Burton Jones Laurenq

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we had gone back to the beginning. Everyone thought Reed was deeply in love with me. Only I knew it wasn’t his choice. It was a love I had coerced. Every time he held me, every time he kissed me, the images of him with another woman would flash through my mind. When he murmured sweet nothings, I could only wonder if he had said the same things to her. Worse, I lived in constant fear. If he spoke to another woman for work. If his phone lit up with a notification. If anyone he’d once flirted with appeared in the same room. I would tense up. Was the potion wearing off? Was he going to leave me again? I became someone I barely recognized. The smallest thing could send me spiraling. If Reed zoned out for a few seconds, or if his reply lacked a certain warmth, I would obsess for hours over whether he’d stopped loving me. Then, I got pregnant. The happiness was fleeting, quickly crushed by a familiar dread. What if the potion finally wore off? What if Reed turned back into the man who despised me? What would I do? What would happen to my child? I touched my still-flat stomach and understood something for the first time. I had locked myself in a beautiful prison of my own making. One that would shatter at the slightest touch. My hair started falling out in clumps. I was anxious all the time, my body a constant, tight knot of tension. Even Reed’s attempts to comfort me brought no peace. Love, if not freely given, spoils. And I had destroyed any chance of that with my own hands. Once, Reed said casually, “Sweetheart, you seem to have a few more fine lines around your eyes lately.” It was an ordinary sentence. I broke down on the spot. I couldn’t focus on work. My mistakes mounted. My nerves were perpetually frayed. In the end, after one emotional crash too many, I lost the child I would never get to meet. Reed held me, comforting me in a low voice. But in that moment, I wasn’t moved. All I felt was a tidal wave of regret. I regretted trying to chain a man to my side when his heart had already left. So in this life, when that familiar bottle of blue potion appeared before me again, I didn’t pause. I twisted off the cap, tipped my head back, and drank every last drop. The liquid was slightly astringent as it slid down my throat. Instead of wasting all my energy on a cheating man, I would save it for myself. Love you, Ophelia. See you tomorrow.After I drank the potion, I stood there for a moment, waiting to see if I’d feel any different. Nothing seemed to have changed. But I had seen its effect on Reed with my own eyes in my last life, so I didn’t doubt its power. Some changes aren’t visible on the surface. As the thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled. Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since this new life began. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room lights were on, the dining table laden with food. ......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we had gone back to the beginning. Everyone thought Reed was deeply in love with me. Only I knew it wasn’t his choice. It was a love I had coerced. Every time he held me, every time he kissed me, the images of him with another woman would flash through my mind. When he murmured sweet nothings, I could only wonder if he had said the same things to her. Worse, I lived in constant fear. If he spoke to another woman for work. If his phone lit up with a notification. If anyone he’d once flirted with appeared in the same room. I would tense up. Was the potion wearing off? Was he going to leave me again? I became someone I barely recognized. The smallest thing could send me spiraling. If Reed zoned out for a few seconds, or if his reply lacked a certain warmth, I would obsess for hours over whether he’d stopped loving me. Then, I got pregnant. The happiness was fleeting, quickly crushed by a familiar dread. What if the potion finally wore off? What if Reed turned back into the man who despised me? What would I do? What would happen to my child? I touched my still-flat stomach and understood something for the first time. I had locked myself in a beautiful prison of my own making. One that would shatter at the slightest touch. My hair started falling out in clumps. I was anxious all the time, my body a constant, tight knot of tension. Even Reed’s attempts to comfort me brought no peace. Love, if not freely given, spoils. And I had destroyed any chance of that with my own hands. Once, Reed said casually, “Sweetheart, you seem to have a few more fine lines around your eyes lately.” It was an ordinary sentence. I broke down on the spot. I couldn’t focus on work. My mistakes mounted. My nerves were perpetually frayed. In the end, after one emotional crash too many, I lost the child I would never get to meet. Reed held me, comforting me in a low voice. But in that moment, I wasn’t