“Your child is no more.”

The doctor’s words shattered Elsa.

“Mrs. Elsa... I'm sorry, but I can't detect a heartbeat.”

No matter how hard Elsa tried, those words kept echoing in her head.

She sat in front of her apartment door. Rainwater streamed from her hair and sleeves, dripping steadily onto the marble.

"Your blood test shows a dangerously high level of black cohosh in your system. Elsa, I think you should go home and rest," Dr. Thorne had said gently.

Elsa’s broken chuckle echoed in the empty hallway.

Home? As if anyone could simply go home and sleep after their entire world had been ripped away. Another baby... gone before it even had the chance to see the sun.

"How will I tell Josh... how?" she sobbed.

He had been so different during this pregnancy—laughing, smiling, and making freshly blended drinks for her every single day.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Click.

The apartment was completely dark, save for the blue glow of a laptop screen resting on the coffee table.

"Josh?" Elsa’s voice trembled.

The only reply was the distant sound of rushing water running in the master bathroom.

Elsa sat down on the couch, wiping her damp hands against her knees. The laptop screen glowed with a new message from Dora.

Dora: I will be coming soon with the blend.

Dora?

Elsa’s trembling hand moved the cursor and clicked on the chat history.

Dora: I have a solution to this.

Josh: What's that? Hope she won't notice.

Dora: She can't if you don't tell her... it's a blend.

Josh: I have done it... she didn't notice... bring more.

The shivering vanished immediately. Elsa smiled a cold, hollow smile.

Dora. The beautiful colleague he always smiled at.

"We're just colleagues," Josh had promised her. "I would never lie to you."

Elsa’s eyes caught something in a bag beside the laptop just as Josh walked out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through his damp hair.

"You're back?" he asked, surprised, as he turned on the light.

Elsa didn't say a word. Josh immediately moved toward the coffee table and picked up his laptop.

"Our baby... is dead," Elsa whispered.

"What? How? Babe, are you okay?"

Elsa blinked away her tears, staring at the monster wearing her husband's skin.

"Josh..." Her voice dropped. "Did you poison our child?"

"What?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Elsa, you're soaked. Go—"

"You didn't, right? Just tell me you didn't, and I'll forget about everything," Elsa said, her voice terrifyingly calm.

He leaned against the doorway, silent.

"Why...?" Elsa whispered. Then, she screamed, "Why?! You murdered our child and you almost killed me!"

His brows knitted together. "Elsa... I don't know what you're talking about. You need to rest right now."

"Black cohosh was found in my blood,"

He froze, then let out a sharp laugh.

"And somehow that means I poisoned you? Do you hear yourself? I know you can't accept what happened... but we will try again, Elsa."

Elsa grabbed the small container of black cohosh sitting right beside the laptop bag and threw it at his chest. "Then explain this!"

He stared at the bottle on the floor for a long moment. "How did you find this?"

"Why...?" she whispered.

Elsa lunged forward, slamming her fists against his chest. "Why?! Why did you do it?!"

His fist tightened around her wrists, halting her movements. Looking down into her eyes, he sneered, "Because I never wanted it."

He shoved her away. Elsa’s weak knees collapsed, and she fell hard to the floor.

"Get it through your head, I never wanted a child. Definitely not from you."

"Then why did you do it?!" she screamed through her tears. "Why marry me, you prick?!"

He picked up his towel, folded it neatly, and placed it on a chair.

"Because you were the only way to get what I wanted—my grandmother's property. I'm still pissed off that I had to marry you just to get my hands on it." He turned his back to her, looking out the rain-lashed window.

This wasn't the man she had been married to for two years.

"Let's be realistic," Josh said, turning back to face her. "We're already divorced. The court finalizes the decree next week."

"What... What do you mean?"

He squatted down, keeping his distance from her. "You signed the asset waiver and the separation agreement yourself. They were tucked right in with the medical authorization forms for your prenatal care."

"You tricked me."

He shook his head. "I just ended what would have ended eventually. I just did it much earlier."

The front door clicked open.

"Josh—" Dora walked right into the apartment but paused dead in her tracks. She was holding another dark bottle.

Elsa laughed, pushing herself up from the floor. "You are all monsters... devils... murderers!"

She scrambled toward the kitchen, her hands diving into her purse.

"Josh, stop her! She's going to call the police!" Dora cried out.

"Elsa! Stop!"

Josh lunged at her, locking his hand around her throat and slamming her back against the kitchen counter.

Elsa clawed at his arm, fighting for air while desperately trying to keep hold of her phone. Josh wrestled violently to tear the device from her grip.

"Don't make this difficult, Elsa!"

The sharp clatter of utensils and shattering glass echoed through the room as they struggled.

