ALIRA'S POV

I suddenly could hear sirens as it wailed like broken promises.

I felt cold, not from the air, but from the place inside me where something had ruptured.

I was aware of rough hands lifting me, the wheels of the stretcher screeching against the tile, voices blending into one chaotic blur.

"She's bleeding internally! We need to stabilize her!"

"BP dropping....she's going into shock!"

They barked orders as though I were a thing, a body...not a woman who had just been pushed down the staircase of her own home by the man she loved.

But I couldn't scream....I couldn't even blink.

I was trapped within myself, silent and still, like a doll whose strings had been cut.

Then came the quiet.

The ambulance faded and The ER lights vanished.

Time lost all meaning in the coma.

I floated in a thick, endless, black conscious but disembodied state.

Somewhere beyond the black curtain, I heard machines...a faint beeping, the shuffle of rubber soles and soft voices murmuring charts and vitals.

She's still here, I told myself.... I'm still here.

My body lay in that hospital bed, plugged into wires and tubes, but my mind and my soul was wide awake, waiting and listening.

The first visitor I had arrived in heels.

I would've known that strut anywhere...my sister Betsy.

"Poor Alira, you always did have a flair for drama." She said with her voice full of venom.

She was standing right beside me and I could feel her presence like a needle under my skin.

"Didn't think it would end like this, though...Did you?" She asked as She chuckled.

The sound was a cruel, satisfying sound.

"You should've minded your business...you were never meant to know....you always had everything and now it's my turn."

Everything? I wanted to scream.

I had a husband and sister who betrayed me, a mother who didn't care about me and a child who never had a chance to be born.

"He doesn't even come in to see you anymore...I suppose you figured that out when he pushed you." She said as her voice dropped to a whisper.

The memory suddenly slammed into me again like a second fall.

The cold push, my heel slipping and the air slicing through my lungs as I rolled down the stairs.

The memories came rushing into my head.

She left with one final kiss blown in mockery.

"Goodbye, sister."

The second visitor I had was unexpected because he was the last person I ever thought would care about me.

He stood beside me as I could feel him place his hand on mine.

"Alira?? I am so sorry about what has happened to you...this was never meant to happen and you were never meant to be here...I've watched quietly from the shadows how my side Betsy and your own mother treats you and whenever I tried talking to Betsy about it, we end up fighting...the truth is that I don't love Betsy....I actually love you." Liam said as my world stilled.

"He loves me??" I asked myself in disbelief.

"Yes..I wish I had the balls to tell you earlier but I just couldn't....Betsy had blackmailed me that if I should leave or divorce her, she would let everyone know I was impotent and was incapable of bearing children and that's why I am stuck in this loveless marriage with her...I wish I had told you how I felt about you earlier Alira...but I feel it's too late now." Liam said as he sobbed and walked out of the room.

I wanted to call his name and give him the comfort he needed...I so badly wanted to tell him it wasn't too late but who was I deceiving?? I had no idea when or if I was going to get out of this.

My Mother didn't come to visit and neither did my friends.

I had read somewhere that you only realize the true nature and intentions of people when something bad happens to you and it was quite unfortunate that it had to be me.

Even my so-called husband, the one responsible for my current condition, didn't come.

Hours passed or days as I couldn't tell...Then came him...the one who's visit I had been weirdly expecting.

His steps were heavier , hesitant and then firm.

"Alira." Alec called as I flinched inwardly.

The sound of his voice used to bring me comfort but now it curdled my blood.

He sat down, sighed, and said softly.

"You were never supposed to find out." He said.

No apology and no remorse.

"I didn't mean for it to go this far but you never made things easy, did you? Always questioning, always watching."

I wanted to claw my way out of the void and tear the lie from his mouth.

He leaned in closer as I felt the shift in the air.

"I don't regret it...you were always in the way...you held me back with your rules, your goodness, and thank the heavens the pregnancy part was out of the way."

He stood, brushing something off his sleeve.

"Now, I have freedom and your sister... well, she's easier." He said as the rage inside me boiled.

I was trembling inside my still body but it wasn't over.

He moved to the machine.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I heard the click, then a slow hiss as the rhythm changed.

My breath grew shallow and my chest tightened.

He's turning off my oxygen.

I was being murdered....Again.

My mind screamed and my soul thrashed.

I begged the universe, the stars, any god who would listen.

Please, don't let me die like this.

Not without a chance to make it right, not without revenge.

The darkness deepened as the machines slowed.

Please....Let me go back.

My lips didn't move, but my prayer echoed into the blackness:

Give me one more chance... Let me remember everything....Let me burn it all down.

Then silence.

The final silence.

But in the stillness, something stirred...Not death.

Something else.

A second chance.

ALIRA'S POV

"Will you marry me?"

