That night, I checked into a hotel to cool off. And the next morning, a scandalous video of me had exploded across the internet.
Now, here I was again, repeating every step. I watched myself pull the same suitcase behind me. Watched Sean sigh and shake his head.
"Where do you want to go? I'll drive you."
His voice was weary, not angry. Just like before, when I threatened to leave and get a divorce. Those were the same words he said.
I had originally planned to go to my parents' apartment. But Sean had talked me out of it, pointing out how worried they'd be if they knew we had a fight. In the end, I'd gone to a hotel instead. And everything had fallen apart after that.
So this time, I hesitated only briefly before saying, "I want to be with my parents. Just tell them you'll be going on a business trip. They won't ask too much."
Sean nodded and took the suitcase from my hands. "Alright. I wouldn't feel comfortable if you stayed anywhere else anyway."
I studied him carefully, searching for any signs of deception or unease. But he looked and acted exactly as I remembered—concerned, gentle, even regretful.
He really did take me to my parents' place.
But the more normal things seemed, the more unsettled I felt.
***
After Sean left, I stood in the kitchen doorway, watching my mother bustle around, humming softly as she cooked. My eyes stung with tears.
She had been so respected, so kind. And in the end, she and my father had died because of me—because of a video that ruined us all.
As their only daughter, I'd brought nothing but disgrace. They had loved me, trusted me and I had dragged them into hell.
My father noticed I was unusually quiet and asked, "Did you have a fight with Sean? You need to work on that temper of yours. Don't be too hard on him. He's a good guy—maybe a little too forgiving, even."
In their eyes, Sean was the perfect son-in-law. Polite, generous, attentive.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a smile. "No, nothing like that. He's just away for work. I thought I'd come spend some time here."
In my previous life, one night in that hotel destroyed everything.
This time, I'm staying right here at my parents' home. Nothing should go wrong... right?
Even so, I barely slept that night. My mind wouldn't stop. Every second from that incident played on loop behind my closed eyes—vivid, merciless, unrelenting.