"Elsa—no—stop!" Dora rushed in and yanked Elsa’s head back with brutal force.

Elsa's foot slipped on the wet floor. She lost her balance and tumbled backward.

CRACK.

Her skull collided heavily with the glass coffee table. The surface shattered into a hundred jagged pieces.

For a second, silence swallowed the room.

Blood began to pour from her head, soaking rapidly into the rug. Elsa choked, her fingers twitching against the sharp shards of glass.

"What did you do?!" Josh’s panicked voice sounded muffled and blurred.

Elsa's eyelids grew impossibly heavy.

Josh stared down at her body, his hands shaking as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey..." He swallowed hard. "Something went wrong."

Silence. He glanced at the blood spreading beneath Elsa.

"...She's dead."

Another long pause.

"No... this wasn't part of the plan."

Through the fading light of her consciousness, Elsa heard him calmly planning how they would call emergency services an hour later—telling them his wife had tripped and fallen while he was away on a business trip.

The front door clicked shut, the lock sliding into place, and darkness swallowed her whole.

If there is another life... Elsa prayed fiercely in the dark. I'll make sure you're the one who dies.

"Elsa. Elsa... hey!" The sharp voice sliced right through the fog.

Elsa blinked, gasping for air.

"I've been calling your name for ages. Why are you just standing here staring into space?" her best friend, Julie, asked, looking at her in total confusion.

Everything felt dangerously blurry; the bright overhead lights were spinning. Elsa’s hand flew to her hair, then she pulled it back to look at her palm.

No blood.

She looked around at her surroundings. What am I doing in a bustling department store instead of lying in a hospital? she whispered to herself.

"What on earth are you thinking about?" Julie snapped her fingers in front of Elsa's face.

"Julie...?" Elsa choked out.

"Oh, come on. Did you really miss me that much?" Julie teased, playfully pulling Elsa's cheeks. "Or are you just nervous about buying sexy lingerie for your husband?" she whispered.

Lingerie?

"Honestly, Elsa, I've been telling you to leave that Josh guy. I don't trust him," Julie continued, her voice slipping into her familiar, protective nagging tone.

Elsa ignored the chatter, her heart racing as she scanned the area. Everything looked incredibly familiar.

"It's only been a year since you lost your first baby, and now you're already trying to seduce your own husband to try for another one," Julie sighed, shaking her head.

A year? What was going on?

"Julie..."

Suddenly, a loud announcement boomed from the mall's speakers. "Hello everyone! We are excited to announce a special store bonus today... You will get a massive discount on any purchase!"

Elsa's eyes shot toward the digital calendar banner flashing above the boutique entryway.

MAY 21, 2026

The exact day she had taken Julie to buy lingerie. Five months before she was murdered.

Her phone vibrated in her palm.

Josh: Honey, I won't be back early today. Don't wait up.

The exact same message.

Elsa's trembling hand almost dropped the device. She turned abruptly and hurried toward the escalator, gripping the glass handrail tightly.

"What are you doing?" Julie asked, rushing to keep up with her.

Yes, Elsa thought. A little girl is supposed to fall down these stairs on this exact day and be rushed to the hospital. That was definitely how she was going to prove to herself what was happening.

Right on cue, a small five-year-old girl broke away from her mother, running toward the moving stairs.

"Stop!" the mother called out.

Before anyone could yell, the child's foot caught the edge, and she stumbled, falling forward.

Elsa's breath caught. It was all real. God had given her another chance.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she threw her arms around Julie, burying her face into her friend's shoulder.

"I'm alive," she whispered, her shoulders shaking. "I'm really alive."

"Uh... were you dead before?" Julie asked, patting her back, thoroughly bewildered.

Elsa pulled away and wiped her eyes. "We're not buying the lingerie anymore."

"What? Why?"

Elsa grabbed her wrist, dragging her straight out of the boutique. "Let's go home."

Brace yourself, Josh... because your submissive little wife is back, but she is not the same person anymore. This time, she will give you exactly what you deserve.

"Speak of the devil," Julie muttered, gesturing toward the main road as they walked out of the shopping complex.

Elsa followed her gaze to a massive billboard towering over the highway. Josh's face filled the screen. He always took over the media interviews or press conferences whenever his billionaire boss refused to appear.

Looking at him now, he looked anxious, his posture rigid. He was always terrified of messing up at work.

To destroy someone like him, going after the one thing he valued most was the only way.

"I'm going back to Wright Empire," Elsa announced, pointing a finger directly at his face on the billboard.

Julie stared at the logo flashing on the screen: WRIGHT EMPIRE. The most powerful conglomerate in Los Angeles—the very company Elsa had walked away from just to please Josh.

Julie's eyes widened. "You want to go back there? After giving up that job for Josh?"

