Chapter 2

A gasp tore from my throat, my eyes snapping open.

Sunlight, too bright, streamed through my bedroom window.

Familiar. Too familiar.

My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage.

I sat up, disoriented, my body trembling.

The calendar on my desk. The date.

No. It couldn't be.

Then I heard her voice from downstairs, light and cheerful, talking to Mom.

Jessica.

"It's so kind of you to let me stay, Mrs. Miller. Sarah mentioned you wouldn't mind, with the break starting."

The exact words. The exact day.

The day the nightmare began.

I was back.

A cold wave washed over me, dread mixed with a fierce, burning clarity.

This wasn't a dream. This was a second chance.

A chance to save David, to save my parents, to save myself.

My mind raced, sifting through the wreckage of the past.

Jessica. Her sweet smile, her carefully crafted lies.

She wasn't just a troubled girl from a bad background.

She was a viper, envious, manipulative, capable of unimaginable cruelty for a taste of what we had.

The memory of her living off our family's pain, after destroying us, fueled a rage I thought had died with me.

No. Not again.

I got out of bed, my movements stiff.

I walked to my door, listening.

"Sarah's probably still sleeping in," Jessica chirped. "Teenagers, right?"

I clenched my fists.

I went downstairs.

Jessica was in the kitchen, already making herself at home, pouring orange juice. Mom was smiling, an easy, unsuspecting smile.

"Oh, Sarah, you're up!" Mom said. "Jessica was just saying how she'd love to stay with us for the break."

Jessica turned, her expression a perfect mask of friendly hope. "Is that okay, Sarah? I know it's last minute."

I looked at her, really looked at her, seeing the calculating glint behind the charm.

"No," I said, my voice flat, cold.

Mom looked surprised. "Sarah?"

Jessica' s smile faltered, just for a second. "Oh. Did I misunderstand? I thought..."

"It' s not convenient," I stated, cutting her off. "We have a lot going on. David needs quiet for his exams."

My past self had been too polite, too easily swayed. Not this time.

Jessica' s eyes welled up, a picture of hurt. "Oh, I... I wouldn't be any trouble. I promise. I just... I don' t have anywhere else good to go."

Mom looked at me, a hint of reproach in her eyes. "Sarah, honey, be nice."

"It' s fine, Mrs. Miller," Jessica said, her voice trembling slightly. "I understand. I' ll just... I' ll figure something out."

She turned, a dramatic little sniffle, and walked towards the front door.

"I' ll just go pack my bag from the car then," she murmured, as if to herself, but loud enough for us to hear.

I stood my ground. Let her go.

This was it. It was over before it even started.

A wave of relief, so potent it almost buckled my knees.