Drunkenly Getting Up From Her BedSerena Harper wobbled out of bed, her eyes sweeping over the mess on the floor. Yesterday had been her 27th birthday, and everyone had partied and partied together until midnight. Glancing up at the clock, it was past 1:00 pm. The hunger from her stomach made her casually copy the leftover pizza from last night's party on the table, take a bite, and then spit it out. It was too cold.
The headache from her hangover made Serena feel irritable, and she walked over to the window and pushed it open. It was a beautiful day. She decided to shower and put on some good makeup; the first day of her 27th year, she would end it with a date. It had been four years since she last broke up with her boyfriend, and her friends around her had introduced her to several men one after another, but she had never found the right one. In her words, she needed someone who was top-notch financially and mentally; after all, she was from a good family, and owning her apartment in the bustling city of New York was not something that anyone could do.
After everything was sorted, Serena received a text from her date to meet at a Spanish restaurant in Soho at 7 pm. This time, she was happy with her date, Ethan Reynolds, if he wasn't lying to her.
Before she knew it, the moon came out from behind the clouds, illuminating the street with a faint light. Serena put on her freshly purchased TomFord perfume, headed out the door, and arrived at the restaurant 5 minutes early, but to her surprise, Ethan was already there waiting for her.
"How long have you been waiting?" Serena smiled as she walked over and sat down, taking the flowers from Ethan's hand.
"They're my favorite tulips, thanks."
"Not long, just couldn't wait to see you, so I didn't realize I was speeding up."
Ethan was as talkative as ever, and it was getting to the point where Serena didn't want to think of him as a date alone anymore; it was time to take it a step further, maybe tonight.
The two talked a lot, and Serena was unconsciously reminded of a tarot reader that a friend had taken her to in an out-of-the-way neighborhood last week; the man had told her that a significant change would happen in the year that Serena turned 27. She would meet a man just as it was meant, and there would be no hiding from him.
But if the tarot master was referring to Ethan, I don't want to hide from him, Serena thought.
After the meal, they had a little more wine, and Ethan offered to take her home, just as he had done before.
The two arrived at Serena's apartment, but Serena didn't want him back this time. She hooked her hand around his tie and pulled her to her, kissing him on the lips. It was a little cold, probably because she had just returned from a night out.
Serena was a little too drunk and hot, and Ethan's lips were like addictive jelly that she couldn't stop sucking on. The man across from her didn't resist; he just picked up Serena and walked to the bedroom.
Ethan was gone when she woke up the next day; Serena opened her phone to see his message telling her that he had gone to the office and would be back here later in the evening. Serena smiled involuntarily and flew up to clean up the mess she had left behind last night.
She was currently unemployed; she quit her job as an illustrator last month, intending to become a manga artist. She loved watching anime and manga, and when she was a little girl, she used to fantasize about being a princess in Disney and being able to meet the prince of her destiny one day. She hadn't imagined it when she grew up, but she still wanted a handsome man she could count on.
From this day on, Serena and Ethan have a relationship and start living together. Serena is surprised that this man differs from all the boys she has dated. He is gentle and kind, never loses his temper, and even when tired from work, he will still talk to Serena about exciting times in the evenings. He's so lovely that there are times when Serena wonders if she's dreaming.
But everything is a coin, and seeing the positive side means there is another side to things you can't see.
After seven months of dating, Ethan took Serena to Disneyland, where he proposed. Their wedding took place in Bali, and they invited many friends and family.
Immersed in happiness, Serena forgot all about the tarot reader's warning at that time and was oblivious to the joy that marriage brings until that day.
The pitch black night has gradually replaced the distant sunrise on the horizon, Serena lying in bed brushing TikTok while the surroundings were empty. The location's owner didn't know where he had gone, but before leaving, he lit the fireplace in the hall, filling the whole room with warmth. Not long after, she heard the commotion at the door and knew that Ethan had returned. He brought Serena dinner, set it on the table, and poured her a glass of red wine.
"I've had it with my friends; you can eat it."
Ethan refused S's invitation to have dinner together, took out his computer, and sat down on the side, seeming to have some unfinished work.
Serena was accustomed to his actions and didn't take them to heart. She swept away her dinner and finished her red wine before entering the bathroom.
After a while, she exited the bathroom feeling dizzy and heavy-headed. She attributed this to drinking too much, so she said good night to Ethan as usual and went back to bed, looking forward to the next day.
As she wished, the next day arrived as usual, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself waking up in a damp and dark cabin with her hands and feet bound and her mouth sealed with tape, unable to make a sound. She tried hard to get up but to no avail. Serena was extremely scared. She used the dim light to observe the wooden house and found that everything was sealed off, with only a little sunlight seeping through the cracks of the wooden board, reminding her that it was already daylight outside.
She carefully recalled what had happened, why everything had changed overnight, as if in a dream, despite being with Ethan last night.
The pain faintly emanating from her mind and body told her that this was not a nightmare but a reality she didn't want to face but had to face.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky darkened again, and Serena heard footsteps. Soon, two masked people walked in.
"Are you awake?"
These two men are tall but unable to see their faces. One of them kicked Serena's head with his foot and sneered.
"If you cooperate well, we can make your death easier."
The man's words made Serena tremble uncontrollably, tears streaming down like a broken pearl necklace. She wanted to ask the two of them to let her go but couldn't do it.
"The pit has already been dug."
Another man holding a shovel said.
"Just throw her in."
Serena could only shake her head desperately, but those two people didn't let her go.
They carried Serena on their shoulders and walked outside to the pit they had dug beforehand.
Serena only had the chance to see outside. Looking around, she realized it was a forest with nothing but trees. Despair was like a vine entwined around her, and she didn't understand why she had become like this.
"Throw it down."
As one of the men spoke, Serena was thrown into the pit.
"We have no choice but to follow orders. A man gave us a lot of money to bury you here. If you want to blame him, go ahead and blame him."
A man?
Serena couldn't help but see a person's face in her heart, but she dared not continue to think about it.
Serena was firmly fixed on a wooden board, and no amount of struggle was in vain. She could only watch helplessly as the two people spilled soil on her body.
Suddenly, one of them threw a necklace into the pit.
"This is what the man asked us to return to you."
Serena looked at the necklace, and all her hopes instantly collapsed.
That was the necklace she gave Ethan, now lying alone by her side. The face that came to mind just now, once again reflected in front of her, was Ethan's work.
Serena had countless questions in her heart; she didn't understand why her beloved husband had become the executioner who killed her today.
"If time could turn back, I would make him pay the price of bleeding."
As the last handful of soil spilled on Serena, she looked at the sky and vowed to the stars.
"After burying it, put the dead animal on top, and then bury some soil."
The tall man said to another chubby man.
They will do this to prevent the body from emitting a foul odor that someone will discover.
"Why am I doing it all? What are you going to do?"
The chubby man was a bit unhappy, but after being glared at by the tall man, he could only shut up resentfully and obediently shovel away the dirt.
"Tonight is extraordinary, not to mention the stars; even the moon is missing."
"The darkness is just right for us; let's hurry and leave."
The two men stared at the sky and muttered as they drove away.
That's right, there are no stars or moon in the sky tonight.
What about Serena's oath?
The stars will not accept a wish with hatred, but the devil can.
Sacrificed at the cost of blood, the devil will help Serena get what she wants...