My Best Friend's Scam
The shop assistant adjusted the skirt frame behind me, her voice filled with praise: Ms. Scott, this fishtail wedding gown suits you perfectly. Mr. Alex Lewis will definitely be amazed when he sees it.
I stared at myself in the mirror wearing the wedding dress, my fingertips instinctively clutching the hem.
The image of my parents' car accident from last week suddenly crashed into my mind—the twisted steering wheel, the shattered windshield, and that huge compensation hitting my card. Each detail tightened the ache in my chest.
"By the way," the clerk suddenly interrupted my thoughts, "the groom's suit matching this wedding dress just arrived. Want to take it back for Alex Lewis to try on?"
I was about to shake my head when a sudden tug pulled at the back of my neck.
The next second, someone yanked me into the nearby escape tunnel, the cold tiles pressing against the back of my hand.
"Willow! You can't marry Alex Lewis!"
Windy's voice cracked with tears as she grabbed my arm, her nails nearly digging into my skin.
I looked into her reddened eyes, my heart skipping a beat—this scene was exactly like it had been in my past life.
"He doesn't want to marry you. He wants your life!"
Windy spoke rapidly, her breath trembling, "His sister, Molly Xavier, has been in a coma for half a year. He hired a dark magic practitioner to cast a life-switch curse. Your parents' car accident wasn't an accident—it was the price of spellcraft!"
The hand hanging by my side quietly squeezed my thigh.
A sharp pain shot through me, and only then did I realize I was truly reborn.
In my past life, I listened to her, broke up with Alex Lewis, moved into the 'safe house' she found, and ended up suffocating from a formaldehyde allergy.
"You have to stay away from him. You absolutely cannot go to the hospital this month!"
Windy Xavier kept talking, her eyes filled with anxiety.
I remembered in my last life when she took me to the hospital, only letting me see a figure outside the ward and saying that was Molly Xavier.
This time, I'm going to find out exactly who's in that ward.
"I don't believe it," I said, frowning deliberately and playing stubborn, "Alex Lewis isn't that kind of person, you must be mistaken."
"I'm not mistaken!" Windy Xavier snapped, dragging me toward the hospital. "I'll take you to see for yourself — once you see Molly Xavier with your own eyes, you'll understand!"
The sharp smell of disinfectant hit me as I followed Windy up to the third floor ward.
She pointed to the figure inside, lowering her voice. "Look, that's Molly Xavier! Alex visits her every day to take care of her — all that kindness to you is just an act!"
I looked in the direction she pointed; a slender figure in a patient gown was sitting on the bed.
If I remember right, in my past life I never dared to push that door open. This time...
Without waiting for Windy Xavier to react, I shoved the ward door open.
My footsteps sounded sharp in the quiet ward. I went to the bedside and reached out to turn the person over.
The face was pale and frail—definitely not Windy, but also no one I recognized. Wait, this face… it kind of looks like that distant cousin Windy once posted about on her social media?
Before I could even think it through, a sudden, dull pain hit my chest.
That familiar feeling of suffocation surged up my throat, and I couldn't help but bend over, coughing.
"See! I told you!" Windy Xavier rushed over to support me, her voice urgent and filled with a 'I knew it' edge. "As long as you're near Molly Xavier, she drains your life away. Do you believe me now?"
Clutching my chest, I forced myself to stand upright.
The wave of suffocation came fast and left just as quickly—it felt like someone had secretly slipped something irritating into my collar.
"I know," I pretended to be flustered. "I'm breaking up with Alex Lewis, so don't worry."
Only then did Windy finally relax and pull me out of the ward.
Just as I reached the hospital entrance, my phone buzzed with a message from Alex: "Willow, working overtime at the company, need to finish everything before the wedding leave. Don't wait up, get some rest early."
Windy leaned over to look, then sneered coldly, "See! He's not working overtime—he's definitely here taking care of Molly!"
I said nothing, but deep down I knew—in my past life, I actually believed that and moved out that very night.
This time, I won't make the same mistake again.
"Moving takes time," I said, making an excuse, "I'll go home to pack first, and tomorrow I'll break up with Alex Lewis."
Windy didn't suspect a thing and just nodded, letting me get in the car.
As the car started, I caught Windy pulling out her phone in the rearview mirror, though I didn't know who she was texting.
By the time I got home, it was already eleven at night. I had just put on my shoes when I heard the door lock click.
Alex slipped in quietly, holding a document, which he placed on the cabinet by the entrance.
"Willow, the premarital check results are in. Take a look tomorrow, and if everything's fine, we'll go get the license."
His voice was tired as he reached out to touch my hair, his touch still as gentle as before.
