My Second Life: Making His Husband Regret It
Chapter 1
My mother-in-law accidentally stepped on a leftover landmine while clearing the field.
The village chief urged me to get John, my veteran husband, to defuse it, but I shook my head, refusing.
In my past life, I ran six miles to town to fetch John, who was on a date with his high school sweetheart, Mandy.
I begged him to save my mother-in-law.
My mother-in-law was saved, but Mandy was dragged into an alley by her ex-husband and beaten to death.
John praised me in public, but on Mandy’s death anniversary, he used that unearthed landmine to blow me to pieces.
“Why shouldn’t you be the one to die? Go to hell and atone for Mandy!”
Reborn, John finally enjoyed a nice dinner at the fancy restaurant with Mandy.
But when he learned what happened at home, he went crazy with regret.
…
1
“Jenny, don’t come any closer! Stay away from me!”
Hearing the familiar voice, I opened my eyes.
My mother-in-law was in tears, yet she insisted on pushing me away.
“I’m old and clumsy. If this thing blows, I don’t want you caught in it.”
The village chief quickly pulled me back.
“Jenny, isn’t your husband a demolitions expert? Where is he? Get him here!”
Hearing the urgent pleas, I dug my nails into my palms to stop the tears.
“He’s in town with Mandy. I can go, but I’m not sure he’ll come…”
The young folks who came with the chief looked awkward.
John’s affair with Mandy was the talk of the town.
Today was our anniversary, yet he took all our money to buy Mandy fancy perfume and take her to the best restaurant.
The air was thick with tension. A young man sighed, seeing my distress.
“Jenny, we’re fast runners. We’ll go get John!”
“Just keep an eye on Mrs. Smith, and don’t worry!”
Without waiting for the chief, they sprinted off. I lowered my gaze, accepting the reality of my rebirth.
My mother-in-law knew about her son’s infidelity. She looked at me, her face etched with worry.
“Jenny, it’s my fault for not raising him right. I’m so sorry.”
“When he gets back, I’ll make him end things with that hussy!”
Tears welled up.
Even after Mandy dumped John twice, he still blamed me and wanted me dead.
How could he possibly end things with her?
As we comforted each other, the young men ran back, drenched in sweat.
Everyone looked behind them. But there was no John.
Gasping for breath, they spoke, their faces flushed with anger.
“John’s acting like a lunatic! He’s at the department store buying Mandy perfume and a new dress!”
“We talked till we were blue in the face, but he wouldn’t believe us!”
“You know what he said? He said we were sent by you, Jenny, that you were being cheap and made up a story to get him back so you wouldn’t have to spend money!”
“How can a son be like this? It’s his own mother standing on a landmine! Even if he had doubts, he should have come back to check!”
“And that Mandy, what a snake! She twisted our words and made it sound like we were your boyfriends! It’s infuriating!”
2
The young men only realized they’d been blunt after venting.
My mother-in-law’s eyes filled with tears. Her lips trembled.
“Did John really say that?”
“Jenny, I’ve wronged you, ruined your life. I’m useless. I’ll atone with my life!”
Overwhelmed, she was on the verge of collapse.
Under everyone’s silent gaze, I knelt before her.
“Mom, it’s not your fault. It’s John. He’s blinded. I never blamed you!”
“If it weren’t for you, I would have starved to death as a child. I don’t want you to atone. I want you to live!”
My parents died in a flood when I was young.
I was alone. It was my mother-in-law who took me in and fed me, allowing me to survive.
John and Mandy were high school sweethearts, but Mandy left him, thinking a soldier had no future.
Heartbroken, John turned to me.
My mother-in-law, who always liked me, urged me to accept. Wanting to repay her kindness, I married John. Then, Mandy returned.
John wanted a divorce, but my mother-in-law refused. The whole town knew about it.
With Mandy’s instigation, John believed I was manipulating his mother. He started hating me.
To get back at me, he took Mandy to town every day, spending lavishly.
My heart ached, but I forced myself to comfort my mother-in-law.
Seeing her calm down, I held her rough hand.
“Mom, your health is failing. You can’t last much longer.”
“Let me take your place, okay?”
Everyone erupted.
