The Third Time I Died For You

On our wedding anniversary, at the revolving restaurant in the Space Needle, Jasper Crawford ditched me again for his “one true love.”

I told the system, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m so tired.”

The home I’d designed for him would remain forever unfinished—just like the space in his heart I could never seem to fill.

The system told me that if I died in this world, I could escape the mission and return to my original world.

The first time, I stood on the balcony of our unfinished penthouse apartment, ready to leap. Jasper saved me, only to accuse me of doing it all for attention.

The second time, I washed down half a bottle of antidepressants with the whiskey he’d bought me. He’d burst in at the last second, clutching me and sobbing that he knew he’d been wrong.

There’s always a third time, a fourth, and a fifth, isn’t there?

————————

1

Today was our third wedding anniversary, and in a rare show of affection, Jasper had booked a table at the Space Needle’s restaurant.

Just as I was about to make a wish over the glittering Seattle nightscape, his phone buzzed.

“Sorry, I have to take this,” he murmured, a trace of the warmth from our earlier flirtation still lingering in his smile.

I nodded, watching him answer. “Hello?”

Hailey Ford’s shrill voice blasted from the phone, choked with tears. "Jasper! Scarlett's PTSD is flaring up! She's… she's locked herself in the bathroom, and she's completely losing it!"

A faint crackle of static followed, then Scarlett Lockwood’s broken sobs. "Jasp, are you with her? You haven't forgotten about me, have you?"

Her voice was so fragile it sounded as if it might shatter. "I knew it. I knew she would..."

The color drained from Jasper’s face. "Scarlett, calm down! I'm on my way—"

Instinctively, I grabbed his wrist. "Jasper, Scarlett has a 24-hour private nurse. Her security—"

Hailey’s voice rose to a shriek. "Is that Genevieve Hayes with you? Is she stopping you? Scarlett is dying, Jasper, and you’re letting that woman get in the way?"

"That's enough, Hailey," Jasper cut in, his voice sharp with irritation before turning back to me. "Scarlett's in real danger."

"Please, just try to understand," he said, his tone softening as he reached for my cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."

I turned away, avoiding his touch. His fingertips smelled of another woman's perfume.

Hailey’s scream ripped through the phone again. "Hurry, Jasper! Scarlett said if you don't come right now, she'll—"

Jasper’s eyes went red. "Genevieve, we can celebrate our anniversary another day. Scarlett needs me. If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear, I'll spend all my time with you after this."

A cold laugh escaped me. "You said that last time. And the time before that."

"I mean it this time." He gripped my shoulders, his eyes already darting toward the exit. "I swear, once Scarlett's condition—"

Before he could finish, Hailey shrieked through the phone. "You selfish bitch, Genevieve! Do you have to torment a sick woman at a time like this?"

Her words were followed by a series of sharp, gasping breaths from Scarlett. "Jasp, I… I can’t breathe…"

"Scarlett! Scarlett, hang in there!" Jasper yelled into the phone, his usual composure shattered.

A heart-wrenching scream tore through the line, followed by the sickening crash of something heavy hitting the floor.

Hailey cried out, "Scarlett fainted! She hit her head! You have to come now!"

"Jasp… save me…" Scarlett’s voice faded to a whisper.

Jasper took a deep breath. "Wait for me at home, alright? I'll be back as soon as I can."

The door slammed shut. I heard myself say, "If you walk out that door, we're done."

My only response was the distant ding of the arriving elevator.

I stared at the untouched, exquisite meal and said to the system, "System, I give up."

There was a time when breaking a promise would have left Jasper riddled with guilt for a whole night. He would have rushed home just to tell me he was sorry.

When had keeping his promises become such a chore?