Reborn After My Wife's Deadly Prank

Working late at the office, my wife suddenly sent me a video on Snapchat. "Babe, there's a creepy homeless guy right outside our door. I'm so scared!" In the video, a man in tattered clothes was sitting on our porch, muttering weirdly. I immediately took off from work and rushed to my car, driving as fast as I could. But on the way, my brakes failed, and I crashed. Only after I died did I realize it was just a viral online prank. The homeless man in the video was completely AI-generated. What made it worse was that my wife’s "guy best friend" was the one who had planned the whole thing. They had even tampered with my brakes beforehand. To top it off, they went live on TikTok after my death, tearfully claiming that a "harmless AI prank" had accidentally killed me. They gained millions of sympathetic followers and made a fortune. The universe must have felt my burning rage, because it gave me a second chance. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my wife sent me that video. *** "Ethan? Are you there? Answer me!" Chloe’s message popped up on Snapchat again, urgent and demanding. My chest heaved violently as I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. The metallic taste of blood spread in my mouth. Suppressing my overwhelming hatred, I typed back letter by letter: "Don't be scared. Lock the door. I'm coming home right now." Chloe replied instantly: "You're the best! Hurry up! [Kiss emoji]" Disgusting. I grabbed my jacket and rushed out of the office. A colleague called out behind me, "Ethan, what about the reports?" "Family emergency!" I shouted without looking back. I dashed into the elevator. As the doors slid shut, the mirror showed my pale face, my eyes bloodshot with fury. I immediately messaged my sister, Lily: "Lily, I need you to look up a license plate for me: 387-9CS." "Do it fast. Track its location and see where it is tonight." When the elevator reached the lobby, I didn't head to the parking garage. I knew the brakes on my car were already tampered with. Going there was a death sentence. Instead, I walked over to the coffee shop at the corner of the building, found a secluded table, and sat down. I opened my laptop. It was time to plan my revenge. In my past life, I died without knowing the truth. In this life, I would make them pay a hundred times over. My phone vibrated. Lily had replied. "Ethan, I found it." "That car is parked in the underground garage at Riverview Apartments." My eyes narrowed. Lily sent another message: "But he just posted on his Instagram story. He tagged his location at The Velvet Lounge downtown, saying he's out drinking with clients." The car was at his place, but he claimed to be at a bar. What a perfect alibi. I smiled coldly.Before I could close my laptop, Chloe called. I answered. "Ethan!" Chloe’s voice was shaky, filled with tears. "He's still here! He's pacing right outside the door! I'm so scared!" She was a brilliant actress. In my past life, her tearful voice had completely blinded me. "Where are you? Hurry home! Please drive safely, but hurry!" In my past life, her frantic pleas of "hurry" and "drive safe" had completely scrambled my brain, making me drive like a madman just to get to her. My voice remained entirely calm. "Don't worry, Babe. I just called the building's security desk." "They’re heading up right now." There was a sudden, noticeable silence on the other end. "Wait... you called security?" "Yeah. I told them to bring guard dogs and batons. Look through the peephole and record a new video for me so I can confirm what he looks like." Chloe’s voice instantly panicked. "No! I don't dare open the door! I think he’s looking right at me!" "Ethan, forget about security! Just get back here! I only want you!" She started whining, trying to coax me. "Alright. I'm heading to the garage now." I hung up, my fingers flying across my keyboard. I was a software engineer. During a previous dispute with a neighbor, I had bypassed our building’s security network. I entered the code. Bypassed the firewall. The live security camera feed of my hallway popped up on my screen. It was completely empty. Not a single soul was near my door. The hallway lights illuminated the passage clearly. The curtains of my living room window—the window I knew so well—were slightly parted. I could easily picture Chloe hiding behind that gap, holding her phone, eagerly waiting for the news of my fatal crash. I took a screenshot and sent it directly to Chloe. "Babe, there's no one there." "Are you sure you didn't hallucinate? Security just checked, and they said the hallway is clear." After