“Jenny, think this through! That’s a war leftover. You’ll be crippled, if not dead! Your life will be ruined!”
“You’re young and educated. Don’t throw your future away!”
My mother-in-law’s tears wouldn’t stop.
“Jenny, I raised you, but that’s because your parents saved my life during the flood!”
“I’m halfway in the grave. Let me die. Don’t be foolish!”
I held her hand tight.
“I can’t watch you die. If you won’t switch, I’ll stay. We’ll die together!”
Finally, she agreed.
Seeing he couldn’t change my mind, the chief led everyone back for safety.
When we were happy, John had told me how to switch places with someone on a landmine if they couldn’t hold on. I relayed the instructions to my mother-in-law while carefully moving my foot.
I was terrified, my legs shaking.
But I was desperate. My mother-in-law was the only one who cared about me. I couldn’t let her die.
After a tense silence, we switched places.
She looked at me, tears streaming down her face, and stamped her foot.
“Jenny, wait here. I’ll get that ungrateful wretch myself!”
The young men, having caught their breath, volunteered again.
“Mrs. Smith, we’ll take you. You really need to give John a piece of his mind!”
They helped her away.
The chief and I waited. A long time passed before they returned.
3
Again, John wasn’t with them.
My mother-in-law collapsed upon seeing me.
“Jenny, I’m so sorry. That ungrateful son, he’s heartless!”
As she sobbed, the young men spoke angrily.
“John’s insane! He doesn’t even believe his own mother!”
From their heated words, I pieced together what happened in town.
After buying the perfume and dress, John and Mandy went to the restaurant.
They were feeding each other when the group arrived.
Seeing his mother, John threw down his chopsticks.
“Mom, will you stop this nonsense with Jenny? She just sent someone saying you stepped on a landmine. If that were true, how could you be here?”
“I just want to have a meal with Mandy. Can’t you leave me alone?”
Furious, my mother-in-law flipped the table and dragged John towards home.
Seeing her genuine distress, John finally believed her a little.
But as he started to leave, Mandy grabbed his other hand.
“I know Jenny doesn’t like me, doesn’t like John spending time with me. But Mrs. Smith, you can’t joke about things like this.”
“The battlefield has been cleared so many times. How could there be any landmines left?”
No matter how much my mother-in-law swore, John refused to believe her.
She tried to hit Mandy, but John shielded her and left, without a glance back.
The chief’s face turned pale.
My heart shattered.
Our village was remote. Only John had the skills to disarm a landmine.
If he didn’t come, I was going to die.
I stood from dawn till dusk.
My mother-in-law fainted several times, carried home by the others.
When the moon reached its zenith, my legs were numb.
My body was heavy. I knew I couldn’t hold on any longer.
As everyone watched, tears in their eyes, I croaked, “Get me some paper. I want to write a will.”
The chief sent someone to fetch it. The young man who stayed with me ran off, crying.
Suddenly, torches appeared in the distance.
“Is this where the landmine was found? We’re on maneuvers. We brought a bomb disposal expert!”
Everyone rushed to greet them. I felt a surge of hope, then my legs gave way.
The young men, fearing for my safety, rushed to support me.
“Hold on, Jenny! That idiot John didn’t come, but plenty of people are willing to save you!”
“Jenny, you’re so kind. It’s like they say, heaven helps those who help themselves!”
They’d been with me all day, terrified. Now, seeing I might be saved, they were overjoyed.
But as the soldiers approached, their smiles froze.
“John?!”
John looked surprised to see me.
“Jenny! Are you crazy?!”
“You caused such a commotion, got the leaders involved in your little act, just to get me back?!”
Beside him, Mandy, in her new dress, smiled smugly.
“Jenny, there’s really nothing between me and John. Are you trying to get him punished by making up stories and bothering the leaders?”
“You can’t always be so selfish, not considering your husband’s career.”
John, furious, reached for me.
I’d been standing for over a day. Exhausted, I stumbled forward as he grabbed me.
The young men screamed—
The chief lunged forward.
Everything seemed to slow down.
The last thing I saw was the disgust on John’s face.
I closed my eyes.
We were enemies in two lifetimes, now dying together. What irony.
