Chapter 1
The apartment building was already vomiting smoke when every cell in my body screamed: Get back inside and grab the dog who'd slept at my feet for seven years.
Sally Thompson rammed her body into my path, shrieking that her grandson was still upstairs and I was the only one close enough.
Flames sprinted down the hallway. I needed to choose.
On one side was my beloved pet who'd shared years of my life. On the other was a living, breathing child.
I hesitated.
Yet with a chorus of neighbors yelling at me, I caved, rushed in, and carried the boy out.
I staggered into daylight soot-black, sure I'd be hailed a hero. Instead, all I got was blame.
"If you'd moved faster, my baby wouldn't be in the ICU!"
"Exactly. Who hesitates between a kid and a freaking animal?"
Later, the Thompson family sued me for the boy's medical bills.
The kid's parents were social-media influencers. They twisted the story, whipping millions of clueless strangers into an online mob that trashed me daily.
The cyber-bullying drove me into depression. Coupled with the guilt over my dog, I finally ended my own life.
I died full of rage.
But the universe hit rewind.
This time, I was saving my dog.
*****
Thick smoke, sharp with the stench of burning plastic and scorched wood, slammed into my face. I stood frozen in front of the apartment complex, eyes locked on the inferno devouring the building.
Did I... just go back in time?
I thought I was dreaming. So I dug my nails into my palm hard. The sting was real. Sharp. Undeniable.
The sharp, biting sting in my palm was the only thing anchoring me to reality. It wasn't a dream. It was a second shot at life.
But there was no time to process the shock. A voice, shrill, familiar, cut through the chaos.
"Alex Foster, hurry! Save my grandson!"
An older woman in a loud floral shirt burst from the bushes like a hawk diving for prey. Her hand, gnarled and dry as bark, clamped around my wrist.
The moment I saw her, something inside me snapped. A red haze blurred my vision.
Memories came flooding back.
Because of her, I'd made a choice that haunted me for life.
In my previous life, I'd been out for my morning run when I saw the smoke.
My first instinct? Get inside. Save Benny, my dog. My best friend. The one who'd been by my side for years.
But right then, Sally Thompson grabbed me. She begged me to save her grandson Benny Thompson instead.
The fire was spreading fast. Her apartment was on the other side of the building. There wasn't time to save both.
On one side was Benny, my loyal companion. On the other was a child's life.
I hesitated.
And at that moment, the crowd closed in.
"Are you seriously choosing a dog over a kid?" someone said.
Sally sobbed, clutching my arm. "Please, Alex. He's all I have."
It was a human life. I caved. I told myself I'd come back for Benny. That I'd make it in time.
But I didn't. By the time I carried the boy out, the hallway was a tunnel of fire. I tried to go back. I tried. But the flames had already won.
Benny was gone.
*****
Dragging a kid out of a burning building had drained every ounce of strength I had. Losing Benny broke what was left.
I was completely spent, mentally and physically.
The only thing keeping me upright was the thought that at least I'd saved a life.
With a heavy heart, I carried the kid out, expecting Sally's gratitude and the neighbors' praise. But I was met with absurd accusations.
"It's your fault!" Sally screamed, cradling her burned grandson. "If you hadn't hesitated, he wouldn't be hurt like this."
The neighbors, who'd done nothing but watch, jumped in.
"How could you even think about a dog? You waited too long."
"He almost died because of you."
Hearing all their comments, I only felt a pang of pain.
Everyone was concerned about the child. No one mentioned the burns on my arm.
No one asked about the dog I lost, the one who waited for me until the end.
Why hadn't any of them tried to save the boy themselves?
They were here even before I showed up.
Not one of them had run in. Not one. But now? Now they had opinions.
I risked my life saving the kid. I lost my dog. And somehow, I was the villain.
I didn't understand it.