1 If rebirth truly exist

Bella blinked twice to make sure her vision wasn't playing tricks on her. She couldn't believe she was really going to die like this after being tortured, abused, and raped from time to time by the same person she claimed to love.

She looked up at the person she considered her world, pointing a gun at her, and smiled in agony. Who was she to question him when all he did was treat her well? Her own father had sold her off to him without a second thought about whether she would survive or not.

With her eyes shut tight and her mouth open to speak up, no words came out. Even though he was often cruel to her, he still treated her like a human, unlike her father, who maltreated her mother and her all because of his mistress and illegitimate child.

Bella was left in turmoil, witnessing a new side of him each day. But today, she wished it was all a bad dream; it was just too terrifying for her to watch.

She suddenly felt a sting on her right shoulder and turned to her right to find her sleeves trying to absorb the hot, thick liquid that was oozing out of her shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, waiting for him to end everything, unable to bear any more of the pain, torment, and unfair treatment she had been given. But nothing happened.

She slowly opened her eyes to find him struggling with himself as he tossed his gun across the room. As much as she wanted to run away, she also wanted to hug him, but for some weird reason, she couldn't move any part of her body.

She sighed in relief as he made his way out of her room and thanked her creator for giving her another chance, but it seemed she offered that prayer too early. The door of her room was opened once again to reveal her half-sister, Ella Carson, with a mischievous smirk dancing on her face.

"Hello, dearest sister," she said, walking toward her. Although they were known to the world as sisters, both girls never acted as such; their relationship was more like that of enemies.

"Are you in pain?" Ella asked, pouting, trying to act all cute and innocent, but her sister could see through all those walls she put up.

"No worries, I'll make the pain go away," she said, bringing out her gun and pointing it at Bella.

Bella was still traumatized by the fact that she couldn't move any part of her body, and Ella, who saw through her thoughts, brought out a transparent bottle filled with a greenish liquid.

"Are you by any chance wondering why you can't move any part of your body?..." she asked with a devilish smirk while playing with the bottle.

"Well, it's because of this, sister… you see I added it to your food and came up with such a great plan, but your lover boy just had to ruin it all," she came closer to her, making a sulking face.

"But no worries, I'll make sure my great plan doesn't become unsuccessful… You know I wasn't happy when Dad said he sold you to this dude because I feared you'll fall for him and he'll also fall for you, which you proved right.

All I wanted was to become queen mafia and make you my sex slave, but no…" she screamed.

"You always had to look at me with disgust and blame me for everything wrong that happened to your family... when in reality, all I did was love you and tried my best to protect you."

She spat out the bitter truth she has kept hidden all these years with distaste and anger written all over her face.

"But since you don't want my love, why don't I send you to your mother," she winked, and that devilish smirk was back on her face.

"W.. what did you do to.. my.. mother?" Bella asked, barely audible.

"Oops, I forgot to inform you, darling. Your mother is dead, and do you know who killed her?... Make a guess, baby girl," she winked, trailing the gun down Bella's neck while she placed kisses on the place she trailed the gun.

"If only you listened to me and became my slave, then maybe all these wouldn't have happened," she said with a half smile.

"Maybe I wouldn't have been the one who killed your mother and also ended up killing you… but what can I do, your destiny has already been written, baby girl," she stood up, creating some space between the both of them.

"All I wanted is to become queen mafia, which I would be, and as for you… you can go meet your mother in the other world and continue with your pitiful life," She scoffed.

"One more thing, GP is dead."

"No… no, no, Ella, why did you do this?" Bella asked, breaking into tears.

"Why? Because that old man loved you so much and would do anything possible to make you queen, and I wouldn't like that," she said, whining like a child.

"You better make sure I don't survive and come back looking for answers because you'll pay for this," Bella said, mustering up the little strength she had left.

"Whatever," scoffed Ella and pulled the trigger, allowing the bullet to settle comfortably into Bella's chest.

Bella closed her eyes, grasping her last breath as her entire life flashed before her eyes. A life full of sorrow, injustice, and torment wasn't what she wanted; all she wanted was to live like other normal girls, but it seemed her destiny had already been sealed. But as the darkness swallowed her whole, Bella couldn't help but wonder if there was any justice in the world, any fairness, any hope. Was it really possible to be happy, to be loved, to be safe? Or was life just a cruel game, with winners and losers, predators and prey, and no way out?

As her soul left her body, Bella couldn't answer those questions, but she knew one thing for sure: she would never give up fighting, never surrender to the darkness that consumed her. She would find a way to escape, to heal, to seek vengeance. She would not rest until her oppressors were punished, and her name cleared. And if that meant defying fate and risking everything, so be it.

For Bella was not just a victim, not just a statistic, not just a body. She was a person, a human, a warrior. And even in death, her spirit persisted, her heart burned, her legacy endured. She was Bella, and she would not be forgotten.

That is, if rebirth truly exists.