Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My sister-in-law, Brianna, loved playing the ditzy, helpless beauty. Whenever she messed up, she would just tilt her head, pout, and act cute.

On the day of my state piano competition, she let go while we were moving furniture. A heavy dresser smashed my hand, shattering my fingers and crushing my dreams.

She just held her delicate fingers and pouted at my brother.

"I am just a tiny girl with no upper body strength," she whimpered. "You wouldn't hold it against me, right, Lola?"

On the morning of my college entrance exams, she locked me inside the house from the outside, causing me to miss the test entirely.

When I filed for an appeal, she went on a local news broadcast and claimed I had simply overslept. That interview ruined my reputation, triggered nationwide cyberbullying, and sent me into a spiral of severe depression.

When I confronted her in despair, she merely tapped her head and stuck out her tongue.

"I got the dates mixed up," she giggled. "You know how scatterbrained I can be!"

Driven past my breaking point, I grabbed her and screamed at her to get out of our house.

My older brother, Logan, rushed in with a butcher knife and hacked me to death.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the scorching afternoon she broke my fingers.

The blistering sun beat down on my skin, pulling my scattered mind back to reality. A moving truck was parked right in front of our suburban driveway, stacked with brand-new furniture.

I realized with a jolt that I had been reborn.

"Lola, why are you just standing there?" Brianna's sugary, high-pitched voice drifted over. "Are you still mad because I did not buy the furniture set you picked out? You know I am not the brightest tool in the shed. Since the delivery is already here, please stop pouting, okay?"

Her sickening tone made my stomach churn.

In my past life, this was where the nightmare began. My best friend's family ran an interior design firm, and she had spent hours designing a custom renovation plan for our house as a personal favor.

I was getting ready for my exams and had no savings of my own. I handed the blueprints and wholesale supplier links directly to my mother, begging her to order from those exact factories to save thousands of dollars.

Brianna snatched the paperwork away immediately. She insisted on handling everything, claiming she wanted to do her part as a loving daughter-in-law. My mother did not know much about online shopping, so she handed the task over without hesitation.

When the truck arrived, I was furious. Brianna had splurged on overpriced designer labels that cost three times our budget.

Worse, our house had a warm craftsman aesthetic, but she bought cheap, stark minimalist junk from sketchy knock-off vendors.

When I confronted her, Brianna squeezed out crocodile tears and hid behind my brother.

"You know I am terrible with these things," she sobbed, burying her face into Logan's chest. "I accidentally lost the paper Lola gave me. I did not want to worry anyone, so I just ordered what looked pretty online."

Logan, completely wrapped around her finger, slapped me hard across the face.

"It is just furniture!" he roared. "Who cares where it came from? Stop acting like an entitled brat. Are you too good to sit on something your sister-in-law bought?"

My cheek stung, and my heart broke. My parents worked grueling hours to make ends meet, and I had tried so hard to save them money.

My parents favored my brother above all else. Even though they looked like they had swallowed a lemon when they saw the ugly furniture, they stayed silent just to keep Logan happy.

I made one final concession, asking Brianna to return the items for a refund.

Brianna immediately began wailing.

"I know Lola thinks I am stupid," she cried dramatically. "She hates everything I do! Fine, maybe I should just pack my bags and go back to my parents' house!"

Terrified of losing his precious wife, Logan glared at me with pure hatred.

"You don't call the shots in this house!" he snarled.

In the end, the furniture stayed.

And now, standing under the scorching sun, I was right back at the moment the delivery truck doors rolled open.