The velvet box trembled slightly in his hands, and the candlelight flickered around us.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe...not from joy and definitely not from surprise but from the surreal recognition.

This had happened before..Exactly this way.

The rooftop restaurant, the violinist in the corner, his polished smile and the diamond that once sealed my fate.

I blinked as the world tilted.

My fingers trembled on the edge of reality as a thousand memories surged into my mind...hospital, betrayal, blood, the staircase, his hands, my death.

I was back.

Two years before.

Back to the very day I said yes.

He waited with his eyes bright with anticipation, the same eyes that once watched me fall.

I swallowed the bile in my throat.

My heart hammered in my chest but not from love, but from clarity.

This wasn't fate.

This was my rebirth.

And I would rewrite the ending.

"Yes." I said as I smiled.

His face lit up as he leaned in to kiss me.

I let him but behind my lashes, I didn't see my future husband...I saw a man already dead.

He just didn't know it yet.

He slipped the ring onto my finger, a symbol of chains but this time, I held the key.

The next morning, the house buzzed with celebration.

My mother's eyes brimmed with pride and my sister hugged me tightly, a bit too tightly.

But I wasn't the same Alira.

I studied their smiles and listened for the cracks in their voices.

My mother pretends to be kind, but deep down, she's just bitter....My sister, syrup-sweet, hiding daggers behind her teeth.

"You're glowing." Betsy said, brushing my hair behind my ear.

"So are you Betsy, like someone keeping secrets."

She blinked, caught off guard as I smiled a Sweet and dangerous smile.

"What are you two whispering about?" My mother asked.

"Just promises." I replied, sipping tea as if I hadn't once bled out in silence.

I began weaving my web as I watched everyone.

Every word, every movement, I played the docile bride-to-be, but underneath it all, I was gathering for a fire I would ignite with surgical precision.

They thought they were ahead of me.

But I remembered everything.

I was not going to allow history to repeat itself again and I knew that for my plans to be successful, I needed allies.

There was one person I didn't see at the house and that was Liam.

He was a pawn just as I was in my previous life and I still remember him confessing his love to me while I was in Coma.

I needed him for the first step of my plans to Kickstart and so after the celebration, I decided to go find him.

Liam Hart's apartment still looked the same.

Too clean, too perfect Just like his reputation.

I stared at the door for a moment and then I knocked.

Moments passed before the door opened.

Liam stood there, shirt unbuttoned at the collar with surprise flashing across his face.

"Alira?" he asked, stunned.

I tilted my head, offering a hesitant smile.

"Hi, Liam...I hope this isn't a bad time....I just... needed someone to talk to."

His eyes softened instantly...I knew they would.

"No, of course not...Come in."

I stepped inside with the scent of expensive cologne flooding my senses.

"You look different," Liam said gently.

"I do?? It could be the hair." I said with a smile.

"Not just your hair...Something else."

I turned to face him, letting my smile grow a little sad and a little mysterious.

"I feel different...like I woke up and suddenly realized how much time I've wasted being... quiet."

He nodded slowly, clearly unsure how to respond.

"I remember we used to talk more back in school.. I miss that," I said softly, letting my fingers graze the edge of the couch.

"Do you?"

"Yeah. I do." He said as his eyes searched mine.

Perfect.

I walked over to the window and stared out.

"I guess I just wanted to be around someone who made me feel.... safe. You always felt like that....Safe."

That part wasn't a lie...Liam was safe...safe enough to be manipulated.

He had loved me once.... I'd heard it in the dark when I was barely clinging to life and now, I'd use that against him.

Because Betsy had taken everything from me.

My trust, my marriage and my life and now, I was going to take everything from her...Slowly, brutally and beautifully.

I turned back to Liam, changing myexpression into soft vulnerability.

"But Alira, Betsy told me you just got engaged?? Doesn't that change..."

"It's silly, I know...you're practically family now but... I never really got to tell you how I felt back then." I said as I cut him off.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Felt?"

"Yeah...there was a time I thought about us before everything got messy..before Betsy.. stepped in." I said as he froze Just for a second.

That was all I needed....The seed was planted.

"Alira..."

I shook my head quickly, laughing it off.

"Forget it... I'm rambling...you're happy.... I shouldn't be here."

I turned to leave, knowing he would stop me.

And he did.

"Alira, wait."

I paused with my back still to him.

"Yes?"

"Stay....Just for a while."

I turned back around, smiled, and walked into the trap I was building for us both.

We sat on the couch, the conversation drifting between awkward memories and unspoken feelings.

I let my hand graze his once.

I saw the way his breath caught....Good....Let him wonder.

When he got up to get us drinks, I slid my phone out and opened a hidden file.

Step One: Dismantle Betsy's engagement.

Step Two: Make Liam fall.

Step Three: Burn Betsy's world down piece by piece.