"Yes," Elsa said, meeting her eyes with absolute certainty. "And this time, I'm not giving up anything for him."

***

One week later, Elsa walked back into Wright Empire for the first time in two years. Everything was exactly the same—the polished marble floors, the towering glass walls.

Dozens of highly qualified women sat on the sleek leather couches in the waiting area, murmuring quietly as they competed for the same corporate roles.

"Miss Elsa," a voice called out.

Elsa braced herself and stepped inside the private office.

"We will only accept you as an accountant," the new hiring manager said immediately. She didn't even bother to look up at Elsa's portfolio, her perfectly manicured, glowing acrylic nails clicking sharply against her tablet screen.

"Accountant?" Elsa repeated. "You haven't... you haven't even opened my portfolio yet."

"Yes, well, it's an urgent position our boss needs to fill immediately," the woman replied indifferently.

Elsa smiled inwardly. She hadn't realized getting back into the company would be this easy. An accounting position meant direct access to the financial books.

"I accept."

"Good."

"Can I start in a few days?" Elsa asked, keeping her voice steady. "Right after my husband's birthday party."

"Just arrive early."

"Thank you."

Elsa lowered her head and stood up. But as she turned to leave, the strap of her bag caught the edge of a ceramic coffee cup resting on the table.

SMASH.

The cup shattered violently against the floor.

Elsa's breath instantly jammed in her throat. The sharp sound triggered a violent, blinding flashback. Her fingers gripped the edge of the desk to keep her knees from collapsing under her.

"Are you okay?" the hiring manager asked, but her voice sounded blurry and distant, as if Elsa were trapped underwater. "Miss Elsa?" The woman reached out, touching her arm.

Elsa nodded frantically, a cold sweat breaking out across her collarbone. "I-I'm so sorry," she stammered, immediately bending down to help clean up the mess.

But as her hand moved down toward the floor, her eyes locked onto her left wrist.

A glowing, digital-like mark was etched into her bare skin, pulsing with a faint, eerie light. Written clearly against her flesh were :

October 15... 5 chances left.

Elsa stared down at her left wrist in sheer disbelief.

October 15... 5 chances left.

"You should just leave it," the hiring manager's sharp voice snapped her out of her trance.

Before Elsa could answer, a cleaner slipped into the room to sweep up the broken porcelain. Elsa bowed, masking her internal panic, and hurried out of the corporate office with her mind spinning.

