Sora's POV
Two years later…
Two years have passed since the fire stole my fifth husband and almost everything I have. Just almost…
The universe didn't take my pet shop, my safe place, or the veterinary clinic I co-own with Logan Phillips, my first husband's best friend.
I was on my way to the front door when my phone buzzed in my hand.
"Speak of the devil," I muttered, smiling as Logan's name lit up my screen. I answered, "I'm on my way. Just finishing up here before I leave—"
I stopped mid-sentence when I heard the keypad on my front door beep.
Yejin… The only person who would dare to enter my house without knocking, as if she owned the place.
"Sora! Come quickly! You need to see what happened to your car!" she yelled, sticking her head inside.
"I have to go, Logan. See you in a bit," I said quickly, not even letting him speak before shoving my phone into my bag.
My dogs trailed after me in a tiny stampede. Teddy—a Belgian Malinois, Jangmi—a white chihuahua, and Beongae—a cream standard poodle, tails wagging with misplaced excitement. "Behave, you three. And don't pick on Suzy," I warned.
Suzy—my black cat, the moodiest, sharpest, most judgey child of mine, didn't even bother opening her eyes from her throne on the cat tower. Typical.
"Hurry!" Yejin urged.
"I'm coming! Stop nagging me!" I grumbled, stumbling into my heels as I followed her out.
"Your car is a disaster," she said breathlessly as we walked down the stairs. "I was heading to your café when I saw it and nearly had a heart attack. So, of course, I had to drag you."
I pushed open the main door downstairs and stepped outside. One look at my car and the air punched out of my lungs.
"Fucking hell!" I exhaled, hands on my waist, trying to make sense of it all.
Two years of being single didn't mean the curse had forgotten me. I knew peace never lasted long for someone like me.
The café's door bell chimed, and both Yejin and I turned.
Micah rushed out, still wearing his apron, eyes wide with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Sora," he blurted. "I didn't see what was happening at first. I was serving a customer, and by the time I noticed the kids throwing eggs at your car… it was too late."
My shoulders slumped as I stared at my car covered in smashed raw eggs, but I managed a small smile for him. Micah was a good, hardworking kid, practically running the place by himself whenever I needed to go out, like today.
"It's okay, Micah. Really. Go back inside, I've got this." I passed my bag to Yejin, crouched down, and pulled the water hose from its hiding spot. "Stay back," I told her before I turned the nozzle and sprayed the mess off the car. The egg splattered off in streaks, dripping onto the pavement.
"I literally brought this to the car wash yesterday," I muttered. "And now here I am… again."
Yejin huffed, crossing her arms like an angry mother hen. "If I ever catch those little brats, I swear I will drag them back to their parents by their ears. What kind of parents let their kids trash a widow's car? You should go back to the police station and report them—again!"
I let out a humorless laugh. "I'm tired of reporting the same thing, Yejin. I'm tired of this neighborhood hating me. I'm moving out soon anyway. Let them do whatever they want. I don't care anymore."
I had filed report after report. Installed cameras. Reinforced the area. But the kids always found new ways, new blind spots, new tricks. And when I mustered the courage to talk to their parents, I'd get the same look and treatment every time…
Disgust. Fear. Anger.
Like my very presence meant trouble… or death. They look at me like I have some highly infectious disease that could wipe out their entire family.
They'd shout at me, slam their doors, or accuse me of lying or bringing bad luck to their homes.
As if I was the problem. As if I was not the one who lost something, someone, every time life decided to take another turn. I guess the universe is enjoying pushing me all the time.
I kept rinsing the sticky mess off the car, but my vision blurred, not from tears, just fatigue settling deep, very deep into my bones.
"I'm just…" The words slipped out before I could catch them. "Tired, Yejin. So, so tired..."
Tired of the vandalism.
Tired of the whispers.
Tired of waking up every day fighting a reputation I never asked for.
Tired of being the woman people point at and say, There goes the cursed lady.
After the chaos, the cleaning, and the delay, I finally managed to head to my pet shop, nestled right beside the veterinary clinic Logan and I co-owned in the neighboring district. Thank God it's not in the same neighborhood where people spread groundless rumors about me.
However, I still have to be careful.
I was embarrassingly late. I'd planned to swing by, collect the week's earnings, deposit them into the bank, and grab a quick snack with Logan—my treat—before heading to my part-time job. Not because I wanted the job, far from it, but because I needed it.
Despite being in the middle of a bustling city, no one wanted to rent the four vacant commercial spaces on the ground floor of my building. Even upstairs, one apartment sat stubbornly empty.
I had lowered the rental fees to the point I was practically giving it away. I even combined the café and bakery into one unit after the renovation to make space for more tenants, but still nothing.
And debt? Debt clung to me like a shadow.
The insurance payout from the fire and my husband's death wasn't enough to restore the building, pay the tenants' compensation, or reset my life back to the way it was before everything turned to ash.
And then came the rumors.
I am the cursed widow for the people who talk behind my back. The cursed lady for the kids who fear me and were taught by their parents how evil I am. I am a household name in my neighborhood. Very popular, very well-known, except that, for them…
I'm the cursed auntie next door.
The one who loses every husband she loves. Modern siren, modern witch.
I'd heard whispers before, but after the fire, with my fifth husband gone too, the rumor spread like wildfire, just like how our building burned, fast and relentless. People avoided me. They claimed that any man who stayed near me either died or met disaster.
And the ridiculous part? A small, shameful part of me wondered if they were right.
No husband of mine survived past two years after marrying me. Male tenants either fell sick, got into accidents, or saw their businesses crash.
Yet there were exceptions, men untouched by whatever curse people believed followed me.
Logan was one.
Micah, my barista, slash server, slash cashier, who's also a working student, was another.
And my pet shop's employee, Soojin, is still alive, healthy, and safe. Maybe they were blessed… or maybe they just didn't stay close enough for fate to notice.
After parking my car in the alley beside my shop, I put on my mask to hide half of my face to protect my shop from being targeted by the people who hate and are afraid of me. Even though it's in a neighboring district, people from my neighborhood still go to this place.
I speed-walked toward the pet shop while texting my co-worker at my part-time job, telling her I'd be a little late. I was typing too fast, rushing too much…
And before I knew it…
*BAM!!!*
I was on the ground. My ass hit the cold pavement so hard I was disoriented for a moment.
But the very first thing I did was look around for my phone, which had flown from my hand mid-impact. When I spotted it, my heart sank, because not only that my phone land violently on the concrete floor, but the tarot cards I use for my part-time job were scattered on the floor, too.
"No…" I picked up my phone and saw the screen shattered like a spiderweb.
"Oh, come on!" I groaned. "Damn it! Watch where you're going, mister!" I shouted at the person who bumped into me, or whom I bumped into... I don't know who bumped into whom first, but my phone is now damaged, and I have no money to replace the freaking screen!
On top of that, I have to pick up all my cards, count them to make sure none are missing, while I am running late!
"Here…" a voice uttered, low and steady. A hand extended toward me, handing me the tarot card that he had picked up from the floor.
I shot him a glare after taking the card from him. My eyebrow raised, ready to unleash every bit of my frustration.
But the moment my eyes reached his face, everything stopped.
My annoyance evaporated.
The cold autumn breeze brushed past, but I couldn't feel it.
Ooh la la… Hello there, Mr. Sunshine! My brain rejoiced.
Because the man standing over me was… well—sent by the heavens to make me forget the misfortunes I had today by gracing me with this beautiful sight, such a handsome creature!