Tricked, But Not This Time

I wasn’t even pregnant, yet I ended up popping abortion pills like they were candy. It was all because in my past life, the moment my widowed sister-in-law got pregnant, every single side effect of her pregnancy became mine. She strutted around happily with her big belly, consuming spicy tamales, while I was rushed to the hospital for violent nausea and stomach pain; she showed off her flawless skin in crop tops every day, while my stomach broke out in hideous stretch marks. When I told my husband what was happening, he just shoved me away impatiently. “Enough with the jealousy! My brother’s dead, and she’s carrying his only child. Of course, I should look out for her. Do you really have to put on such an act?” After that, my sister-in-law went even further. She kept testing her limits during pregnancy and even ate a mango she was allergic to. And me? I went into anaphylactic shock, landed in the hospital, and nearly died. Doctors couldn’t explain it. They just brushed it off, saying I was overly jealous and it was all psychological. Later, my sister-in-law tried to brand herself as a “hot single mom”. She went live, belly and all, to show off her weight-loss workouts. She jumped around for three straight hours. And me? My uterus literally gave out, and I hemorrhaged to death. When I opened my eyes again, it was the exact day she first announced her pregnancy. Chapter 1 After my husband’s brother passed away, my sister-in-law, Maisie Frost, used the excuse of being pregnant with his child to demand that my husband, Alex Freddrick, take care of both families. My mother-in-law, Susan Freddrick, was thrilled and immediately agreed. She even served Maisie a bowl of chicken soup that had been simmering for hours. However, the moment Maisie took a sip, my stomach churned violently, and I doubled over, gagging uncontrollably. So it was true—being sent back in time and to this life hadn’t changed anything. I wasn’t pregnant at all, yet every single pregnancy symptom that should’ve been hers was showing up on me. While I was still in shock, Maisie pushed the chicken soup away with a look of disgust and started whining for something spicy. “Alex, this chicken soup is way too bland. The baby wants something tastier! Please?” Alex just looked at her with helpless affection. With a sigh, he said, “Alright, alright, my princess. If you don’t want soup, what do you want instead?” Her eyes lit up instantly. “Yay! I want spicy tamales, mango cake, and some fried chicken too!” Hearing her rattle off junk food like that, I immediately stepped in front of her. If she ate those things, it wouldn’t hurt her, it would torture me instead. One round of morning sickness was enough to kill me nearly. I blurted out, “Alex, she’s pregnant. How can you allow her to eat all that unhealthy stuff?” Even Susan, who had been waiting for me to explode about the “two families” arrangement, froze at my words. Then, she actually sided with me. “She’s right! Pregnant women need nourishing food, not all that junk! Alex, don’t spoil Maisie like this.” Immediately, Maisie’s eyes filled with tears. She burst into sobs, her voice cracking with false misery. “Why are you picking on me, Clara? I’m only craving a few little things because I’m pregnant! Do you hate me that much? Is it because I took Alex away from you? Fine, I’ll book an appointment tomorrow. I’ll get rid of the baby and leave!” Things were exactly the same as before. From the moment Maisie got pregnant, I suffered every one of her symptoms, so she was my first suspect. However, she always played the pitiful victim, and Alex never once believed me. “You’re jealous of her, aren’t you? That’s why you made up this ridiculous story. Enough already! My brother’s dead, and she’s carrying his only child. Of course, I should take care of her! You’re just acting to make things difficult!” From then on, Alex moved out with Maisie and stayed glued to her side. Anytime I tried to visit, he’d throw me out mercilessly. Once, I even collapsed outside their door from unbearable nausea. Alex came out, carefully supporting Maisie in his arms while sneering at me. “Tsk. Are you done with your little act? Get lost already. Maisie’s carrying a baby. She doesn’t need your bad vibes around here.” After that, the two of them lived away for three whole months. During that time, I was hospitalized fifty times for everything from morning sickness to allergic reactions to signs of miscarriage. Later on, Maisie launched a livestream campaign as a “hot single mom.” At six months pregnant, she danced and jumped for three straight hours. That very night, my uterus gave out. I bled out and died until I opened my eyes again, realizing I had been sent back in time. However, this time, I was going to find the key to breaking this curse. Hence, when I caught Maisie glaring at me maliciously, I lowered my head and forced a smile. “Maisie, I didn’t mean to upset you. If you want those snacks, I’ll get them for you.” However, in my heart, I was already planning something else. If Maisie could use her pregnancy to torture me, then fine. I’d hit back even harder. This time, I’d buy the snacks and a bottle of abortion pills. Chapter 2 I thought Alex was going to scold me, but when he saw how obedient I seemed, the words stuck in his throat. Even Susan and Maisie froze in surprise. Before anyone could react, I turned and ran straight out of the house, heading five miles away to the grocery store. By