Chapter 3

Amara's POV

My eyes slowly opened, and the first thing I saw was a white ceiling.

"Is this heaven?" I wondered.

I sat up abruptly and looked around. I was in my old apartment the one I lived in after getting a job at the company right after my graduation.

Confusion flooded my mind.

I was supposed to be dead. I clearly remembered dying after Lily pushed me.

I slowly got out of bed and walked into the living room. Everything looked exactly the same as it did five years ago—before I got married to Damian.

Still dazed, I quietly walked toward the kitchen and glanced at the calendar.

May 12th, 2018.

“What?!” I screamed.

My heart pounded wildly as I rushed to turn on the TV. The news confirmed it.

It was still 2018.

My breathing became uneven. I tried to calm myself down before slowly walking back to my room. I entered the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.

The woman staring back at me looked healthy and full of life.

My face.

My body.

I touched my cheeks carefully.

I wasn't overly curvy, but I was pretty. My skin looked radiant and alive nothing like the pale, weak woman I had become in the hospital.

Tears streamed down my face.

Seeing myself like this made my chest ache.

For a moment, I just stood there and cried.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

The name on the screen made my entire body stiff.

Damian.

I clenched my jaw before answering the call.

“Hey babe, it's already 9:30. You'll be late. Remember you told me your friend is joining the company today? She's already here,” his voice said from the other end.

My grip on the phone tightened.

“I'll be there soon,” I replied shortly.

Today was the day Lily joined our company five years ago.

In my previous life, I had been so excited that I arrived extremely early just so I could escort her into the company myself.

Just hearing Damian's voice again made my stomach churn.

The old me would have been blushing by now.

But not anymore.

Not after everything I went through.

I calmly stepped into the shower and took my time getting ready.

When I finally arrived at the company, Lily had already finished her introduction.

From a distance, I spotted her talking to our team leader.

A cold smile formed on my lips.

I was truly stupid back then… keeping a snake as a friend for so long.

“Sissy, you're late! You knew I was joining the company today and you didn't even come to pick me up like you always do!” she pouted.

The old me would have apologized immediately and hugged her to make her feel better.

But that girl was gone.

“Oh, Lily, you're not a baby anymore. You would have found your way with or without me,” I replied calmly, trying not to let my emotions slip through.

Suddenly, a heavy arm wrapped around me from behind.

“Who the hell—”

“Baby, how are you doing?”

My words stopped as I turned around.

Damian.

A flash of disgust crossed my face before I quickly replaced it with a fake smile.

“Hi… my… Lov...Damian.”

I couldn't bring myself to call him my love like I used to.

All those emotions had been replaced by nothing but hatred.

As he hugged me tightly, his eyes shifted toward Lily.

“Hi. How are you doing?” he asked her.

“I'm very fine, thank you,” Lily replied with an innocent smile.

Lily was very beautiful, with a perfect figure.

In the past, I often wondered how someone like her ended up being friends with a loser like me.

She had protected me from bullies.

She had stayed with me when nobody else wanted to.

But this time… in this life…

I already knew what kind of person she truly was.

As I watched Lily and Damian together, a sudden idea formed in my mind.

A slow, dangerous smile appeared on my lips.

I'll make sure they end up together.

She deserves to taste the same medicine I did.

Even though I didn't yet know exactly how to make it happen… I definitely would.

“Lily, you're assigned to Amara's group. That's the only place with a vacancy right now, if you don't mind,” the team leader said.

“Of course I don't! She's literally my sister. It would be an honor to work with her. Right, sissy?” she asked happily.

I forced a brief smile and nodded.

In my previous life, Lily had also been assigned to my group.

But she used that opportunity to steal my ideas, charm our group leader, and get promoted quickly.

Meanwhile, I stayed stuck in the same position.

But this time…

I'm not backing down.

Lily carried her things over and placed them directly opposite my desk.

“Sissy, thank you for recommending this company to me and not letting me be unemployed. I promise to work hard for both of us,” she said while arranging her things.

Sissy.

God knows how badly I wanted to slap that word out of her mouth.

But I couldn't act recklessly without a reason.

I simply smiled.

Then my gaze fell on her table.

A photo of us from high school stood there.

For a split second, I felt a painful hesitation.

Part of me wanted to forget everything and go back to how we used to be.

Back when she protected me.

Back when she stood beside me.

But then reality hit me again.

I died.

She killed me.

No matter how kind she once seemed…

Nothing could erase that.

Soon it was lunchtime.

Normally, Damian would come pick me up so we could walk to the cafeteria together. Back then, we were known as the office couple.

“Babe, it's lunch time. Let's go,” he said when he reached my desk.

I smiled faintly and stood up.

Then I glanced at Lily.

If I wanted my plan to succeed…

I should start now.

After all, making them get to know each other was the first step, wasn't it?

“Lily, would you mind joining us for lunch?” I asked.

“Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable? You're having lunch with your boyfriend. I wouldn't want to disturb,” she said politely.

I smiled again.

This girl really was something.

Was she trying to pretend she wasn't interested in Damian?

Because clearly, before pushing me to my death, she admitted she wanted everything I had.

“Oh no, no. You don't know anyone here yet. I wouldn't want my sissy to eat alone,” I said.

The word sissy almost made me throw up.

This girl was not my sister.

“Babe, you don't mind, do you?” I asked Damian.

He shook his head casually.

“Of course not. She's your friend, so she's welcome to join us.”

Good.

This would be easier than I thought.

When we arrived at the cafeteria, I asked Damian to order food for me while I quickly used the restroom.

So Damian and Lily went to get food together.

I turned quietly and looked at them from a distance.

These two people…

They betrayed me before.

Even now…

I still couldn't fully believe it.