I Died Once, Now I’m Here to Make Them Pay

My husband, a titan in the field of cardiac surgery, was on the coast with the woman hed always loved, picking up seashells.

I called him, again and again, my voice raw as I begged him to come back and save his own sister.

His voice was a blade of ice. Ivy, how dare you curse my sister? Why dont you just die, you venomous bitch!

He hung up and blocked my number.

His sister, Cassie, died on the operating table.

And the entire family blamed me.

They surrounded me, their faces twisted with rage. They beat me, broke my arms and legs, and dumped me in the deep woods to die.

I screamed for help.

Someone came.

But he didnt come to save me. He came to kill me.

He stabbed me dozens of times. My last sensation was one of pure agony and despair.

Then, I opened my eyes. I was back on the day Cassie was murdered.

Oh my God, someones been stabbed! Theres a killer!

The screams of passersby swelled around me, a rising tide of panic. The crowd of gawkers surged toward the scene, a morbid curiosity pulling them forward.

Only I remained rooted to the spot, my body trembling uncontrollably.

The searing pain of a dozen knives plunging into my flesh felt so real, a phantom echo that served as a brutal reminder:

I, Ivy Ross, had been reborn.

In my past life, I had followed that same crowd, my heart pounding with a nameless dread. The victim was my sister-in-law, Cassie, lying in a rapidly expanding pool of her own blood.

I frantically called 911, rode with her to the hospital, and paced outside the operating room. I did everything I could, but she still died.

And her family, my husbands family, decided her death was my fault.

They circled me like wolves, their voices thick with hate.

You evil woman, Ivy! You killed my sister! Grayson, my husband, had roared.

Beat her! Kill this walking curse!

They threw punches and kicks, dragging me to the floor. They broke my bones and then left me in the wilderness for the animals to find.

I screamed for help, but the man who came wasn't a savior. He was a monster who finished the job, leaving me to die in agony.

This time, I wouldnt get involved.

I spun around, pushing against the tide of the crowd, and walked straight to the grocery store.

When I got home with the bags, the first thing I saw was the pinched, cruel face of my mother-in-law, Brenda Pierce.

Where the hell have you been? A simple trip for groceries takes you all damn day?

Her eyes, small and sharp, darted to the sink piled high with dirty dishes.

What good is a daughter-in-law like you? Are you just going to stand there like a goddamn statue? Get to the kitchen and wash those dishes! Or do you expect an old woman like me to serve you?

I lowered my head, hiding the inferno of hatred in my eyes. My voice was as gentle as a lambs.

Im sorry, Mom. Dont be angry. Ill do them right now.

The moment I stepped into the kitchen, her phone rang.

Yeah? Who is this? she answered, her voice dripping with annoyance.

A second later, that voice shot up, a raw shriek that could have shattered glass.

What did you say?! My daughter is in the ER?!

The phone clattered to the floor. It was as if all the strength had been sucked from her body.

A cold smile touched my lips, but I rushed out, my face a mask of perfect ignorance. Mom, what is it? What happened? Youre scaring me!

Brendas face was ashen. Her lips trembled as she grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin.

Ivy! We have to go! Now! Get me to the hospital! Its its Cassie!

I drove Brenda to the hospital at a reckless speed. It was Metropolitan General, the very same hospital where my husband, Grayson, was a star surgeon.

Outside the operating room, a nurse rushed out. Are you Cassandra Pierces family? The patient has lost a critical amount of blood, and the wound is dangerously close to the heart. We need to operate immediately! I need a signature!

Brendas knees buckled. I caught her before she could collapse.

Her hand shook violently as she scribbled her name, her voice choked with sobs. Please, Im begging you, save my daughter! Shes only in her twenties!

Mom, dont panic, I reminded her, my voice clear and steady. Isnt Grayson the best cardiac surgeon in the entire city?

If he performs this surgery, I know Cassies heart will be perfectly fine.

I pulled out my phone, making a show of dialing his number.

Dont call him!

She lunged for my phone like a cornered cat, her eyes wide with panic.

She knew. She knew Grayson wasnt at the hospital. He was on the coast with his childhood sweetheart, Sophie Hale, living out a romantic fantasy. Before he left, he had made her promise that no one would disturb them.

I twisted my wrist, easily dodging her grasp.

Why not? I asked, my eyes wide with manufactured innocence. Mom, dont you want Cassies surgery to be a success? This is a matter of life and death!

The accusation hung in the air, and Brendas face flushed a deep, ugly red.

Dont you dare curse Cassie! I I just I just think her condition probably isnt serious enough to need Grayson to personally operate!

