Fatal Trap: Intertwined Destinies

I was the only college student in my village.

When I came back for my father's funeral, I suddenly saw my twelve-year-old niece, Lizzy Danes, pouring something unknown into a big pot of oatmeal.

She didn't show any panic when she saw me.

Lizzy's gaze was as calm as stagnant water without ripples. "Auntie, are you going to expose me?"

In my past life, I stepped forward, poured out the food, and gently hugged her. "Don't ruin your future for someone who's not worth it."

I felt sorry for Lizzy, who had lived in torment at such a young age, and I felt sorry for her fate, which was similar to mine.

I wanted to help her as if I was helping the isolated and helpless me from before.

But I never thought it would be like the story of the farmer and the snake.

Lizzy pretended to jump into the river but dragged me down with her.

She blamed me for not pulling her out of the abyss earlier, attributing all the suffering to me and dragging me to death with her.

Her words echoed in my ears like the whispers of a demon.

"Auntie, why should you be able to escape? Why didn't you take me with you!

"The road to the underworld is too lonely. Since you love me so much, auntie, you must be willing to accompany me. Let's die together..."

1

As I gasped for air, the fear of drowning enveloped me, a thin layer of sweat soaking my back.

The surroundings were wreaths. I thought, "Could this be my funeral?"

A shiver ran down my spine as I glanced at the black-and-white photo on the table.

I patted my chest in relief, thinking, "It isn't mine, it isn't mine, thank goodness...

Wait a minute!"

I focused my gaze and saw my father's black and white portrait displayed prominently.

People around me whispered quietly.

"Hey, isn't that the youngest daughter of the Danes family? She actually came back!"

"A university student, knows book smarts but not common sense. She was nowhere to be seen before his death, and now she shows up to pay her respects."

"Yeah, I mean, why doesn't a young girl like her just get married early? Why waste money on education?"

"At least my daughter listens and goes off to get married. If she disappeared for five years like her, going off to study, couldn't be reached, wouldn't I have wasted years raising her?"

The murmurs around me exploded in my mind like a thunderclap.

I thought, "Have I been reborn?"

I recalled carefully. It was the scene when I attended my father's funeral. It had been five years since I returned to this land once again.

My older brother, Tomas Danes, furious, rushed over and grabbed my collar, raising his hand as if to strike.

"Claire, how dare you come back?"

Tomas' sudden outburst interrupted my thoughts.

Instinctively, I gripped his hand and pushed him away forcefully.

I was not the young girl who could be easily knocked down by his fist anymore, nor was I the girl from a past life who would meekly accept his slap with guilt.

Smoothing out the wrinkles in my collar, I coldly questioned, "I'm not the one with a guilty conscience, so why wouldn't I dare to come back?"

"How dare you..."

"What? Just because you're loud doesn't mean you're right."

It was probably the first time Tomas encountered his meek sister standing up to him. He stuttered, unable to utter a word.

"Tomas, it's our father's funeral today. Do you have to make a scene?"

The villagers were always keen on gossip.

A disturbance today would become tomorrow's talk of the town, spreading through households as fodder for dinner conversations, a topic for idle chatter.

"Or..." I paused, moving closer to him. "Do you want everyone to know that you refused to save your own father to buy a house?"

Tomas was shocked, his eyes evading. "I... I don't know what you're talking about!"

I chuckled inwardly, thinking, "What a 'filial' son!"

In my previous life, I rushed to the hospital upon receiving the news, but I never even got to see my father one last time.

Over the phone, my mother berated me, accusing me of being heartless and of not showing an ounce of filial piety.

In my past life, I foolishly blamed myself, thinking if I had known about my father's illness earlier, rushed over with money, perhaps he wouldn't have died.

But later, Tomas got drunk and accidentally let it slip.