I sent the message, Chloe went silent for a few seconds. Then, she called me back. Her voice was hurried, completely stripped of her previous tears. "Maybe... maybe I just saw things." "Ethan, I'm so sorry. I’ve just been working so hard lately, my eyes must be playing tricks on me." "Don't come back then. Just stay at the office and finish your work. I won't bother you anymore." She was desperate to hang up. "I just missed you so much," she added quickly. "Okay. Go get some rest." I pretended to believe her and hung up. Immediately, I called Lily. "Ethan? What's going on?" "Lily, get me Chloe's and Austin’s call logs for the past three months. Right now." Lily paused for a second. "Ethan, did you and Chloe get into a fight?" "Don't ask questions. Just get them. The faster, the better." As I hung up, the hatred in my chest threatened to spill over. I remembered my past life. The day after I died, Chloe withdrew all the money from our joint savings account—money we had saved to buy a house near a good school district. She didn't leave a single penny for my parents. Austin had even "consoled" my parents, promising to look after Chloe like his own sister. My parents, blinded by grief, had wept and thanked him, calling him a good man. A good man? I couldn't wait to see how long this pathetic show of theirs would last.I shut my laptop and walked out of the coffee shop. I didn't go back to the office, nor did I head home. Instead, I hailed a cab. "Riverview Apartments, please." Midway through the ride, Lily called back. "Ethan, I got it." Her voice sounded incredibly grave. "One minute after you hung up with Chloe, she called Austin." "They talked for fifteen minutes." "And for the past three months, they’ve spoken almost every single day, mostly late at night." My face remained expressionless. "Got it." "Ethan, what is happening? Do you need me to come over?" "No, go get some rest." I hung up and stared at the neon lights flashing past the window. The bright city lights felt incredibly blinding. I remembered how Austin used to "care" about me in my past life. He would pat my shoulder and say, "Ethan, stop working so much overtime. Spend more time with Chloe. It gets lonely for a woman home alone." He would even joke at bar outings, "If you keep neglecting Chloe, I might have to step in and take care of her myself." At the time, I thought it was just friendly banter. Now I realized every single word was a probe, a silent brag. The cab pulled up at Austin’s apartment complex. It was a luxury high-rise. Austin had only been out of college for three years; there was no way he could afford to live here on his own. But now, I knew my hard-earned money had contributed to his lifestyle. I didn't go up immediately. Instead, I walked into the property management office. "Hi, I'm looking for Austin Brooks in Unit 1503. I'm his brother." The receptionist looked up. "Do you have an appointment?" I put on a frantic expression. "He’s wasted. He just called me from a bar asking me to help him get upstairs, but I don't have his spare key." "I've been calling him, but he’s not picking up." "I'm worried he might have passed out inside. Could you send a security guard up with me? Just in case he gets rowdy, I’d appreciate a witness." Seeing how genuinely anxious I looked, the receptionist nodded and called a guard over. "Go up with this gentleman and check on Unit 1503." The guard and I stepped into the elevator. "Is he usually a bad drinker?" the guard asked casually. "Terrible. He gets really loud and messy," I lied smoothly. We reached the door of Unit 1503. The guard reached out to knock. I stopped him. "Wait, let me try the passcode first. He told me he has a backup code." I walked up to the smart lock. In my past life, Chloe had let it slip once that Austin’s backup passcode was her birthday. August 15th. 0815. I typed in the numbers. With a soft beep, the door unlocked. The guard didn't suspect a thing. But I didn't push the door open immediately. I pulled out my phone and sent Chloe a Snapchat message. "Babe, I'm done with work. I bought your favorite takeout. Heading home now." Chloe replied instantly: "Yay! Thank you, Babe. Drive safe!" She still thought I was the same blind fool. I put my phone away and quietly turned on the video recording function, making sure the camera angle was clear. I turned to the guard. "Buddy, do me a favor and come in with me. I'm worried I won't be able to carry him if he’s completely passed out." The guard nodded. "Sure thing." I pushed the door open. The living room was empty. But the bedroom door was tightly shut, and muffled, sickening noises