But she didn't have time to dwell on the mysterious mark. Not when she had a party to attend.

~~~

Elsa stood in front of the full-length mirror, smoothing down the fabric of a breathtaking, backless black silk gown. Her fingers brushed her waist as she stared at her reflection. She had almost forgotten that this bold, beautiful version of herself even existed.

Her eyes drifted to a manila folder resting on the vanity. She picked it up, sliding the paperwork out to look at it one last time.

Divorce Decree.

She carefully slid the decree inside a stack of corporate asset files, tucked them into her bag, and walked out. Her heels echoed sharply down the grand hallway of the luxury hotel.

In her past life, this birthday party had been a nightmare she desperately wanted to forget. A drunk client had mistaken her for a waitress, humiliating her and pushing her to the floor while Josh simply watched from afar, too terrified of ruining his career to admit she was his wife.

Elsa's legs froze right in front of the grand ballroom entrance. The laughter leaking out from inside sounded exactly the same. The music. The snobbish, elite voices.

She pushed the heavy double doors open, scanning the high-society crowd, then spotted him. Josh was standing near the VIP lounge, and right beside him, laughing elegantly, was Dora.

Elsa smoothly snagged a glass of red wine from a waiter's tray and began walking toward the same table she had occupied in her past life—then stopped herself, shaking her head. No. Sitting there would be like begging karma to repeat itself.

She moved to an adjacent table, crossing her legs gracefully as she took a slow sip of her wine.

Moments later, a young woman walked into the ballroom, nervously tugging at the hood of her oversized sweatshirt, looking completely out of place—just like Elsa once had. The girl walked over and sat down at the exact table Elsa had just vacated.

"Hey!" a harsh voice broke through the music. A wealthy guest shoved an empty glass into the young girl's hands.

"I'm not..." the girl tried to explain, but it was too late. Another man approached, thrusting more empty glasses into her hands, treating her like hired help.

The girl lowered her head, her shoulders trembling as she took the glasses.

Thud. Splash.

Elsa's eyes widened. The girl was shoved down, desperately trying to pick up the shattered glass from the floor.

"Are you okay?" a smooth, unfamiliar voice asked..The crowd went quiet. Elsa tried to peer through the elite guests, but she couldn't see the face of the man who stepped in to help the girl up.

The tragedy was still happening—but the victim had changed.

Someone took my place... because I walked away.

Elsa looked back at Josh, then at Dora standing proudly by his side. If fate could replace one victim, could it replace another? Could Dora become the woman destroyed by Josh instead of her, if she simply allowed Dora to take her place?

Elsa's hand tightened around the stem of her wine glass, knuckles turning white.

Since you want my husband so badly, Dora, I will gladly give you my fate.

But first, she had to stop history from repeating itself tonight. It was after this very party in her past life that she had gotten pregnant.

Her phone blinked in her palm.

Josh: Meet me in the VIP dressing room. Now.

Josh locked the door behind Elsa the moment she walked into the private room.

"Elsa, what the... what are you wearing?!" "His eyes flashed with anger.

"It's a birthday surprise," she murmured, stepping closer.

"A surprise? It's completely exposing your body. You shouldn't be wearing this," he whispered harshly. "Go change into something nice."

"I can't."

"What?"

"You told me I shouldn't walk up to you in public, and now you don't even want me to look beautiful for you?.... I'm just trying to look beautiful like the others, Josh."

He stepped closer, his expression softening. "Elsa, you know why I'm keeping our marriage a secret... don't you?"

"To protect me from the company... right."

Josh nodded "Yes babe"

"Okay, Josh, I will change out of this dress later..." She stepped into his space, her hand sliding up his arm. "But I actually need you to do something for me first."

She reached into her bag and pulled out the manila folder. "It just needs your signature, Josh. I don't know when we'll get another private moment like this again."

"What's this?"

"How can I spill my surprise?" She nudged him playfully. "You want a baby, don't you?"

He looked at Elsa for a second, a greedy smile touching his lips, then took the pen from her hand. "Don't forget... tonight"

Just sign it... Elsa chanted fiercely in her mind.

His eyes scanned the top of the paper, the pen hovering over the signature line.

A loud, aggressive knock rattled the dressing room door.

"Sir! They need you on the main floor right now!" a waiter shouted from the hallway.

"I'm coming!" Josh snapped, irritated.

"Sir?" the knock continued frantically. "Sir... it seems Mr. Emir has just arrived!"

"Fuck!" Josh swore under his breath. "Why is he here?" He signed without another glance, dropped the pen, and rushed out the door.

Breathe, Elsa... Breathe.

The moment the door slammed shut, Elsa ripped the file open. Her finger traced the fresh black ink of his signature.

"Ma'am..." The waiter who had knocked peeked his head through the door. "All done."

Elsa smiled as she slipped a few bills into his palm. "Thanks for your help," she whispered.

The waiter nodded and disappeared into the corridor.

Elsa walked back out toward the lounge. Her eyes drifted to Dora, who was breathing heavily, her hand moving nervously to her collar.

Dora reached for Josh's hand beneath the table, gently sliding it onto her thigh. A moment later, she pushed open the exit door, and Josh quietly followed her into the shadows.

It is done.

Elsa snatched a full bottle of wine from the bar and pushed open the heavy door to the rooftop.

She slipped off her high heels, letting the cold concrete shock her bare feet. Slowly, she rolled back her left sleeve, looking for the glowing digital text.

But the mark was gone.

"What are you?" she whispered to her own wrist.

Shaking her head, she popped the cork and drank nearly half the bottle. The wine burned her throat as hot tears finally rolled down her cheeks.

"Congratulations, Dora!" Elsa laughed out loud, raising the wine bottle. "Congratulations on taking my trash!"

Her head spun violently as she tightened her grip on the rooftop railing but stumbled backward with a gasp. Strong arms caught her from behind before her body could hit the hard concrete.

A rich, masculine scent surrounded her. She turned to see her savior's face, but the world dissolved into a chaotic blur.

***

"Elsa... Elsa, wake up! Let's run!" Julie cried, frantically shaking her.

"Julie... what's wrong?" little Elsa whispered.

"They're going to sell us! We have to leave! Run!"

"No... no..." Elsa's head shook violently as her hand tightened around the sheets.

"Elsa! Run... let's run!"

Elsa jolted awake, Julie's terrified voice still echoing in her ears.

For a few seconds, she simply stared upward, trying to catch her breath.

“Elsa...”

His deep voice cut through her memory.

Elsa blinked hard, her chest heaving as her trembling fingers fumbled with the stranger's tie, desperate to loosen the knot.

She crashed her lips against his before she could stop herself.

“You're drunk,” the stranger said, pulling back.

“Shhh...” she whispered, tightening her grip on his shirt. “Don't leave me.”

She reached for the zipper of her black dress—

She could still feel his hands and mouth on her.

But how did he know my name?

Her watery eyes swept across the unfamiliar luxury ceiling.

Elsa bolted upright.