POV: Maya Chen
I can't sleep. The mysterious texts from A.X. keep flashing through my mind. But there's something else bothering me.
My mother.
In my first life, I never questioned her death. I was only six years old when she died in the car accident. Everyone said it was tragic. Bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time.
But I'm not six anymore. I'm thirty-two in an eighteen-year-old body, and I know how evil people can be.
Jennifer married my father only three months after my mother died. Three months. That's not normal. That's suspicious.
At 3 AM, I sneak out of my bedroom. The house is dark and quiet. I climb the stairs to the attic, my heart pounding. My father stored all of my mother's things up here after Jennifer moved in. He said it was "too painful" to look at them.
Now I know the truth. Jennifer made him hide everything so I wouldn't remember my real mother.
The attic door creaks when I open it. I freeze, listening. No footsteps. No voices. Good.
I turn on my phone's flashlight and search through old boxes. Most are full of clothes and books. Then I find it—a box labeled "Sarah Chen - Important Documents."
My mother's name. My hands shake as I open it.
Inside are papers, photos, and a thick envelope marked "Police Report - Confidential."
My heart stops. Why would my mother have a confidential police report?
I open the envelope. The report is dated one week before my mother died. My blood runs cold as I read.
"Mrs. Sarah Chen filed a complaint against mechanic Robert Mills for harassment. Mrs. Chen claims Mr. Mills has been following her and making threats. Investigation ongoing."
Robert Mills. I know that name. He's the mechanic who inspected my mother's car the day before she died. In my first life, I never thought about it. Now, everything clicks into place.
I keep reading. There's a second report from after her death.
"Vehicle inspection shows brake lines were cut. Estimated time of tampering: 12-24 hours before accident. Investigation into mechanic Robert Mills ongoing."
My mother was murdered. Someone cut her brake lines. The police knew it wasn't an accident.
But then why did everyone tell me it was just bad luck?
I flip through more papers. There's a bank statement with my mother's name. A deposit of five hundred thousand dollars came in two days before her death. The note says: "Life Insurance Policy - Sarah Chen."
But my mother died. The money should have gone to my father and me.
I search for more papers. Then I find it—an insurance claim form. The beneficiary listed is Jennifer Parker. My stepmother's maiden name.
Jennifer got the life insurance money. Not my father. Not me. Jennifer.
My mother died, and Jennifer got half a million dollars.
I keep digging through the box. There's a photo at the bottom. It's old and wrinkled. It shows Jennifer and Robert Mills together, kissing. The date on the back is three years before my mother died.
Jennifer and the mechanic knew each other. They were together. And then he cut my mother's brake lines.
My stomach feels sick. Jennifer didn't just marry my father after my mother died. She killed my mother so she could take her place.
"Looking for something?"
I scream and drop the photo. Jennifer stands at the attic door, her arms crossed. Her sweet smile is gone. Now she looks cold and angry.
"You're supposed to be sleeping, Maya."
"You killed her." My voice shakes. "You killed my mother."
Jennifer laughs. It's a mean, ugly sound. "Prove it. That police report? Closed due to lack of evidence. Robert Mills? He died in a car accident five years ago. How convenient."
She murdered him too. She killed the only witness.
"The insurance money—"
"Was legally mine. Your mother named me as her beneficiary before she died. We were such good friends, after all." Jennifer's smile is evil. "She trusted me. Just like you did in your first life."
My blood runs cold. "What did you say?"
"Your first life. When you stupidly married Derek and worked yourself to death." Jennifer walks closer. "Did you really think you were the only one who came back, Maya? Did you think you were special?"
The room spins. "You... you were sent back too?"
"Of course. How else would I know all your secrets?" Jennifer's eyes gleam. "In the first timeline, you were easy to control. Weak. Pathetic. But then you died, and I died six months later. Victor found out about the murder and poisoned me. We both woke up back here, both eighteen again."
She was reborn too. My stepmother has all her memories of the future.
"So you know I'll expose you—"
"You'll try." Jennifer pulls out her phone. "But I've had six months more than you to prepare. I woke up first, Maya. I've already moved all the evidence. Changed all the passwords. Made new friends in the police department. You have nothing."
My mind races. She's been preparing to stop me for six months. She knew I'd come back and try to fight her.
"Why tell me this?" I ask.
"Because I want you to know how hopeless you are. Just like before." Jennifer turns to leave. "Enjoy your meeting with A.X. tomorrow. I'm sure it will be... enlightening."
She knows about A.X. She knows about the texts.
"Who is A.X.?" I demand.
Jennifer pauses at the door. "Someone who wants to help you, supposedly. But be careful, Maya. In this world, everyone has secrets. Even your mysterious savior." She smiles. "Sleep well, stepdaughter. Tomorrow is going to be a very interesting day."
She leaves, locking the attic door behind her.
I'm trapped in the dark with my mother's murder evidence and a stepmother who knows everything.
My phone buzzes. A new text from A.X.
"Jennifer is lying. She didn't wake up six months before you. She woke up yesterday. I woke up three years ago. I've been preparing for this moment since I was fifteen. Tomorrow, I'll tell you everything. Including who really killed your mother. Trust me, Maya. Jennifer is not your biggest enemy. Not even close."
My hands shake so hard I almost drop the phone.
Three years? Someone has been living this second life for three years? Planning and preparing?
And there's someone worse than Jennifer?
A second text appears: "Also, the attic door isn't really locked. Jennifer is testing you. Break it down and run. Or stay and let her win. Your choice. Clock is ticking."
I look at the locked door. Is A.X. watching me right now? How do they know what's happening?
Who is A.X., and how do they know everything?
And if Jennifer isn't my biggest enemy... then who is?