moved. All I felt was a tidal wave of regret. I regretted trying to chain a man to my side when his heart had already left. So in this life, when that familiar bottle of blue potion appeared before me again, I didn’t pause. I twisted off the cap, tipped my head back, and drank every last drop. The liquid was slightly astringent as it slid down my throat. Instead of wasting all my energy on a cheating man, I would save it for myself. Love you, Ophelia. See you tomorrow.After I drank the potion, I stood there for a moment, waiting to see if I’d feel any different. Nothing seemed to have changed. But I had seen its effect on Reed with my own eyes in my last life, so I didn’t doubt its power. Some changes aren’t visible on the surface. As the thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled. Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since this new life began. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room lights were on, the dining table laden with food. ......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we had gone back to the beginning. Everyone thought Reed was deeply in love with me. Only I knew it wasn’t his choice. It was a love I had coerced. Every time he held me, every time he kissed me, the images of him with another woman would flash through my mind. When he murmured sweet nothings, I could only wonder if he had said the same things to her. Worse, I lived in constant fear. If he spoke to another woman for work. If his phone lit up with a notification. If anyone he’d once flirted with appeared in the same room. I would tense up. Was the potion wearing off? Was he going to leave me again? I became someone I barely recognized. The smallest thing could send me spiraling. If Reed zoned out for a few seconds, or if his reply lacked a certain warmth, I would obsess for hours over whether he’d stopped loving me. Then, I got pregnant. The happiness was fleeting, quickly crushed by a familiar dread. What if the potion finally wore off? What if Reed turned back into the man who despised me? What would I do? What would happen to my child? I touched my still-flat stomach and understood something for the first time. I had locked myself in a beautiful prison of my own making. One that would shatter at the slightest touch. My hair started falling out in clumps. I was anxious all the time, my body a constant, tight knot of tension. Even Reed’s attempts to comfort me brought no peace. Love, if not freely given, spoils. And I had destroyed any chance of that with my own hands. Once, Reed said casually, “Sweetheart, you seem to have a few more fine lines around your eyes lately.” It was an ordinary sentence. I broke down on the spot. I couldn’t focus on work. My mistakes mounted. My nerves were perpetually frayed. In the end, after one emotional crash too many, I lost the child I would never get to meet. Reed held me, comforting me in a low voice. But in that moment, I wasn’t moved. All I felt was a tidal wave of regret. I regretted trying to chain a man to my side when his heart had already left. So in this life, when that familiar bottle of blue potion appeared before me again, I didn’t pause. I twisted off the cap, tipped my head back, and drank every last drop. The liquid was slightly astringent as it slid down my throat. Instead of wasting all my energy on a cheating man, I would save it for myself. Love you, Ophelia. See you tomorrow.After I drank the potion, I stood there for a moment, waiting to see if I’d feel any different. Nothing seemed to have changed. But I had seen its effect on Reed with my own eyes in my last life, so I didn’t doubt its power. Some changes aren’t visible on the surface. As the thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled. Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since this new life began. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room lights were on, the dining table laden with food. ......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we had gone back to the beginning. Everyone thought Reed was deeply in love with me. Only I knew it wasn’t his choice. It was a love I had coerced. Every time he held me, every time he kissed me, the images of him with another woman would flash through my mind. When he murmured sweet nothings, I could only wonder if he had said the same things to her. Worse, I lived in constant fear. If he spoke to another woman for work. If his phone lit up with a notification. If anyone he’d once flirted with appeared in the same room. I would tense up. Was the potion wearing off? Was he going to leave me again? I became someone I barely recognized. The smallest thing could send me spiraling. If Reed zoned out for a few seconds, or if his reply lacked a certain warmth, I would obsess for hours over whether he’d stopped loving me. Then, I got pregnant. The happiness was fleeting, quickly crushed by a familiar dread. What if the