Revenge of the Forensic Lady

The fireworks on New Year's Eve were supposed to be warm. I lay on the cold floor, staring at the twisted smile on my husband Harry Shawn's face. "Anna Scott, if anyone is to blame, it's you—you stood in the way of me and Quincy." Quincy, the Darling of the Department of Forensic Medicine he always spoke of, the 'love rival' I had never truly seen. Flames licked the curtains as thick smoke choked me into a heart-wrenching cough. Harry Shawn turned and left; the closing door silenced my last desperate plea for help. The burning sensation spread through my entire body, every inch of my skin screaming. I hated his foolishness, my own inability to discern others, and this absurd death even more. A moment before my consciousness slipped into darkness, I had only one thought—if there is a next life, I will never repeat the same mistakes. "Anna Scott! Anna Scott! Wake up! You're going to be late for the lab class!" A voice both familiar and strange echoed in my ears. I snapped my eyes open; blinding sunlight poured through the window, spilling across the desk. On the desk lay a forensic medicine textbook, its cover still plastered with sticky notes from my college days. I raised my hand and saw slender, pale skin, flawless and unmarked. I had been reborn, returned to that morning in my sophomore year. Three months remained until I would fall in love with Harry Shawn. Five years remained until the blazing fire on New Year's Eve. My heart pounded—not from fear, but from the relief of having survived the ordeal. I took a deep breath, stifled the swelling emotions, and rose to pack my bag. This time, I will protect myself—and make Harry Shawn pay for the evil he is yet to commit. The afternoon lab session took place in the forensic department's dedicated laboratory. I deliberately chose a corner seat, steering clear of the area where Harry usually lingered. He was exactly as I remembered—dressed in a crisp white shirt, with a fresh, youthful handsomeness in his eyes and brows. In my eyes, beneath this facade, lies a heart as venomous as a serpent's.