Chapter 1

I gave birth the same day my sister Thora did. Thora had a healthy baby boy—everyone was over the moon. However, I gave birth to a stillborn one and fell into depression.

My husband Ken worked during the day and stayed up with me at night to take care of me. He was so exhausted that he ended up in a car crash and died.

After that, Ken's mom, Camille, said I was bad luck and sent me back to my mother's house.

Thora thought I'd gone crazy and would drag them down. She and my mom, Roberta, pushed me off the roof.

After I died, I found out the baby I lost wasn't mine—it was Thora's. She and Roberta had switched our babies behind my back and ruined my life.

Then I opened my eyes and realized I was back on the day I gave birth.

*****

Just right, Thora was rubbing her belly and telling me how active her baby was.

"Kyla, my baby's so strong. Look how it's kicking! Isn't that wild?" she said.

I stared at her still belly. A dead baby kicking? What a joke.

But I didn't say anything. I just smiled. "That's awesome. Must be a boy if he's moving around that much, huh?"

Thora lit up when she heard that. But I caught the scheming glint in her eyes. I still couldn't believe I had missed it back then.

Thora and I had grown up together—we were close. We told each other everything and even planned to have our babies together. But she was setting me up the whole time.

Before I went back in time—after I died—my spirit stayed behind. I heard Thora and our mom, Roberta, talking. That was when I found out everything.

Thora's baby had already died a month before she was due.

The doctor told her to end the pregnancy, but she waited it out—just so she could switch her dead baby with mine when I went into labor.

Thora and her husband, Tyrone, had been married three years and still didn't have kids.

He was cheating and gave her an ultimatum: have a baby or get divorced.

Tyrone was rich and good-looking. Thora didn't want to lose him. And Roberta didn't want to lose her wealthy son-in-law either.

So Thora had to have that baby—no matter what.

And they decided to steal mine.

They paid off the doctor to switch our babies while I was unconscious.

My own sister and mom did that to me. They took everything from me and acted like they were helping.

Just thinking about it made my skin crawl.

I checked the time. It was getting late. I'd be going into labor soon.

So I called my husband, Ken.

Before I went back in time, when my water broke, the first thing I did was try to call him.

But Roberta and Thora stopped me.

They told me not to bother him at work and said they'd take care of everything.

Ken's job didn't allow breaks. If he left, he'd lose his attendance bonus and that day's pay.

We didn't have much, and losing that money would've really hurt, so I believed them and told Ken to stay.

That left only Roberta in the delivery room with me—the perfect chance for her to pull the baby swap.

But that would never happen this time.

Ken picked up fast. His voice was soft. "Kyla? Everything okay? I'm still at work."

Before I went back in time—after Ken died—I couldn't stop blaming myself.

I thought losing the baby broke him.

Ken had always been warm. Even though we didn't have much, he gave me everything he had.

But before I came back, he died in the worst way.

This time, I couldn't let it happen again.

When I stayed quiet, Ken got worried. "Kyla, what's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything? Are you okay?"

I pulled myself together and tried to sound normal. "I'm okay. But my stomach just hurts a little. Can you leave work and take me to the hospital?"

As soon as he heard I wasn't feeling well, Ken didn't ask a single question. He agreed right away.

"Okay. Stay at your mom's place. I'll be right there," he said and hung up.

Even after the call, it didn't feel real. Ken was alive. That alone made me feel like crying.

I had snuck into the bathroom to make the call.

When I took too long in there, Thora got suspicious.

She was scared something might happen to me—since I was carrying the baby she was planning to take.