the time I returned with bags full of snacks, Maisie’s face was already twisted with displeasure. She dug through the bags one by one and scoffed. “Clara, I asked for extra-spicy tamales, and you brought back mild? Are you trying to annoy me? And this? I wanted mango cake. Why did you buy strawberry cake? Was that on purpose, too?” I ignored her complaints and just kept my eyes fixed on her belly. On the way back, I had downed an entire bottle of abortion pills. I wanted to see if she’d be affected by it. However, she looked perfectly fine. Did I not take enough? While I was still doubting myself, Maisie suddenly smirked. “So, you really don’t take my words seriously, huh?” She put on an act, sighing dramatically as if she were the victim. “Oh, it’s my fault, really. I shouldn’t have kept this baby after Luke died. If I’d known you hated me so much, maybe I should’ve gotten rid of it!” With that, she started pounding on her belly. Instantly, a stabbing pain shot through my abdomen. She was doing it on purpose! I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to look apologetic. “Maisie, I was only thinking of your health. You developed an allergy to mangoes after you got pregnant, remember? That’s why I bought strawberry cake instead. If you had an allergic reaction, it could hurt the baby. This is the only grandchild our family has left from Luke. Please don’t be reckless.” Hearing me say that, Susan immediately thought of her late son, Luke, and rushed to persuade Maisie to calm down. She even praised me for being thoughtful and considerate. Maisie tried to cling to Alex for support, but even he got nervous at the thought of something happening to the child. He quickly sided with me. “Maisie, she’s just looking out for you and the baby. Be good. Once you give birth to the baby, I’ll buy you anything you want.” Watching them fawn over each other made my stomach churn. Disgust rising in me, I rushed into the bathroom and swallowed another whole bottle of abortion pills. However, again, nothing happened to Maisie. It seemed that the effect only worked one way. Meanwhile, Alex had cooked Maisie some mac and cheese with extra-hot sauce and was spoon-feeding her the strawberry cake himself. At least this time, I had switched everything around, so my pregnancy symptoms weren’t nearly as bad as in my past life, and I didn’t go into anaphylactic shock from the mango. I finally felt a bit of relief. Exhausted, I went back to my room to rest. However, lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep. Until I figured out what was going on, Maisie had me completely under her thumb. Just as I was thinking about how to break free, a wave of nausea hit me. I bolted to the bathroom and threw up violently. My vomit was streaked with blood and bile. Clutching the toilet, I tried to recall everything I’d eaten. That was when it hit me. I grabbed my phone and opened Maisie’s social feed. There it was. She had gone out alone, belly and all, and filmed herself at a barbecue joint. “Craving hit! I had to sneak out for some grilled goodness,” she had captioned smugly. Chapter 3 On the screen, Maisie was happily chomping on extra-spicy barbecued beef, washing them down with a large cup of ice-cold soda. She laughed like she didn’t have a care in the world. Meanwhile, my taste had always been on the lighter side. Now, with the pregnancy symptoms tormenting me instead of her, I was drenched in cold sweat, retching nonstop. Furious, I called her. When she picked up, she acted like nothing was wrong, her voice fake. “Oh, hey, Clara. Why are you up so late? I’m just out eating barbecue. If it’s nothing important, don’t bother me, okay? Oh, and please don’t tell Mom about this. You know how she nags too much.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I shouted, “Maisie, what the hell have you done to me? Why is it that ever since you got pregnant, every single side effect has become mine?” On the other end of the line, she ignored me and ordered even more spicy food. It made me vomit so violently that my whole body trembled. Maisie put on her innocent act as she said, “Clara, are you paranoid? I’m just a pregnant woman. How could I possibly do anything to you? You’re just jealous that I’m carrying the baby and getting Alex’s attention. Is this your pity play?” Then, she lowered her voice like she was giving me an ultimatum. “Tell you what. If you admit you’re faking it, I’ll stop eating.” She ordered even greasier, spicier food. My stomach convulsed until I was crying in pain. Finally, I broke. “Fine! Yes, I’m faking it! Just stop it already, please!” The very next second, a man’s furious voice thundered through the phone. “Clara! You’ve disappointed me beyond words!” It was my husband, Alex. Maisie burst out laughing and hung up. After another wave of vomiting hit me, my body collapsed, and with the last bit of strength I had, I dialed 911. The ambulance came just in time before I blacked out for eight hours. When I woke, the doctor told me I had collapsed from dehydration and shock due to severe pregnancy reactions. However, after running all the tests, they still couldn’t find a medical cause. “There’s nothing unusual here. Do you have any clue what might be going on?” the doctor asked. I didn’t answer. Instead, I signed the discharge papers on the spot and rushed home to approach the one who conspired in this. The moment I saw Maisie, I grabbed a kitchen knife and pressed it to her throat. “Clara, what