Chapter 2

Bethany always acted so sweet and well-behaved.

But in my last life, I spent decades fooled by her so-called "devotion" right up until the day I died.

"Don't call me Mom," I said, pushing her away. "This is your life. You make your own choices."

She froze. "Mom, what are you saying?"

"I'm not your mother," I said, locking eyes with her. "Your real mom is Wanda Reid, my best friend. Eighteen years ago, she begged me to adopt you. We promised never to let you know the truth, but now that you're an adult, it's time for you to find her."

Bethany's face fell. She asked, "Mom, is this some kind of joke? Did you get into another argument with Wanda?"

I replied with a wry smile, "No, we didn't fight. I had a moment of clarity. Why am I raising someone else's kid for nothing? Why did I have to break off with my parents for eighteen years just because of you?"

Bethany stammered, "But weren't you infertile? Didn't you take me because you couldn't have kids, so you snatched me away from my real mom?"

She'd said the exact same thing in my previous life.

At my funeral, she and Wanda put on a show for all the relatives, crying and claiming I was infertile and mentally unstable, that I'd snatched her away from her birth mother.

This time around, I wasn't going to let her have that chance again.

"You just take her word for everything?" I pulled out my phone and scrolled to Wanda's number. "Want me to call her right now and let her tell you herself how you really came to be my daughter?"

Bethany's face turned pale. The students nearby were drawn by the commotion and started glancing over.

"No, that's not necessary..." Bethany glanced sideways at the other students, took a step back, her gaze flickering nervously. "Mom, please don't be mad at me. Did I mess up somewhere? I'll fix it, I swear. I'll listen to you from now on—"

I cut her off. "You can't change. Deep down, you're like your real mom. You're selfish, greedy, and totally ungrateful. These eighteen years I spent raising you were wasted."

I turned and walked off.

Bethany yelled after me, "Sarah! Get back here! You took me from my real mom and raised me for eighteen years, and now you toss me aside? What gives you the right?"

Why? In my last life, I poured my heart out for you and your mom. I even cut off my own family for you, and all I got was a tragic, lonely death.

But I had another shot at my life, so I was done playing the fool. Wanda, Bethany, you two would pay for every bit of it.

When I got back to my rented room, I pulled out that old phone that had been gathering dust for eighteen years.

I turned it on, and there was a single unread message. The date showed it was from eighteen years ago.

[Sarah, Mom and Dad will always love you. The door will always be open. Come home whenever you want.]

It was from Mom.

I held the phone in my hands and sobbed for a whole hour.

Then I finally dialed the number I hadn't touched in eighteen years.

It rang a few times, and then Mom answered.

"Sarah?" Mom's voice shook with surprise, trembling hard. "Is that really you? Is it really you, Sarah?"

"Mom..." My voice caught in my throat, too choked up to say anything.

"Old man! Hurry up! It's Sarah calling!" Mom shouted, then turned back to the phone. "Sarah, don't cry, sweetheart. What's wrong? Where are you? I'll come get you right away, Mom's coming for you—"

"Mom, I'm so sorry." I sobbed, barely able to get the words out. "I was wrong. I really messed up."

There was a pause on the other end, then I heard Mom's soft sobbing.

Then Dad's voice came through, steady as always, but with a tremor. "Silly girl, don't say sorry. As long as you've figured things out and want to come home, that's all that matters. Come home, okay?"

Three hours later, a black Bentley rolled up outside the apartment building where I'd spent the last eighteen years.

Mom jumped out and wrapped me in a fierce hug.

"Sarah! Oh my god, you're so skinny..." She stroked my face, tears streaming nonstop. "My poor girl, how much have you been through out here..."

Dad stood off to the side, his eyes rimmed red but still trying to act tough. "Let's talk inside. It's too hot out here. Don't let the kid stand in the sun."

When I got in the car, I spotted something on the back seat.

The house key.

Mom shoved the key into my hand. "We haven't changed the lock in eighteen years. After you returned the key, I worried every single day. What if you wanted to come home one day, but couldn't open the door?"

I gripped the key, silent.

This time around, I was never going to lose it again.

Later that night, Bethany blew up my phone with over thirty calls. I didn't answer a single one.

Wanda hit me with a flood of texts, starting with [Sarah, what's going on?], then [You can't treat Bethany like this.], and finally, [You'll regret this, mark my words.]