Chapter 1

I went into labor at the same time as the woman next door. My husband took me to the hospital, but I delivered a stillborn child.

Instead of comforting me, he lashed out, "Did you mess around while you were pregnant? Is that why you gave birth to such a monster?"

I lost my baby, my name was dragged through the mud, and I was forced to divorce him and leave with nothing.

One day, I happened to overhear my husband speaking to the neighbor:

"Good thing we swapped your stillborn baby with May's healthy one. If your in‑laws had looked closely, they would have realized the dead baby was actually ours."

That was when I finally understood the truth. They had been involved long before.

He pushed me on purpose, causing premature labor, just so they could take my healthy baby and give me her dead one.

When I confronted them, they held me down in the bathtub and drowned me.

Yet when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day I went into early labor.

This time, I'll make sure she gives birth to that stillborn child.

This time, I will expose them both for their affair and for what they did to me.

Chapter 1

Gasping for air, my chest crushed against the cold porcelain of the bathtub, I pleaded with Sean Charlton–my husband–to spare me for the love we once shared. However, Sean merely towered over me and eyed me with contempt, unmoved.

"May, I've put up with you for far too long. Flaunting your fancy job, dictating 'you're in charge of the world outside, I handle home affairs.' I'm the man! I'm no slave of yours!

"Rowena is different. She loves me, treats me like I'm her world, and gives me the dignity of a man."

Rowena, the neighbor I had always looked out for, stood smirking behind him. "Thanks a million for handing over such a catch, May. Oh, and those healthy kids, too. Without you, I'd be at a loss with my own dead baby."

I tried to fight back but was mercilessly pushed under the water.

In my final moments, I saw my real daughter, the one they had switched, screaming to stop those monsters, only to be struck until she bled from her mouth and nose...

In a blink, I was back to the day Sean had shoved me, triggering an early labor.

Sean was poring over my maternity records, suggesting eagerly, "May, Mom says today's the best day for it. What do you think? Maybe we could go ahead with a C-section?"

My mind raced. In my previous life, Sean had a friend in maternity who helped him swap my baby with Rowena Lowe's.

'If I just steer clear of that guy, can I keep my baby safe?' I wondered.

To avoid Sean's suspicion, I excused myself to the restroom and slipped away to the ground floor.

However, fate had other plans, and there I was, face-to-face with a frantic Sean in the ER.

I trailed behind him unnoticed and caught him in mid-conversation with a nurse.

"Evelyn, our dads are brothers! Remember, without the thirty grand I slipped you, you wouldn't even be working here. You owe me big time," Sean reminded his cousin.

"That woman thinks she's all that with her paycheck, ordering me around. If she has this kid, she'll leave everything to the little brat. I'll end up empty-handed after all these years!" he complained bitterly.

"The baby's not sitting right. I'll give her a little 'nudge' during labor to make sure things go south. Evelyn, you've got to back me up. We can't let her make it through this," he hissed.

Hearing Sean's venomous plot, it felt like my heart was being sliced open.

Sean was a good-for-nothing, really. No education, a rough family life with parents lost to gambling and booze.

I fell for him hard, blinded by his looks and willing to do anything for love. He turned up his nose at a regular job, so I busted my tail to be the breadwinner while he played king of the castle.

King, my foot. His royal duties were gaming and binge-watching, while I slaved away at work and then in the kitchen.

Last year, when I got pregnant, he conned me out of thirty thousand for 'baby insurance.' I had no clue that he was greasing palms to set up his cousin in the hospital, all part of a year-long scheme to get rid of me in the delivery room!

I swallowed the bile of betrayal, ready to bolt, but Sean caught on to me.

"May, what are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

I knew I was walking on thin ice. If I could not come up with a good excuse, Sean would not think twice before turning on me.

Chapter 2

"I just came out of the restroom. I didn't see you and thought maybe you'd gone to start the car. Who's this, someone we know?" I managed a smile, glancing at the nurse. Sean did not pick up on my panic, and I let out a silent sigh of relief.

"No, not really. I just had a question about health insurance. Come on, honey, I've got our room all set up. It's C-section time this afternoon!

"Oh, and guess what? Our neighbor Rowena is right next door. You two might end up having your babies together!"

Back in the room, Sean approached with a tray of fruit, and my hands were clammy with dread.

"Honey, we've got more fruit than we can eat. Would you mind taking some over to Rowena? It's good to share with the neighbors!"

