I’d been married to Jared Blackwood for three years, and the whispers in our quiet suburb painted me as a manipulative cling-on, someone who’d even threatened to take my own life to force him into marriage. Furious, I dragged Jared over, demanding he set the record straight. In front of everyone, he simply handed me divorce papers and a blank check. "Rory, don't make a scene," he'd said. I’d thought we were high school sweethearts destined for forever, a love story from the classrooms to the altar. But to him, it was just a transaction, a convenient entry ticket to my sister’s inner circle, a pass to fall under her spell. They’d moved like a pair, two halves of a whole, their lips intertwined under the silent, judging moonlight. Then came the anonymous tip, costing me my teaching job because of my past struggle with depression. Catching my husband red-handed had sent Mom into a spiral, leaving me with nothing but shattered pieces. Heartbroken, I stumbled out the door. The roar of a semi-truck filled my ears just before it slammed into me. When I opened my eyes again, I was eighteen-year-old Jared Blackwood. This time, I’d watch that backstabbing jerk lose everything. 1 “Mom, maybe we should just go home.” I stood by the hotel room door, trying to reason with Brenda Miller, but her temper was already blazing. She roughly shrugged off my hand, muttering curses about my lack of backbone. Brenda stood with her hands on her hips, shouting, “Barely a day after the divorce, and he’s already shacked up with someone! I want to see which home-wrecker ruined my daughter’s life!” The words hadn’t even fully left her lips before Brenda kicked open the slightly ajar door. Soft moans and heavy breathing filled the air, two figures tangled beneath a thin sheet. I couldn’t stop her. Brenda whipped off her shoe, aiming it squarely at the heads on the bed. But then a woman’s voice cut through the air, freezing our entire family in place. “Easy there, brother-in-law.” That breathy, coy voice. I’d know it anywhere, even in a different life. It was Skye, my little sister, the girl I’d adored since she was a baby, the princess of the Miller family. Brenda gasped, a disbelieving "Skye Miller?" escaping her lips. Only then did the figures on the bed react. Jared quickly pulled the sheet over the woman, exposing his own bare torso. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes met mine. My body swayed, feeling like it might give out, but Jared didn't seem to care. "What, did I not pay enough? Aurora, I used to think you were so sensible." The blatant impatience in his voice struck me like a block of ice. Just three days ago, we’d celebrated our third wedding anniversary. How could everything have fallen apart so completely in so short a time? Brenda wouldn't stand for it. She lunged, nails extended, aiming for Jared’s face, desperate to rip the sheet off the bed and expose the truth. “Enough!” Jared shoved Brenda to the floor and reached for the hotel phone to call security. I rushed to help Brenda up. Our eyes met, both brimming with unshed tears. There was no doubt about it. It was Skye. But… why? “Skye, was I ever anything but good to you?” The woman under the sheet, now wearing a T-shirt, casually snuggled into Jared’s embrace. “Oh, you were wonderful, sis. The best sister in the world,” Skye scoffed, a cold sneer twisting her lips. “But who needed your ‘goodness’ if it was just to show everyone how compliant and sensible you were? You always got the attention, Mom and Dad, Grandma, Aunt Carol, everyone always sang your praises. You hogged all the favoritism, so what if I took one thing from you?” Before she could finish, Brenda darted forward, her arm swinging, slapping Skye hard across the face. "You disgraceful creature!" Blood welled at the corner of Skye's mouth, half her face swelling, yet she laughed, a wild, unhinged sound. “You’re so desperate to save face, but look where it got you – nobody wants you!” Brenda’s face went ashen. Without another word, she collapsed to the floor. An ambulance, call an ambulance! My hands trembled as I fumbled for my phone. "Mom!" Skye and I both knelt beside her. Time stretched, each second dragging, as Brenda's body grew cold beneath our hands. Brenda wasn't breathing. 2 “How could this happen?” Skye grabbed my throat, her grip tight. "I just wanted to make her mad, wanted her to notice me, why? Why did this happen?" I ripped her hands away, my eyes blazing, delivering her death sentence. "Mom was diagnosed with a serious heart condition last month. She didn't want to distract you from your big promotion, so she made me keep it quiet…" Skye buried her face in her hands, sobbing, kneeling before Brenda's lifeless body. Jared stood beside her, his gaze filled with concern and tenderness. So, ten years of silent adoration, from high school crush to husband – it was all a lie. All my own pathetic delusion. What I thought was a love story, a journey from childhood sweethearts to husband and wife, was just a tool for Skye to exact her twisted revenge. My mind cleared. I grabbed the vase from the nearby table, intending to smash it over Skye's head. You pathetic bitch. Go apologize to Mom, six feet under. But Jared sensed my intent. He kicked me hard in the stomach. I collapsed to the floor, a warm wetness spreading beneath me. Then, a sudden, chilling memory. I’d come here today to tell him something else. I was pregnant. Two months along. But now, it didn’t matter. Jared’s pupils contracted. He instinctively took a step back. A strange, savage sense of satisfaction surged through me. “Your baby. No, wait. It’s just a pool of blood now.” Then, an immense emptiness and regret washed over me. I had brought a wolf into my home. I had ruined myself and killed Brenda. As the hotel security guards dragged me out, Jared remained frozen, stunned. He did, uncharacteristically, mouth a silent instruction to the guards: Be gentle with her. I was cast out of the hotel, the dizzying effects of blood loss making my body sway. Suddenly, a semi-truck barreled around the corner, heading straight for me. In a haze, I heard a familiar shout of "No!" "Aurora!" As my eyes met Jared’s, my consciousness dissolved into a blinding white light. When I opened my eyes again, I saw seventeen-year-old Skye Miller. 