Chapter 1 Chapter 1

As soon as I opened my eyes, I rushed into my future in-laws' bedroom. As expected, they were lying on the bed, their faces pale, lips tinged with blue. Having lived through this once before, I knew immediately that they had been poisoned. I pulled out my phone. Just as I was about to call for an ambulance, Dylan Turner walked out of the room, fully dressed. He held my car keys in his hand. Glancing at his parents on the bed, he remained cold and indifferent. "I'm borrowing your car." I couldn't help but ask, "Don't you care that your parents are like this?" Dylan let out a mocking laugh. "Are you serious? Dad, Mom, do you really think I can't see through this act? Stop playing these ridiculous games." His icy words sent a chill down my spine. Seeing him turn to leave, I ran forward and blocked his path. "Dylan, this isn't an act! I don't care whether you believe it or not. Your parents are in serious danger. They need to go to the hospital right now.""Then take them yourself. Why are you stopping me? I'm not a doctor." He shoved me aside, his gaze filled with nothing but disdain. "Fiona, why are you using the elderly to pull a stunt because you're jealous? That's disgusting." With that, he turned and rushed off as if someone more important was waiting for him. In my past life, this scene had played out exactly the same way. Back then, Dylan also thought I was joking. However, after I repeatedly blocked his way and as his parents' condition worsened, he eventually stayed. In the end, he carried both of them downstairs himself and rushed them to the hospital. We got his parents, Andrew Turner and Sally Lyman, there in time, so they regained consciousness after having their stomachs pumped. Just as relief set in, Dylan received a call from the police station. His precious first love, Lauren Watson, had fallen into the sea while on a fishing trip. Her body was never found. After handling her funeral, Dylan's grief turned into rage, and he took it out on me. We went through with our wedding. But on our honeymoon, he took me out to sea. In waters teeming with sharks, he drove a knife into my back and tossed me overboard. The freezing ocean swallowed me whole. The scent of blood drew the sharks, and they tore into me like a plaything, their teeth sinking into my flesh, bite after bite. As I screamed for help, Dylan laughed, his face twisted with sick pleasure. "Fiona, you shouldn't have schemed against Lauren. This is your punishment!" Even now, I could still feel the sharks' teeth buried in my skin. A shiver ran down my spine. My body was heating up. I knew the situation was urgent. I pulled out my phone and dialed for an ambulance. Dylan's parents had always treated me well. I couldn't just stand by and watch them die. The emergency call center quickly notified a nearby hospital. Before long, my phone rang. I didn't wait for them to speak. I immediately gave them the address, detailed Andrew's and Sally's conditions, and listed what they needed to prepare. I had been through this before, so I knew their condition. Every saved minute increased their chance of survival. Before I could finish speaking, a familiar voice interrupted me from the other end of the line. It was Dylan's best friend, Nathan Hodges. "You sure know a lot of medical terms. You must have taken a while to search all that on the internet, right?" I froze. "What do you mean?"

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

"Dylan already called me. I know exactly what you're trying to do. Do you realize that you're wasting medical resources? Making a fake emergency call like this could cost a real patient their chance at survival!" Nathan continued to lecture me from the other end of the line. Then, it finally hit me. Nathan was a doctor at a nearby hospital. He must have seen my request, called Dylan, and decided to meddle. I was speechless. "So doctors these days don't even need to examine a patient before making a diagnosis? Just send the ambulance over now, or you'll be the one held responsible." Nathan was furious. "Who do you think you're threatening? If you hadn't schemed your way into Dylan's bed, do you think he'd ever have been with you? A manipulative woman like you belongs in a psych ward.""You're seriously insane. I recorded that. You can be sure that I'll be sending it straight to your hospital's complaint inbox." With that, I hung up. Then, I called the hotline again. This time, I made sure to report Nathan's verbal abuse along with my emergency request. The dispatcher reassured me while arranging for another ambulance. Even so, it still took over ten minutes for them to arrive. Nathan wasn't with them. Instead, another first aid responder led the team. He lifted Andrew's and Sally's eyelids for a quick examination, his expression darkening. "This isn't good." Without hesitation, he ordered his team to get them downstairs. On the way to the hospital, he kept calling ahead, making sure that they had beds and equipment ready. At the same time, he turned to me. "What did they eat before this?" In my past life, after Andrew and Sally recovered, they had their stomach contents tested. The results showed mercury poisoning. The cause? A takeout meal they had eaten that afternoon. Someone had laced it with poison. At the time, Andrew and Sally assumed that Dylan had ordered it, so they didn't think twice before finishing the entire meal. Even up until my death, we never found out who had placed the order. The first responder furrowed his brows when he heard this. He told me that mercury poisoning could cause severe organ damage and might even require surgery. Then, he asked me about my relationship with the patients. I immediately said, "They're my ex-fiancé's parents." The first responder looked at me for a while before continuing, "Then you need to contact their immediate family. If surgery is needed, a family member has to sign the consent form." I asked, "Can't I sign it?" He shook his head and repeated firmly, "Immediate family only." Left with no choice, I called Dylan's younger sister, Bernice Turner. Fortunately, she was in the same city. After hearing my explanation, she panicked. "How could my parents be poisoned? They don't have any enemies!" I rubbed my temples. "Now's not the time to play detective. Hurry, get off work and get here as soon as possible. The doctor said that they might need surgery, and I can't sign the consent form." As a responsible adult, Bernice quickly asked for the hospital's address and promised to come immediately. Knowing that the patients' condition were critical, the ambulance driver sped through the streets, cutting down what should've been a 15-minute drive to just ten. Once we arrived at the hospital, Andrew and Sally were rushed into the emergency room, and I hurried to pay the medical fees. After settling the payment, I sat outside the emergency room, waiting. Nathan passed by, looking dejected. But the moment he saw me, his expression twisted with anger. "Fiona, why are you so shameless? Just because I insulted you a little, you reported me to the emergency center. Now, I've had a month's performance pay deducted. Are you happy now? And did you really send my godparents to the hospital? Aren't you afraid of karma for tormenting them like this?" Before I could respond, a doctor walked out of the emergency room and urgently asked, "Are the patients' family members still not here? Their condition is critical. You need to contact them immediately." Nathan's face turned pale. Without saying another word, he followed the doctor back into the emergency room. Just two minutes later, he walked out and apologized to me. "I'm sorry. Dylan told me that you made this up out of jealousy. I really didn't think that it was true."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

