Reborn to Watch My Traitorous Wife Fall

My wife and her side piece murdered me. Right before I drew my last breath, she leaned in close and whispered in my ear: "The kid is his. I never loved you. Marrying you was just my only way out!" Back in high school, I couldn't bear to see her get terrorized by the school bully, so I stepped up to protect her. Little did I know, she ended up falling for him, eating up every bit of abuse he threw her way. Under their mocking glares, my eyes slowly closed. When I opened them again, I was back in high school—on the exact day that thug cornered her outside the school gates. This time, I decided to pull up a seat and enjoy the show. "Go right ahead and mess with her. I'll just treat it like dinner and a movie!" "Damn it, this bastard just won't die!" A burly guy with bleached-blond hair stood behind me, looping an electrical wire around my neck and yanking it back with everything he had! The cord dug deep into my flesh. No matter how wildly I clawed at it, I couldn't loosen it a millimeter; I only managed to rip open bloody gouges in my own throat. My lungs burned like fire, convulsing uncontrollably from lack of oxygen. I opened my mouth wide, desperate to pull in air, but couldn't catch a single breath. The world began to go dark, and the cold shadow of death closed in over me. Right then, the bedroom door swung open. My seemingly sweet, gentle wife, Miranda, appeared in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock. A spark of hope flared in my chest. I waved frantically at her, mouthing for her to call 911. Yet the words from behind me froze me down to the marrow of my bones. "Bitch, get over here and give me a hand!" the burly guy barked. And Miranda, once so graceful and demure, actually scurried over obediently, pinning my hands and feet down so I couldn't struggle at all! "Why?!" My eyes bulged as I glared at her in sheer disbelief. Maybe she saw the utter confusion in my eyes, because right in front of me, Miranda planted a kiss on the guy's lips, her hands already wandering over his chest. The guy grunted impatiently, "I'm busy here! You little slut, I'll take care of you in a minute! Let's get the job done first!" Miranda kept holding me down, leaning in close to my ear. "Remember Chase?" I tried desperately to turn my head, but the man behind me didn't give me the chance. Of course. I had felt he looked familiar from the very start. With Miranda's reminder, it all clicked into place—the thug behind me was Chase, the high school bully who used to harass her! "How could this happen?" When did they start sleeping together behind my back? And why would Miranda do this to me?! Right now, I couldn't utter a single syllable. The edges of my vision narrowed into blackness, and the last of my strength drained away. Miranda pressed her lips against my ear and whispered softly, "The kid is his. I never loved you. Marrying you was just my only way out!" With that, a sickening burst of triumphant laughter escaped her lips! From the hallway, our daughter started crying—the scene had probably terrified her. But I had no room left to care. My vision plunged into pitch-black void, and my consciousness sank into nothingness. I didn't know how much time had passed. "Hey! What are you spacing out for? Wait, did you fall asleep?" A familiar voice called out in my ear. I opened my eyes to a familiar classroom. Outside the window, the bell was ringing, and teenagers in school uniforms were laughing and chatting in the hallway. I looked down and saw that I was wearing our high school uniform, too. Was I reborn? Back to my high school days? "Earth to you! I'm talking to you!" A slender, pale hand waved in front of my face. I turned my head. My desk partner was staring at me with a puzzled frown. It was none other than the woman who would later become my wife—Miranda! For a moment, I didn't even know how to look at her. Only in this life, I already knew that beneath her pure, innocent facade lay a rotten, filthy heart. "Don't forget to walk me home after class. I'm scared I'll run into Chase again!" Miranda packed her backpack as she spoke. Her words unlocked a flood of buried memories.Miranda had been my desk partner since our freshman year. Back then, I was totally infatuated with her. I'd hop the school fence at six in the morning just to buy her breakfast, and pick up late-night takeout for her after study hall, barely leaving myself enough lunch money to survive. To put it bluntly, I was her ultimate simp. Over the past few days, Chase, the notorious school bully, had set his sights on her. Now, she wanted me to walk her home solely to use me as a shield against him. In my past life, I genuinely believed Miranda detested Chase. But now, it was obvious that wasn't the case at all. Whatever twisted game they were playing, I had zero interest in being their pawn. I shook my head and said, "Go on without me. I've got something to take care of." The words had barely left my mouth when Miranda's other childhood friend, Liam, popped out of nowhere. "Miranda, how about I walk you home? We're heading in the same direction anyway." He was the type who always hung around under the guise of being a 'best friend,' sliding into Miranda's SnapChat every single day. Whenever Miranda and I had a fight, he would immediately swoop in to play the comforter, subtly talking trash behind my back. Whenever there was an opening, he'd show off how sweet and considerate he was—the textbook definition of a "nice guy." Unfortunately for him, Liam was about to run straight into a brick wall today. According to my past life's memories, the moment I walked out of the school gates with Miranda today, Chase intercepted us. He blatantly groped and taunted