She stammered, her eyes darting around, refusing to meet mine.

Just then, the OR doors swung open again.

A younger nurse rushed out, her face pale with stress. This is bad! The blade penetrated too deep. Our chief of surgery says this procedure is too complex. Dr. Grayson Pierce is the only one in the entire hospital who can do it!

The nurses eyes landed on us, a desperate plea in her gaze.

Youre his family, right? You have to get him to cut his vacation short. He needs to come back and perform this surgery right now!

I feigned utter shock, turning to the nurse with disbelief.

What? On vacation?

Are you sure you have that right? How could my husband be on vacation without me knowing? He told me just last night that the department was swamped and hed be working consecutive shifts for days!

The nurse looked confused. I wouldnt know the details. The chief approved his leave request. All I know is you need to contact him. The patient is running out of time. Any longer, and it might be too late.

Brendas world seemed to implode. The color drained from her face, and she swayed on her feet, about to faint.

I grabbed her arm, my voice laced with panic. Mom, stay calm. Ill call Grayson right now.

In front of everyone, I dialed his number.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Ten agonizing calls, and each time, the same cold, robotic voice echoed from the speaker: The number you have dialed is currently unavailable.

Of course it was unavailable.

To ensure his precious time with Sophie was uninterrupted, Grayson had blocked me.

I remembered it all too clearly. In my last life, I had called him forty-nine times from my own phone.

I finally had to borrow a nurses phone to get through.

I had wept, begging him to come back and save his own sister.

But his reply was a snarl of irritation. Ivy, just because you hate Sophie and youre jealous that Im with her, youd make up a lie about my sister dying? Youre so fucking evil. Why dont you just die?

He hung up.

After that, it didnt matter whose phone I used. He never picked up again.

And so, Cassie missed the golden window for survival. She died.

But her family laid the blame squarely on my shoulders. They claimed my jealousy had clouded Graysons judgment, preventing him from returning in time.

The person who killed Cassie, they decided, was me.

The memory of that suffocating injustice made my hands clench into tight fists. I fought to control the rage boiling inside me.

Grayson, where are you? Please, just pick up the phone! I cried, forcing tears to well in my eyes.

Brenda looked at me, her gaze filled with guilt and avoidance. She tried to defend her son. Grayson is probably probably busy with something important. If you cant get through, just wait a while.

Even now, she was covering for his affair. My heart ached for Cassie, fighting for her life just a few feet away.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the end of the hall.

Cassie! Whats happened to my precious granddaughter?!

My father-in-law, Robert, was helping the family matriarch, Grandma Pierce, hurry toward us. She was over seventy, but her face was a mask of fierce anxiety.

Where is Grayson? Is he in there saving Cassie right now?

Grandma Pierce adored Cassie, who was the spitting image of her as a young woman. Dont let her age fool you. In my past life, when they beat me, she had the strength of a demon, breaking two thick wooden canes over my back.

I still remembered the bone-deep agony.

This time, I would not let them pin this on me.

I put on a pained expression, my eyes red-rimmed. Grandma, Grayson told me he had to work overtime. But I just asked the nurse, and hes not here. Hes not in the operating room. I I dont know where he is.

What do you mean, you dont know? What kind of wife are you? If you dont know, why dont you call him and ask?

She jabbed her cane toward my face, the tip hovering inches from my eye.

Grandma, I did call. I looked helplessly at Brenda. Mom, you saw me, didnt you? I just called him ten times in a row. He didnt answer a single one!

Brenda nervously twisted the hem of her blouse and nodded. Yes yes, shes been calling

The old womans eyes narrowed into slits. Then its your fault! You must have done something to piss him off, thats why hes not answering your calls. Try your mother-in-laws phone. Lets see if he dares to hang up on her!

Now Brenda was truly terrified. Her hand trembled as she gave me her phone.

Dial it! the old woman commanded.

I took a deep breath, pressed the familiar number, and put the call on speaker.

After two rings, he answered.

Mom, whats up? Didnt we agree you wouldnt call unless it was an emergency? Graysons voice was lazy, the sound of wind and waves clearly audible in the background.

I took another breath and shouted, my voice trembling with fake tears, Honey, its me, Cass

Ivy?!

His roar cut me off like a gunshot.

Are you fucking insane?! It wasnt enough to spam me from your phone, now youre stealing my mothers? I told you Im busy!

No, honey, please listen! Cassie is dying! Shes been stabbed, and youre the only one in the hospital who can save her! You have to come back! My voice cracked with desperation.

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Then, a sweet, cloying female voice floated through the speaker.

