No More, Never Again

Shawn and I were childhood sweethearts.

My parents were traditional and favored boys over girls. When I was little, they sent me to live with my aunt and uncle.

Other kids would point at me and call me the “unwanted child.”

The cruelty of kids knows no bounds.

They would gang up on me after school, tearing my dresses and sticking chewed gum in my hair.

During my aunt and uncle’s absence, my cousin Jenna would even lock me in the storage room.

“You had it coming. Your mom didn’t want you, and now you’re trying to steal mine.”

I used to think this dark and hopeless life would never end.

But then Shawn showed up.

He lifted me off the ground, stepped in front of me, and chased away the kids who had been bullying me.

He ended up getting into a fight. When he got home, Mr. Parker beat him with a belt and left him bruised and bloody.

It broke my heart to see him hurt because of me. I cried and took the candy I had kept hidden for so long and went to see him in secret.

He was lying on the bed and struggling to wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes.

“Don’t cry. I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt. I’ll always protect you from now on.”

He was like a ray of light, breaking into the bleak, dark world I lived in.

But it was all gone.

The punches and kicks raining down on me hurt so much I wanted to cry, but when you were in despair, you could not even cry.

I stared at the charred body. His finger wore the same diamond ring as mine.

A dull ache started in my lower abdomen.

Suddenly, it hit me, our baby…

Shawn’s parents were still shouting at me and yelling, “Why aren’t you dead yet?”

Disoriented and broken, I clutched my stomach and tried to stand, but the pain was so intense I could barely move.

“It was so close. So close.”

It was so close. If only he had had a little more time, he would have known about the baby.

I signed the body release form in a daze and returned home.

All my strength was gone. I clutched my stomach and collapsed on the floor by the door. The blood between my legs stung my eyes.

I reached out into the air to try grabbing something, but there was nothing to hold onto.

The next day, I attended Shawn’s funeral in full attire.

Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. My white wedding dress was soaked in blood.

Jenna screamed and ran toward me. She shoved me away.

“Samantha, haven’t you done enough? Is it not enough that you killed Shawn? Now you won’t even let him rest in peace?”

She kept shouting, but I could not hear the rest.

I numbly placed the white roses I had brought next to the coffin. Then, I walked away, feeling empty.

I returned to our home, paid Mrs. Taylor her wages, and asked her to leave.

I locked the bedroom door and lay down on the bed.

As the last rays of the sun faded, I felt something slowly drain from my body.

Maybe it was life. Maybe it was consciousness.

It did not matter anymore. I thought. “Shawn, I’m coming to you with our baby.”

…

I was back at Shawn’s funeral when I opened my eyes again.

My body felt translucent. No one could see me.

But it was all right.

I was dead now, which meant I could see my Shawn again.

I scanned the room and searched for his presence.

Finally, I saw him. He was standing beside Jenna.

I instinctively rushed toward him.

“Shawn, I finally found you! We’re having a baby!”

However, my hands passed right through him.

Shawn did not seem to hear me. He turned to comfort his grieving parents and said, “Dad, Mom, don’t cry. It’s me. I’m not dead.”