Chapter 1

"Hey! What are you looking at? You want your eyes gouged out?"

The angry shouting snapped me out of those bloody memories.

Tiffany Lewin caught me staring at her and shot me a disgusted look.

"What are you looking at? Don't think sharing a ride with me gives you an excuse to hit on me."

She rolled her eyes, pulled out her cushion compact, and began touching up her makeup.

"As if you're even good enough for me."

I took a deep breath and forced down the hatred burning inside me.

In this timeline, I would stay out of other people's business.

"Miss, you booked a shared ride. Besides, the third passenger is only about a third of a mile up the road. Picking them up is on the way and won't take more than two minutes," Frank Osborn, the driver, said hoarsely from behind the wheel.

Tiffany snapped her compact shut, straightened up, and kicked the back of the driver's seat. Her heel struck the leather with a dull thud, leaving a dusty shoe print behind.

"Can't you understand a word I'm saying? Just take me home!" Tiffany shouted, completely convinced she was in the right.

"Do you think this is a bus? If you dare pick that person up, I'll report you immediately. I'll make sure you waste this trip and don't even make enough to cover your gas!"

She rolled her eyes, pulled out her compact again, and resumed touching up her makeup.

"Look at the piece of junk you're driving. You think picking up another passenger will let you make twice the money? You're just a lousy rideshare driver. You sure think highly of yourself."

Frank's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, and he suddenly hit the gas.

The car jolted as it ran over a deep pothole.

"Ow! Are you blind? What kind of driving is that?"

Tiffany nearly dropped her compact. She shrieked and slapped the back of the driver's seat.

"This car doesn't even have decent suspension! What if I get hurt? Can you even afford to pay for that? What's wrong with you? I'm calling customer service and reporting you right now!"

The more Tiffany thought about it, the angrier she became. She raised her phone and aimed the camera directly at the back of Frank's head.

"I'm calling the police as soon as we reach the intersection up ahead and having them arrest you there. Lowlife trash like you deserves to have your account banned! You should spend the rest of your life begging on the street!"

Frank's cold, vicious eyes locked onto Tiffany through the rearview mirror.

"You're calling the cops on me?"

He sneered.

"Fine. Let's see who gets arrested when they get here."

Then, his gaze shifted past Tiffany's shoulder and fixed on me through the rearview mirror.

"Besides, this guy in the back seat witnessed everything."

Tiffany froze for a moment. Then, she turned and fixed me with a warning glare.

"Try testifying for him if you dare. If you utter a single word of nonsense, I'll post you online too. I have millions of followers. I'll have them harass you at home and online every day until you can't show your face in this city anymore!"

I found the all-too-familiar threat deeply ironic.

"Don't worry. I'm not getting involved."

After all, she had followed through on that threat in the previous timeline.