REBORN

"You're quite a pretty little thing. Under different circumstances, I would have made you mine. Sadly, I never leave a job unfinished."

Fu tianye was a tall and hefty man, with a sinister smile on his otherwise handsome face.

Xin Meilin coughed, her throat parched, as she watched him leave. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink in the days she had been kept there. It was on the day she got divorced, and was left penniless, that she had gotten kidnapped. She had been kept in a dark room, and hadn't had contact with the outside world for days.

At first, she had suspected her ex-husband for the kidnapping, because there was nothing he wouldn't do to get what he wanted. But there was nothing to gain, he had already gotten a divorce and had stolen every single piece of the inheritance her parents had left her after their deaths. No one had come to see her in the days she had been kidnapped, and Fu Tianye wouldn't tell her anything. She had tried to escape on multiple occasions, but Fu Tianye wouldn't let her, he always had his eyes on her.

Just as she had that thought, she heard him come back, but he wasn't alone. There was a woman with him. She didn't recognize her at first, but the voice was unmistakable. It was Han Suli.

"Xin Weilin." The woman stopped before her, looking at her with disdain. "You look horrible," she laughed, reveling in Xin Weilin's misery.

Xin Weilin feebly raised her head up to look at Han Suli, who she had treated like a friend, the same Han Suli whom she had gotten a job for as her husband's secretary, the same Han Suli who was her husband's mistress.

"I've only come here today to inform you of my upcoming wedding with your husb-, sorry I meant ex-husband. We would've held it later, but you see, it will start showing soon." Han Suli stroked her belly laughing at the shocked expression on Xin Weilin's face. "Do you know why I had your finger cut off?" She taunted.

Xin Weilin looked down at her left hand, at the ring finger missing. Anger and hatred welled up in her.

"Because that finger once wore Mo Zhouli's ring, but now it's gone, just like you will be."

"I'll kill you," Xin Weilin shouted, but her voice was barely a whisper.

"Finish her off," Han Suli told Fu Tianye, then she turned and left.

Fu Tianye looked at the sorry figure of Xin Weilin on the floor, before turning to leave.

Xin Weilin desperately tried to move, knowing what was to come, but her legs had been broken after her first escape attempt and her hands were tied up. She didn't manage to even move an inch before he came back, with kegs of gasoline.

"Please. . . No," Xin Weilin begged as he poured the gasoline around the room and on her, but she was ignored.

He lit up a match, before dropping it on the ground. The whole place lit up, as Fu Tianye stared at her.

"It'll make it easier." He used a stick to hit her on the back of her head.

Xin Weilin felt the pain, but soon it faded as she slowly lost consciousness, left to die in the turbulent flames.

. . . . . . .

Xin Weilin was disoriented when she awoke. Opening her eyes, she looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings. Civil Affairs Bureau, it was written in bold. What was she doing here, how did she get here?

"Are you alright miss?" A middle aged man asked, he was kneeling in front of her.

Xin Weilin nodded, still feeling disoriented. What was going on, wasn't she supposed to be dead? At that thought, she immediately sat up, her mind clearing up.

"You dropped your purse miss," the man said.

Xin Weilin reached out her hand to collect the purse, but stopped once she realized this scene was very familiar. It was on the day she had gotten married. She had fallen asleep after hours and hours of waiting for Mo Zhouli, only to be awoken by a kind man who had noticed her purse had fallen.

Why was she experiencing all that again? Could it be-

"Miss?" The man called still waiting for her to take her bag.

Xin Weilin took it, thanking him. "Uhmm mister, what's today's date please?"

"It's the 7th of July," he answered.

"The year?" Xin Weilin asked, tentatively awaiting his answer.

He looked at her strangely before answering, "2017."

Xin Weilin looked down at her fully intact hand, wiggling her fingers just to make sure it was real. A smile blossomed on her face, eyes lighting up in joy.

She had been reborn.

Still finding it unbelievable, she asked someone else for the date just to be sure. It was still the same answer as the man before had given. She had truly been reborn.

Xin Weilin glanced at her phone to check the time. She still had an hour before Mo Zhouli would show up, but she was still in a dilemma. She just had an hour to find a husband and get married. Why couldn't she have woken up earlier?

She walked about looking for a candidate, but almost everyone she saw there was a couple, and the rest just weren't satisfactory. She kept on looking, almost giving up hope, then she saw him.

He was tall, with dark hair, and an exceptionally handsome face. Xin Weilin moved closer, her eyes still on the man, which was probably why she didn't notice the woman with him. When she did, she felt an inexplicable sadness in her chest; he was already taken. She wanted to turn around but it was too late, Xin Weilin had already gotten closer, and she inadvertently overheard their conversation.

"Why?"

"I'm sorry, but I just can't marry a poor man. I deserve better." The woman turned, and glanced at Xin Weilin, before strutting away, her long hair billowing behind her.

Even in plain clothes, the man had regal bearing. He didn't seem poor to Xin Weilin, but that wasn't of concern to her. She moved towards him.

"Your handsome face is enough for me, I'll marry you," Xin Weilin said jokingly.

The man turned, his deep obsidian eyes glancing at her. Xin Weilin felt her heart skip a beat when his gaze landed on her. He remained silent.

"Your bride clearly doesn't want to marry you, and my fiance stood me up. And I need to get married today, so. . .

"Let's get married."