Chapter 1

For our graduation trip, my boyfriend took me to his family's private island in the Florida Keys.

His childhood friend, Lyla, came along too.

Our yacht hit a hidden reef, leaving us stranded. Lyla pointed at some fins circling in the distance and claimed they were our rescue.

"Look, dolphins! They're going to lead us back to the shore!" she cried out.

My boyfriend nodded in excitement. The rest of the group looked on with hope in their eyes.

I shook my head frantically. Those weren't dolphins. They were bloodthirsty tiger sharks.

I couldn't bear to see everyone eaten alive. I ignored the danger and dove into the water to lure the sharks away from the boat.

By the time I was exhausted, I finally found a rescue team and led them back to the wreck.

On the way back, Lyla suddenly started screaming that I was looking down on her. She threw herself into the ocean and a shark bit off both her legs.

She wailed that I had pushed her. My boyfriend was furious and shoved me off the deck.

I was torn apart by the sharks. They didn't even leave a single bone behind.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment Lyla pointed at the fins.

I clapped my hands with excitement. "Wow, dolphins! Lyla, you should jump in and say hi to them!"

1

"They're spirits of the ocean. If we show them kindness, they'll definitely save us!"

Lyla's voice sounded so innocent.

Was I really reborn?

"Janessa, don't be such a skeptic. Books say dolphins are friends to humans. They'll carry us back to the beach."

Lyla blinked her big, innocent eyes at me. She made me look like a villain who didn't understand common sense.

Landon and the others stared at me with expectation. If I dared to question her, they would attack me. I was used to this.

I curled my lips into a smile. "Lyla, you're so smart. That's a fantastic idea."

"Go on, jump in. Say hello so they'll swim faster."

Landon, who was standing beside me, gave me a rare look of approval.

"Janessa, I'm glad you're finally acting like a person instead of a spoiled brat."

I didn't bother arguing. My mind was already racing to figure out a survival plan.

There were eight of us on this mid-sized yacht.

Landon and I were supposed to be in the cockpit. But Lyla claimed she was seasick and dragged him out. I had been steering the whole time.

In my past life, I was the only one who knew how to sail. After we hit the reef, I gave them the only life raft and all the fresh water. I jumped into the sea to lure the sharks away to give them a chance.

This time, I wasn't going to save these idiots.

I remembered that just past those rocks, there was a shallow reef. It would be a safe spot to wait for help.

I had the stamina to swim there. The emergency supplies on the boat would last me a few days alone.

Once my plan was set, I felt myself relax.

To be safe, I pulled a bracelet out of my waterproof bag.

It was a birthday gift from Quinton.

In my last life, Quinton found this bracelet in the water where I was eaten. He held the broken chain and cried in agony. He regretted not telling me sooner that there was a GPS tracker inside the charm.

I smiled slightly and twisted the pendant. I pressed the emergency button.

I hoped he would make it in time this time.

"Janessa, don't you have a spare life ring? Give it to us."

My heart sank.

They wanted to take my last piece of safety gear?