Miranda right in my face. In a fit of rage, I threw hands with him, which ended with two of my ribs fractured. I spent months bedridden in the hospital, and my grades tanked completely. Right now, Miranda completely ignored Liam. She turned back to me and snapped impatiently, "Are you coming or not?" "I really don't have time. Let Liam walk you. Aren't you two heading the same way?" I said flatly. "Yeah, totally," Liam chimed in eagerly. "It's been a while since we walked home together." Even though every time Liam finished comforting Miranda, she would toss him aside and hit him with the "you're like a brother to me" or "you're such a nice guy" speech, he still wagged his tail and came back for more. Miranda eyed me suspiciously. "Don't tell me you're terrified of Chase? Wow, I never realized you were such a spineless coward!" Such a clumsy attempt at reverse psychology didn't faze me in the slightest. But to high school kids, that was a heavy blow. Liam looked at me curiously, clearly expecting me to explode with anger. Instead, I just shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Yup, I'm scared. Have fun, you two." Miranda stomped her foot in irritation. "How can you be so pathetic and irresponsible?!" Hearing that, Liam immediately jumped on the bandwagon to lecture me: "Seriously, man. Ever heard of being a gentleman?" I couldn't help looking up at Liam—the guy spent all day playing the gentle hero, plotting endlessly to steal Miranda away. Out of the goodness of my heart, I offered him a sincere piece of advice: "Do you know the saying? Nice guys finish dead last." Looking back, I hadn't been much better than Liam back then. I was a pathetic simp, and he was the wannabe 'nice guy.' He was just one step behind me in line. And simps always lost out to bad boys anyway.Hearing that, Liam's face instantly dropped. Miranda froze as well, clearly caught off guard that I'd say something like that. She stared at me wide-eyed, as if looking at a complete stranger. Even if they didn't fully get the deeper joke, neither of them was stupid enough to miss the insult. Desperate to protect his so-called gentlemanly demeanor and "nice guy" persona, Liam flushed beet red. His anger had reached a boiling point, yet he couldn't even squeeze out a single curse word. Man, what a pushover. "What's that supposed to mean?" Miranda glared at me. "Let me tell you, don't you regret this! I was actually thinking about giving you a chance, but since you don't appreciate it, we're done here!" With that, she spun around, her high ponytail whipping through the air, and stomped out of the classroom in a huff. "Miranda, don't be mad. He probably really has stuff to do," Liam hurried after her, scrambling to play peacemaker. Miranda shot him a venomous glare. "Leave me alone. I can take care of myself." Liam forced a fawning smile, nodding as he trailed behind her like a lost puppy. Standing at the classroom door, I watched their retreating backs and scoffed inwardly. In my past life, I risked my neck fighting that bully all for Miranda. Only then did she agree to go out with me, and what did I get in return? Complete betrayal. In this life, I was never making that mistake again. I remembered vividly how, once we got to college, Miranda gave me the cold shoulder constantly, taking half a day just to text back a dry "k," while flirting left and right with frat presidents and campus trainers. Back then, I actually blamed myself, thinking I was boring and lacked charm. Trapped in her toxic manipulation, I degraded myself into a total simp. In this life, there was no way in hell I'd let myself be walked all over. First step: get into a top-tier university on my own terms, and make my first fortune over the summer! As I was walking out of the school gates, plotting my startup plans, a loud commotion broke out not far away. "Well, well, look who finally came out! I've been waiting so long my balls are about to burst. Come on, sweet cheeks, help daddy blow off some steam!" Right by the school gates, a sleazy-looking punk stood leaning against the wall, cutting off Miranda's path. To be fair, Miranda's looks were undeniably deceptive. She had fair skin, a killer figure, and flirtatious eyes that made every guy feel like she was gazing at them with pure devotion. With her well-developed curves swaying with every step, she gave off an effortless youthful charm. No wonder a thug like Chase was fixated on her. A flicker of curiosity stirred inside me. I wondered how things would play out for her this time without me jumping in to save the day. So, I bought a popsicle, found a shaded corner, and sat down to watch the drama unfold. Why should I give a damn if she got pushed around? I'd treat it like free entertainment. If it got good, I might even clap. Chase didn't waste any time after talking—his hands were already wandering, tugging at her backpack strap and grabbing at her clothes. Miranda instantly looked on the verge of tears, her eyes brimming with moisture, putting on the ultimate damsel-in-distress act. Yet the more she whimpered, the more hyped Chase seemed to get. His face flushed with excitement as he clamped his hand around her wrist, trying to drag her into the nearby alleyway. "Let her go!" Liam suddenly roared. He stepped forward, bravely putting himself between Chase and Miranda. Now this was getting interesting.Chase glared down at him, letting out a mocking bark of laughter. "With a puny little frame like that, you really think you can play hero?" Liam's legs were visibly shaking, but he still tried to act righteous: "Treating a girl like this is disgusting! Let go of her right now, or I'm calling the principal!" Chase's expression darkened, his eyes drilling into Liam. "You