Chapter 3

I left the office that evening feeling a strange mix of triumph and dread.

My promotion was official. David' s attempt to ruin me at work had failed spectacularly.

But I knew this was just the beginning.

Susan would be next.

As I walked to my car, my phone rang. It was her.

"Sarah, honey! I heard the good news! David told me... well, he was a little confused, but Mr. Henderson called him later and straightened things out about your promotion! Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

Her voice was sickeningly sweet.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, keeping my tone even.

"We have to celebrate!" she gushed. "I'm going to throw you a party! Tomorrow night, at Luigi's, your favorite Italian place!"

Luigi's. The same restaurant as last time.

"That sounds... nice," I said.

"Wonderful! I'll invite your uncle, and of course, Jess will be there. It'll be a real family celebration!"

Jess. My "roommate." The cuckoo in my real family's nest. The Millers' biological daughter.

"Great," I said, my voice tight.

"See you tomorrow, sweetie! Around seven?"

"Seven is fine."

I hung up, my hand gripping the phone tightly.

The "family reconciliation" dinner from my first life was being replayed, but this time it was a "celebration."

The script was slightly different, but the actors and their intentions were the same.

They were setting the stage for Susan's big performance: the accusation of identity theft.

I drove to my new apartment. I' d moved out of my parents' house a few months earlier in this life, a small act of rebellion born from a growing, undefined suspicion that hadn' t fully formed until my rebirth. Living with Jess had become unbearable even before I knew the full truth, her passive aggression a constant irritant.

This new apartment was my safe space, small but mine.

I spent the evening preparing.

I made sure my important documents were secure, not in my apartment where Jess might still have access if she'd copied a key before I moved. I'd changed the locks, but paranoia was now my closest companion.

I backed up my phone. I double-checked my bank accounts and credit reports – all clean, of course. The $50,000 debt was a complete fabrication.

I also tucked an old, pay-as-you-go phone into my purse. A just-in-case device.

The next evening, I drove to Luigi's.

The restaurant was busy, noisy.

Susan greeted me at the door with a smothering hug. "There's my successful girl!"

David was there, looking sullen and avoiding my eye.

My "uncle," David's brother, a man I barely knew who owned a small hardware store, gave me a weak smile.

And Jess.

Jess Evans. She gave me a bright, false smile. "Congrats, Sarah! That's amazing news about your promotion."

"Thanks, Jess," I said, watching her carefully.

We sat down. The air was thick with unspoken things.

Susan chattered, overly cheerful. David grunted occasionally.

I picked at my salad, waiting for the inevitable.

It wouldn't be long now.