The Day I Died Twice Chapter 05

The Day I Died Twice Chapter 05

Two officers climbed out of the cruiser, hands hovering near their belts, taking in the scene: a man sprawled in the gravel, two women standing over him, a little girl’s face pressed to a car window.

“We got a tip about a credible threat to a woman’s life at this address,” the older officer said. “Who called it in?”

“I’m the woman whose life was threatened,” I said, stepping forward, steady as stone. “My name is Celeste Thorne. My husband, Nathaniel Thorne, planned to murder me today and frame me for the death of our daughter. I have texts, an insurance policy, and a recorded confession.”

Nathaniel scrambled up, instantly remolding himself into the grieving, reasonable man the cameras adored. “Officers, I am so sorry you were dragged out here. My wife isn’t well. She’s been delusional, paranoid—I’ve been begging her to see someone—”

“He’d say that,” I said quietly. “He’s good at it. He had a whole jury believing it once.”

The officer frowned. “Once?”

I’d slipped. I recovered fast. “He’s been rehearsing this story for months, officer. Ask Marissa.” I turned. “Marissa, tell them. Tell them why you have my bracelet. Tell them what he promised you. Tell them what he was going to do to you once I was gone.”

—

Every eye swung to Marissa.

She stood trembling, mascara streaking her cheeks,
clutching the bracelet on her wrist as though it had turned
into a handcuff.

This was the moment.

In my last life, Marissa had stood in a courtroom and lied
without a flicker, sealing my fate to win my husband.

But she’d done it believing Nathaniel loved her. Believing
she’d get the house, the money, the life.

Now she knew the truth: she had never been the prize. She
was the cleanup.

“He—” Her voice broke. “He told me she’d disappear. He said
it would look like she ran off after hurting Mabel. He said
once the insurance paid out, we’d be together.” A sob tore
out of her. “He told me to befriend the neighbors. To get
them to say things. To say we saw her hurt the little girl, even
though—even though nothing had happened yet—”

“Marissa, shut up,” Nathaniel hissed.

“You were going to kill me too!” she screamed, rounding on
him. “She’s right! I’m a witness! Oh my God, you were going
to—” She wheeled toward the officers, the words spilling
out. “There are five other people. Neighbors. He paid them.
They’re supposed to come tomorrow and say they saw her
drown the child. It’s all fake. It’s all fake.”

The older officer’s hand moved to his radio.

—

Nathaniel’s perfect face finally cracked all the way through—and beneath it was something I’d seen only once before, in a courtroom, when the verdict came down and he thought no one was watching.

A flicker of triumph curdling into rage.

“You stupid, ungrateful—” he started toward Marissa.

The officers had him on the ground in seconds.

As the cuffs clicked shut, Nathaniel twisted his neck to look at me, and his voice came out low and venomous, meant only for me:

“How did you know?”

I knelt down so we were eye to eye, and I let him see, for the first time, exactly who he was dealing with.

“Because you already did it once,” I whispered. “And I came back.”

His eyes went wide—not with understanding, but with the dawning terror of a man who didn’t understand and never would.

Then they hauled him to his feet, and I walked to the car to hold my living, breathing daughter.