"Seth, are you blaming mom? Mom only thought of doing what is best for you and your family since you're not at home. Your wife has given birth to so many children already. Why do we need to send her to the hospital this time? She doesn't really need to be sent to a hospital. The hospital fees are expensive. Listen to mother, mother knows best. Let's bring her home now." My stepmother tried to convince me.
"But mother Athena is still sleeping. How about let's talk about it when she wakes up? Mother, have you rested? You haven't slept yet since Athena went into labor. Mother really cares about our family. Don't worry mother when she wakes up, I will bring her out of the hospital. Mother, why don't you go home and get some sleep. I'll take care of the problems here." I answered, trying to convince her to leave us alone.
"Alright. Mother believes in you. You will leave the hospital once she wakes up." She replied and left.
I sighed in relief when she's gone. Now what should I do? I leaned on the wall and finally let myself calm down and assimilate the knowledge that I have.
3 days ago, I woke up in some alley with my body covered in bruises. Suddenly, my brain was showing me memories that don't belong to me. What is more astonishing was that the memories are very familiar. I'm sure that this was the backstory of the sisters who committed serial killing in the script I was reading.
Who am I? I am Seth Zhang, a single 37 year old veteran actor. I'm sure that last night I was reading the script for my next project 'Through Time'. The story was about a guy from the 90s, who was about to become a victim of serial killing, would wake up in the body of a girl college student majoring in criminology. The girl would also wake up in the body of a 20 year old man, who has just lost his sister and his only family left.
The girl would then save him when she realized that he was one of the victims of serial killing back in the 90s, a crime that had shook the nation. The serial killers were a group of sisters, who abhorred men that couldn't protect their family.
After a lot of twists and turns, she was able to save him and she was able to meet him in her present. It was an interesting project for me as I would be acting as the male lead, a man who is being controlled by a 20 year old girl. If you're wondering why a 37 year old man acts as a 20 year old, then the answer is maintenance.
I was supposed to act as the male lead but why am I waking up as cannon fodder that was only written in the script a couple of times. The name of this body is the same name as the father of the sisters, who was also their very first victim.
He was kicked out of the military because he was caught by his commander flirting with his daughter. He was on his way back home when the men hired by that commander beat him up. That's why he was stuck in the hospital when his wife gave birth to the twins and lost her life.
The sisters' life started spiraling down from there. They've lost the last person that protected them from their step grandmother's bullying. Their father, me, spent his days chasing women and neglecting them, leaving their care to his stepmom who abused them.
One by one his sons started dying and the sisters were married off as if they're objects sold. My stepmother then successfully sent all of them out of the house when my father died in a car accident a few years after. I had never heard from them again until I became the first victim of their killing spree.
This won't do. I need to get back home and make sure my wife survives giving birth to children. I took the first train going back and enduring the pain of my bruises and wounds.
When I arrived home, my wife was already in labor for a whole day and was looking really pale. I ignored everybody's shock from my return and grabbed my wife. I carried her to the nearest hospital and she was able to successfully give birth to twin girls.
The doctors told me that they'd lost her for a few seconds but were lucky to be able to resuscitate her. I was glad they did but before I could sigh in relief, my stepmother and father came to the hospital and started complaining when she heard that my wife gave birth to girls again. I saw my father sighed in disappointment too.
I don't really understand what's this preferential treatment when it comes to boys. I honestly prefer to have daughters than sons. My father asked about my wife's condition and stuff. He doesn't look like he's really interested but was asking because it's polite to do so. After that he left the hospital.
My step mother stayed here and asked the nurses about the health of my wife and the twins like the perfect stepmother that she portrays to be. She even went to the twins and watched over them for a few hours as if she hadn't complained about my wife giving birth to girls again.
I sighed again for the nth time. I'm tired and hurt. I wonder what I should do next? I've saved the mother, they would grow up being protected right? No. My stepmother is still there. She's a major villain. She pretends to take good care of me and my family while she slowly put my competent little brothers to the spotlight and the stupid me plays as the character that helped them shine some more. The incompetent, lazy older brother who only knows how to chase women's skirt.
She's really good. I need to make sure she doesn't notice any anomaly or she might just kill me. Based on the script, my stepmother was the one that heralded the death of my sons. I'm also speculating that she has something to do with my grandfather's death a year from now.
I sighed again when I realized how precarious my position was. I can't make a mistake, I must keep on acting as a useless man while making sure my daughters would not go down the path of serial killing and my sons don't die. I have to say this couple can really give birth. 12 children! I have never in my entire life imagined that I would become a father of 12 children.
I closed my eyes and pictured out the useless man that I was and started getting into the character. It's a good thing that Seth treats his wife the same as any other woman. To put it in a nice way, he treats her kindly, in a bad way, she's just like any other girl for him. In short, he didn't really love her but at least he didn't hurt her physically and he still goes home to her.
I entered the room and saw that Athena was already awake.
"Athena, are you awake? How are you feeling?" I asked her.
I saw her try to say something but nothing came out then she mouthed water. I immediately get the pitcher on the bedside table and pour her a cup of water.
"Here, drink some. You don't know how worried I am about you. I couldn't even sleep a wink knowing that you aren't feeling well." I said exaggeratedly while I helped her sit down and drink a little bit of water.
She held my hand and I realized how weak her grip is. I know this shouldn't be shocking, I mean I expected her to be weak, but I didn't expect that it would be this weak. I poured her another glass of water before calling the nurse and informed them she's awake. The nurse checked her a little bit before telling me that it would be better for her to still stay in the hospital as she was still very weak.
"Are the twins, alright?" I heard her ask quietly.
"Yeah. Don't worry. The doctor said that they are both healthy. Stepmother was here just now, she wanted you to go home as soon as you wake up but my heart can't bear you leaving the hospital now. You are so pale, wife, what should I do? My heart hurts so much seeing you so weak. I wish I could take on all this pain for you but alas, I am powerless." I said dramatically.
I couldn't see her expression as she was looking down. She seemed downhearted about something. I wonder if it's because she gave birth to twin girls and she's worried about what stepmother would say.
"Seth, I… do I need to go home now?" I heard her ask in a small voice.
My heart did feel a little sorry for her. I know that she's being bullied at home. If she goes home now, she probably won't have a good confinement period. Stepmother would make sure she worked her bones. Stepmother has been trying to destroy her health so she won't give birth to more sons but Athena is just very fertile.
"Stepmother said it would be better for you to go home now but the nurse said to stay here for a while. What should we do?" I said pretending to be confused.
"I… I want to stay here." She said weakly and looked at me with pitiful eyes.
Don't look at me like that. I'll have a hard time staying in character if you do. I am human too, after all. I know the consequences if I bring her home now but I should pretend as the stupid husband who listens to his stepmother.
"Seth, I feel so weak. I feel so sleepy." She said suddenly.
"Ah, alright. Sleep some more. How about this the next time you wake up. Let's go home then. I'll just tell stepmother that you haven't woken up yet. I'll talk to the nurse also. Wife, you should rest some more. My heart can't bear seeing you like this. Don't worry, I'll take care of my stepmother, just this one time." I told her and saw her close her eyes.