potion finally wore off? What if Reed turned back into the man who despised me? What would I do? What would happen to my child? I touched my still-flat stomach and understood something for the first time. I had locked myself in a beautiful prison of my own making. One that would shatter at the slightest touch. My hair started falling out in clumps. I was anxious all the time, my body a constant, tight knot of tension. Even Reed’s attempts to comfort me brought no peace. Love, if not freely given, spoils. And I had destroyed any chance of that with my own hands. Once, Reed said casually, “Sweetheart, you seem to have a few more fine lines around your eyes lately.” It was an ordinary sentence. I broke down on the spot. I couldn’t focus on work. My mistakes mounted. My nerves were perpetually frayed. In the end, after one emotional crash too many, I lost the child I would never get to meet. Reed held me, comforting me in a low voice. But in that moment, I wasn’t moved. All I felt was a tidal wave of regret. I regretted trying to chain a man to my side when his heart had already left. So in this life, when that familiar bottle of blue potion appeared before me again, I didn’t pause. I twisted off the cap, tipped my head back, and drank every last drop. The liquid was slightly astringent as it slid down my throat. Instead of wasting all my energy on a cheating man, I would save it for myself. Love you, Ophelia. See you tomorrow.After I drank the potion, I stood there for a moment, waiting to see if I’d feel any different. Nothing seemed to have changed. But I had seen its effect on Reed with my own eyes in my last life, so I didn’t doubt its power. Some changes aren’t visible on the surface. As the thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled. Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since this new life began. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room lights were on, the dining table laden with food. ......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we had gone back to the beginning. Everyone thought Reed was deeply in love with me. Only I knew it wasn’t his choice. It was a love I had coerced. Every time he held me, every time he kissed me, the images of him with another woman would flash through my mind. When he murmured sweet nothings, I could only wonder if he had said the same things to her. Worse, I lived in constant fear. If he spoke to another woman for work. If his phone lit up with a notification. If anyone he’d once flirted with appeared in the same room. I would tense up. Was the potion wearing off? Was he going to leave me again? I became someone I barely recognized. The smallest thing could send me spiraling. If Reed zoned out for a few seconds, or if his reply lacked a certain warmth, I would obsess for hours over whether he’d stopped loving me. Then, I got pregnant. The happiness was fleeting, quickly crushed by a familiar dread. What if the potion finally wore off? What if Reed turned back into the man who despised me? What would I do? What would happen to my child? I touched my still-flat stomach and understood something for the first time. I had locked myself in a beautiful prison of my own making. One that would shatter at the slightest touch. My hair started falling out in clumps. I was anxious all the time, my body a constant, tight knot of tension. Even Reed’s attempts to comfort me brought no peace. Love, if not freely given, spoils. And I had destroyed any chance of that with my own hands. Once, Reed said casually, “Sweetheart, you seem to have a few more fine lines around your eyes lately.” It was an ordinary sentence. I broke down on the spot. I couldn’t focus on work. My mistakes mounted. My nerves were perpetually frayed. In the end, after one emotional crash too many, I lost the child I would never get to meet. Reed held me, comforting me in a low voice. But in that moment, I wasn’t moved. All I felt was a tidal wave of regret. I regretted trying to chain a man to my side when his heart had already left. So in this life, when that familiar bottle of blue potion appeared before me again, I didn’t pause. I twisted off the cap, tipped my head back, and drank every last drop. The liquid was slightly astringent as it slid down my throat. Instead of wasting all my energy on a cheating man, I would save it for myself. Love you, Ophelia. See you tomorrow.After I drank the potion, I stood there for a moment, waiting to see if I’d feel any different. Nothing seemed to have changed. But I had seen its effect on Reed with my own eyes in my last life, so I didn’t doubt its power. Some changes aren’t visible on the surface. As the thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled. Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since this new life began. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room lights were on, the dining table laden with food. ......

