She Stole My Life for Him

I watched Audrey Lennon walk slowly toward me in her white wedding gown.

I had imagined this moment more times than I could count. My feelings were different every time, but I had always looked forward to the day it finally came.

Audrey wore a perfectly composed smile and looked so happy that the whole thing almost felt like a dream. You would think we'd been in love for years and that getting married was simply the natural next step for us.

When I slipped the ring onto her finger, her face lit up.

Before she could say, "I do," a dull ache suddenly pulsed through my head. Everything started spinning, and I stumbled, nearly falling.

Audrey caught me and asked if I was okay, but I could see the impatience in her eyes. It hurt.

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't bring myself to ask any of the questions I'd been holding back. Then I lost consciousness, and all the hurt and resentment I'd been carrying suddenly didn't matter anymore.

Even as everything went dark, I wondered if she would be worried about me.

But after I blacked out, I heard a mechanical voice. "Congratulations. Mission complete. Affection level has reached 100%. Calculating reward..."

The cold, emotionless voice made me breathe a sigh of relief.

Thank God. I'd finally succeeded.

When I woke up again, I was slumped over a table at the wedding reception. The people around me looked at me with disgust.

"No wonder Audrey isn't interested in someone like you. Just look at Mr. Hatcher. He's rich and powerful. What do you have? All you do is drag Audrey down. I can't believe she even invited you to her wedding. I have no idea what she was thinking!"

My gaze slowly shifted to the body that had been mine. I could already tell it was doing much better.

That was when I knew for sure. Audrey's first love and I had switched souls.

I hated to admit it, but her system had actually worked.

Watching Audrey take his hand with so much affection still sent a dull ache through my chest.

I had treated her so well, and it still wasn't enough. She chose to team up with her first love anyway, even making me fall for her just so she could switch our lives and help him take everything I owned.

But anything they got without earning it would never truly be theirs.

The man glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, looking smug as he laced his fingers through Audrey's and raised their joined hands.

The room erupted in applause and cheers.

My eyes met Audrey's. She looked away guiltily, then turned back to the man beside her and looked at him lovingly.

I scoffed.

If she loved him that much, then finding out he had cancer shouldn't change anything. She'd stay by his side no matter what, right?

She'd better not disappoint me.