Second Life Starts at My Own Murder Scene Chapter 03

Second Life Starts at My Own Murder Scene Chapter 03

But Lydia recovered almost immediately.

“Come on, Daniel, what are you talking about? What could I possibly be hiding? I just wanted to bond with my niece, that’s all.”

Dad smiled too.

“Maybe I’m overthinking it. With this many people here, Evie just happens to not want you holding her, and I started wondering if you had something on you she didn’t like.”

Dad meant it casually, but the smile on Lydia’s face stiffened anyway. She forced out a couple of dry laughs and looked like she wanted to say more, but Dad had already carried me off.

Resting against his warm chest, I blew bubbles and listened as he said to Mom, “Something’s off with Lydia today. Her in-laws are probably on her case again. Keep an eye on Evie, in case Lydia gets upset.”

I already knew that from my last life.

Lydia, my aunt, had married well enough, but she had never been able to conceive because of her health.

She had taken plenty of abuse from her husband’s family because of it.

My parents had tried to talk sense into her again and again. Dad had even gone so far as to tell her she could get divorced and he would support her for the rest of her life.

But even then, she refused to leave her marriage.

Instead, she set her sights on me.

In my last life, after I became mentally impaired, I heard her say it myself.

“Why is it that I can’t have a child, but other people get to give birth to healthy babies?”

“If you want someone to blame, blame your parents for insisting on throwing that stupid one-month celebration. They knew I couldn’t have children, and they still shoved it in my face.”

Thinking about my last life, I couldn’t help pouting a little as I babbled toward Mom.

Dad burst out laughing and tapped me on the nose. “What, you’re done with Daddy already? Our Evie is so heartless.”

Mom smacked him lightly.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Then she gathered me lovingly back into her arms and touched her forehead to the tip of my nose.

“Our Evie is the sweetest little girl, isn’t she? Mommy’s good baby.”

A warm, cozy feeling wrapped itself around us.

It was enough to make all the nearby relatives look over with warm, kindly eyes.

Lydia was the only exception.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her red-painted nails digging hard into her palm, like they were saying it for her.

Just wait.

A shiver ran through me, and all ten of my fingers clutched tightly at Mom’s collar.

Keep dreaming, Lydia.