My husband was filled with remorse when I was burned to death in the
fire.
Chapter 1
The day my house burned down, my
firefighter husband hung up on my call for
help.
“Melissa, are you seriously trying to get my
attention with this melodramatic crap?!”
I watched helplessly through the video call as
my parents slowly lost consciousness.
Desperate, I called the fire department’s main
line.
Forced into action, my husband missed his
soulmate’s midnight birthday call.
His soulmate, Olivia, committed suicide by
setting herself on fire. Unable to save the
woman he loved, my husband just…smiled.
<
eventually passing away.
At their funeral, he gripped my jaw.
“You stole Olivia’s life force to keep your
family alive. You all should be dead! I’ll see
you all in hell!”
Suddenly, I was back in the burning house.
My husband was rushing out the door,
headed to Olivia’s birthday party, taking our
only emergency fire kit with him.
“Melissa, cough, cough, your mom’s fading
fast! Call Jake! Tell him to hurry!”
Smoke filled the room. My mom, with her
heart condition, was the first to struggle.
Reliving this moment, I skipped calling my
husband and dialed 911.
“Hello, this is 2102 Maple Street, apartment 2.
We have a serious fire! Please send help!”
After a three–second pause, a leisurely voice
answered.
“Oh, Maple Street, huh?”
<
“Yes, Maple Street!”
“Which entrance?”
“The north gate is fine! Please hurry,
someone’s already…”
“Hold your horses, lady. I gotta follow
procedure.”
The voice sounded familiar. It was Kevin, a
colleague my husband introduced me to,
some big shot at the fire department.
“Kevin? It’s Melissa, Jake’s wife. It’s our
apartment! You’ve been here. My mom…”
“Oh, hey there, Mrs. Miller. Now, you’re an
educated woman, shouldn’t be falling for
these little games. Trying to pull strings,
makes it look like you want something from
me, you know?”
“This call’s being recorded, don’t go ruining
my career. Jake’s told me about your little
stunts. Guess he was right.”
He chuckled, tightening my grip on the phone.
く
“Melissa, why isn’t the fire department here
yet? Get your mom a mask!”
“Jake took it!”
“Why would he do that?! What about your
mom?! Sarah, stay with me! Sarah!”
Dad clutched Mom, the tough guy’s voice
cracking with fear, terrified that if Mom
closed her eyes, it would be forever.
I grabbed the spare emergency respirator I’d
stashed away and put it on my parents.
Within a minute, Mom’s color improved.
Outside, neighbors shouted.
“Oh my God, that fire’s huge!”
“Someone’s gonna die!”
“We’re right above them! Put it out before it
spreads!”
I dropped the phone and ran to the window.
“Help! Someone call the fire department!”
“Please! My mom’s dying!”
“Please, somebody!”
But we were too high up. People just watched
and filmed, no one calling for help. My cries
were lost in the wind.
Sweat drenched me, my body trembling
uncontrollably.
“Look, Mrs. Miller, if there’s nothing else, I’m
gonna hang up. Honestly, you pulling this
drama, dragging your folks into it… any guy
would be miserable with a wife like you.”
“Jake’s busy. Don’t bother him. Keep your
embarrassing theatrics at home. A man’s
gotta focus on his career, not this…public
spectacle.”
Kevin’s words hit me hard. Now I understood
the animosity from Jake’s friends.
Last time they visited, I’d been the perfect
hostess, never prying.
Now I saw the truth: In Jake’s world, I was a
manipulative, drama–queen, vying for his
affection.
く
Olivia, the orphaned girl who got pregnant
while he was overseas.
To him, I was the scheming homewrecker who
trapped him with a fake drunken hookup and
sabotaged his career with constant fabricated
emergencies.
Jake and Olivia, the perfect couple, torn apart
by me.
I stopped trying to defend myself. The
moment Jake stormed out with the fire kit, I
knew he’d also relived this day. He was using
Kevin to ensure we wouldn’t survive.
Kevin’s warning about a “public spectacle”
gave me an idea. He didn’t want a scene? I’d
give him one.
I steadied my shaking hands, grabbed my
phone, and started a livestream on TikTok.
Instantly, thousands flooded in.
“Wow, people will do anything for clout these
days!”
L
“Fake. Totally staged.”
“Boring. Reported and blocked.”
They saw the smoke, my heat–flushed face,
and immediately mocked me.
“We’re at 2102 Maple Street, apartment 2. The fire’s raging. Please, someone call 911!” “My mom has a heart condition, she’s dying!”
Ignoring the trolls, I focused on getting help. Then a familiar username popped up in the
comments.
“Don’t believe her, she’s a drama queen! She
lied about being drunk to trap her husband
and break up a happy couple.”
“Then she faked being sick, costing him his
job and a demotion!”
It was Kevin. Relentless. Fueled by Jake’s sob
story.
“Oh, so she’s a homewrecker!”
“What is this world coming to? Mistresses
clogging up emergency services!”
<
“Next thing you know, people will livestream
murders for attention!”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm
down.
Last time, after Jake hung up, I’d called 911 in
despair. Jake, assigned to the call, came to
our rescue but missed Olivia’s birthday.
Olivia texted, “I won’t be a burden anymore.
Be happy with your family,” then set her house ablaze, killing herself and her unborn
child.
Jake arrived at the scene, cradling Olivia’s
charred remains, a strange smile on his face.
After that, he became the perfect husband
and son. He stayed by my comatose mother’s
side night after night, tending to her every
need. He was tender with me, like when we
first dated.
I thought he’d finally moved on, ready to be
with me.
But under his care, my parents deteriorated. One night, Mom, who’d been joking with me that day, coded and didn’t make it. Dad,
hearing the news, had a heart attack and passed away too.
I lost both parents in a single day.
After the funeral, Jake’s gentle facade
shattered.
He threw me against the fish tank. The glass
shattered, and I collapsed, unable to move.
He stood over me, belt in hand, lashing out.
“Melissa, why did you have to torment
Olivia?!”
“You all should have burned to death!”
Each blow stole my breath. Pain wracked my
body, but I couldn’t scream.
“Mr. Fire Chief’s daughter… I married you and
got nothing but a firefighter job!”
I’d begged my parents to help Jake get a
transfer to headquarters. They’d pulled
<
transter to headquarters. They’d pulled
strings, the transfer was imminent, but then
the fire…
Consumed by grief, Jake pulled out a framed
photo of Olivia, hidden in our house.
“Apologize! Say you’re sorry!”
