Chapter 1

The sunlight hit my face, too bright. I knew this morning. I knew the smell of pancakes Mark was making downstairs. I knew the excited squeal Emily would make when he mentioned the theme park.

Last time, this day ended with Emily dead.

My heart hammered. This wasn't a dream. It was real. Again.

Mark, my husband, was downstairs. Emily, my daughter, was still asleep in her room. Chloe, his mistress, was waiting for him.

In my first life, Emily got sick on this trip. Mark said she was faking. Chloe agreed. They wanted their perfect weekend. Emily died because they waited too long. An allergic reaction, the doctors finally said. Peanuts.

I sat up. My hands were shaking. Not this time.

I got out of bed, my legs unsteady. I had to stop it. I had to save Emily.

Downstairs, Mark was flipping a pancake. "Morning, sleepyhead. Emily almost ready? Big day!"

His smile was wide, oblivious. It made me sick.

"Emily's not going," I said.

Mark frowned, spatula mid-air. "What? Why not? She's been excited all week."

"She didn't finish her school project. She needs to work on it." My voice was firm, colder than I expected.

"Are you serious, Sarah? It's a theme park, not a prison sentence. She can do it Sunday night."

"No. Her grades are important. She's staying home. With my parents." I'd already decided this, in the seconds it took to walk down the stairs. My parents lived two hours away. Safe.

Mark slammed the spatula down. "You're unbelievable! Always so strict. You're ruining everything."

"I'm being a parent," I said. "She's not going."

Emily wandered in then, rubbing her eyes. "Mommy? Daddy? Theme park today?"

Mark looked at me, furious. I looked at Emily, my heart aching. "Honey, there's been a change of plans. You're going to spend the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa."

Her face fell. "But the rollercoasters..."

"We'll go another time, sweetie. This weekend is for your project, remember?" I tried to keep my voice gentle.

Mark scoffed. "This is ridiculous, Sarah."

He pulled me into the pantry. "What the hell is wrong with you? Chloe and Ethan are expecting us. We planned this for weeks."

Chloe. The widow of his colleague, David. David, who supposedly saved Mark's life in a work accident. Mark felt he owed her. Owed her our lives, apparently.

"I know, Mark. And you still need to go. For appearances. To fulfill your duty to Chloe." The words tasted like ash. "I'll go with you. Emily stays with my parents."

He stared at me. "You'll go? Without Emily?"

"Yes," I said. "It's important to you, isn't it? To help Chloe?"

He softened a little, the anger replaced by a manipulated sense of obligation. "It is. She relies on me. Especially after David..."

"I know," I said. I needed to be on that trip. I needed to see. I needed evidence.