I stared at Nathan coldly. I said, "Just apologizing isn't enough. You'd better call Dylan and ask him to get here." Nathan finally realized the gravity of the situation. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Dylan. The call rang for a long time before it was finally answered. However, the voice that came through from the other end of the line was sweet and delicate. "What's wrong? Dylan is driving and can't answer the call now," Lauren said. Nathan hurriedly explained, "Tell Dylan to come back immediately. His parents have been poisoned and need surgery. A next-of-kin has to sign the consent form." There was a brief pause before Dylan spoke into the phone. "Since when are you on Fiona's side? My parents need surgery? Why don't you just say that they're already dead?" Nathan snapped in frustration, "If you don't come, they really might die! Don't you trust me?" After a brief pause, Dylan replied, "Okay. I—" Before he could finish, Lauren interrupted, "You're not actually believing this, are you? Have you forgotten how they faked being sick to trick you before?" Dylan's voice became cold. "Tell Fiona if she dares to curse my parents by spreading lies about them being poisoned again, I'll call off our engagement." Then the line went dead. When Nathan tried calling again, Dylan's phone was already turned off. He cursed under his breath and looked up at me with a pitiful expression. I had expected Dylan to react this way. After all, he hadn't even spared his parents a single glance when they were in a coma in front of him. Why would a mere phone call change his mind? Now, all my hopes rested on Bernice. Time dragged on, and despite the doctor urging us three times, Bernice was nowhere to be seen. I estimated the time before calling her, "Bernice, where are you?" She snapped at me the moment she picked up. "Can you stop making a scene? Do you know how important my meeting is today? I don't have time to play along with you." My heart plummeted into an icy abyss. I was certain that Dylan had already called her. Only Bernice could save her parents right now. Forcing myself to remain patient, I said, "Bernice, I'm not lying. Andrew and Sally were really poisoned. They need surgery. No one else can sign the consent form if you don't come. Every minute of delay puts them at greater risk." Bernice scoffed. "Surgery? You really have all the tricks, don't you? Let me give you some advice. Drop the act. The more you do this, the less Dylan will want anything to do with you. I'm busy. Stop calling me." Then she hung up. I had no choice but to ask Nathan to call her instead. He had known Bernice since they were young, so I figured that he could convince her. Bernice was convinced we were conspiring together. She gave him the same response. "I'm not coming. Even if this is real, I'm not a doctor. What difference would it make?" Nathan lost it and started cursing at her. "Bernice, do you have a heart? Your parents are on the brink of death, and this is how you talk?" Unfortunately, Bernice wasn't convinced. She simply blocked both of our numbers. Just then, a doctor rushed out. "They're not going to make it much longer. Have you reached the family?" I stepped forward. "Doctor, please, can't you just do the surgery first? We'll sign the forms afterward. Please, just save them!" Seeing my desperation, the doctor sighed and agreed to at least try talking to the higher-ups. Nathan immediately ran off to contact other surgeons, trying to find someone willing to take responsibility for the surgery. However, given how strained doctor-patient relations were at that time, the surgeons all refused to take on the case when they heard that the family hadn't yet consented. Nathan's eyes reddened. "Stay here. I'm going to find those two myself." I hurried inside, and the sight of Andrew and Sally made me burst into tears instantly. "Andrew, Sally, I'm so sorry." How did this happen? I had called the ambulance the moment I realized something was wrong. How had it come to this? Perhaps sensing that their time was running out, Andrew and Sally had tears in their eyes. They called out for Dylan and Bernice. My throat tightened as I asked a nearby nurse to lend me a phone to call Dylan. Dylan picked up first. "Dylan, you need to come now. Your parents are really in critical condition." The moment he heard my voice, he hung up on me. I called again, this time from someone else's phone. Nevertheless, he cut the call off without any hesitation. Eventually, his phone was turned off. I was about to try calling from another phone when the machine behind me suddenly started beeping an alarm, and I was quickly pushed out of the emergency room. After half an hour, the doctor emerged from the room and said to me, "I'm sorry. We did everything we could, but they didn't make it." I hadn't even said anything when a scream came from behind me. "What did you say?"