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They say a sister-in-law can be just as overbearing as a mother-in-law and I catered to her every whim.
Yet she still saw me as a threat and set me ablaze at the anniversary party.
Memories flooded back as I stared at Charlotte’s jealous face.I flaunted my ring.
“Of course having a husband is great—better than some divorced woman obsessing over someone else’s husband,right,sis?”
Charlotte’s face twisted with rage,but seeing Ethan approach,she switched to a pitiful expression.
“Ethan,sweetie,I don’t know how I upset your wife.I just complimented her ring,and she called me a woman no man wants…”
Ethan,as always,turned on me.“Emily,how could you say that?Charlotte raised me.She’s had a hard life.”
I sneered inwardly.How had I not seen it before?Ethan was a sister-obsessed fool.
I put on a wounded act and said,“Honey,I didn’t mean it.I wanted to give her the ring,but it’s our anniversary gift,and today’s the party.I was worried people might think she’s your wife…You wouldn’t want that misunderstanding,right,sis?”
Ethan hesitated,seeing my point.
“Charlotte,you must’ve misunderstood Emily.Let’s go set off fireworks in the yard.”
Charlotte sniffled,“For you,sweetie,I won’t hold it against her.Hold my hand for the fireworks.”
Ethan led her out,leaving me behind,as if she were his wife.
In the yard,I eyed the familiar sparkler—identical to the one from my past life.
That day,Charlotte waved it at my face.I dodged,but the sparks caught my hair.
It was a small flame,easily extinguished,but Charlotte held Ethan back,watching me burn.
As everyone lit their sparklers,Charlotte,in her thirties,pranced like a child.
“Emily,why aren’t you moving?”
She flung her sparkler at me.
It was the same as before,but this time,I dodged nimbly.
Her smile froze when I evaded it.
I approached,pretending to hug her, and hid the sparkler behind her.
In a whisper only she could hear,I said,“You wanted to see me burn?Taste it yourself first.”
I“accidentally”held the sparkler to her hair,and flames erupted,setting her hair ablaze.
“Ah!My hair!Help!Ethan,save me!”
Charlotte’s head was ablaze,and she collapsed,screaming.
The agony I’d endured in my past life—she’d feel it now.
“Sis!Don’t worry,I’m coming!”
Ethan tore off his jacket to smother the flames,but it was futile.
“Where’s water?Get water!”
Seeing Ethan’s panic,my heart grew colder.
In my past life,when I burned,Charlotte’s gentle tug stopped him,and he watched me suffer.But for his sister,he was frantic.
“Sis,hold on,there’s no water here!”
I shouted,feigning panic,then stomped on her head to extinguish the fire.
Each stomp carried my years of pent-up rage.
Charlotte’s screams faded,and she passed out.
