⸻————
I was jolted awake from the worst nightmare of my life by a splash of cold water across my face.
I gasped for air, my heart slamming against my ribs, vision blurred and unfocused. When I looked up, I saw her standing over me — furious, shouting my name.
"Scarlett! Scarlett! Are you even listening to me?"
Bethany.
The girl I once trusted more than anyone.
The girl who would one day betray me in the worst possible way.
She crossed her arms, eyes blazing with irritation.
"Why didn't you do my homework?" she snapped. "You knew I was busy last night! Now I'm getting scolded by the teacher and I have to stay after school!"
Her voice echoed in my ears, but it sounded distant — like I was underwater.
What is going on?
I'm still alive…
How did I get here?
Something was terribly wrong.
I slowly looked around the classroom. Every student was staring at me, whispering in confusion. My hands trembled as I pushed myself to my feet and stumbled out of the room.
I didn't stop running until I reached the bathroom.
I locked myself inside the handicapped stall, my breathing uneven, my chest tight. After a moment, I stepped out and forced myself to look in the mirror.
And froze.
The face staring back at me was younger.
Softer.
Unbroken.
It was the face I hadn't seen in five years.
My stomach twisted violently. I gripped the edge of the sink as nausea rose in my throat.
That was when it hit me.
I was back.
Back five years.
The year everything began.
The year Grandma died.
The year my family's hatred surfaced.
The year my friends betrayed me.
The beginning of my downfall… and my death.
⸻
My last memory was at the family lake.
The air had been cold against my skin. The scent of wet earth and algae filled my lungs as my father grabbed me by the hair and dragged me toward the water.
I screamed. I clawed at his hands. He had already slapped me hard enough to split my lip.
"You're worthless," he spat. "You're not needed anymore."
My entire family stood there watching as I begged for help.
No one moved.
No one cared.
They wanted Grandma's fortune for themselves.
My little sister, Chloe — the one I spoiled, protected, and defended — kicked me as I struggled.
"Dirty dog!" she screamed. "You're always in the way!"
My little brother Jake, the one I adored, looked at me with nothing but disgust.
"You should've given us what we wanted from the beginning," he said coldly.
My mother, Charlotte, stood nearby with a faint smirk on her lips.
"You should've died in the womb," she said. "You never should've been born."
But the worst of them all was my father — Ethan Maxwell.
Grandma had left everything to me in her will.
Every last cent.
Every property.
Every investment.
And that was unforgivable.
He needed to prove who was in control. Who deserved the money.
I cried. I begged.
"If you want the money, I'll give it to you!" I sobbed. "Mom… Dad… how could you do this? I love you!"
But they were never truly my parents.
I learned the truth too late.
I was their niece. My real parents had died in a car accident while my mother was pregnant with me. After I was born, Grandma forced my uncle and aunt to adopt me and raise me as their own.
She had always favored my parents.
And my uncle never forgave her for it.
Every time they looked at me, I saw resentment in their eyes — as if my very existence was an insult.
They hated me because I lived.
They hated me because Grandma loved me.
And they hated me most because she chose me.
I was battered and barely breathing when Chloe's voice rang out again.
"Dump her in the lake!" she screamed, laughing. "They'll never find her!"
"That's the best plan," Jake agreed, spitting near my face. "Let's get rid of her."
As my vision faded and darkness crept in, only one thought remained.
Why is this happening to me?
All I ever wanted… was to be loved.
The world went silent.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
And with my last breath, I made a wish.
If I ever get the chance to go back…
I will make them all pay.
Then everything went black.
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