say one more word, and I'll beat your scrawny ass half to death right along with her. Try me." Liam flinched, shrinking back for a second. But when he caught sight of the tearful, helpless Miranda beside him, his spine stiffened again. "Even if you beat me up, I won't let you lay a finger on Miranda! If you've got a problem, take it out on me!" "You little piece of shit, you asked for this!" With a roar, the two collided. Liam was obviously no match for Chase. Within three seconds, he was thrown to the ground, curling up with his hands over his head and begging for mercy. Chase didn't let up, kicking him viciously in the ribs. And standing there from an outsider's perspective, I noticed something wild: the look in Miranda's eyes as she watched Chase wasn't fear or disgust at all. It was twisted excitement and raw admiration. No wonder they ended up getting together later on. My interest fizzled out; I didn't care to watch any longer. Just as I stood up to walk away, Liam suddenly shrieked, "What makes you so tough beating on me?! The guy Miranda actually likes is Shawn! If you've got the guts, go beat the shit out of him!" "Holy shit!" I was literally minding my own business eating a popsicle, and this asshole still dragged my name into it. "Who the hell is Shawn?" Chase sneered disdainfully. He wrapped an arm possessively around Miranda's waist and barked out loud, "Listen up: she's my girl now! Anyone who tries to get cute with her is gonna answer to me! Neither this weak-ass punk nor that Shawn loser better get any funny ideas about touching what's mine!" Liam's face burned crimson, his entire body trembling with humiliated fury. Chase spat on him in disgust, then yanked Miranda toward the alley. Watching from afar, it was painfully clear that Miranda wasn't fighting back with any real effort. Her feeble squirming looked less like resistance and more like playing hard to get. Who knew she was into that kind of rough treatment? Man, I really was blind back in the day. Seeing the two scumbags on the verge of hooking up, the deep-seated hatred from my past life flared in my chest. While Liam was glaring daggers at their backs, I quietly slipped a loose brick right beside his hand. Liam was trembling with blind rage as he watched them walk away. When his hand suddenly brushed against the heavy weight of a brick, pure fury overrode all logic. The moment his fingers closed around a weapon, he charged like a madman: "I'll kill you, you motherfucker!" "Crack!" The brick slammed hard against the back of the bully's skull. The blow was so brutal that the brick literally shattered into pieces. Chase's head split open with blood spurting out, and he crumpled straight to the asphalt. Miranda shrieked in sheer terror.Seeing things get out of hand, I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed 911. Before long, police cruisers and an ambulance arrived. Miranda and Liam were taken in for questioning, while Chase was loaded onto a stretcher and rushed to the ER. I never could have imagined things would take such a wild turn. Honestly, all Liam had to do was hold onto Miranda and take a few punches, and Chase would have gotten bored and walked away. But Liam was obsessed with his "gentleman" persona, never laying a hand on women, and under extreme humiliation, he snapped and struck with lethal force. Did the bastard who murdered me in my past life just go down like that? A whirlwind of mixed feelings washed over me. Truth be told, the very moment I woke up in this timeline, revenge was the only thing on my mind. Yet before I even lifted a finger, Chase had already been wiped out. Later that evening, the hospital reports came back. Chase didn't die, nor was he in a coma, but he suffered severe brain trauma and partial paralysis. From now on, he'd walk with a permanent limp, his motor functions were ruined, and he basically looked like a drooling idiot. Meanwhile, Liam's family was already dirt poor. That single brick completely shattered his dream of going to college. He ended up dropping out of school to work long shifts in an electronics factory, desperately trying to pay off the massive settlement and medical bills owed to Chase's family. Miranda, on the other hand, went right back to her daily routine, except her attitude toward me underwent a bizarre shift. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Miranda cornered me, staring intensely into my eyes. Over the past few days, she had become convinced that my refusal to walk her home that day was part of some calculated scheme. "I told you already, it was a coincidence. And what does any of that have to do with me?" I said, sighing. "You never used to say no to me! Why did you suddenly change that day? And when Liam stepped up to walk me home right in front of you, the old Shawn would have fought tooth and nail to take his place! On top of that, how convenient was it that there just happened to be a brick right next to Liam's hand?" At this point, Miranda paused, adopting the smug tone of a detective who had cracked the case. "Shawn, I never knew you were so manipulative! You planned the whole thing, didn't you? A stone-cold scheme to wipe out two rivals at once!" "What kind of delusional fanfic are you writing? I had nothing to do with it!" I repeated dryly. "Fine, play dumb, I get it," Miranda smirked softly. "Anyway, I thought over what happened earlier... and I've decided to say yes to you." A faint blush actually crept onto her cheeks as she said it. My brain stalled for a second. "Say yes to what?" "Stop playing innocent! Don't tell me you forgot? Two days ago, you confessed your feelings to me, and I said I'd think about it!" Miranda raised her chin, her tone dripping with condescending charity.