It felt all too familiar. In my previous life, Sean sent me to Rowena's with fruit, and that's when I bumped into her husband.

Rowena's husband, Bennett Walker, was a sailor and was rarely home.

Sean had his little fling with Rowena while Bennett was away. Bennett only returned home two months after Rowena got pregnant.

To keep Bennett from getting suspicious, Rowena had delayed her delivery way past her due date.

Rowena and Sean were both painfully aware that the baby inside her had died from lack of oxygen.

They had to swap my baby for hers. If Rowena delivered a stillborn, Bennett would grow suspicious.

Soon, I would take the fruit over, and that would be when Rowena would fake a fall and try to pin it on me.

Her ill-tempered husband would have flown into a rage at such a sight, lashing out with his boots and sending me into early labor, blood and all.

In the chaos of a heavy bleed and my fainting, Sean would snatch the chance to swipe my baby.

No way was I going to play the good wife and deliver fruit, only to meet the same grim end as in my previous life.

"Fine," I said.

I kept my cool on the surface, grabbed the fruit basket, and headed for the door.

However, I doubled back, catching Sean off guard as he prepped the go-bag. I sneakily shot a video and blasted it to my social media friends.

Sean tried to stop me, all awkward. "We're an old married couple. What's there to show off?"

At that, I put on a show of fury. "I'm about to give birth, and you're denying me even a sappy post? You're grounded, mister. Time to think about what you've done!"

I darted out, then locked the hospital room door behind me, leaving Sean's desperate knocking unanswered.

Clutching my swollen belly, I rapped on the door of the room next door, where Rowena was staying.

Rowena heaved herself to the door, her belly massive from all the prenatal vitamins Sean had pilfered from my stash.

"May, you're here."

Her eyes bore into my bump with a venomous envy, as if she would slice me open if she could.

I kept my distance, wary. However, Rowena–ever the actress–took a dive and shrieked, "Help! Somebody! Bennett! May shoved me!"

Chapter 3

Of course, I was one step ahead. I was already on the floor when Rowena made her move, and I called for the doctor and nurse.

Bennett rushed out at the commotion to find me cradling my belly, wailing.

"Sean sent me the fruit. He said you loved cherries! You can't just push me because you don't want them!"

Bennett was the epitome of an old-school guy, tough on the outside and even tougher on the rules he set for his wife, Rowena. He was hardly ever home, but he expected her to be the picture of virtue–no other men allowed.

When I mentioned Sean knew Rowena's fondness for cherries, Bennett snapped back, "And how would Sean know that, huh?"

I played it cool, all wide-eyed innocence. "Well, with you gone, Rowena leans on Sean for help. They're close, grab meals together, and hang out. They're bound to pick up on what the other likes. Is that so weird?"

Bennett's glare could have cut through steel. Rowena, in a total flap, tried to shut me up. "Cut it out, May! You're the one who's always called for help, not Sean! I've never been alone with him! And the cherries? You're the cherry fan. Sean just shared some with me, that's all!"

Rowena had spun this yarn before, and Bennett had bought it hook, line, and sinker. Back then, I was naive, felt bad for her, and even defended her, saying Bennett was too touchy, too mistrustful.

Not this time. I was not about to play the fool again.

"Out with it, May. Is Rowena always cozying up to your man?" Bennett was fuming, fists balled up like he was ready to throw down.

I feigned confusion. "Maybe I got it twisted... Sean was out late, and with the baby coming, I hit the hay early. Could've heard wrong, seen wrong, you know?"

However, my words did nothing to calm Bennett. If anything, they cranked up his suspicions that Rowena and Sean were sneaking around. "Rowena! You better come clean with me, or else!"

Bennett's words sent a wave of fear through Rowena, draining the color from her face.

Her eyes, brimming with bitterness, locked onto mine. "You knew how much this mattered to Bennett, May, and you still threw these filthy lies at me! You witch!"

I put on my best innocent face. "But honestly, I have no clue what's happening between you and Sean."

Rowena, seething with rage, stormed toward me. "You've shamed me to the point where I'd rather be dead! If you're so sure that Sean and I are up to no good, then let him face the music!"

Sean would not just deny any affair with Rowena. He would go out of his way to protect her, leaving me to sink further into trouble.

However, I had already locked the door. Sean was trapped, no matter how much he wanted to get out.

