Water filled the sky, surging forcefully, chilling to the bone as if a knife were stabbing into the body. The devil seemed to dance, awaiting the arrival of the wandering souls of the night.

Wen Jia didn't know how she managed to put on a tranquil face and turn away. She could only hear the gritting sound as her teeth clenched together. She told herself she couldn't cry. She needed to stand straight, hold her head high, and smile as she walked out of the sight of that adulterous man and woman.

Getting into her car, Wen Jia didn't know where to go. She just knew she had to leave, to escape this nauseating, infuriating, yet soul-crushingly powerless scene. Her head was full of that smug face, of Yan Zixun's indifference.

The roar of the car's engine sounded like a bomb, exploding all her held-back emotions. Bitterness and hatred in an instant burned away all restraint.

The car drove wildly on Binhe Boulevard, then plunged headlong into the river...

"Why did you do this to me?"

"Why were you so cruel?"

"Why has my selfless sacrifice led to this outcome?"

Why... why....

This Thanksgiving, a slap in the face was served to Wen Jía in such a mocking way, taking her by surprise. The straightforward and bloody method was ridiculously cliché. If she could rate her life, she would give it the lowest score possible.

Just moments ago, Yan Zixun - her husband - had his arm drapped by another woman. A vibrant and beautiful young girl with a face beaming with satisfaction and arrogance.

She wished to hang all over Yan Zixun, and that despicable man didn't reject or stop her.

She said, "Auntie, look, this is the diamond ring Zixun bought for me." She lifted her hand, showing off the large diamond on her ring finger. The shining light from the gem appeared to mock this housewife who knew nothing.

The youthful, red lips said, "We've been together for five years."

The soft hand stroked her still-flat belly and said, "Look, we've got a baby on the way too. He's surely going to be as handsome and cute as Zixun."

The mocking look in her eyes seemed to say, “Old lady, you’ve lost. He’s going to divorce you now; he’s mine. Start packing your stuff and make room for me.”

The man beside her showed no concern, his face strained as if constipated. A bitter laugh, this was the man she'd spent over a decade with, this seemingly perfect man in other's eyes, the flawless egg which is unattractive to flies. However, reality always tears off every hypocritical mask, sooner or later.

Wen Jia, stepping into middle age, was just like thousands of ordinary housewives straining over their husband's and child's three meals a day. After seeing her husband and child off in the morning, she would tidy up the household chores, then chat with her friends, or visit some art exhibition alone. Ever since she got married to Yan Zixun, she'd given up her job, concentrating wholeheartedly on managing the household. Her social circle was small and confined to her castle-like home. Many would say these were signs of the beginning of a midlife crisis.

The world is too small. So small, that you meet someone with just a turn around. But also too big, with no way to retreat.

Goodbye. If reincarnation exists, I will not repeat the same mistakes.

"Wen Jia, Wen Jia, wake up..."

Still groggy, Wen Jia heard someone calling her name. The sound was desperate yet familiar. Upon opening her eyes, she was momentarily stunned. She rubbed her eyes and turned her head to look; it was the thatched cottage of her parental home from her memories. Wen Zhi, her elder brother who was a year older than her and looking like a teenager, was holding her arm anxiously at this moment.

Could this be a VIP treatment for the newly deceased, meeting family before having MengPo Soup*, sharing a reunion dinner? King Yan** still cared about the people's opinion, it seems.

Translator Notes:

*MengPo Soup is a legendary soup in Chinese mythology that is supposed to erase one's memories from their past life before reincarnation.

**King Yan is a figure commonly known in Chinese mythology as the ruler of the underworld.