"She's always telling us how devoted and thoughtful you are. If she's with you, if you two can keep each other company, we'll have peace of mind."
Every word out of their mouths sounded so sincere.
The relatives and friends around us echoed them, piling on the pressure.
My daughter, Caroline Gray, looked up at me with helpless, uncertain eyes.
The scene was identical. Every detail, every line. That was when I knew—I had been reborn.
But only I knew the truth.
Kay Perry and the rest of them were performing. Every tear, every plea was calculated. They wanted to chain me here with guilt and obligation.
In my last life, I'd stayed because of the love I'd shared with Reg Gray for all those years.
They'd worn me down, and I'd given in.
It wasn't long before Kay's breast cancer worsened.
I'd believed Matthew would actually cover the medical expenses like he'd promised.
When I went to him, he fed me excuses.
"Jeanette, work hasn't been going well for me lately. Leila got laid off. We just can't swing it right now."
The monthly salary he'd promised. The medical bills he'd sworn to handle. None of it ever materialized.
I had no other options, and I couldn't just stand by while Kay suffered.
So I gritted my teeth and dipped into my husband's accident compensation to pay her bills.
Kay was grateful—or at least she acted like it. She told me constantly that I was like a daughter to her.
And I treated her like my own mother. I cared for her, year after year, until the day she passed.
Then the funeral ended, and Matthew walked in with a lawyer carrying Kay's will.
Every last asset went to Matthew and his family.
Even the house my husband and I had purchased together—half of it, signed away.
That was when it all became clear. Every tearful plea, every empty promise. The three of them had been working together from the start, and I'd walked right into their trap.
When Matthew and Leila told me to get out, I refused.
In the middle of that argument, they'd caught me off guard and shoved me down the stairs together.
Kay's drawn-out sighs pulled me back to the present.
"Jeanette, if it's too much trouble, then forget it." She let out a weary breath. "I've got surgery in a few days and I'll need someone to look after me, but I don't want to be a burden on you."