2. The Betrayal and the Awakening II

ARDEN

But Lucas wasn't moving. He was just standing there, watching me die with this strange expression on his face. Why wasn't he calling 911? Why wasn't he helping me?

“Tsk Tsk Tsk” Rite says, shaking her head as she makes her way to Lucas not minding "I was there dying on the floor.

I watched in absolute horror as my step-sister took Lucas's hand and pulled him down for a kiss. The kiss was not just a quick peck but a real and passionate kiss. 

The world tilted sideways. This couldn't be happening! This couldn't be real!

When they finally broke apart, Rita looked down at me with this smile I'd never seen before. Her eyes which have always been playful and warm were now cold and cruel. Like she was looking at an insect she was about to crush.

"Oh, Arden," she said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "You poor, stupid little girl."

I tried to speak, tried to ask what was happening, but my throat was completely sealed shut.

"Did you honestly think we were going to let you keep twenty million dollars?" Rita laughed, the sound sharp and vicious. "God, you're even dumber than I thought. Lucas and I have been planning this for months."

"The apple juice was just the finishing touch," Rita continued, crouching down so she could look directly into my bulging eyes. "We've been putting a little something extra in your food for weeks now. Arsenic, actually. Clever, right? Makes all your symptoms look exactly like that genetic cancer your mommy died from."

No. No, this couldn't be true. Rita loved me. Lucas loved me. We were family. We were going to be married.

Lucas finally spoke, his voice flat and emotionless. "I never loved you, Arden. How could I? You're pathetic. I only stayed with you because I felt sorry for you after your mom died. But twenty million dollars? That's worth a few months of pretending."

"The best part?" Rita whispered, her face inches from mine. "After you're gone, Lucas and I are going to take that money and live the most amazing life. We'll travel the world, buy a beautiful house, maybe even have babies. And we'll forget you ever existed."

My vision was starting to go dark around the edges, but I could still see them embracing again, kissing over my dying body like I was already gone. 

Mom's face flashed through my mind. She looked tired even in my feverish daydream. She was smiling at me as she worked double shifts for decades to save every penny for my future. Twenty million dollars of love and sacrifice, and I'd signed it away to my murderers.

If I could do it over again, I thought as the darkness closed in, I would make them pay. I would make them both pay for every lie, betrayal and moment they made me believe I was loved.

But it was too late. I was dying, and they were going to get away with everything.

The last thing I heard was Rita's laughter echoing in my ears.

*******

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

What the hell?

My eyes snapped open and I shot up in bed, my heart hammering against my ribs. I was alive. I was breathing. I was...

This wasn't Lucas's house. This was my old apartment  I lived in before moving in with Lucas over a year ago. But that was impossible.

I looked down at my hands and screamed.

They weren't the bony fingers  I used to have. They were full and healthy and steady. My arms had flesh on them again. I could breathe without wheezing.

Racing to the bathroom mirror, I stared at my reflection in absolute shock. My  hollow cheeks and sunken eyes had magically disappeared. My hair was thick and shiny, my skin had color, and my body looked like it had before I got sick.

I looked exactly like I had three years ago.

With shaking hands, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand. The date on the screen made my eyes fly open in shock.

March 15th 2018. Not 2021? That means I'm three years in the past. This is before I signed away Mom's money. And before Rita and Lucas murdered me in cold blood.

I was back. Somehow, impossibly, I was back. And this time, I knew exactly who my enemies were.

The memories came back as I recalled Rita's evil laughter and Lucas's  cruelty. The way they celebrated over my dying body like it was a party.

"You bastards," I whispered to my reflection, watching my green eyes harden. "You lying, murdering bastards."

But they had no idea what was coming. This time, I knew about their affair and plan. I had three years of knowledge and twenty million dollars of motivation.

I was going to destroy them both.

I dressed for work choosing a fitted black dress that actually flattered my healthy body instead of my usual baggy clothes like I used to. I applied makeup that made me glow more, highlighting every feature that genetics had blessed me with.

When my phone buzzed with a text from Rita, I smiled like a shark ready to attack.

"Can't wait to see you at work today, sis! We have so much to catch up on!”

Oh, we certainly did.

I typed back: "Me too! Today's going to be... unforgettable."