Chapter 1

The scream tore from my throat, but no sound came out.

I was back in that sterile, cold hospital room.

The pain, a monstrous wave, crashed over me again, the memory of my daughter, my sweet baby girl, ripped away.

My husband Mark's family, their greedy faces, swam in my vision.

They wanted my money, my company, and when I wouldn't give it, they let us die. Me and my baby.

Then, darkness.

Now, light.

I gasped, my hand flying to my belly.

It was there, round and firm. Eight months pregnant.

My apartment. My king-sized bed. Sunlight streamed through the window.

I wasn't dead.

I checked my phone. The date.

Three days.

Three days before my brother-in-law Kevin's loan sharks would come calling, demanding the money he owed.

In my past life, that was the start of their overt pressure, the beginning of the end.

Not this time.

This time, I knew. This time, I was ready.

My baby girl would live. And they would pay.

My company, Innovatech Solutions, was thriving, a leader in AI-driven logistics.

They thought it was failing in my past life, an easy target.

It would seem to be failing again.

I took a deep breath, the plan forming, cold and sharp in my mind.

First, create the crisis.

I dialed Maria, my loyal executive assistant.

"Maria, it's Sarah. We have a problem. A big one."

I laid out the fabricated emergency, a key investor pulling out, potential bankruptcy, personal liability.

Maria, bless her, didn't question. She knew my past life's hell, she knew my resolve now.

"I understand, Sarah. What do you need?"

"Spread the word. Make it look real. I need to be convincing."

Next, Mark.

I called him, letting my voice tremble.

"Mark, something terrible has happened. Innovatech... I think we're going under."

Silence. Then, a hesitant, "What? What are you talking about, Sarah?"

"Our biggest investor... they pulled out. There are... legal liabilities. I could lose everything, Mark. We could."

I heard the slight shift in his tone, the barely concealed calculation.

"Oh, Sarah, that's... awful. Don't worry, I'll come home. We'll figure something out."

He arrived an hour later, his face a mask of concern that didn't quite reach his eyes.

He held me, but his touch was distant.

"My parents," he said, "We should go to my parents. They can help us think."

Perfect. Just as I remembered. Just as I planned.

The first test was about to begin.