are you doing?” she gasped. Refusing to play along with her act, I glared at her swollen belly and growled, “Cut the act. Tell me. Why are all your pregnancy side effects showing up on me?” Maisie widened her eyes and put on a pitiful expression. “You’re imagining things. You must really have paranoia.” I shoved the blade closer to her stomach. “Stop the fake act. Speak!” She shrieked. “Okay, okay! I’ll tell you!” However, before the words left her mouth, she burst into fake tears. “Alex, help me!” I didn’t notice Alex sneaking up behind me until he yanked the knife from my hand and kicked me hard in the chest. “Clara! How dare you threaten Maisie? Do you have a death wish?” Then, Susan rushed over and slapped me across the face. “You little tramp! I thought you’d matured, but you’ve been plotting this all along! How dare you try to harm my grandson? I’ll kill you first!” Alex and Susan immediately called the cops, insisting I needed to be punished. When the police arrived, Alex played a recording from that night. “Officers, my wife claims Maisie transferred her pregnancy symptoms to her, but listen carefully, she admitted that she was jealous.” Then came my own voice in the recording, “Fine! Yes, I’m faking it!” The officers’ faces hardened instantly, and they cuffed me on the spot. “Throwing a jealous tantrum to this degree? This is absolutely irrational,” one of them scolded. I struggled, desperate to explain, but then I caught sight of Maisie in the corner, smiling as she bit into a mango. The allergic reaction hit me instantly. It felt like invisible hands clamped around my throat, choking me. My limbs convulsed, my vision went black, and I clawed for help. Alex just sneered. “See, officers? She’s putting on another act. Now you can witness it yourselves.” Chapter 4 I clenched my fists tight, forcing out my last breath as I collapsed into the arms of a female officer nearby. “I’m not faking it… Please, I beg you. Take me to the hospital.” The officer looked at my pale face and finally realized something was wrong. She quickly tried to help me out of the door. However, Alex and Susan stood in the way, refusing to let me leave unless I apologized to Maisie first. “If I catch you trying to hurt her again, I’ll divorce you on the spot!” Alex shouted. Then, everything went black. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital. The doctor was scratching his head in frustration. All the tests came back normal, and he couldn’t explain why I suddenly went into anaphylactic shock. Unable to figure it out, he finally suggested that I should see a psychiatrist. I let out a bitter laugh and told him to just give me sleeping pills and painkillers. With no better options, the doctor prescribed me a stack of medication and sent me on my way. The police also concluded it was just a family dispute, so they didn’t press any charges against me. Taking advantage of the chance, I packed up some things and decided to stay with my parents for a while. Thankfully, they trusted me completely. They took me for more check-ups, and after finding nothing still, they told me to rest. I nodded with a smile, but suddenly, a stabbing pain tore through my lower abdomen. It felt like invisible hands were ripping my uterus apart, and blood began flowing uncontrollably. Panicked, I pulled out my phone and searched Maisie’s social media account. There she was, branding herself as a “hot single mom” while livestreaming her workout. On screen, she bounced up and down in a waist trainer, belly nearly five months pregnant. “Ladies, if you don’t stay slim, men won’t love you! Even pregnant, you’ve got to manage your body!” Clutching my stomach in agony, I shook with rage. Every nerve in me wanted to tear Maisie apart. Just then, my phone rang. A strange, unfamiliar number lit up the screen. The moment I answered, I finally understood what was really going on. Chapter 5 In the days that followed, Maisie skyrocketed in popularity online with her gimmick of being a pregnant fitness streamer. Even though she was already in her second trimester, her slim figure made plenty of expectant moms jealous, and her fan base grew rapidly. Fitness influencers jumped at the chance to ride her wave of fame, joining her livestreams for workout challenges. Maisie welcomed it all, even launching her own “three-hour workout challenge” online. In my past life, that exact challenge was what caused my uterus to collapse, and I bled out until I died. However, this time, I sat comfortably at home, eating ice cream and cradling a bowl of popcorn, waiting to watch her livestream. When the big day arrived, Maisie’s stream instantly shot to the number one spot, with her appearing in tight shapewear, bouncing along to the music. However, after only five minutes, her expression twisted. She suddenly froze in place. The comments exploded in concern, and Alex, along with Susan, rushed to ask if she was feeling okay. However, when she noticed viewers beginning to leave the stream, Maisie clenched her jaw, forced a smile, and prepared to keep going. The moment she leapt again and landed, she wet herself right in front of over a hundred thousand viewers. Yellow liquid streamed down her legs uncontrollably, while she, clutching her stomach, collapsed in pain and fainted on the spot. Watching it unfold, I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the couch. Moments later, my phone rang. Alex’s furious voice roared through the line. “What the hell did you do?”