were leaking out from inside. I gave the guard a look. The guard took it as a cue that a concerned "brother" was about to catch his sibling doing something reckless. He stepped forward and shoved the bedroom door open.The guard threw the bedroom door open. I stepped in right behind him, holding my phone high to record everything. It was a repulsive sight. Chloe and Austin were tangled up, completely naked on the bed. "Ah!" Chloe shrieked, frantically grabbing the blanket to cover herself. Austin sat up abruptly. When he saw me, his face twisted in rage. "Ethan! You set me up!" The guard stood frozen, quickly turning his back in embarrassment. "Uh... sir, this seems like a domestic dispute..." I let out a cold laugh. "I set you up?" "Chloe, weren't you terrified of the homeless man outside? Are you scared of this one?" Chloe’s face turned paper-white, her body trembling uncontrollably. "Ethan, let me explain..." I stopped the recording. The video was successfully saved. "Officer—well, security officer—you saw everything." I immediately dialed 911 right in front of them. "Yes, 911? I'm at Riverview Apartments, Unit 1503. I just caught my wife in bed with an intruder, and things are turning violent. Please send officers immediately." The police arrived quickly. Wrapped in bathrobes, Chloe and Austin were escorted out of the building to the police station for questioning, looking utterly humiliated. I followed them to the station to give my statement, handing over the video footage as evidence. In the interrogation room, in front of the officers, I played the part of a heartbroken husband. "Officers, I don't want to make a public scene out of this." I pointed at Chloe. "I forgive her." Chloe looked at me in utter disbelief. Austin let out a massive sigh of relief. "I won't press charges. I accept my loss. My only condition is that we file for divorce tomorrow." Seeing my firm stance on getting a divorce, and considering it was a civil matter, the police focused on mediation. They gave Chloe and Austin a harsh lecture, filed the report, and let them go. Chloe and Austin walked out of the station. Chloe offered a fake, tearful apology. "Ethan, thank you. Let's go home and talk this through, okay?" Austin also walked up and tried to pat my shoulder. "Man, I'm so sorry. This... it's all my fault. I had too much to drink." They thought I was still the same idiot from my past life. I waved my hand with a "weary" expression. Then, I pulled out my car keys and shoved them into Austin's hand. Austin froze. I spoke quietly, "I don't ever want to touch that car again. It feels dirty. It's still parked in my office garage." "Aren't you my bro? Do me a favor. Drive it and take Chloe home." "That car is bad luck." Austin thought I was referring to the "bad luck" of catching them cheating. Smirking, he took the keys. "No problem, Ethan. I got you." He wrapped his arm around Chloe smugly. "Chloe, stop crying. I'll take you home." The two of them hailed a cab and headed toward my office. I watched the cab disappear around the corner. Then, I turned right back around, walked into the station, and found the officer who had just taken my statement. I gasped, "Officer, I suspect they are conspiring to murder me! Chloe sent me a fake AI video to lure me home, and Austin posted a fake alibi on Instagram... they are trying to stage a fatal car accident!" The officer's expression sharpened. "Do you have any proof?" "I suspect Austin tampered with my brakes! It's the black sedan parked at East Tower Plaza, plate number 387-9CS!" "I felt something was off tonight, which is why I didn't go to the parking garage. I think he did it this afternoon! Please, look at the surveillance footage from the East Tower garage!" "What?!" The officer stood up abruptly. "Where is the car now?!" I started "shaking" in fear. "I... my mind was a mess. I thought he just slept with my wife... I didn't think he wanted to kill me..." "I gave them the keys... They are in a cab heading to the garage right now to pick up the car!" The officer gasped, instantly grabbing his radio. "Dispatch! We have two suspects traveling in a cab from the East Precinct toward East Tower Plaza!" "Locate a black sedan, plate number 387-9CS, immediately! Alert all patrol units. The vehicle's brakes have been tampered with. If started, it will be extremely dangerous! I repeat, extremely dangerous!" The officer finished shouting into his radio and looked at me with a complex expression. "Stay here. You are now our key witness." He rushed out of the office. I sat alone in the interrogation room, staring quietly at the paper cup on the table.