3 She clung to my arm, whining, “Please, baby, I hate Aurora. Help me get back at her.” Her entitled demeanor made my body tremble. My cold stare, however, made her uneasy. She tentatively called out, "Jared?" I couldn't help it. My hand shot out, slapping her across the face and sending her sprawling. Only then did I register the name. Jared? I pulled my phone from my pocket. Glancing at the screen, I froze. I was eighteen-year-old Jared Blackwood. Eighteen. What a perfect age. Nothing had started yet. Everything could still be changed. "Okay." My smile widened. I blamed my earlier action on an accident. "Skye, you’re not mad at me, are you?" I blinked my clear, innocent eyes, my face full of feigned apology. When she needed something, Skye had always been able to swallow her pride. It was laughable, though. I’d always believed they barely knew each other, just classmates. Before our engagement, Jared had visited my parents. Skye, in a fit of pique with Brenda, had broken things, threatening to run away. Skye had looked Jared up and down, a smile blossoming on her face. "Brother-in-law—" The drawn-out suffix sounded less like a greeting and more like a flirtation. She’d extended her hand. Jared politely shook it. The memory had faded over time, but now it sharpened in my mind. Jared had frozen in that moment. As Skye withdrew her hand, I’d seen a flicker of regret, a reluctance in his eyes. When I snapped back to reality, Skye was already covering her face, turning to leave. As I turned my head, my gaze locked with eighteen-year-old Aurora Miller. "Aurora?" Her tentative question made me realize I wasn't the only one who had traveled back to eighteen. Jared Blackwood had become eighteen-year-old Aurora Miller. He seemed genuinely worried about me, scanning me for any injuries from being hit by the truck. A visible sigh of relief escaped him when he found none. I couldn't help but sneer. Now he plays the concerned act. I walked slowly towards Jared, gripped his wrist, and pulled back his long sleeve. "Jared Blackwood, enjoy the world of eighteen-year-old Aurora Miller." Across his pale arm, four or five fresh cuts crisscrossed over older, unhealed scars. Made with a compass. The more my body hurt, the calmer my anxiety became. 4 Jared didn’t seem to mind that I had occupied his body, yet he wouldn’t stop hounding me, begging me to go easy on Skye. “She’s just a kid, and doesn’t mean any harm. As her older sister, don’t you have a responsibility?” The words hit me with a chilling familiarity, pulling me back to the time we got married. Skye had run away from home then, only to return cradled in Jared's arms. Rumor had it Jared had spent sleepless nights searching the entire city for her. I’d thought he was simply fulfilling his duty as a brother-in-law, even foolishly telling him to be patient with Skye, that she was just spoiled. Jared had uncharacteristically frowned then. “If a child is raised properly, how could they turn out like this?” His tone had been one of blame, of dissatisfaction. He was defending Skye, wasn't he? I leaned in, whispering into Jared's ear, "Now you're the older sister. You better take responsibility." "I will, of course." Jared didn't try to deny his true identity. He truly began to act like Skye's doting older sister. He wanted Skye to get everything she desired. I merely shrugged, unconcerned. My only goal was to reclaim everything I’d lost. Skye’s earlier words echoed in my mind. She’d sabotaged the hurdles at the school sports carnival, planning for Aurora to fall flat on her face in front of the entire school. And Jared was supposed to descend like a prince, turning the existing crush into a deep-seated obsession. Turning eighteen-year-old Aurora into Jared's devoted puppy. If Skye hadn’t brought it up, I would have forgotten that darkest moment. My body screamed in pain, bleeding, utterly exposed on the track. Classmates gawked, but no one dared to help. It was Jared who picked me up and took me to the hospital. “Don’t be scared, Aurora.” “Don’t cry, it won’t hurt for long.” I’d desperately clung to that glimmer of kindness and light, only to discover it was all a deception. In the days that followed, I kept seeing Jared trailing behind Skye. Reminding her to eat breakfast, urging her to study, foolishly trying to reform a black-hearted, ungrateful snake. Compared to what I had done for her before, these efforts were nothing. Skye was a year younger than me. When she was born, Mom and Dad were busy with their business and left her with our grandparents in the countryside. By the time they brought Skye back, she had become lawless, selfish, and willful. My parents felt guilty, so they pampered her endlessly. I, too, poured all my energy into making up for the missing family bond. Anything she wanted, I gave her. I believed we were a loving, harmonious family. 