"Take your junk and get out," Melva sneered.

The suitcase hit the floor, its zipper breaking open. Filthy, torn clothes spilled out, tumbling down the stairs to the hall below.

A sour stench filled the air.

...

"Oh my God! What is this? Gross!" Nicole cried out downstairs.

Melva froze, then snapped at me, "You timed this to scare Mrs. Sullivan when she walked in, didn't you?"

I trembled with rage, ready to argue, but Nicole's eyes welled up.

She clung to Peter, whimpering, "If Hollie doesn't want me here, she can just say so. Why did she do this? What if those clothes carry germs?"

She gagged dramatically. Peter patted her back, easing her onto a sofa.

Then he turned to glare at me. "Get down here and apologize to Nicole."

Melva's lies were bad enough, but Peter's attitude cut deeper.

I stood my ground. "It wasn't me."

He signaled to Melva, who immediately grabbed me and dragged me down the stairs with the other maids.

I stumbled on the last few steps and fell to the ground.

Pain shot through my belly. It felt just like the trample of horses from my second life.

Terrified for my baby's safety, I curled up on the floor and begged, "It hurts. Please, call an ambulance for me."

Peter wavered, but Nicole grabbed his arm.

"The carpet's thick," she said. "No way that fall hurts. She is just faking and doesn't want to apologize to me."

Peter's face hardened. "Apologize to Nicole, or you're not going anywhere."

I bit my lip, fumbling for my phone.

Before I could dial 911, a high heel stomped on my hand. Another crushed my phone.

Nicole's voice floated above me, light and cruel.

"I changed my mind," she said. "Let's keep Hollie here to help me out. She's further along, so she's gotta know how to care for a pregnant woman."

I winced, glancing at her. Her eyes were glinting coldly, sending a shiver down my spine.

"My due date is soon. I can't help you," I blurted. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I'll leave now."

Peter's voice boomed. "How could you ignore Nicole's kindness like that? Except for the day you give birth, you're staying here to take care of her."

He saw my pale face but still added condescendingly, "Do a good job, and your child gets fancy formula too."

Behind him, Nicole mouthed with a smirk, "I'm not done with you."

I shivered, realizing she had been reborn again, too.

In my second life, as I lay dying in that stable, she hissed, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have jumped to my death. You think giving up Peter makes us even? Hand over that heirloom!"

That was when I knew she'd been reborn like me.

She had killed me once. That would be enough.

Now I just wanted to escape with my baby. Still, she wouldn't let me go.

...

"Melva, get her some maid clothes and take her to the kitchen," Peter ordered. "She's cooking for Nicole."

He scooped up Nicole and softened. "Let's get you upstairs to rest."

The maids surrounded me, leaving no way out. I sighed, getting up from the ground and following them to the kitchen.

When I brought the steaming oatmeal to their room, Nicole was in a flimsy nightgown, her figure barely showing a bump.

Peter was massaging her legs, all gentle.

My own legs were swollen and shaky, but I stood quietly.

Nicole slid her foot up, teasing him. He sucked in a sharp breath, letting out a suppressed growl. He pressed down on her foot and glanced at me.

"Oatmeal is getting cold," he said. "You want some?"

Nicole pouted. "Are you tired of me already?"

He melted, pulling her close. "I'd never. I just didn't want to hurt you."

She cut him off with a kiss. Soon, their gasps and moans filled the room, but neither of them sent me away.

By 3 a.m., they finally quieted down. The oatmeal had congealed, just like my heart.

Melva let me go. Now that my bedroom had been locked, she dumped me in a cramped storage room downstairs.

After she bolted the door, I slumped against the wall, forcing down the cold oatmeal. No matter what, I'd protect my baby. He was the only family I had left in this world.

Born an orphan, I had always craved a family.

In high school, Peter was my sunshine. I felt unworthy, only watching him from afar.

When his family went bankrupt and his parents died, I gathered my courage and found him in the street.

His family had once sponsored me, so I took him in naturally. I cooked for him, gave him every penny I had, and encouraged him to start over.

In my dingy apartment, he proposed, promising me a real home.

But when Nicole came back, it all fell apart. My years of devotion couldn't compete with his childhood crush.

My mind wandered until I caught something important.

To fund Peter's startup, I'd sold a pendant my parents left me.

The orphanage head said I'd been found clutching it, with no memory of my past. They'd searched for my family but found nothing.

This pendant was very likely the heirloom Nicole mentioned. Maybe my family was still out there.

...

Once again, I saw hope.

If she wanted that pendant so badly, it could only mean one thing.

She was trying to replace me, and I needed to act fast.

I recalled selling it to a pawnshop. When the owner asked about my past and my address, I hesitated and lied, just in case.

After paying me, she held me back. "Kid, don't trust men blindly. Hold onto your money. This pendant's worth more than $10,000, but if you're set on helping your boyfriend, I'll give you that now. Take this gold locket too and keep it safe. If life goes south, bring it back, and I'll give you more. Just keep this from him."

I didn't think much of it then, but when Peter asked, I kept quiet.

Now the locket was my last straw. It was in a safe in my room. I had to grab it before leaving.

Exhausted, I dozed off.

Half-dreaming, I felt hands on me and jolted awake. Nicole was there, strangling me.

"You think you can compete with me?" she hissed. "Tell me where the pendant is, or you're dead! I could kill you in my last life. I still can."

Her urgency confirmed my suspicions, but I couldn't understand why she wanted me gone so badly. I hadn't done anything to her.

Fury from two lifetimes exploded. I grabbed her hair, yanking hard.

As she yelped, I kicked her shin. "You'll never steal my identity! I know you weren't kidnapped. Your kid is the seed of that man you ran off with. He ditched you, so you crawled back to Peter for a payday, didn't you?"

It was a bluff, but her panicked look told me I'd hit the mark.

Enraged, she grabbed scissors from a shelf. I backed away quickly, but instead of attacking, she screamed and stabbed her own arm.

Peter burst in and found her bleeding on the floor.

His eyes blazing, he shoved me and snapped, "What the hell did you do?"