Chapter 1: The Night I Died
I never thought the people I loved the most would be the reason for my death.
The rain poured heavily outside the hospital window as I struggled to breathe. Every movement sent pain through my body.
I was dying.
And the worst part?
I wasn't alone.
Standing beside my bed were the two people I trusted more than anyone.
My boyfriend, Ethan.
And my best friend, Chloe.
Their fingers were intertwined.
My heart shattered.
"Ethan..." My voice came out weak. "Please tell me this isn't real."
He looked at me with cold eyes.
No guilt.
No regret.
Nothing.
"I'm tired of lying to you, Sophia."
The room spun.
"What?"
Chloe stepped forward, tears in her eyes.
But they weren't tears for me.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Sorry.
After stealing my life?
After stealing the man I loved?
Sorry wasn't enough.
"How long?" I asked.
No one answered.
My chest tightened.
"How long have you been together?"
Ethan sighed.
"Four years."
My world stopped.
Four years.
Four years of lies.
Four years of betrayal.
Four years of being made a fool.
I laughed.
A broken, painful laugh.
"I gave up everything for you."
"You chose that," Ethan replied.
Those words hurt more than the illness killing me.
I stared at the ceiling as tears rolled down my face.
All those memories.
All those sacrifices.
Meaningless.
I was dying alone.
And they were going to live happily ever after.
Suddenly, Chloe smiled.
A small smile.
A victorious smile.
In that moment, I understood.
They never loved me.
They never cared.
I was just an obstacle standing between them.
My breathing became slower.
The monitor beside me began to beep rapidly.
The darkness crept closer.
No.
This couldn't be the end.
If I had one more chance...
Just one...
I would never let them destroy me again.
I would take back everything they stole.
Everything.
The monitor let out one long, continuous sound.
My eyes closed.
And the world disappeared.
...
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
My eyes shot open.
I gasped for air.
Confused, I sat upright.
The hospital was gone.
The machines were gone.
Instead, I was sitting inside a classroom.
Students chatted around me.
Sunlight streamed through the windows.
My hands trembled.
"What...?"
A girl suddenly appeared beside me.
"Hey, Sophia!"
My blood ran cold.
Chloe.
Young.
Healthy.
Smiling.
Just like she had five years ago.
My eyes widened as I grabbed my phone.
The date flashed across the screen.
Five years before my death.
I froze.
Then slowly...
Very slowly...
A smile appeared on my lips.
This time...
I wasn't going to lose.
