Rebooting Life

Chapter One

It was my anniversary with Jake, and his little sister, Ashley, just had to tag along to the zoo.

We were bickering in the car when she suddenly threw open the door and hopped out.

A tiger pounced on her, tearing her to shreds. She didn’t stand a chance.

I tried to pull her back, but my face got mauled, and I ended up with ten stitches. I was a mess, practically a shut-in.

Jake and I put on a brave face and threw Ashley a big funeral.

But then Jake turned on me.

He went online and started blasting me, saying I was a cold-hearted witch who didn’t even try to save his sister.

Everyone jumped on the bandwagon, calling me names and saying I was a horrible person for mistreating poor Ashley.

Even my in-laws started treating me like dirt, yelling and hitting me whenever they felt like it.

One freezing night, they locked me in a room and left me to starve.

Then I woke up, back in the car, with Ashley whining about wanting to go to the zoo with us.

1.

“Seriously, Sarah, it’s just the front seat! What’s the big deal?”

I was still reeling from the nightmare when I saw Ashley’s pouty face.

I didn’t say anything, which only made her madder. She huffed and climbed in the back.

My husband, Jake, chimed in, “Ash, today’s our anniversary, maybe you should sit this one out.”

Ashley shot me a look like it was all my fault.

“No way! Why can’t I come?”

Jake’s parents piled on too. “Ashley’s young, let her have some fun. Can’t you be a little more understanding, Sarah?”

Instead of snapping back like I used to, I plastered on a fake smile.

“Sure, come on! You guys too, Mom and Dad. The more, the merrier!”

Before Jake could stop them, his parents squeezed into the car, gushing about how lucky they were to have such a thoughtful son.

A sardine can with five of us, what a treat.

I snorted to myself.

I was back at square one, the day of the zoo trip.

Jake and I were supposed to have a nice romantic dinner for our anniversary.

But no, he insisted on going to the zoo because that’s where he supposedly fell in love with me.

I figured, what the heck, so I agreed.

Then Ashley just had to invite herself along for the ride.

On the way to the wild animal park, Jake handed me a Tiffany’s necklace.

Growing up with a silver spoon, I could spot a fake from a mile away.

Ten years of marriage, and he gets me a knock-off.

I wanted to blow up, but I didn’t want to ruin the day, so I just kept my mouth shut.

Ashley, of course, was green with envy. “Jake! How come Sarah gets the expensive stuff?”

Jake came from a poor family, so Ashley had this penny-pinching, always-looking-for-a-freebie thing going on.

We’d been married for ten years, and Jake was usually pretty good to me, so I mostly put up with his sister.

Nice dresses, fancy bags – if she liked it, I’d usually just buy it for her.

But today was different. It was my anniversary.

Her comment rubbed me the wrong way.

“It’s the thought that counts,” I said sweetly.

That must have hit a nerve because she glared at me.

“You always look down on me!”

Seeing us at odds, Jake pulled the car over to the side of the road. He turned around and started lecturing me.

“Do you rich people always have to be so stuck-up?”

“Can’t you just get along with my sister for one day?”

Ashley started bawling in the backseat.

“I don’t even want you as my brother! You always buy Sarah the good jewelry, you never think about me!”

“I’m outta here!”

Before we could stop her, she slammed the door and stomped off.

Ignoring the giant “DANGER: WILD ANIMALS” sign, she went right into the feeding zone

And the next thing we knew a tiger was right behind her.

And in an instant, she was nothing more than minced meat.

And to save her, I had opened the car door to pull her back, my entire face was mauled by the tiger, leaving me a stitched-up mess.

But Jake and his parents all blamed me for Ashley’s death.

They hated me for it.

They tied me up, beat me, and fed me garbage.

They stuck needles into my body.

The day I died, Jake’s mom was practically glowing with satisfaction.

And on the very arm that smashed my bones, was a Jade bracelet I had bought her.

Everything was just as I had seen before.

2.

Just like before.

As we entered the enclosure, Jake reached over and gave me the fake necklace.

I pretended to be thrilled.

I put it on and let Ashley seethe.

She turned to Jake “Oh Jake, you’re so sweet, spending money on her.”

My parents were with us, in the back seat.

Ashley’s anger got worse.