I watched his retreating figure, a sharp sting of bitterness rising in my chest.
The last time we broke up in my past life, he stood there frozen for a long time, only asking, "Did something happen?"
I offered to return his betrothal gift, but he refused, saying, "Just consider it compensation for these past six months."
He never deleted our photo from his Moments, not even after I was gone.
If he was really involved with the life-switch curse, there was no need to act so convincingly.
While Alex Lewis was in the shower, I grabbed the premarital checkup report and opened it.
All the indicators are normal, and the doctor's signature is genuine—so this report is real.
The next morning, I woke up to find I was alone.
Alex Lewis didn't leave me breakfast like he usually does, and he didn't send a single message.
Just as I picked up my phone, Windy Xavier's message popped up: "You still haven't broken up? Are you trying to get yourself killed? One more day with Alex Lewis, and you'll lose ten years of your life!"
I didn't reply and got up to wash up.
Today, I'm going to the hospital for a medical examination to see if there's really something wrong with me.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Windy standing there, holding breakfast in her hand.
"You finally woke up," she said, handing me the breakfast. "I was afraid you'd be hungry, so I specially bought this for you."
The moment I said I wanted to go to the hospital for a medical examination, Windy's face instantly darkened. "You don't trust me? Dark magic issues can't be detected in a hospital! Going is pointless, and it'll only make you weaker!"
"I just want to feel a little more at ease," I insisted. "If the check-up shows nothing wrong, I'll break up with Alex Lewis."
Windy had no choice but to come with me to the hospital.
All the way there, she kept nagging, saying I was being stubborn and that I'd regret it.
The check-up took the entire morning—blood tests, ultrasounds, allergy screenings—and every single result came back normal.
The doctor looked at the report and smiled, "Ms. Scott, your health is excellent. There's nothing wrong. Just make sure to get plenty of rest."
Windy Xavier stood beside me, her face looking extremely sour.
As soon as I stepped out of the hospital doors, a sharp taste hit my throat, and I spat a mouthful of blood onto the back of my hand.
The red drops of blood stained my white coat, shockingly bright.
"See? I told you!" Windy quickly pulled out a tissue to wipe my hand, her voice tinged with barely hidden triumph. "Scared now? Break up with Alex Lewis immediately. I'll take you to see the Master—only the Master can save you!"
I stared at the bloodstain on the back of my hand, but my mind cleared up.
When I had the blood drawn earlier, Windy touched my arm while I wasn't paying attention—that blood, I'm afraid, was all her doing.
"I understand," I pretended to sound scared, "I'll come clean with Alex Lewis when I get home, don't worry."
Only then was Windy satisfied; she watched me get into a taxi before leaving.
I didn't go home; instead, I told the driver to head to the police station.
I needed to find out if my parents' car accident was really an accident.
In the police station's archive, holding my parents' autopsy reports, my hands couldn't stop trembling.
The report says: "The deceased, Jimmy Scott and Mindy Lee, were driving fully conscious when their vehicle crashed into the guardrail. No drug residue was found in their stomachs. The preliminary conclusion is that distracted driving caused the accident."
Distracted driving?
My parents had been married for thirty years and never once argued while driving.
They even went grocery shopping together. How could they possibly be distracted behind the wheel?
Could it... really have something to do with spellcraft?
But that sounds completely absurd.
I walked out of the Police Station holding the report, my mind a complete mess.
Just as I was about to call Alex, Windy's call came through, her voice thick with anger: "You went to the Police Station? Why haven't you broken up with Alex? Willow, have you lost your mind!"
"I just wanted to check my parents' reports," I explained, "I haven't told Alex yet, so don't be mad."
Windy Xavier snorted coldly and started urging me again, "Don't be fooled by Alex. He doesn't love you. If you keep holding on to him, you'll lose your life!"
After hanging up, I took a taxi home.
The moment I stepped inside, I saw Alex sitting on the sofa, phone in hand, his expression dark.
"Where did you go?"He looked up at me, his voice tinged with accusation.
My heart skipped a beat. Had he figured something out?
"I went to the hospital for a medical examination," I said, handing him the report. "The doctor said I'm healthy—nothing wrong at all."
Alex Lewis took the report, flipped through a few pages without saying a word.
I noticed a necklace chain at his collar, the pendant hidden beneath his shirt, out of sight.
"What's this?" I asked. Pretending to be curious, I reached out to touch his collar.
Alex instinctively pulled back, sounding a little awkward. "It's nothing, just a peace amulet I got from the temple—to bless our marriage."
The more he dodged, the more I sensed something was wrong.
I never noticed this necklace before. Could this be the "Dark Magic pendant" Windy Xavier talked about?
