Chapter 9 Mike explained, "I already told my mom to set up cameras all over the house. When we caught Phil slipping poison into the drinks, we swapped the poisoned wine with drugged wine instead. That's why the two of them passed out." Then his voice suddenly lowered. "But you seemed really scared that I'd die. Are you in love with me?" For some reason, when he said that, my heart skipped a beat. "Of course not," I answered quickly. "I was just afraid that if you died, I wouldn't have anyone left to rely on." He grinned, his smile bright. "Is that so?" Once Tilda and Phil were locked away in the basement, I finally let out a breath of relief. The two people I feared the most were out of the picture. By now, I'd made enough money. My next step was asking Mike for a divorce. I kept waiting for the right moment, but Mike had been so busy lately that he barely came home. All I could do was bide my time. One day, I overheard a servant saying Phil and Tilda had been begging to see me. I went to Tilda first. Her hair was a mess, her face worn and tired, but her eyes still burned with defiance. "How did you know I wanted to kill you?" she demanded. "How?" Then, in a flash of realization, she gasped. "I get it. You were reborn, too, weren't you?" I smiled at her. "Are you only figuring that out now?" Her face twisted with rage as she rushed to the bars, gripping them so hard that it looked as if she wanted to tear me apart. "You fake little snake! That was some impressive acting. You knew Phil was twisted this whole time, didn't you? And you just stood there watching me fall into the pit. How could you be so cruel?" "The cruel one isn't me-it's you." I stared at her, at the face that looked so much like mine. She was my own sister, yet in my last life, she was the one who killed If I couldn't hear people's thoughts this time, I probably would've already died again. "You had chosen Mike before. And you chose Phil this time. No matter who you picked, you were never satisfied. So you turned your anger on me without ever looking at your own flaws. 1/2 "You wanted to rely on men. I only ever wanted to rely on myself. That's the difference." "But why?" Tilda shouted, her voice cracking. "Why is it that no matter who you're with, you always get to live well?" "You see me living well, but behind the scenes, I've been fighting hard to save myself. That's why I deserve what I have. "You, on the other hand, never put in the effort. You kept waiting for someone else to save you. That's why you ended up like this -it's what you deserve." I threw those words at her and turned to leave. Behind me, Tilda's furious voice echoed through the halls. "Just wait! Next time, I won't lose to you!" When I went to Phil's cell, he was neatly folding his blanket. Some things never changed-he was still obsessed with order. When he noticed me, he laughed. "You're clever. You're so good at pretending. You know, I actually believed you wanted to be with me. I was ready to kill Tilda and Mike for you. "Instead, you gave me such a huge surprise." "You deserve this for being so cruel," I spat, glaring at him. His face blurred into the memories of the way he tormented me in my past life. The fire inside me only burned hotter. He stepped closer, slowly looking me over from head to toe. "If I weren't locked up, I'd pin you down right now and force a potion into you. I'd take you a million times." His laugh was sharp and sickening. I couldn't take it anymore. "You're going to hell for this!" I turned and bolted from the dungeon. Even after I got out, I was still gasping for breath, shaken by the twisted look on his face. But at least this time, I had finally broken free of him. Support Share 2/2 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!