I was reborn on my eighteenth birthday. On the television, my father had his arm around my adopted sister, Savannah, telling voters that she had taught the Walton family what it meant to have a daughter. On camera, my adopted sister was the girl rescued from a low-income neighborhood, the most valuable asset in the family’s campaign machine. Off camera, I, his biological daughter, had already been erased from the family narrative. In my last life, it all started with this interview. Step by step, they forced me into the role of the “unstable problem child,” until they sent me to a behavioral correction center in Utah and I died in that blindingly white room. And for one chance to start over, I had traded away my ability to love them. I looked down at my wrist. The old scars were gone. A bitter smile touched my lips. The love was gone, too. They would never control me with family again. Time to start from the beginning. … “Eliza?” My brother, Ethan, the future face of the Walton family, frowned at me. “Why are you staring at the TV?” I didn’t answer. I walked right past him. He froze for a second before hurrying after me. “Hey, what’s wrong with you? Dad said you should be happy for Savannah.” “That’s your victory,” I said. “It has nothing to do with me.” Ethan’s expression stiffened. In his memory, I had never spoken to him like that. My mother’s voice carried up from downstairs. “Kids, come down! We got a cake for Savannah!” Ethan glanced at me, then hurried downstairs, running toward that picture-perfect scene. I stood in the shadows of the staircase and watched the people below. My parents surrounded Savannah. Campaign advisers surrounded my parents. Everyone was smiling. Savannah stood in the middle, the family’s most valuable campaign asset. She was also the person who had ruined my life. This time, I wouldn’t make the same mistake. I turned and went back to my room without a second thought. Over the sound of their laughter, I quietly shut the door. The room was still. I opened my laptop and typed into the search bar: “How to legally end parental control at eighteen.”Ethan and I were twins. We were the son and daughter of Texas State Senator Walton. Before Savannah came into our lives, Ethan and I were the children our parents carefully molded. My father was preparing for reelection. My mother was the flawless senator’s wife for the cameras. Our every word and action had to be worthy of the Walton name. From the time I was little, I was expected to be calm, proper, and always say the right thing. But I was born feeling everything too deeply. To them, that wasn’t a personality. It was a liability. Ethan used to shield me. When no one else could hear, he would whisper, “Don’t be scared.” Then Savannah came. My father’s team spun the adoption of a girl from a low-income neighborhood into the feel-good story of the year. Savannah, with her wide, innocent eyes and quiet demeanor, walked into our home and onto national television. From that day on, everything changed. In my last life, I spent five years trying to expose her. I found out she had taken my mother’s jewelry. She immediately burst into tears, claiming she only wanted to wear “Mom’s things” for a moment, just to feel like she was part of a real family. Whenever I expressed any dissatisfaction, they called me cruel, jealous, and uncompassionate. When I cried, they said I was selfish and couldn’t see the bigger picture. Finally, after my eighteenth birthday dinner, I saw Savannah holding my fiancé Bryce Connelly’s arm, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek for the reporters’ cameras. I snapped. I rushed over to pull her away. Ethan grabbed my shoulder and held me back. He looked at me like I was a problem to be solved. “Eliza, don’t make a scene. When are you going to grow up?” Later, my parents sent me to a so-called be......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we had gone back to the beginning. Everyone thought Reed was deeply in love with me. Only I knew it wasn’t his choice. It was a love I had coerced. Every time he held me, every time he kissed me, the images of him with another woman would flash through my mind. When he murmured sweet nothings, I could only wonder if he had said the same things to her. Worse, I lived in constant fear. If he spoke to another woman for work. If his phone lit up with a notification. If anyone he’d once flirted with appeared in the same room. I would tense up. Was the potion wearing off? Was he going to leave me again? I became someone I barely recognized. The smallest thing could send me spiraling. If Reed zoned out for a few seconds, or if his reply lacked a certain warmth, I would obsess for hours over whether he’d stopped loving me. Then, I got pregnant. The happiness was fleeting, quickly crushed by a familiar dread. What if the potion finally wore off? What if Reed turned back into the man who despised me? What would I do? What would happen to my child? I touched my still-flat stomach and understood something for the first time. I had locked myself in a beautiful prison of my own making. One that would shatter at the slightest touch. My hair started falling out in clumps. I was anxious all the time, my body a constant, tight knot of tension. Even Reed’s attempts to comfort me brought no peace. Love, if not freely given, spoils. And I had destroyed any chance of that with my own hands. Once, Reed said casually, “Sweetheart, you seem to have a few more fine lines around your eyes lately.” It was an ordinary sentence. I broke down on the spot. I couldn’t focus on work. My mistakes mounted. My nerves were perpetually frayed. In the end, after one emotional crash too many, I lost the child I would never get to meet. Reed held me, comforting me in a low voice. But in that moment, I wasn’t moved. All I felt was a tidal wave of regret. I regretted trying to chain a man to my side when his heart had already left. So in this life, when that familiar bottle of blue potion appeared before me again, I didn’t pause. I twisted off the cap, tipped my head back, and drank every last drop. The liquid was slightly astringent as it slid down my throat. Instead of wasting all my energy on a cheating man, I would save it for myself. Love you, Ophelia. See you tomorrow.After I drank the potion, I stood there for a moment, waiting to see if I’d feel any different. Nothing seemed to have changed. But I had seen its effect on Reed with my own eyes in my last life, so I didn’t doubt its power. Some changes aren’t visible on the surface. As the thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled. Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since this new life began. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room lights were on, the dining table laden with food. ......

