1 2 deaths and a rebirth

"It's a good day to die," Eli Carter said aloud.

She was sat on the bed, her face pale, lips chapped and her wig, soaked with sweat on her forehead, sticking to her neck. She had requested to be sat up as she was tired of looking at the ceiling. The chandelier had beautiful Swarovski diamonds that looked magical when it caught the light but she had been staring at them for the better half of the past month and they had lost their lustre in her eyes.

She sat facing the floor to ceiling window admiring the sea. The sun was setting at this time colouring the sea a beautiful orange and teal. She watched as birds flew through the skies and though she could not hear them through the tightly shut windows, she knew they sounded beautiful.

She smiled at the sight.

Eli let out a rough cough. It was tragic that although she had money that could last her several generations she could not buy health and would never get to spend a tenth of it in this lifetime. She was not meant to live a long life. An accident as a kid had left her with a weak constitution.

She also had not helped the situation by prioritising her revenge over her wellbeing- allowing her health to depreciate to the point where she only found out she had stomach cancer when it has progressed to stage IV.

By then, there was little she could do to remedy it. Eli did not despair though, she had lived as the embodiment of a villainess, and did not dream of a long life, lasting till twenty-seven was already a gift she was thankful for.

She knew she did not have much breathe left in her.

"Today really feels like the day," she mused aloud.

A bark came from the foot of her bed. It was Lucifer, her golden retriever, and her only family. As if feeling the melancholic mood of its owner it whined and climbed her bed giving her emancipated face a lick before resting its head on her stomach.

Eli let out a chuckle and ran her hand through its fur. Though this little act demanded a lot of energy from her, she continued rubbing his fur. She did not have many regrets in this life save for leaving lucifer behind. She had arranged for his care of course however, she still could not help but worry.

"I'm sorry for leaving first lucifer," she said softly as she closed her eyes, surrendering to the darkness that beckoned her.

Coincidentally, on an alternate universe, fifteen-year-old Eli Carter snuck into the birthday party of Mason Osbourne, the rising young socialite and third-generation heir to Osbourne Hotels and Resorts dressed as a server.

She had rushed here from her part-time job as a waitress and had luckily been mistaken as part of the service team-granting her unrestricted access to the venue.

Eli stalked the edges of the venue, close enough to offer service to the guests and far away to get a good view of the entire venue. She, like most of the guests, was waiting for the arrival of the hosting family, the Osbornes.

Eli reviewed her speech in her head one more time in preparation for the fated meeting between herself and her target for the evening. She felt herself tremble a little in anticipation and the fear of rejection. The tray in her hand trembled too.

She looked about the venue and when no one was looking, took one of the glasses of cocktail on her tray and downed it in one shot. She has heard about how alcohol gave one courage and God knows she needed every bit of courage she could muster. The alcohol left a burning sensation in her throat and oddly, washed away the previous tiredness she felt from working a double night shift and day shift.

The music was turned down and the double doors were pushed open. The voice of the host rang around the ballroom as he announced the arrival of the family of the hour- Jason Osborne, current CEO of Osbourne Hotels and resort, his two children, Mason and Fiona Osborne, and Lastly Melina Osborne, wife of Jason Osborne and her mother.

Eli couldn't take her eyes off Melina. Her thoughts were in chaos. Within touching distance was her mother. The mother who abandoned her as a kid in pursuit of a better life. 'Did she ever think of me?" Eli questioned internally.

Melina combed the venue like a peacock, showing off her status and family to her lessers and sweet-talking the few wives with higher social standing than hers that graced her son's birthday. She had just been invited to a private viewing session of the new DSL clothing line-spring collection and she was in an especially good mood and needed to share the news with her peers.

As she walked towards her friend group a hand reached out, stopping her in her track. Assuming it was one of her guests, Melina turned around with a smile. Seeing a malnourished-looking kid, the smile on the face of Melina had dimmed. Faced with her mother's disdain, Eli was surprisingly calm.

"Hello Mother"

Melina froze, taking a closer look at the server and those hazel eyes with flecks of gold, she recognized who it was immediately.

Her gaze turned piercing.

"Come with me" she ordered, holding Eli by the elbow, and dragging her out of the venue. Spotting her butler, she signalled for him to follow.

Outside the ballroom, Eli was met with four towering bodyguards that seemed to materialize from thin air. Eli was dragged out the backdoor towards the pool section. It was raining intensely and she was instantly drenched.

A good distance away from the entrance, Eli was thrown down harshly by the bodyguards. She hissed as her knee hit the floor. She did not expect the mistreatment.

The guards backed away as Melina walked towards her under the protection of an umbrella. Eli bit her lip. Even though she had mentally prepared herself before coming here, she couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Since there was no one else around them, apart from the butler who held the umbrella and her mother, she finally asked the question that she was curious about.

"Why did you abandon me, mother?" hearing the word 'mother' come out of her mouth for the second time tonight left her feeling bitter. Even now, she still thought of this woman as her mother.

Melina was a little shocked before she cocked her eyebrows and cast Eli a profound glance. After being asked by Eli, Melina came back to her senses as well.

She chuckled, "Is this why you came here?"

She walked closer to Eli who had just picked herself off the floor. She held her chin, staring deeply at her face. "You look so much like your father" she commented offhandedly.

"It's disgusting."

Eli swallowed the lump in her throat and looked away gathering her thoughts. This was not why she came here. Again, her shy disposition had failed her. She gathered courage and spoke up.

"I...I need your help mother" she started in a small voice. "My grandma is sick, she needs 80,000 dollars for surgery and treatment. I have only been able to raise 10,000 dollars so far but.. she's not doing too well. She won't be able to hold on for much longer"

Eli went on her knees, head bowed. "Please help me, mother!"

Melina looked at her pleading figure and scoffed, "Do I look like a bank?"

"Throw her out"

Eli clenched her fists tight. Her face was pale. "Please," she insisted. Jumping to her feet and taking Melina's arms in hers in desperation, as though it was the last request.

Melina gritted her teeth in annoyance, a guard rushed up to them, pulling Eli away for his boss. He had used too much force, causing Eli to lose her footing and fall into the pool.

Eli let out a scream as she fell, taking a largemouth of water in the process. She panicked and tried swimming to the top but failed. She never learned how to swim. She threshed and bobbed, but frailing her arms around did not bring her any closer to the surface. She could see the outline of their figures standing at the edge of the pool, but no one jumped in to save her.

The pressure of the water caused stabbing pain in her eyes and ears. her vision started to spot. She knew she was dying. Her last thoughts were filled with her grandma who now, will have no one.