Grayson, honey, I think you should go back. Ivy is obviously just jealous. To get you to leave, shes actually lying about poor Cassie. Its okay, I can pick up seashells by myself. You dont need to stay with me.

It was Sophie.

I trembled with fury, my nails digging into my palms.

I am not lying! Sophie, shut your mouth! Cassie is in surgery! Grayson, Im begging you, please come back. Cassie needs you!

Ivy, thats enough! Graysons voice exploded again. Theres a limit to jealousy! To trick me into coming home, youd stoop to a lie like this? Cursing my own sister? Arent you afraid of karma?

Stop bothering me! Im busy! If you screw up my promotion to department head, Ill make you wish you were never born!

Beep beep beep

He hung up.

I stood there, clutching the phone, fat tears rolling down my cheeks. My eyes swept over the three elder Pierces.

Their faces were a mirror of shock, humiliation, and utter disbelief.

Just then, the OR doors were thrown open again.

The nurses voice was more frantic than ever, practically a scream.

Have you reached Dr. Pierce yet?! The patients heart rate is dropping, and we cant stabilize her blood pressure! She cant wait any longer!

Grandma Pierce looked like she was about to have a stroke.

She snatched the phone from Brendas hand and shoved it back at her. You call him! You do it now!

Brendas fumbling fingers dialed the number. After several rings, Grayson finally picked up.

His voice, colder than ice and more toxic than poison, echoed from the speakerphone once more.

What the hell do you want now, Ivy? If youre that bored, go kill yourself! Hang yourself, drink poison, there are plenty of ways to do it. Just stop fucking bothering me!

The blood drained from Brendas face.

Just before he could hang up, she mustered all her strength and shrieked.

Grayson! Dont hang up! Its your mother!

You have to come home! Your sister a monster stabbed her through the heart! Shes on the operating table! The doctors say youre the only one who can save her! Please, son, come home!

Dead silence on the other end.

It stretched for a full five seconds before Graysons voice returned.

Mom why are you getting involved in this nonsense?

I told you before, Ivy is a jealous psycho. Shell say anything to get me to come back. Dont let her fool you.

Tears streamed down Brendas face, her voice a desperate wail. Its not a lie! Its real! Cassie is on the operating table right now, and the doctors say only you can save her! Mom is begging you, son, please come home!

The line went quiet for a few seconds.

The Pierces stared at the phone, a desperate hope in their eyes.

But before that hope could take root, a soft, delicate female voice cooed through the speaker.

Ouch! Grayson, honey, I think a crab just pinched my foot! Its bleeding! I need you to kiss it and make it better.

Graysons tone shifted instantly, filled with alarm. Sophie, dont move! Im coming!

He tossed one last sentence into the phone. Mom, stop playing along with Ivys games. Shes just trying to trick me.

Then, without a moments hesitation, he hung up.

Brenda stood there, phone in hand, looking like a statue. Her hands trembled so violently she didnt even notice her nails cutting into her palms.

Robert finally lost it. A vein throbbed in his temple as he dialed Graysons number on his own phone. He roared into the receiver with all his might, You bastard! Your sister is dying, didnt you hear me? Get your ass back here and operate now!

His shout was loud enough to shatter the windows in the hospital corridor.

The voice that came back was strained, annoyed, and furious.

Dad, you too? How can you believe Ivys bullshit? Shes just bored and needs to be taught a lesson!

I continued my performance, weeping silently and glancing at Grandma Pierce. Her face was ashen, her knuckles white as she gripped her cane, looking like she was about to snap it in two.

My sweet boy! the old woman wailed into the speakerphone. Grandma is begging you! Ill get on my knees for you! Please, just come back and save your sister!

But the voice on the other end remained cold and distant. Grandma, its not that I dont want to. Ive been drinking. I cant drive right now. I promise, as soon as the alcohol is out of my system, Ill head back.

Thats all. Sophie hurt her foot. I need to check on her.

Beep beep beep

The dial tone tore their last shred of hope to pieces.

And then came the final blow.

The red light above the operating room door went out. The lead surgeon emerged, pulling off his mask. His expression was heavy with exhaustion and regret. Im sorry. We did everything we could. The patient was pronounced dead at [Time] on [Date]. Here is the death certificate. Please sign for it.

It was like a lightning strike.

Grandma Pierce fainted on the spot, caught by a quick-thinking nurse.

Brenda let out a primal scream and threw herself onto the gurney, clutching her daughters cold, stiff body and sobbing uncontrollably.

Robert staggered backward, collapsing onto a bench, his face pale and his eyes vacant.

And me?

Of course, I had to keep up the act, my wails louder and more gut-wrenching than anyone elses.