5 “Jared, are you daydreaming?” Skye’s voice cut through my thoughts. She leaned against the railing next to me, her head tilted, a breakfast bag dangling in her hand. She tossed the bag in a perfect arc into a nearby trash can. "Who needs her fake kindness?" She was trying to butter me up, wanting me to stick to her plan. To string Aurora along, then drop her hard. My gaze darkened as I stared at the triumphant Skye. "What if she doesn't like me?" “Impossible.” Skye was absolutely certain. She'd secretly read Aurora's diary, the one filled with teenage crushes. "So, you chose me just to get back at her?" The sudden question caught Skye off guard. Her eyes flashed with undeniable panic, and she quickly denied it. The answer was clear as day. My eyes met Jared's, who was lurking near the wall. He clenched his fists and disappeared. The next day after school, I finally encountered Jared. “You bitch! Always trying to seduce men!” “I’ve had enough of you for a long time!” Jared was cornered, hands shoving him, a fresh bruise blooming around one eye. No, it was Aurora’s body they were hitting. I seemed to see eighteen-year-old Aurora, huddled in the corner like a scared little mouse. No one offered a hand, no one stepped in to help her. She was swallowed by the darkness. And now I had the chance. I could save that innocent girl who was being inexplicably hurt. But I didn't. Under Jared’s mortified gaze, I coldly walked past the crowd. 6 I didn’t leave. I just watched from the corner. The filthy curses, the cold misunderstandings, the inexplicable hatred – none of it could hurt me. The crowd dispersed. Jared collapsed against the wall. This body's lack of strength left him defenseless, only inviting harsher retaliation with every attempt to fight back. Jared gasped for breath. Suddenly, the light was blocked. He looked up, his gaze locking with mine. Jared instinctively called out, "Rory." He used the wall to prop himself up. "I… I didn't know. I didn't know what you went through…" Anything he said would have sounded hollow and weak. I simply frowned, making no move. The sympathy in Jared’s voice sickened me. I motioned for Jared to follow me, to witness a good show. We stood on the stairwell. The conversation from the first floor drifted up clearly. Skye was joking around with a group of people, making inane small talk. "Skye, if she ever messes with you again, you have to tell us. We'll teach her a lesson." Then came Skye’s soft sniffles, as if she were utterly heartbroken. Jared gripped the railing, his face beet red, about to storm out and confront Skye. After all, it was Aurora who was being bullied. I stood a few steps above Jared. "Feeling sorry for yourself?" Jared's eyes were red-rimmed. "She shouldn't be like this." His rare defense of me made me laugh without reason. I leaned into Jared’s ear. “Honey, have you forgotten? The pain you inflicted on me was a hundred times worse than this.” Watching Jared's tormented expression, I felt a surge of satisfaction. 7 I walked down the stairs, catching up with Skye. She was walking alone, tears still glistening on her cheeks. Just before I could speak, she threw herself into my arms. "Jared, why does everyone like my sister?" Skye held a report card in her hand. The failing grades made her jealousy towards her older sister swell even more. At family dinners, relatives always loved to discuss my and Skye's grades, comparing us. Then they'd conclude by telling me to remember them when I became successful. I'd offer an awkward smile, while Skye remained silently sullen. Worried she felt bad, I specifically asked our relatives not to compare us or mention grades. I was protecting Skye's fragile self-esteem. But she clearly didn't need it. Skye tore up the report card, then kicked the trash can a few times to vent her frustration. "You know she told Aunt Carol not to bring up grades at dinner? Aunt Carol and the others probably think I'm sensitive, that I'm petty, that I'm a loser." In Skye's version of events, her sister had clearly become a manipulative snake. I stared at my shoes, muttering to myself, "Yeah, what a bitch she is!" Skye's grades weren't good enough to get into a prestigious prep school. But she had thrown tantrums, so Brenda, out of desperation, pulled strings and paid a hefty fee for a spot for her as a guest student. Yet Skye hadn't changed. She spent her days with the local troublemakers, neglecting her studies, becoming known as a wild child, a delinquent. She got into brawls, dated prematurely, skipped classes. Later, more and more people started disliking me. I thought it was Skye's fault, and that as her older sister, I had a duty to pay for her mistakes. She made mistakes, and I, her older sister, was willing to atone for them. So I silently endured, never telling anyone about the bullying or isolation, only finding relief in the pain on my arm late at night. But it was all Skye's doing, orchestrated by her own hands. "If you had the chance, would you want to switch lives with your sister?" My casual question made Skye’s pupils contract. She remained silent for a long time, as if I had just exposed her deepest, most hidden secret. I hid the dark gleam in my eyes. Few knew that Skye and I had already swapped lives for ten years. But not this time, Skye. You won't get another chance to take my life.
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