That was when Bennett, red with anger, started hammering on the hospital door. "Sean, come out this instant! Your wife is making up stories, dragging my wife through the mud. You owe me an explanation!"

I never thought the door would be so weak. Bennett's pounding was too much for it, and it burst open!

Sean burst out, yanked me up from the floor, and gripped my arm like he thought I might bolt.

"Honey, what are you doing? It's time for your C-section!"

An icy dread washed over me from head to toe.

However, I was not about to give up. With everyone watching, I doubted they would push me to the brink of disaster.

Especially Bennett. He was questioning Rowena and Sean's relationship, and he would not dare come after me. This was not going to go down like it did in my previous life.

To my shock, Rowena started wailing to anyone who would listen, completely losing it.

"My husband was away, and of course, that's when everything decided to break: the light bulb, the washing machine. I was clueless about fixing them, so I had no choice but to call Sean for help. But May got the wrong idea, thinking I was after Sean. She even trashed my place a few times in a fit of rage!

"May's just green with envy. Oh, and she once said her brother was getting married and needed a house. She even asked me to sell mine to her at a low price. I refused, and she's held a grudge ever since."

Rowena had her story straight, but she was playing a single tune: jealousy.

"She's envious, Bennett, and she just shoved me. Are you really going to stand there and let your wife be treated like this?"

Bennett lost it when he heard that, stormed over, and was about to shove me too!

I tried to sidestep, but Sean yanked me right into the line of fire.

"Honey, you shouldn't have badmouthed Rowena. Say you're sorry, now!"

His tug landed me smack in front of Bennett, who wasted no time and kicked me right in the gut.

I doubled over in agony, barely catching Sean's quiet chuckle.

"My wife's in labor! Ms. Charlton! Get her to the operating room, now!" Sean was barking orders, summoning a nurse.

Chapter 4

Even as Sean and Evelyn were helping me to the operating room, I kept an eye on Rowena. She saw me being held back and started her own little act, clutching her belly, claiming she needed the operating room too.

"Bennett, it's time! The baby's too big, and I can't do this naturally. I need a C-section!"

Hearing that, I turned to the doctor beside me. "The operating room is a one-patient show, right? She can't come in!"

Rowena was beside herself, bowing deeply to me in a panic.

"May, please, stop making this so hard for me! Being pregnant isn't easy! Just let me be!" she sobbed, her plea filled with raw emotion as she doubled over.

Her display tugged at the heartstrings of the neighbors, who cast doubtful glances my way.

"She's bowing to you! How can you be so cold-hearted, you jealous thing?!" they muttered.

Hidden from their view, Rowena shot me a smug grin, sure she had played her cards right to get into the operating room with me.

I fought back with everything I had, screaming for all to hear, "Rowena's carrying a stillborn! She's plotting to swap her dead baby for mine!"

That hit a nerve. Sean and Rowena's composure slipped.

However, Rowena was quick–she whipped out her phone.

"May, you're slandering me, and that's a legal matter! I'm calling the cops on you this instant!"

As she dialed, she silently mouthed a venomous, "Die, you lowlife!"

I could not help but laugh.

She thought she could call the cops on me? Did she not realize I had allies of my own?

Soon enough, the wail of police sirens filled the air from below.

The crowd around us started pressing me to make amends with Rowena.

"To curse someone's child as a stillborn, that's just vile! Say you're sorry, now!"

"Or let the cops drag you off! Who'll look after your kid then?"

They were all too eager to play peacemakers, to brush the whole thing off.

However, Rowena was not about to let it go. She pointed at me, her voice rising in a furious shout.

"Just an apology? A woman's good name is worth more than that. I want her to prove her remorse by doing a month's worth of chores at my house!"

The crowd around us even started pushing me to agree.

"Come on, it's just a little housework. Compared to spending a night in jail, it's nothing! And your baby isn't some delicate little prince or princess. Just say yes!"

I let out an icy, sharp laugh.

"Oh, sure! Like I'd fall for that nonsense!" I snapped.

The onlookers froze, shocked. "Whoa! How can you say something like that? That's really rude!"

However, I had not insulted anyone I was not supposed to. I had, in fact, promised Rowena's mother-in-law, Nancy Parker, that I would keep a close eye on her daughter-in-law.

Nancy was a force to be reckoned with, always keeping a close watch on Rowena. When Sean and I moved in, she enlisted me to help monitor Rowena, especially if she got too cozy with other men.