At night, when Alex Lewis went to take a shower, he left the necklace on the bedside table.
I picked up the necklace. The pendant was a Buddha statue, but its expression was eerie—its eyes were black, and the corners of its mouth were downturned. It didn't look like a peace amulet, but more like a cursed object.
The moment I pressed the pendant against my chest, my throat suddenly tasted sweet, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Alex Lewis's phone suddenly lit up. A message appeared on the screen: "Molly Xavier has woken up and wants to see you. The plan is going well. Just hold on for another week."
I stared at that message, my mind completely blank.
Molly Xavier woke up?
Plans?
Could it be that Alex Lewis is really messing with a life-switch curse?
Then why was he so upset when I died in that past life?
Before I could figure it out, Alex Lewis came out of the bathroom.
When he saw me holding his phone, his expression changed instantly. He snatched it away and yelled, "Who told you to touch my phone? There are company secrets on here!"
"Company secrets?"I looked at him, disappointment in my voice. "Alex Lewis, what are you hiding from me? Who is Molly Xavier? What's your real relationship with her?"
Alex Lewis didn't respond; he grabbed his coat and headed out. "There's an emergency at the company. I have to go. We'll talk tomorrow if anything comes up."
The door slammed shut with a bang, leaving me alone in the room.
I sank onto the sofa, still clutching that Buddha necklace in my hand.
The sharp pain I felt earlier against my chest was still there. Could this pendant really be the cause?
But the medical report said my body was fine. How do I explain that?
Suddenly, I remembered the "safe house" Windy Xavier had found for me in my past life.
The rental house reeked of formaldehyde. I had only lived there a few days before I started coughing—and then, suffocated to death.
Maybe this time, if I just avoid that rental house, I can make it out alive.
I grabbed my phone and called the bridal shop, telling them I wanted to cancel my wedding dress reservation.
Since I'm breaking up with Alex Lewis, there's no need to keep the dress.
Right after I hung up, a message from Windy Xavier popped up: "The safe house I've arranged for you is ready. I'll send you the address. Move there now, and don't waste time arguing with Alex!"
I opened the address, and my heart dropped instantly.
The street and neighborhood on the address were exactly the same as the rental house where I died in my past life—even the door number hadn't been changed.
Windy Xavier, it was definitely deliberate.
"I got it," I messaged Windy, "I'll come over as soon as I finish packing."
But I didn't pack; instead, I took the Buddha necklace and headed to an antique shop.
The shop owner examined the necklace, frowned, and said, "Young lady, this isn't a peace amulet. It's a fake Buddha made from cheap materials, painted with irritating substances that can cause nausea and even bleeding after prolonged contact."
Suddenly, everything in my mind became crystal clear.
So, the so-called "spellcraft" was actually this fake Buddha and the tricks Windy Xavier was pulling.
What about our parents' car accident?
Could Windy have been behind it too?
I was just about to leave the antique shop when my phone rang. It was Alex Lewis.
"Willow, where are you? I need to talk to you." His voice sounded really anxious.
"I'm outside," I said deliberately, "I'm about to move into the safe house Windy found, and I'm breaking up with you."
"Don't go!" Alex's voice suddenly rose. "That place is dangerous. Windy tricked you!"
Something clicked inside me—how did Alex know that place was unsafe?
"How do you know?" I asked, "Did you know about Windy's plan all along?"
"I..." Alex hesitated. "Listen, don't be scared. Windy and Molly are sisters. They've been lying to you. Your parents' car accident might be connected to them."
I tightened my grip on the phone. "Where are you? Let's meet and talk."
Alex sent me an address—it was a cafe.
When I arrived, he was already waiting, with a cup of cold coffee in front of him.
"Willow, I'm sorry," he stood up as soon as he saw me. "I never meant to keep things from you. I was just afraid you'd be in danger."
"What exactly is going on?"I sat down and got straight to the point. "Why are Windy Xavier and Molly Xavier lying to me? Are they connected to my parents' accident?"
Alex Lewis sighed, then pulled a document from his bag. "Molly Xavier has been seriously ill for three years and needed a lot of money for treatment. Windy Xavier, to raise that money, targeted your parents' company.""Your parents refused to cooperate, so they hatched a plan—they staged the car accident. They even tried to pin the blame on me, using the life-switch curse as an excuse to break us up, then tricked you into that rental house with the toxic formaldehyde, hoping you'd 'accidentally' die there."
"What about the messages on your phone?"I asked.
"They were from Windy Xavier," Alex Lewis explained. "She hypnotized me before, making me think I liked Molly Xavier. But after I woke up, I kept playing along, trying to gather evidence that they were behind your parents' death.""That necklace? I wore it on purpose, to see what they would do next."
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