Love is hard to pursue

I was reborn the night my Uncle Daniel was dosed with something nasty. This time, I wasn't about to be his cure. Instead, I dialed up his precious sweetheart, Tiffany.

...

Last life, I fell hard for Daniel, my uncle, even though we weren't blood-related.

Knowing he was tripping balls and needed a release, I ignored his pleas to call Tiffany.

I became hissolution.

A month later, surprise! I was pregnant.

Daniel was railroaded into marrying me.

But on our wedding day, Tiffany, who was "finding herself" overseas, got snatched by some thugs and well, you know.

Before she bought the farm, she called Daniel a hundred and ninety-nine times, begging for help.

He was too busy playing the blushing groom to answer a single one.

Afterward, he just stared at those missed calls, stone-faced.

But on the day I gave birth, he locked me in the basement.

I begged him to take me to the hospital.

He just smirked, watching me die a slow, agonizing death because the baby wouldn't come out.

My last breath heard him say, "If it wasn't for your little bun in the oven, I wouldn't have been forced to marry you. I would have been there for Tiffany's calls. You deserve this..."

Then, bam! I woke up, back to the night Daniel was seeing pink elephants.

"Madison, get Tiffany on the phone, pronto!"

Hearing those words again snapped me awake. I was really back.

No hesitation, I grabbed my phone and punched in Tiffany's number.

Daniel's face was flushed, his eyes burning into me.

Last time, that look screwed me over.

This time, I ducked my head and bolted out of the room.

"Uncle Daniel, hang tight. Your dream girl will be here in ten!"

As I slammed the door, I heard him grit out my name.

But I acted deaf, planting myself outside his door.

Ten minutes later, Tiffany showed up, looking stressed.

She gave me a weird look, then visibly relaxed when she saw I was fully dressed.

Before pushing the door open, she gave me another glance.

"You can go. I got this."

I turned tail and headed upstairs to my room.

The downstairs room didn't quiet down until late.

I let out a long breath.

Last time, I was so gone for Daniel I became his personal medicine cabinet, then popped out his kid.

Then he was forced to marry me.

But Tiffany checked out early on our wedding day. He was devastated.

Then, he waited until my due date and locked me in that hellhole.

I was in pain. I begged, I offered my life for the baby's.

It was his baby, too. But he ignored my cries, watching us both die just to avenge Tiffany.

This time, I did what he asked. I got Tiffany to be his "cure."

I was getting out of here, far away from him.

The next morning, Tiffany was at the kitchen table.

Daniel took a bite of toast and casually announced to everyone.

"Tiffany's my girlfriend now. I'm marrying her. Treat her right."

He pointed at me with his fork.

"Especially you. Be nice to your future aunt. Don't give me any trouble."

I just nodded, expressionless.

Tiffany smirked at me.

I pretended not to see.

I was up and out of my chair before breakfast was even over.

But I heard Tiffany's pathetic sniffles.

"Daniel, does Madison not want me here? I know she's important to you. If she doesn't like me, maybe I should go."

Tiffany shed a few crocodile tears, laying it on thick.

Daniel's brow furrowed. He snapped at me.

"Madison, sit down and finish your breakfast!"

I stayed put.

"I'm done," I said softly.

Daniel's voice turned ugly.

"Madison, I said sit down! Are you deaf?

Have you forgotten your manners? I raised you better than that!"

I wasn't getting drawn in.

I turned and gave them both a sweet, fake smile.

"Uncle Daniel, Tiffany, I'm really done. You two enjoy."

Half an hour later, someone was knocking on my door.

I opened it to find Daniel glowering at me.

My first instinct was to slam the door in his face.

He blocked it with his foot, looking confused.

"Are you avoiding me? Why?"

He leaned in, studying my face.

"Are you mad? Because of Tiffany?"

I shook my head.

"I'm not mad. I'm happy for you, Uncle. You finally get your happily-ever-after."

His face twisted. He didn't like that answer.

"You mean that? You're not just saying it?"

Then he scoffed.

"Madison, you're not still carrying a torch for me, are you? You snuck a kiss at my eighteen birthday, didn't you?

All those letters you wrote over the years, I've seen them all. You think you're hiding it. But everyone knows you're crazy about me!"

"Not telling me was the smartest thing you ever did because I would have laughed in your face!"

"Laughed at your pathetic crush."

He laughed, then walked to my desk, yanking open the bottom drawer.

He grabbed a stack of letters, scattering them all over the floor. Then he stomped on them.

"Madison, I've been raising you since you were seven. I took you in.

But you have had these inappropriate feelings for your uncle!"

"You knew I was in love with Tiffany, but still wrote those letters. It's disgusting!"

He leaned close, whispering in my ear.

