Chapter 1

Evelyn’s POV

“Happy Birthday!”

I screamed and my eyes flew open as confetti exploded above my head.

I scrambled backward until my back hit the headboard. My heart pounded violently. For a second, I couldn’t breathe.

Amelia stood at the foot of my bed holding a party popper. Her parents stood behind her carrying a birthday cake. All three of them stared at me in shock.

“Evelyn!” Amelia rushed forward. “What’s wrong?”

I stared at her and my blood ran cold as my eyes darted around the room. I was back in my bedroom and I wasn't bleeding out on a cold marble floor.

“Evelyn?” Mrs. Dawson touched my forehead. “You’re shaking.”

I jerked away from her hand and the movement startled everyone.

They all looked at me with concern shining in their eyes and suddenly the room became completely silent, at least to me.

Their mouths moved but I couldn't hear anything because the people standing in front of me were supposed to be my murderers.

Amelia frowned, “You’re scaring us, Evelyn.”

I couldn’t stop staring. The last time I saw Amelia, she was discussing how to get rid of my body.

“What date is it?” I blurted out.

The three of them exchanged confused looks.

“It’s your birthday,” Amelia said slowly.

“What date?” I demanded.

“June 12,” Amelia answered.

My stomach dropped. I knew exactly what day this was. It was my twenty-fourth birthday, the day Ethan proposed to me, and one month before my murder.

I gripped the blanket tightly. I wasn’t dead, I had come back. Somehow, I had been given another chance.

“Evelyn, are you okay?” Amelia asked.

“I’m fine,” I lied, “Just a terrible nightmare.”

Mrs. Dawson immediately wrapped her arms around me. In the past, her embrace would have comforted me. Now it makes my skin crawl.

“My poor girl,” she said. “You’re working too hard.”

For ten years, I had believed the Dawsons loved me.

After my parents died, they became my family. I trusted them completely then I died and learned the truth. Nothing about them was real.

“Come downstairs,” Mr. Dawson said cheerfully. “We made your favorite breakfast.”

I nodded and forced a smile. I needed to be smarter this time.

The dining room looked exactly as I remembered. Birthday decorations covered the walls while presents sat on the table.

The Dawsons moved around me while talking excitedly about the celebration planned for that evening.

I barely listened. My mind was still trapped between two lives then something caught my eye and I froze.

As Mr. Dawson reached for a coffee pot, his sleeve shifted and a silver watch peeked out from beneath it.

My breath caught, how had I not noticed this before? My blood ran cold. I knew that watch. My father had been wearing it the day he died.

After the accident, it was never recovered. The police said several belongings were lost. So why was Mr. Dawson wearing it and how did he get it?

Before I could get a better look, he adjusted his sleeve and the watch disappeared.

“Sweetheart?”

I blinked, “Yes?”

Mrs. Dawson was smiling at me, “You haven’t touched your food.”

“Oh,” I forced a smile and picked up my fork. The rest of breakfast passed in a blur as they talked about my birthday party.

—

By evening, we arrived at the grand hotel. The ballroom was packed with guests.

The moment I entered, people began singing Happy Birthday. I smiled politely while accepting their greetings.

Inside, I felt sick because I remembered this night. Every detail, decoration, tiresome conversation, and all their lies.

Amelia appeared beside me.

“You look beautiful,” she complimented.

I turned toward her. She was wearing the same blue dress she wore in my previous life. The same dress she wore while encouraging me to say yes to Ethan.

“Thank you,” I replied, not being fooled by her fake sincerity.

She linked her arm through mine, “We’re going to make tonight unforgettable.”

I almost laughed. She had no idea.

The lights suddenly dimmed as applause erupted throughout the ballroom.

My pulse quickened, it was starting.

A spotlight illuminated the small stage then Ethan appeared and the room erupted into cheers.

I felt my stomach twist with disgust and hatred.

There he was, the man I had once loved more than my own life, the man who left me to die.

For a brief second, I saw blood, I heard Amelia laughing, I heard myself begging for help, then the memory disappeared.

Ethan smiled at me, the same charming smile that fooled me for years, the same smile that hid a monster.

He picked up a microphone, “I want to thank everyone for being here tonight.”

I already knew what came next, I had heard this speech before. He talked about fate, love, and finding the right person.

Everyone listened with smiles while I stood there wondering how many of those words had been lies.

Finally, Ethan stepped off the stage and he walked toward me. Amelia squeezed my hand excitedly but I slowly pulled my hand away.

Confusion flashed across her face just as Ethan stopped in front of me and the room fell silent.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. Gasps echoed throughout the ballroom.

“Evelyn Parker,” Ethan said with a smile. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You make every day brighter, and I can’t imagine my future without you.”

I stared at him and all I saw was a liar, a thief, and a murderer.

He opened the box and a diamond ring sparkled beneath the lights. Then he dropped to one knee.

“Will you marry me, Evelyn Parker?”

The room erupted into applause as Amelia shrieked happily and began chanting ‘say yes’ with her parents and the crowd.

In my first life, I cried before Ethan even finished speaking. In my first life, I thought this was the happiest moment of my life.

I looked at Ethan, Amelia, and her family as they all smiled. A month from now, they planned to bury me. This time, I would bury them first.

“No, Ethan. I won't marry you.”