But then, the soft click of the door unlocking echoed through the apartment as I froze.

The front door swung open.

And there she was.

Betsy.

Entering Liam's apartment unannounced.

She stared at me as I smiled.

Let the game begin.

ALIRA'S POV

"Hello sister...fancy seeing you here." I said with a smile on my face.

"Alira?? You are here??" She asked with a surprised look on her face.

"Yes Betsy....is there a problem??"

"What are you doing here??? I mean...I didn't realize that both of you were still in touch." She said with a tight smile...the ones people only wear at funerals.

"Oh, we weren't but sometimes, the past has a funny way of finding it's way back doesn't it???"

The silence that followed was so loud that it could be heard from miles away.

Liam suddenly walked in with the drinks in his hand as he paused, clearly surprised to see both sisters standing in the same room.

"Oh Betsy, I didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously." She said as she rolled her eyes.

" Liam, thank you for the drink." I said as I took it from his hands with a smile as his eyes lingered on mine for quite some time.

Betsy on the other hand was a fuming mess as she noticed what was happening.

I took a sip of the drink and dropped the glass on the center table.

I turned to Betsy as I walked closer to her.

"It was really nice seeing you again sis...we should catch up sometime." I said as she kept mute.

I turned back to Liam.

"Thank you for having me..it was great spending time with you and catching up on old memories...see you soon, Liam."

"Thank you for coming by Alira...it was fun having you here too." Liam said as I smirked.

The first part of my plan was slowly kick starting and I was glad.

I walked to the door, twisted the door knob and walked out.

As soon as I got out and walked to the car, it felt like the air around me was suddenly tightening as I couldn't breathe.

Memories of what happened in my past life came back flooding into my head as I remembered Betsy's words at the hospital.

I was going to make them pay so dearly.

I entered my car and drove off to my house as I clenched the steering wheel so hard.

I was too naive in my previous life and that was why I was taken advantage of and killed off like some animal but not this time Alira.

As soon as I got home, I saw an old rugged looking car parked outside my house and I suddenly remembered it was Alec's.

He was a wretched fellow till I decided to sacrifice everything for him including my own happiness but I was glad that Alira was gone and a new one has been reborn.

I came down from the car and walked in.

"Hey wifey, I've been waiting here forever for you...where have you been??" Alec said as he was about to kiss my lips but I turned my face as the kiss only landed on my cheeks.

"We aren't married yet and you are already keeping tabs on where I go??" I asked.

"Oh no honey, it's not like that at all...I came earlier and I couldn't find you and that's why I asked.. don't be offended, my love." He said.

I rolled my eyes as I knew that it was the exact trick he used in getting to my head and heart in my previous life.

"It's fine..what are you doing here??" I asked as I dropped my things on the couch.

"Well I figured that this is our new home and so it's best to get familiar with it and also to spend more time with my soon to be wife."

"Familiar with what, Alec?? I don't understand that statement of yours." I asked as I scoffed.

"I want to get familiar with our home..with you." Alec said with a nervous smile on his face.

I was glad I could make him uneasy.

"First of all Alec, this is my home and not ours...at least until I say I do so there are no familiarities here." I said.

"I didn't mean for it to sound that way Alira and also, what's with the attitude and strange behavior towards me?? Did I do something wrong??" He asked as he walked closer to me and held my waist pulling me closer to him.

I was still angry and irritated even by his touch but he was starting to ask questions and it was too early for that and so I decided to push aside my anger and whatever emotions I was feeling to play my part of the game properly.

"I am not.. I'm sorry...I just had a rough day." I said as I forced a smile.

"Really?? What happened?? Did something happen at work?"

"No...I really don't want to talk about it Alec."

"That's fine Alira but just sit down while I prepare something delicious for us to eat okay??"

"No, you don't have to."

"I want to and I insist." Alec said as he kissed my cheek and went to the kitchen.

I took the things I dropped on the couch and headed to my room to freshen up.

As I stood under the shower, I made sure to scrub intensely every part of my body, especially the place where Alec kissed me.

I didn't want to play any game...I just wanted to get that bastard for the pains he caused me.

"That lying, cheating son of a bitch!!!" I screamed out.

"Babe, are you done??" Alec suddenly asked from outside the door as he knocked.

It was the audacity to walk into my room unannounced for me.

I quickly stepped off the shower and wrapped myself up in my towel as I walked out.

"I thought you were cooking Alec...you didn't have to come in here." I said as I clutched my towel.

"I am done...I just thought you check up on you."

"You didn't have to...you can leave now....when I am done getting dressed, I will meet up with you."

"Why are you shy Alira?? You can undress in front of me...you know there is nothing inside that towel that I haven't actually seen before." Alec said as he drew closer to me with a smirk on his face.

Due to the level of the irritation I felt, I did something without thinking.

I slapped him so hard.