I had been fooled by Rowena before, thinking she was the stay-at-home faithful type. It turned out that she had been sneaking into my husband's bed!

Right before I confronted Rowena, I had messaged Nancy, telling her that Rowena's baby was a stillborn, suffocated from not being delivered on time.

Nancy should be on her way at this point.

As the cops arrived, Rowena shrieked for them to arrest me. "This wretch! She's accusing me of cheating–"

She did not get to finish. A pint-sized but spry Nancy popped up from behind the officers, yanked Rowena's shirt, and revealed a swollen belly, streaked with blue veins.

Chapter 5

Nancy's hand rested on the belly, her face contorting with disgust.

"There's no heartbeat! What the hell is going on inside there?"

Rowena's face drained of color, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at Nancy. "Mom... please, just hear me out! I fell because someone pushed me, and that was when the baby stopped moving!"

However, Nancy was beyond reason. Her hands trembled as she delivered two sharp slaps to Rowena's face. "You tramp! You've betrayed my son!"

The dead child had been in Rowena's womb for too long, and the blows brought on a pain so intense that it felt like a tidal wave crashing inside her.

Nancy blocked anyone from intervening, her feet brutally kicking Rowena's swollen belly. "You and that monstrosity inside you should both be dead!"

Rowena was on the verge of passing out when the police finally stepped in to save her. Nancy, however, was adamant. "She betrayed my son. She deserves to die!"

Bennett had been silently shocked the whole time, but then his body shook with a barely contained rage. "What is happening here?"

I did not wait for Rowena's explanation, struggling to break free from Sean's grasp, but he would not let go. "Cut it out, honey, you're about to have a baby. Let's just go and get this done!"

I threw off his hold, pointing an accusing finger at Rowena. "How can you do this to your husband, Rowena? Nancy told me he adores you, won't even let you lift a broom!

"You know it's shameful to be pregnant with another man's child, don't you? Is that why you can't admit it?

"If he truly loved you, would he let you carry a stillborn that long? He's just toying with you!"

I witnessed it myself: after Sean stepped out, Rowena tried to catch his eye over and over, but Sean blatantly ignored her. I figured Sean was worried about Bennett catching on and stirring up trouble.

Rowena, though, seemed to be in denial, desperately trying to defend herself. "The baby is Bennett's! Stop accusing me of lies!"

I could not resist twisting the knife. "Then why not show Bennett your full prenatal records?"

Rowena's face went ghostly white, she was speechless.

She had discovered her pregnancy while Bennett was still out at sea, nowhere near home.

Those medical records did not lie. I seized the moment to drive my point home. "Only lovers with something to hide sneak around! Look at Sean and me, we're not afraid to flaunt our love!"

With that, I whipped out my phone to show Rowena my latest social media update. "See, Sean was getting the hospital bag ready! That's what a real husband and father does–he takes charge!"

Rowena looked stunned by the video. "When was this?"

"Just now," I lied through my teeth, feigning innocence. "I'm about to have a baby, and of course, Sean's on it. He says it's his way of sending blessings to me and the baby! Doesn't your baby's daddy do the same?"

It was all a fabrication. Sean, that monster, wished nothing but the worst for me and the baby. He would never offer a blessing.

However, Rowena bought it like a fool. Consumed by a mix of fury and bitterness, she suddenly started bleeding profusely.

A nurse's voice pierced the air with urgency, "We've got a massive bleed!" as she sprang into action.

Rowena, hoisted onto the stretcher, mustered an unexpected surge of strength and yanked me forward. "You're about to pop too, right? Let's do this together!"

I had always kept my guard up around her. Seeing her reach for me, I slapped her hand away sharply.

I recoiled instantly, not even waiting for her to wince before I let out a sharp scream, "What are you trying to do?! Just because you're having a tough time, you want to drag me down with you?"

Rowena, overcome by my reaction, shut her eyes and passed out.

She was rushed straight into the OR for an emergency C-section.

Sean, witnessing the chaos, was beside himself with worry.

"Come on, honey, we don't want to wait any longer. Stop fussing and let's get this C-section over with!" he urged.

I feigned innocence. "But there's only one operating room, and Rowena's in there right now. Wouldn't it be rude to interrupt?"

"Rowena? She's nothing compared to you and our baby. If we miss today, I swear I'll have her hide!" Sean spat out the words, desperate to convince me to go through with the birth.

I looked at him and agreed with a smile, "Alright."