn’t let me. She insisted on doing it herself. They’re such a perfect couple!”
Their words buzzed in my ears like an irritating drone.
I stared blankly at the IV needle piercing the bruised skin of my hand. Pain and itching radiated from my burned flesh, but nothing compared to the hollowness inside me. The moment the nurses left, I felt like I could finally breathe again.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t draw in a full breath.
That evening, the doctor came in with grim news.
“The fire has worsened your condition,” he said, flipping through my chart.
“Aside from multiple broken bones, the cancer cells have spread aggressively. Given the circumstances, your life expectancy is shorter than we originally estimated.”
I listened to him, my face expressionless. Oddly, my first reaction was relief. Living in Serena’s world of lies had been suffocating. It was strange, but death could indeed be a form of liberation.
After everyone left, I grabbed my phone and checked the latest news online. The backlash had spiraled out of control. The rescue team’s leaders had been forced to release a statement.
But instead of admitting their failure, they pinned the blame on me.
In a video, the commander spoke with a measured tone, his words carefully chosen to turn the tide against me.
“The fire was staged,” he claimed.
“James orchestrated everything out of jealousy. He intentionally tried to harm others, wasting our rescue resources and putting our dedicated firefighters in danger.”
With every sentence, he subtly redirected the public’s anger, which turned me into the villain.
And then, to make matters worse, Serena personally stepped in.
She registered an official account under her real name and posted our marriage certificate. With one move, she destroyed any chance I had at defending myself. The outrage that had once been aimed at the rescue team now turned on me.
The comments were brutal. My account was flooded with hate. And then I was officially banned.
No matter what I said, my words were drowned out by the scorn of netizens. I refused chemotherapy, yet my hair still fell out within days. Over the next month, I could feel the growing hostility from the hospital staff.
They whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
“This is karma.”
“He deserves it.”
“If it weren’t for our professional ethics, he’d have been kicked out by now.”
Every day, I received deliveries from different places. Each package contained a new threat. A cruel reminder that, in the eyes of the world, I was already dead. I never defended myself.
But on the day the doctor finally said I could be discharged, I sent a single message to Serena.
[Meet me at the City Hall tomorrow. Let’s finalize the divorce.]
She called me immediately, seizing the opportunity to gloat.
“What? You finally ran out of places to hide? You actually have the nerve to show up now?”
“I warned you. I gave you a chance to withdraw the online backlash, but you didn’t listen. Now, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
“If it weren’t for Roman pleading for you, I would’ve had you arrested already! Fine, divorce it is. Just don’t come crawling back, begging me later!”
Before I could respond, she hung up. I remained silent and opened my home surveillance software. With a few clicks, I retrieved the security footage of Roman setting the fire that night.
The next morning, I was discharged from the hospital and went straight to the City Hall with my ID in hand. But when the time came, it wasn’t Serena who showed up. It was Roman.
He smirked, stepping closer.
“I told you before you can’t win against me.”
His voice was dripping with amusement.
“Your wife? She’s just my little lapdog.”
His eyes flickered over my burnt skin and his smirk widened as if he had discovered something amusing.
“Oh? Didn’t Serena save you that night? Then how did you end up like this?”
He took a step forward, lowering his voice.
“Not that it matters. You won’t last long with advanced bone cancer. Two lifetimes, burned twice. It looks like you really are cursed to die early.”
My body froze.
Roman was reborn too?
I didn’t even have time to process the revelation before my fist collided with his face. I was weak from illness, so my punch didn’t have much force behind it. But to my surprise, Roman stumbled back and collapsed onto the ground.
“Roman!” Serena’s frantic voice rang out behind me.
Before I could react, she shoved me aside with all her strength. I lost my balance. Without further ado, I tumbled down the stone steps.
The sharp impact sent a burst of pain through my body.
By the time I stopped rolling, my vision blurred and I could taste blood in my mouth. My coat had torn open, revealing the sickly, wrinkled skin beneath. The wig I wore had fallen to the side. It left behind nothing but a bald, scarred scalp.
Serena rushed toward Roman, but when she turned back to me, her face went pale. She stared at me, frozen, as if finally seeing me for the first time. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out and touched the scars on my face.
“How… how could this happen?” she whispered.
Her gaze flickered downward and something on the ground caught her attention. It was my medical diagnosis, which had fallen from my pocket during the fall. She picked it up with trembling hands.
“What is this…?”
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