Chapter 1

"Christa, Christa, are you there?" There is what sounds far away, like a howl of outrage from the deception. Then, as it grows, it is a voice she has heard before.

Christa Taylor opens her eyes to realize that she is sitting in front of the mirror and looks magnificent in her stitched-by-hand wedding dress. Her best friend Louisa Clinton is putting make-up on her, and she opens and shuts her mouth, unspeaking. 

Suddenly everything freezes around her; it is as if time stood still. 

She tries to keep a poker face even though the situation scared her to death. An attack of paralysis seizes her; Christa can’t move her head or legs; it feels like her spirit gets stuck in her own body. She has time to cool down and realizes what has happened more objectively.

What just happened? Right, she was dead.

It was their first wedding anniversary; her husband Lewis Morrie was on duty till midnight; Christa was going to the hospital as a surprise to celebrate their anniversary with Lewis, a gynecologist at Greenwish Hospital owned by the Morrie family in Gosselich city. 

She arrived at his office shortly before dusk; Lewis wasn’t there; he wasn’t on the ward or anywhere. Christa waited for a while; went to the roof of the building that used to be their dating spot. 

Christa climbed the staircases slowly and stealthily, holding fast to the rail. In the middle of the top-floor stair, she heard Lewis’s sound. 

It was getting dark, and it was a night with a full moon.

In the evening, the glittering lights around the building marked the welcoming colorfully lit skyscrapers. The city lights could completely blot out the bright moonlight, making it difficult to see stars. So if you wanted to try watching stars glow in the night sky, be sure to get away from city lights.

Lisa was about to run for the staircase and up the steps, taking them two at a time. The sound of people fighting drifted up to the stairs; it was Lewis and her best friend Louisa.

"Louisa, stop fooling yourself. If you want to tell Christa, how about telling her about the nights we spent together over the last year?"

"You jerk, you will burn in hell; you took advantage of me when I was drunk at the wedding. How could you do it to Christa? The report showed that you two couldn’t have a kid because you have a low sperm count, but you changed it and told Christa that she was the one who could not get pregnant. All these days she felt guilty about it, she hardly did anything she liked."

"How did you get the original report? Give it to me, Louisa."

"If you don’t want people to know it, the best way is not to do it."

"Drunk? What about the second time and the next one? Admit it. You enjoy it. Keep your mouth shut, even if you do her a favor. Do you think she will believe you after knowing what you have done? You filthy, dirty whore."

"Get off me. You monster. I need to tell her the truth."

At last, it came- a soft, irregular sound of footfalls on the stairs. The discovery that her husband and best friend had been unfaithful shocked Christa. 

Christa tried to control the trembling in her legs and rushed to the door; she ran fast towards them with rage and humiliation. 

Lewis and Louisa had been scuffing desperately for control of the paper on the roof, and they stopped immediately by the time they saw Christa. As quick as lightning, Christa picked up the report on the ground.

Her world was crashing down by reading it.

"Honey, what are you doing here? Did you hear anything?" Lewis let go of Louisa and walked along with a rush in his step.

Christa had no attempt to disguise her bitterness about what she had heard; she leaned forward and struck Louisa violently across the face with a resounding slap. 

"I am sorry, Christa. Please forgive me." Louisa put her hand to cover her face and apologized in tears.

"I never want to see you again, Louisa." Christa thundered.

Louisa went striding towards the door sobbing; Christa watched until she disappeared down the stairs. She felt the urge to destroy anything in the world, so she turned around and started beating on Lewis’s chest, kicking him with her hands and legs, crying, and cursing them. 

"Christa, stop it, and don’t be such a baby. I’m sorry." After a while, Lewis stopped her and held her hands.

She was dumbstruck; tears of anguish filled her eyes as she dived for cover; she couldn’t believe how shameless he was. Although he might say it, his expression showed he was laughing coarsely at her. 

A long ten minutes passed, and she went on weeping and shouting, getting angrier and angrier. Then Christa stood up with indignation blazed in her eyes; a stinging slap across the face jolted Lewis. He had become somewhat impatient with her, and soon they grappled with each other. 

One accident could be the result of a moment’s inattention from someone; Lewis pushed her out of the roof by accident after Christa bit him on the arm. But he didn’t save her on purpose. 

Before the fall, Christa gave a choked cry, flailed her arms wildly for a moment, and went over the edge. 

Her whole life flashed before her eyes. 

Christa and Lewis were childhood sweethearts; she believed they would be together and happy for their whole lives. As soon as Lewis finished medical school, they got engaged with everyone’s blessing. 

After they had settled down, Christa had long in vain wished for a child. She had always loved children, so the idea of having a family and raising her kids with Lewis was something she dreamed about being a wife.

But somehow, Christa did not get pregnant, even though they didn’t take any precautions for years. They went to the hospital to get it checked a month after the wedding. It devastated Christa when she saw the report, which showed she was the one who couldn’t be able to conceive. 

She thought about getting a divorce, but Lewis convinced her that he did not mind it at all, and he promised to be there in sickness and health, whatever happened. 

At that moment, Christa put her faith in him and counted herself lucky to have met him.

At some points, mysterious calls, late hours, and a perfume scent. Christa never suspected that Lewis was cheating on her; it was only her wishful thinking that their love was both developed and revealed by tests.

How stupid she was!

"You are a fool indeed. You are getting us both killed." Someone was shouting in her head.

Her skin was burning hot, and the pain in her spine was excruciating, getting worse and worse; it was like someone or something ripped her body apart from the inside, and her bones were getting crashed. However, she was still in the air and didn’t touch the ground yet.

"Pray, hoping the Moon Goddess will show her mercy." The voice said again. 

She took the risk and prayed for a second chance on the way down. Luckily, second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Her dying wish was to wreak vengeance on her husband at any cost; he had betrayed her trust and murdered her. 

Her memory had to stamp on before it got any further. 

…

A semblance of normality has returned with Louisa powdering her nose and her friends walking into the dressing room; Christa shifts her legs and bursts out in an explosive breath; pinching herself to make sure she is not dreaming.

She stops Louisa roughly and checks her phone in a hurry. The clock records 2:30 pm on her wedding day; she was traveling back a year ago. 

It is something like time travel, but it is very magical.

Believing she has been killed by Lewis and reborn now, her face takes in a feverish intensity. She is in a disturbed state of mind - complete chaos, and she needs a little time to sort herself out.

She tells everyone in the room that she feels uncomfortable and then goes to the bathroom to lock herself inside. She sits on the toilet and tries to piece together the details. Until she figures out what is going on, she is not in the mood for company.

Some unknown interval of time passes before her eyes open again, only this time there is no response to anything, just a blank stare. 

Lewis knocks on the bathroom door and calls for her; Christa is made aware of the risks involved by hearing his well-known voice, that a year later, she might be dead if she doesn’t do anything.

It is hard to discern why this is happening; Christa’s first thought is to call off the wedding.

Lewis uses the spare key to open the door before Christa can come up with the ploy to ruin the wedding; he bursts in and shows concern. Louisa follows in his footsteps; the errant soon-to-be-a-husband who betrayed his wife and the dirty whore who would betray her best friend; is packed into the bathroom.

It is one of life’s little ironies; Christa has to laugh at her foolishness.

"Honey, are you all right? What’s going down?" Lewis is asking.

It is hilarious to see how seriously he takes it; she looks at him with that fear, slightly wounded and even arch expression. Then she shoves him away and bursts into laughter with tears; others fail to see why it is so amusing.

Christa stares at the red mark left on the skin of his neck; she could feel his blood coursing through his arteries. Suddenly she has the urge to spring upon him and rip through the flesh throat.