A strange bottle of potion came into my possession. Whoever drank it would fall in love with the person who gave it to them. I didn’t hesitate. I drank it myself. This time, I chose myself. I chose to love myself. See you tomorrow, Ophelia. ... In my last life. After Reed Pierce cheated on me, a bottle of potion somehow fell into my hands. It was a small, clear bottle filled with a shimmering blue liquid. A nearly illegible label clung to the glass: “Whoever drinks this water will fall in love with the person who gives it to them.” Back then, I saw it as my last chance. I pinned every last scrap of hope on it. The next morning, I poured the potion into Reed’s coffee. It worked quickly. He slowly pulled away from that woman and turned his attention back to me. He started remembering our anniversaries. He brought home flowers. At night, when he held me, he’d whisper the sweet things he hadn’t said in years. It was as if we had gone back to the beginning. Everyone thought Reed was deeply in love with me. Only I knew it wasn’t his choice. It was a love I had coerced. Every time he held me, every time he kissed me, the images of him with another woman would flash through my mind. When he murmured sweet nothings, I could only wonder if he had said the same things to her. Worse, I lived in constant fear. If he spoke to another woman for work. If his phone lit up with a notification. If anyone he’d once flirted with appeared in the same room. I would tense up. Was the potion wearing off? Was he going to leave me again? I became someone I barely recognized. The smallest thing could send me spiraling. If Reed zoned out for a few seconds, or if his reply lacked a certain warmth, I would obsess for hours over whether he’d stopped loving me. Then, I got pregnant. The happiness was fleeting, quickly crushed by a familiar dread. What if the potion finally wore off? What if Reed turned back into the man who despised me? What would I do? What would happen to my child? I touched my still-flat stomach and understood something for the first time. I had locked myself in a beautiful prison of my own making. One that would shatter at the slightest touch. My hair started falling out in clumps. I was anxious all the time, my body a constant, tight knot of tension. Even Reed’s attempts to comfort me brought no peace. Love, if not freely given, spoils. And I had destroyed any chance of that with my own hands. Once, Reed said casually, “Sweetheart, you seem to have a few more fine lines around your eyes lately.” It was an ordinary sentence. I broke down on the spot. I couldn’t focus on work. My mistakes mounted. My nerves were perpetually frayed. In the end, after one emotional crash too many, I lost the child I would never get to meet. Reed held me, comforting me in a low voice. But in that moment, I wasn’t moved. All I felt was a tidal wave of regret. I regretted trying to chain a man to my side when his heart had already left. So in this life, when that familiar bottle of blue potion appeared before me again, I didn’t pause. I twisted off the cap, tipped my head back, and drank every last drop. The liquid was slightly astringent as it slid down my throat. Instead of wasting all my energy on a cheating man, I would save it for myself. Love you, Ophelia. See you tomorrow.After I drank the potion, I stood there for a moment, waiting to see if I’d feel any different. Nothing seemed to have changed. But I had seen its effect on Reed with my own eyes in my last life, so I didn’t doubt its power. Some changes aren’t visible on the surface. As the thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled. Right. I hadn’t eaten anything since this new life began. I walked out of the bedroom. The living room lights were on, the dining table laden with food. ......