"I came to tell you, last night when I was high, I saw you looking at me. I knew you wanted to be my cure! I'm glad you didn't because I'm going to be sick if you touch me!"

My heart twisted.

Even though I don't love him anymore, those words still stung.

He warned me to stay away from him. He didn't want Tiffany getting the wrong idea. Then he stormed out, slamming the door.

I didn't want to be around those two. I needed to get my passport and make it permanent, I packed and headed out.

That night, I waited until almost ten to come home.

I knew something was off as soon as I walked in my room. My bed had been messed with.

Then I saw Tiffany's post on social media, a selfie of her sprawled on my bed.

"Million-dollar mattresses are the best. I mentioned I wasn't sleeping well, so he replaced it right away. That's why it's important to find a man who loves you!"

She took my mattress. Daniel bought it after I hurt my back. It cost over a million dollars.

He used to be so good to me. He knew what it meant to treat a girl that he raise like a family.

He stood on a moral pedestal and said I shouldn't love my uncle.

Now, Tiffany mentions something in passing, and Daniel switches it out with no warning.

Daniel heard me come in. He stood in my doorway, saying.

"Tiffany wasn't sleeping well, so I gave her your mattress. Your back's fine now. It doesn't matter what you sleep on."

I didn't even look up. "Okay," I replied.

Daniel frowned, staring at me.

"You're acting so mature, I don't know what to do. What's going on? You used to hate when I was nice to other people. What are you planning?"

"I warn you, if you mess with Tiffany, I'm not going to let you get away with it!"

I finally looked up.

"I'm not trying to mess with anyone. I want to be left alone."

"Besides, aren't you happy I'm being mature now? Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

Daniel just stared at me, then huffed. "Fine! Whatever. You do you."

He stormed downstairs. Whenever he said that, he was angry.

But I wasn't going to try and soothe him this time.

It didn't matter if he was mad. I was leaving soon.

The next few days were simple.

Tiffany flaunted her relationship with Daniel.

Daniel still mad at me.

I made up my mind not to cater to his emotions.

A month later, Tiffany announced she was pregnant.

Daniel was over the moon, ready to shout it from the rooftops.

He was also making plans to marry Tiffany. The whole family was busy planning their wedding.

I got my passport and booked a one-way flight to Italy.

The date was set for their wedding day.

Daniel finally cracked and came looking for me.

He waited for Tiffany to leave the house, then pushed open my door.

He pulled out his phone, opened an email, and held it out to me.

"Did you touch the money your parents left you? I had a lawyer check. It was for a security deposit."

"What, am I getting married, and you're so devastated, you need to get out of here?"

My stomach dropped.

Daniel saw my face fall.

"Madison, are you done with this? You've been giving me the cold shoulder for a month now. If I don't come looking for you, you're just going to disappear on me?"

"Ever since Tiffany moved in, you've been treating me different. She's the woman I love. If you love me, you're supposed to love her too."

"You can avoid me for a little while, but you can't avoid it forever. After Tiffany and I get married, are you going to ignore me forever?"

I shook my head.

"Uncle, you're misunderstanding. I see you as the person who raised me. I'm grateful for you."

He just laughed.

"Grateful? The whole world knows you're crazy about me! You want me to believe you're just grateful? Are you joking?"

He glanced at my desk.

"You've kept every gift I've ever given you. How can you say you don't love me?"

He walked over, picking up the gifts one by one, studying them.

"You should pack these away. I'm marrying Tiffany, and I don't want you clinging on to this. I will never like you!"

"Tiffany's pregnant right now. If she sees this, she'll get upset. I don't want any complications with my baby!"

"Okay," I said, shoving everything into a box.

I was going to throw it away before I left anyway.

Daniel frowned, stopping me.

"Can't you be a little more gentle? You broke the bunny off that hairpin!"

I glanced at the hairpin. It was the first gift he gave me after my parents died.

For years, it was my most prized possession.

Now, I tossed it into a box, and Daniel couldn't handle it.

"Madison, are you acting right now? You love me so much, you can't stand the idea of me marrying someone else. What do you want me to do, do the acting to make you happy?"

"You're running off to Europe because you can't handle my wedding. Now you don't love me anymore! If you can really let me go, I'll change my name."

"Fine, maybe it's good you leave. Tiffany's pregnant right now, and she will have you here looking at her!"

Daniel sent me ten thousand dollars.

"Go see a couple of countries. Have fun for a month. Then come back. Tiffany is going to be stable."

He gave me a pointed look.

"Have fun. Don't miss me too much. After that, I won't do this again."

Daniel was giving me some travel advice.

He didn't know I had reborn and was changing my life for good.

Daniel and Tiffany's wedding day was here, and the house was crazy as everyone was rushing around.

I waited for them all to busy, I grabbed my luggage and snuck out the back door. Hopping in the taxi and heading directly to the airport.