Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 209
"Oh Janice, you're back from Maynila." Maya greeted her as well, a radiant smile on her face.
"I'm here for a week," Janice said, trying to maintain her smile.
"That's great... Would you like to come inside our house? I baked a strawberry cake, and I swear you'll love it." Maya kept her smile fixed. She was holding Arabella, who immediately perked up at the mention of strawberry cake.
"M-Maybe next time." Janice's lips twitched. She was not at all comfortable talking with Maya right now.
"Okay then, see you."
"See you."
Maya watched Janice walk away. Once she was far enough, Maya's bright red eyes darkened.
"Babe, I unlocked the door. Let us head inside," Karlos called out to her.
"Alright." Her bright smile instantly returned. She looked at Karlos... As always, her husband was completely clueless. It was obvious that Janice was shaken by what she had witnessed, but Karlos had no idea.
"Karlos."
"Yes, babe?"
"...Let's talk about our finances."
"Of course." Karlos chuckled. He would never say no to Maya's advances. He loved it.
To put it plainly, the couple were like horny rabbits. If there was even a slight opportunity for shaboinking, they would take it. They were simply those kinds of people.
...
...
...
It was dark. It was cold. It was suffocating.
Karlos tried to scream, but no sound came out of his throat. He tried to breathe, but everything surrounding him was water. He struggled frantically, but his body was weak, his limbs heavy.
After being reincarnated, the first thought that struck him was that he was going to die all over again.
Just an hour prior, Karlos had been standing on a street corner, waiting for traffic to slow down so he could cross the road.
However, a truck came speeding recklessly toward his direction, specifically toward a sleep-deprived office woman. His body had instinctively moved to shove the woman out of harm's way, but the ultimate outcome hadn't changed.
They both died.
Then, Karlos's soul was transported to a realm surrounded by endless stars. He felt as though he were floating in outer space, with twinkling stars shimmering all around him. He could see the vast expanse of the universe.
"Greetings, Karlos Alejandro."
Dozens of towering silhouettes materialized, and Karlos was addressed by higher beings.
Apparently, he hadn't been their intended target, he was simply caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Feeling regretful, they decided to grant Karlos a second chance at life in another world.
Karlos had felt a surge of hope upon hearing that. His life on Earth had been lonely and miserable. He had no one to call family, spending all his time endlessly working while keeping up with his college studies. He had believed that securing a good career after graduation would cure his isolation, believing that money could save him.
Yet when the divine beings transported him to another world... he certainly hadn't expected to wake up in the middle of the open ocean. The sky was pitch-black, the stars hidden behind heavy clouds. Waves dragged him downward into the depths.
He gasped frantically for air, but swallowed only seawater. To make matters worse, the body he inhabited was severely weak, as the original owner hadn't eaten for days.
He realized with a sinking heart that he was about to die again. Everything hurt, especially his head. A bunch of foreign memories and information flooded his mind, making him feel as though his brain were melting. The two sets of memories merged together, both feeling so vivid and real that Karlos suffered a profound identity crisis... He no longer knew who he truly was.
As his vision faded to black and he slowly sank deeper into the ocean, he caught a faint glimpse of a hand reaching down toward him. Then, he closed his eyes once more.
"Hey! Are you alright!?"
"Maya, is he breathing?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Gaah—!"
Water surged out of Karlos's mouth as he snapped his eyes open. His surroundings were dim, but Karlos caught sight of the person who had saved him.
She had crimson eyes that glinted softly in the dark. Her beauty was truly out of this world.
...
...
...
"Babe? Babe!?"
Karlos gasped softly as his eyes opened. He realized he had been having a nightmare. To be precise, the first half had been a nightmare, while the latter half was a sweet dream, the exact moment his true happiness began.
Maya sat up beside him, staring at him with deep concern.
"Are you alright? I was trying to wake you up because you seemed to be having a nightmare." She gently stroked his cheek.
Karlos looked at Maya, the same crimson eyes that had gazed at him back then still shimmering in the dim room. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Maya, I love you."
"I love you too."
"Thank you for saving me."
"...Did you have another dream about drowning?" Maya asked, her brow furrowed slightly. Back when they first started living together, Karlos used to suffer from recurring nightmares about drowning. Those episodes had subsided once Karlos became a father.
"Yeah," Karlos admitted honestly.
"Did meeting Janice trigger it?" she asked softly.
"Eh? Why would you blame Janice?"
"She was there when I pulled you out of the water. She was the one who pointed at the sea and told me someone was drowning," Maya sighed. She hated when old traumatic memories resurfaced for Karlos. Drowning was a horrific experience for anyone.
Perhaps Janice's unexpected appearance today had brought those buried memories back to the surface.
"I don't know... I guess so?" Karlos wasn't entirely sure himself.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Maya asked gently, knowing the topic was sensitive. Karlos rarely spoke about why the original owner of his body had tried to take his own life.
"It's fine, let's just go back to sleep," Karlos grinned softly. There was no need to dwell on the past when his present was already so complete.
He wasn't lonely anymore. He had a devoted wife and wonderful children. He was living his absolute best life.
"Alright..." Maya rested her head against his chest. She wouldn't force Karlos to talk if he wasn't comfortable opening up.
She silently promised herself that she would always be there for him. Fortunately, that turned out to be the very last time Karlos ever suffered a nightmare about drowning.
"Babe, have I ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?"
"You've told me a thousand times."
"I'll never get tired of telling you how beautiful and lovely you are."
"You're so smooth."
Maya giggled softly, playfully tapping his chest.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]