Better Dead Than Married

Ariel and I married into the Jahn family—and got knocked up around the same time. I landed Edmond, the older brother and a hotshot forensic pathologist. She got Philip, the cop. At six months pregnant, I started bleeding. Instead of rushing me to the ER, Edmond dragged me into an OR. "Keyla was in a car crash. Messed up her leg. Whatever this is, deal with it later. Help her first." Ariel tried yanking me out, but Philip was already outside, blocking the door. "Keyla's the patient. If you've got an ounce of medical ethics, you'll save her." We were trapped. So, we did the surgery. Then Keyla had someone cut us open and dump our bodies in the woods. We died hating them all. Edmond and Philip didn't figure it out till they dug us up—too little, way too late. Chapter 1 When Edmond dug us out from under that old house, Ariel and I felt something shift—like our souls finally exhaled. We shot each other a look, a small smile. Edmond and Philip were circling the corpses, clueless. Edmond—my genius husband, top of the forensic game—stared at my body like he'd just smacked into a brick wall. Then came those too-familiar hands on his shoulders. Keyla Manson. She leaned in, syrupy-sweet. "What's wrong? Bodies giving even our star pathologist a hard time?" His face stayed stone cold, but he gently pulled a sheet over me, then nodded to the assistant to move us to the autopsy room. Only after we were gone did he speak, voice low to Philip. "Feels... cruel." I never thought he would be so emotional. Edmond never talked much—unless it was about Keyla. That was his favorite subject. I almost laughed, but the hate hit harder. On my birthday, I'd waited. He never came home. Then the cramps started. Blood. Panic. I grabbed my phone, hoping he'd rush me to the hospital. It just rang. Then that robotic voice: "The number you've dialed is currently unavailable." I froze. No clue what to do—until he finally called back. "I'm downstairs. You and Ariel, come now." That was it. No explanation. I didn't ask for one. Ariel helped me down like she always did. We'd been tight since forever—then married into the same family. Sisters-in-law, best friends, inseparable. So when Edmond said bring her, I did. If I'd known this would be the end—our bodies ripped apart—I never would've called. While the guilt crushed me, her hands slipped into mine. Ariel's voice was soft. "We said forever, remember? You're not ditching me now." I squeezed back. She was my anchor, even now. And I hated myself for not seeing the truth sooner. For ever tying myself to the Jahns. Chapter 2 By the time we saw Edmond again, Ariel and I were already ghosts, just floating in silence. We watched Keyla—calm as ever—plop into a wheelchair she'd stashed earlier, right after slicing open our pregnant bellies. Then she jumped online, fake-crying as she posted some drama-filled rant about how we botched her surgery and left blades inside her. Said we ruined her life. Wanna know the worst part? Edmond and Philip bought every word. A genius pathologist and a seasoned cop, and neither blinked. They just ran to Keyla, ready to grovel. "Keyla, it's our fault. We knew they were petty and still let them touch you." Philip looked like a scolded middle schooler—head down, no fight in him. Ariel stared, eyes full of heartbreak. Then she glanced at me, smiling like it didn't hurt. "Emma, look at him. He didn't even ask. Just assumed I hurt her." They both did. Edmond, too—actually looked guilty for once. Even cooked Keyla's favorite meals himself as an apology. I was six months pregnant and never got a single thing he made. Not once. I had to drag myself through morning sickness just to pack his lunch every day—because he hated takeout. Now look at them. All warm and doting while Keyla batted her lashes and pulled them close. "Oh, you two are such fools. It's not your fault. You just married the wrong women." She dragged us right to our faces, and they just nodded along. At dinner, Edmond spoon-fed her. Philip held her drink like some backup waiter. They treated her like a queen. I didn't even know why my eyes burned. If they'd told us they were in love with Keyla from the start, Ariel and I would've walked away, no questions asked. But they didn't. They chased us like it meant something—until the rings went on. Then everything flipped. Chapter 3 That night, we trailed Edmond and Philip back home. Philip barely got through the door before kicking off his shoes and collapsing on the couch. "Ariel, I'm starving!" He'd spent all day sucking up to Keyla, then came home barking orders. Ariel clenched her jaw. "He treats me like a maid." I gave her a pat. Ever since we married into the Jahns, the good stuff never made it to us. We cooked, cleaned, did laundry—and didn't even get a paycheck. We weren't wives. We were unpaid help. Philip yelled a few more times. When Ariel didn't jump like usual, he stomped upstairs, muttering the whole way. "You've got such a bad attitude. I'm always apologizing to Keyla because of you. Can't you be more understanding? She's just our little sister. Why are you so jealous?" Unreal. What kind of "little sister" shares a spoon with her brothers or curls up in their laps to game? But Edmond and Philip kept spinning that lie—until they actually bought it. Still grumbling, Philip swung open their bedroom door. Dark. "Edmond, she's not here." Annoyed, Edmond checked our room. Empty. He pulled out his phone and called me. This time, it was my turn to ignore the call. They both kept dialing. No answer. Philip lost it and chucked his phone across the room. "A few comments and they're already running off? Not picking up? Fine! Let's see how long they last!" He spat on the floor, fuming. Just like always—so quick to assume we were the problem. That we were overreacting. Again. Edmond didn't throw his phone, but the way he stood—rigid, jaw tight—said plenty. Before, I'd be spiraling. Wondering what I did, what set him off. But now? There's no one left to ask. Chapter 4 While Philip kept ranting, Ariel just stared, eyes wide, like blinking might break her. But the tears came anyway. I didn't say a word—just pulled her in and let her cry. This was our reality now. Marriages that meant nothing. Next morning, Edmond and Philip headed to the station. Since no one had ID'd us yet, Edmond couldn't start the autopsy. All he could do was collect DNA for comparison. Oh, and it just happened to be Keyla's birthday. Before their shift was even over, Philip slung an arm around Edmond. "So, what'd you get Keyla this year? She always loves your gifts. Hook me up with some ideas?" Ariel and I just watched them, stone-faced. She let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "We were fooled from the start." I laughed too. Neither of us even knew Keyla's birthday was today. Every year around this time, Edmond and Philip claimed they were slammed at work. We never questioned it. Guess our trust made it easy to lie. Before heading to Keyla's, they called us—habit, probably. We didn't pick up. Philip cursed and chucked his phone. Edmond didn't even try. Just sent a text. One word: [Overtime]. Couldn't even come up with a fresh excuse. Since she was "injured," Keyla wheeled herself to the door—but botched it and crashed into something. Edmond didn't flinch. Just bent down and scooped her up like it was nothing. Even Philip blinked. So did I. That was the kind of tenderness he gave his so-called "little sister," while I—his wife—never got close. To Edmond, even our unborn baby came second to Keyla. Chapter 5 They went all out for Keyla's birthday. She threw a fake tantrum, downed too many drinks, and even though they were on duty, Edmond and Philip hovered around her like she was gonna break. Tea, water, nonstop worrying. Watching them fawn over her made my chest tighten. I glanced at Ariel. "I need a comedy." "Same." Back when we were alive, dumb comedies were our go-to—blankets, snacks, full-on giggles. But there's no laughing in the afterlife. Edmond and Philip guarded her like she was made of glass. I wondered if they'd still be playing knight once the truth hit. I remembered the day she took us—how she just stood there, watching us panic. She let us hope. Then crushed it. Straight-up evil. The next morning, maybe out of guilt, Edmond and Philip hit us up again after leaving Keyla's. When we still didn't answer, Philip started looking thrown. "Ariel's never stayed mad this long. Don't you think it's kinda extreme?" For a sec, I thought—finally. Maybe his detective brain was kicking in. Maybe he'd realize we didn't just ghost them out of spite. Then the phone rang. Edmond's autopsy request got approved. Boom—conversation over. They ditched the topic and bolted back to the station. We followed. Chapter 6 After she killed us, Keyla stuffed our bodies into dirt-crusted sacks and tossed us in a sewage ditch. Rain took care of the evidence. If some random scavenger hadn't caught a whiff, we might've stayed lost forever. I wanted to see Edmond's reaction. He pulled on his lab coat and gave a quiet, solemn nod to the corpses. It was the first time I watched him work. First time I saw how he could talk to a corpse for hours but couldn't even say "I'm tired" to me. Like I was some kind of poison that made him shut down. The deeper he got, the darker his face turned. Then he hit the wound on my abdomen and just... stopped. "Who could be this heartless? Killing a pregnant woman? We'll get justice. I swear it." So noble. So sure of himself. I wondered if he'd still be preaching justice once he found out his precious angel was the murderer. Love doesn't follow logic. Neither does favoritism. I didn't expect much. But when I looked again, Edmond was staring at my left ring finger. I floated closer. He was staring at the scar—the one he gave me after flipping out because I wore my ring around Keyla. He made me take it off. His whole face shifted. He dropped everything and lunged for my skull, slammed his leg on the table, didn't even flinch. He dug around like a man possessed, then froze. Scalpel clattered to the floor. And that's when it hit me—besides being a forensic expert, Edmond was also a pro at facial reconstruction. "Why does she look so much like Emma? Could it... no! No, it can't be!"