She was in her mid twenties, since I married her brother, her entire life had improved.

Her good life had spoiled her beyond belief.

Seeing no one would come to her aid, she opened the car door, screaming.

“You all gang up on me! I don’t want to sit here.”

With a roar the tiger pounced!

She was so scared she pissed herself!

This gave my in-laws the perfect opening to pull me out.

Seeing this Jake went nuts. “How could you not want to save her!!”

No matter what they said, I just grabbed my seatbelt, a scared look on my face.

I had done this once before, ending up disfigured and hated for it.

Never again.

Ashley screamed and the tiger began to devour her, blood flew everywhere.

Seeing their daughter about to die, Jake’s mom jumped out, trying to fight the tiger, trying to protect her own.

All this did was attract the other tigers.

The next thing she knew she was lying on the ground, covering Ashley, accepting her doom.

Zoo staff showed up fast, but there was nothing they could do.

Who would be so stupid to open the car doors?

The problem was, this family was full of idiots.

Before entering the zone staff had explained the rules of staying inside the cars, and there were warning speakers.

Despite all this, Ashley didn’t give a damn.

She even opened the sun roof and started to wave at the tigers.

3.

In time help arrived.

By using many cars to scare the tigers, the were chased away.

The zoo quickly sent the ladies to the hospital.

Ashley was covered in wounds, but she would survive.

His mother was not so lucky, with barely a patch of skin left on her body.

To make things worse, her legs had been eaten.

After three days in intensive care, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she did was ask about Ashley.

“Mom, Ashley is fine”

Knowing her daughter was fine, she smiled.

This made me happy, if I could just let her die like that, it would be nowhere near enough.

I would never be able to get them back for all the tortures they had done to me.

She tied me to a chair, beat me with a stick.

She even had the nerve to stick needles into me.

The day I died, her face was a mask of joy.

When she smashed my bones, she wore the jade bracelet I had bought her.

Everything was going according to plan.

Ashley was jealous of the necklace, and was going to storm off.

The difference was, her parents came to the zoo.

When she opened the door, Jake’s father quickly locked the doors.

Jake even froze up, he didn’t want to die.

What a selfish family.

At least the mother charged forward.

Now that she was disabled, I was excited to see what they would do.

3

Soon after, videos of the zoo attack went viral.

Ashley awoke in the hospital, and immediately began to blast the zoo.

Reporters filled the halls.

In front of the cameras she exclaimed “They never told us we couldn’t get out of the car!”

With tears in her eyes she claimed “my mother had to lose her legs to save me”

“After the incident, they did nothing to help us, they are responsible.”

“They owe us 10 million dollars”

In an instant the story of the mother saving the daughter went viral.

Many began to demand the zoo to pay up.

The zoo had to shut down.

The tigers were put down.

After this incident, I could feel the rage coming from Jake.

Ashley began to brag by her mothers bedside.

“Mom, were going to be rich!”

She then turned and looked at me “We don’t need to deal with that bitch anymore”

She was silent.

His dad started yelling at me “How could my son find you!”

“If it wasn’t for your anniversary, we wouldn’t be here”

He then turned to Jake “If she steps out of line, throw her out!”

I could barely contain my glee “Divorce me then! I can’t wait”

“If it wasn’t for me, you would still be plowing dirt”

He was so mad!

Jake then charged forward, “Sarah, I swear you’ve lost it”

I then began to vomit, his face was so ugly.

He thought he was so smart.

But I will make them pay for everything, and it would be a lot of blood.

I then grabbed all my jewelry.

And put it back into my pre marriage safe.

4

While she was still trying to get her pay out.

The next day, the hate began to spread.

They had found my socials.

There was a video of Ashley and I arguing.

It was edited for evil.

Pictures of me wearing the necklace were posted as well, with the words “Gold Digger”

It was everywhere.

My phone was hit by thousands of bots.

Jake had done this.

In the video Ashley’s mother was screaming.

“She treats us like crap, that’s why she got out.”

“She just stood by and watched.”

“She wants us to die and take all of our stuff!”

Because of this I got harassed online.

People began to post comments.

“If I see her on the street, she’s dead”

“Why didn’t the tiger just kill her”

“A man can’t win with a bitch like that”

“Women always got to be a pain!”

It’s been a real ride, that’s for sure.