Chapter 1

My mother-in-law insisted on joining us for our honeymoon to a tropical island.

Out at sea, she deliberately stirred up a swarm of vicious piranhas, claiming they were rare "meteor goldfish", worth a fortune. Then she convinced my husband we could get rich by catching them. I begged them to stop. They refused.

When the piranhas became aggressive, she shoved me overboard to buy time for their escape.

I was ripped apart.

They survived. And they cashed in my life insurance—1.7 million dollars. Within a month, my husband married someone else.

At the wedding, my mother-in-law beamed. "Honestly," she laughed, "we should thank that stupid girl. Without her, we'd never be this rich. And my son wouldn't have found such an obedient wife."

But fate wasn't done with me. I opened my eyes, back on the day we arrived on that cursed island.

I made up my mind.

This time, I'd be the one who was going to get rich. And they were the ones who'd pay for it.

*****

When I opened my eyes again, it was the day before the piranhas killed me.

My mother-in-law, Janice Dawson, and my husband, Timothy Dawson, strolled past me at the market. That was when it hit me that I had gone back in time.

I didn't have long to process it. Familiar sights surrounded me, and I realized I had the perfect chance to exact my revenge.

We were about to run into the same sleazy tour guide who, last time, led us straight to our deaths.

Janice and Timothy didn't notice anything off about me.

Just like before, Janice was thrilled to be overseas for the first time. As we walked, she bragged on the family group chat, fawning over everything around her.

"Timothy's such a thoughtful son. He said I've worked hard all my life, so he insisted I come with them. Honestly, I didn't want to waste money at my age, but now that I'm here, it's beautiful. Everyone should travel more. Right, Cassandra?" she said.

Janice and her sister-in-law, Cassandra Baker, had been feuding for years, and Janice never passed up a chance to show her up.

I rolled my eyes. She had absolutely insisted on coming with us.

I was totally against it at first. Who would bring their mother-in-law on a honeymoon?

But Janice caused a huge scene, crying, screaming, even threatening to harm herself. Timothy, of course, caved and said she had to come.

The two of them clung to each other, bawling their eyes out, like I was some villain tearing them apart.

But this was my once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon. I'd already booked time off for the trip, and canceling felt like a waste. So, I gave in.

I had no idea that a single choice would cost me my life in the most gruesome way imaginable.

But what I really should've regretted was marrying a spineless mama's boy with no backbone.

The anger in me was so overwhelming that I almost lost control. My fists clenched hard just to stop myself from doing something reckless.

My phone buzzed, dragging me back. Cassandra had just clapped back in the family group chat. "Wait, Janice, are you really tagging along on Timothy's honeymoon? Isn't that a little out of line?"

Janice's brother and Cassandra's husband, Marcus Baker, jumped in too, keeping it polite. "Older folks should know when to give the young ones some space."

Janice was stunned. She'd tried to show off, but instead got schooled. Her tone turned sharp immediately.

"What do you know? My son just can't live without me. Are you two jealous? When your daughter got married, she didn't invite you on her honeymoon, did she? But Timothy's different. He insisted I come. Not everyone gets that kind of luck," she argued.

Cassandra wasn't backing down. "That island looks like a budget destination. The houses and streets look normal. Must've been cheap, huh? My daughter's husband spent 30,000 dollars taking her to Miralaea. They even went snorkeling. The water's crystal blue. Now that's a real honeymoon."

Janice huffed and muttered, "What's she bragging about? She's never even been there."

I quickly jumped in. "Exactly. Snorkeling's not a big deal. We can do it here, too. Look, there's a travel agency right over there that offers snorkeling tours."

Following my lead, we checked out a few spots, but the prices were outrageous, over 300 dollars per person.

Janice lost her temper. "These places are a total ripoff. How can swimming cost that much? Do they own the freaking ocean? They might as well just rob us."

Her yelling drew attention. Then a scrawny, dark-skinned man approached us.

Janice didn't notice a thing. But my heart nearly burst.

He was here.

The same shady tour guide who had led us to the piranhas last time.

Without him, I wouldn't be able to stage my revenge.

"Hey, looking to snorkel? Don't waste your money at those tourist traps. Our agency only charges at cost. 30 bucks per person. Interested?" the tour guide said.

He introduced himself as Eric Jones. Spotting how much Janice loved a deal, he poured on the charm. "We're from the same country. I wouldn't scam my own people."

"I've lived here for over ten years. Locals always go to the wild beaches. No entrance fees. Totally untouched islands, beautiful scenery, and crystal-clear water. Just like Miralaea." He pointed at Janice's phone. "Take a few videos. Post them. Everyone back home will be jealous."

It was all pretty standard until he mentioned Miralaea. That got Janice's attention, just like it had last time. She lit up, already imagining photos to one-up Cassandra.

Timothy looked a bit hesitant, worried about getting scammed in a foreign country. He suggested we stick to an official snorkeling site instead.

Eric smiled. "If you're worried, pay after the trip. No risk, right?"

He continued, "The wild beaches are next level. If you're lucky, you might even see meteor goldfish. They say eating one can cure anything. Catch one, and you're set for life. Those things can go for millions. Why not bring some gear and try your luck?"

He kept pushing, showing off photos on his phone of what he claimed were "meteor goldfish."

The fish looked fierce, sure, but they were under three feet long, nothing terrifying.

"Oh wow, are they really worth that much?" Janice and Timothy were already hooked.

My whole body trembled.

I could still feel the agony of being torn apart by those monsters. It was so vivid that I thought I might be back in the water again. I bit my lip hard just to stay grounded.

Those weren't the baby fish in his photos. The ones we saw were nearly six feet long. They were vicious, full-grown piranhas. Total nightmares, and nothing like what Eric was describing.

"All right, we'll go with you," Janice said without hesitation.

They thought they'd scored the deal of the century and didn't even ask me what I thought before sealing the deal.

Last time, I begged them not to trust some random street guide. I even got our relatives to try and talk sense into them.

But they wouldn't listen. Janice snapped that I didn't understand how hard Timothy worked. Timothy just gave me a cold glare.

This time, I stayed quiet and played dumb. They were digging their own graves, and honestly, I was hoping they'd start tonight.