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Malisa’s POV

"Honey, come have breakfast. I made it especially for you," Eric said softly, bringing the food to me like he always did, with that gentle, caring smile. I felt a chill run down my spine.

Eric had been a stay-at-home dad ever since we got married, taking care of me and our daughter, Serena. He was meticulous, thoughtful, and always made sure we had everything we needed. My friends would constantly tell me how lucky I was to have found such a perfect, gentle man, and I used to agree.

But lately, something felt off. The way he looked at me sometimes, the intensity in his gaze—it was as if he were watching me for signs of something he feared.

As I sat down at the table, I tried to shake off the unease. The aroma of pancakes and fresh fruit filled the air, sweet and inviting. Yet, the warmth of the breakfast contrasted sharply with the cold knot forming in my stomach.

"How did you sleep?" he asked, pouring syrup over my pancakes with a steady hand, his movements deliberate and precise.

"Fine," I replied, forcing a smile. "You?"

"Better, now that you’re awake," he said, his smile widening, but his eyes seemed distant, as if he were somewhere else entirely.

I picked at my food, my mind racing. Eric had always been attentive, but there was a shift in his demeanor that I couldn't ignore. Was it just my imagination, or was there an underlying tension in our home?

"Serena will be up soon," I said, trying to steer the conversation to safer waters. "Did you plan anything fun for us today?"

His smile faltered for just a moment. "I thought we could have a family day at the park. Just us three."

"That sounds nice," I said, but the thought of spending the day with him felt heavier than before. I couldn’t shake the feeling that beneath his caring exterior, something darker was brewing.

As the silence stretched between us, I wondered how well I really knew the man sitting across the table.

That was until my previous life, when he stood in front of everyone, his face twisted with rage, accusing me of being a monster who had abused our daughter for years.

I never saw that dark side of him before.

“Honey? What are you spacing out about? Come on, eat.”

Eric waved his hand in front of me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I swallowed my anger and confusion, sitting down at the table. Across from me, Serena was sipping her milk, all innocent and carefree. Tears stung my eyes.

Today. Today was the day.

After breakfast, Serena would go to school, and then she would jump to her death. When I got to the school, all I would find was her lifeless body. I had held her cold little form in my arms, crying until I nearly passed out.

But her teacher had pointed her finger at me, accusing me of faking my grief.

I didn’t understand it at the time.

With righteous indignation, she claimed that Serena had jumped because of the years of abuse she suffered at my hands. She said my daughter had begged her, even saying she’d rather die than come home again.

As I was still trying to wrap my head around it, Eric showed up. I thought he’d defend me, clear my name. Instead, he turned on me, his eyes red with fury.

“Ever since I married into your family, you've treated me like trash! You’ve never respected me!”

“I put up with it, for our daughter’s sake.”

“I told you over and over, you could treat me however you wanted, but why did you have to hurt her? Why did you push her to her death?!”

His words cut deep, every accusation filled with pain and tears, as he painted me as a cruel, abusive mother who took pleasure in hurting others. My desperate attempts to explain were drowned out by the crowd’s angry shouts.

The coroner eventually examined Serena’s body, revealing the countless bruises and scars that covered her from head to toe, both new and old. They concluded that she had been subjected to long-term abuse.

“The worst animals don’t even harm their own kids. She’s worse than a monster!”

“Someone like her doesn’t deserve a family, doesn’t even deserve to live!”

“That poor little girl, having a mother like that…”

“Every second she’s alive, she’s polluting the world!”

The evidence was overwhelming. The insults came from everywhere, and people even threw trash and stones at me, desperate to see me punished. The police took me away in handcuffs, and the story spread like wildfire. "Evil Mother," "Wicked Woman," and "Tragic Father and Daughter" were all over the news and trending on social media.

Online, I was subjected to the most vicious insults and curses. My parents weren’t spared either. They were doxxed, their business went bankrupt, and they were harassed until they died miserable deaths in their own home. No one even came to deal with their bodies until the stench became unbearable.

As for me, I was sent to prison and beaten to death by the inmates.

I died still not knowing how my sweet daughter, the one I had loved and cared for, had ended up covered in scars and driven to suicide.

The pain of that lifetime is still fresh in my mind.

But this time, I’ll find out the truth.

I can feel the weight of my past pressing down on me, suffocating yet motivating. In this new life, I’m determined to uncover the secrets that led to my downfall. I remember the moments—the laughter, the love, and the betrayal that turned my world upside down.

Eric. I can't shake the image of his gentle smile, now tainted by the memories of my death. Was he truly the loving husband I thought he was? Or was there something sinister lurking beneath that facade?

I have to protect Serena. I have to figure out what happened to her after I was gone. The scars on her body—were they from Eric, or was there another truth waiting to be revealed?

With every passing day, I gather fragments of information, looking for signs, clues that might lead me to the answers. I watch Eric closely, noting the little things—a slip of the tongue, a shadow in his eyes when he mentions Serena.

I refuse to let history repeat itself. With the knowledge of my past life guiding me, I’ll confront the darkness that surrounds us. This time, I will fight for the truth, for my daughter, and for the chance at redemption.

I won't let the pain of that lifetime define me. I will rise, and I will discover the truth.