Reborn to the Day I Chose My Nemesis

Beryl

I woke up with a gasp. My hands immediately flew to my chest and I grabbed the skin on it, trying to fight off the pain that I now realize was imaginary.

My eyes skimmed over the room, expecting to see hospital walls, but these walls – my eyes narrowed slightly – they belonged to my room.

“What's happening?”

A notification sound sliced through the silence of the room, and reflexively I reached for my phone on the nightstand.

11th November, 2022. 7:00 AM.

A chill went down my spine when I saw the time and date. This is… “It can't be.”

When I inputted my password, the one I had before getting married, my phone opened to a message from Luke Thomas.

“We are still on for today, babe?”

Reading It felt like a whiplash. This was the exact message he sent me a year ago, that had me smiling and feeling like the world was finally at my feet.

I removed the duvet from my legs, and stared at them, then I slowly wiggled my toes and they moved. A lump instantly formed in my throat and I swallowed.

Gently, I stood up from the bed, and I didn't fall. I could feel the cold tiles beneath my feet, I took a step forward, then another, and another.

“Oh my God,” I slapped my hands over my mouth, tears filling my eyes.

Was this a dream? Some sort of cruel joke by the universe? Or was this… I stood before the mirror, my reflection stared back at me. I looked younger, my hair way past my shoulder unlike the Bob I embraced down the line.

I pressed my fingers gently over my face.

Picking up my phone again, I checked the date and it truly was the 11th of November, 2022.

I returned to the past?

If I was right, Linda would burst into my room any…

“Sister!” I didn't even get to finish my train of thought before she rushed into the room, grinning so brightly.

As she walked over to me with her arms spread, the image of her shoving that disgusting liquid down my throat came to mind.

I shuddered, swallowing heavily, and quickly moved out of her way before she could wrap her arms around me.

Her smile faltered and she looked at me quizzically.

“Are you okay? Is everything…”

“Something came up,” I said, and rushed to my wardrobe where I picked up a fancy robe, then I grabbed my phone. “I'll be right back, feel at home.”

I zoomed past her, but stopped when I got to the door, my eyes latching onto the bag she was carrying.

“That's my dress for later today, right?”

She nodded, her smile returning as she raised the bag and wiggled it, “you are about to be the star of the show tonight.”

“I see,” I smiled and ran off.

She had altered that dress, and right in the middle of the room, it had split open. I had to hide away for the rest of the night, while she so politely handled the rest of the event for me.

My innocent designer got fired for her actions.

That won't be happening this time, but first…

“I'll drive myself,” I took the key from my driver and zoomed off. I didn't bother with being careful on the road.

I might have lost my legs before to a car crash, but it wasn't on this day. The trip to the nursing home was an hour, but I made it in 45 minutes.

“Dad…”

“Beryl darling,” his voice was weak, and tears blurred my vision.

I rushed over to him and immediately fell into his arms. That was when the pain of everything I've been through came slamming into me, the pain of him being wheeled out of the room, dead, of burying him, it all came crashing on me and I wept, bitterly.

“I've missed you so much! I- I've missed you!” I choked out in between tears and he laughed.

“You saw me yesterday, did you miss me that much in 24 hours that you had to come rushing like this?”

I pulled back from his arms and looked at his face, really looked.

I blindly followed Luke's advice to have him put into a nursing home because the doctor advised bed rest, and I so foolishly turned a blind eye to him diminishing right before my eyes.

Was I so blind that I couldn't see what was happening right before me? Fresh set of tears pooled in my eyes and I buried my face into my palm and sobbed.

“What is it, my darling? Why are you…”

“I have to get you out of here.”

I looked up to meet his surprised gaze, but his surprise quickly morphed into a small smile.

“Won't Luke throw a fuss?”

I drew back as though I was stung. There was something about his tone. “Is there anything you have to tell me about Luke?”

“Your father is a paranoid Businessman, everyone is a suspect to me. Do not question your love because of my suspicions”

Luke's words to me came rushing to mind. “Send my apologies to your father, he was a good man, but if I had let him live, he would have destroyed all my plans.”

I opened my mouth but words failed me, the lump in my throat had grown even larger. He knew something, and he kept quiet, for my happiness.

“I'm sorry, I should have been more careful.” I tried to keep the pain away from my voice but my throat burned with every word I spoke. “I'm sorry.”

He raised his trembling hand to my face and gently wiped the tears that were streaming down. “You don't have to apologize about a thing.”

My lips trembled from all the unshed tears, “I do, I have to apologize and I promise, I will make it up to you. I will.”

Taking a deep breath, I stood to my feet.

“I'll have you transferred out of here soon. Just give me a little time, okay?”

“Take the pills with you.”

“What?”

“The pills in the drawer, take them with you.”

My conversation with my father played in my head as I drove off to my next location.

“How long have you known he was up to no good?” I asked after packing all the pills.

His face fell, “From the moment he walked into the house.”

“Why didn't you stop me or warn me?”

“You loved him, a lot, and I hoped he'd get to love you.”

It felt like my heart was squeezed at his response, with one nod, I left.

Once I parked the car and stepped out, I bumped right into the person I came to meet. My tongue grew limp inside my mouth as his dark eyes slowly scanned my body with what looked like surprise and worry.

I was tempted to wrap my arms around me but I held back and met his gaze.

“Beryl Hales,” his voice was low with a hard edge, “I didn't think a day would come where I'd see you with a robe. It could do without the Pajamas.”

His lips curled up into a smirk that I found infuriating, and I had to remind myself that this man here, as intimidating and annoying as he was… he was the only one who gave a shit about me.

“Zach Lorelei,” his brows cucked up and he lost the smirk, “I want you to come to my party tonight.”

“Is this…”

I raised a hand, cutting him off. “Let me finish,” to my surprise he actually kept quiet and I took a deep breath.

“I want you to come tonight, not just as any guest, but as my fiancé.”

The air around us seemed to hold its breath.

“Are you proposing to me, Hales?”

“I am.”

His dark eyes searched my face, and I guess he saw no sign of a bluff because he instantly stood straighter, then he turned to walk away.

“Lets discuss this in my office.”