Reborn: No More Ms. Nice Girl
Reborn in 1982, the first thing I did was kick
the bassinet with the unwanted baby in it.
Last time around, taking that kid in was the
worst mistake of my life. The whole town
treated me like trash, assuming I was some
unwed mother.
Just when I was at my lowest, Shane offered
to marry me, saying he didn’t care about my
past.
After the wedding, he sweet–talked me into
giving up my chance to move back to the city
for his sister, Shelly. Then, the bastard
smothered my own baby and disappeared.
I was left to raise that foundling alone, taking
care of Shane’s mom until she died.
Years of back–breaking work later, I was
bedridden with a terminal illness, and that’s
when Shane showed up, ready to drop the
bomb.
Turns out, he’d set me up to take in that baby
to protect Shelly’s reputation.
I spent decades struggling, while he and
Shelly were off living the high life.
Then my adopted son tried to force me to
divorce Shane, so his real parents could
finally be together.
I refused. If I was going to die, I’d drag them
L
down with me.
That twisted family threw me out to die in
some run–down shed, starving and sick.
Later, Shane stood at my grave, tossing fake
money into the flames.
“You wouldn’t give me a divorce, and you
made Shelly suffer without a ring on her
finger. Now that you’re gone, I forgive you.
Just don’t be a homewrecker in your next
life.”
The infant in the bassinet was freezing, its
face red, its cries getting weaker.
The ungrateful brat I’d raised last time
wouldn’t even give me a sip of water, just
watched me, half–paralyzed, crawling and
lapping up dirty water from the floor.
I clenched my fists, no more hesitation, no
more weakness, and walked back into my
house.
Soon, a frantic pounding shook my door,
growing more intense, like he wanted to tear
it off its hinges.
