Chapter 2: Back Where It All Began

Evelyn’s breath hitched as she stared at the phone again.

The date. The time. Everything matched what it had been two years ago.

May 4th. Two years before her wedding day.

She was supposed to be eighteen. A bride-to-be. Standing at the edge of a perfect life—until she learned it was all a lie.

But now, staring down at her own reflection in the small vanity mirror, she was... sixteen.

The girl in the mirror had softer features, a rounder face, and zero trace of the glossed, polished woman she had become. Her hair was shorter, still thick and unruly, the way she used to wear it before Mia’s endless makeovers. No engagement ring. No diamond bracelet from Logan. Just... her.

Raw. Unfiltered. Real.

She backed away from the mirror, nearly tripping over the shaggy pink rug on the floor. Her heart beat faster. This wasn’t a dream. Not a hallucination. The ache in her chest, the chill down her spine—it was all real.

Her eyes scanned the room: her high school textbooks stacked on the desk, the faded concert poster taped crookedly to the wall, her old ballet shoes hanging from the doorknob.

Tears welled in her eyes.

She was sixteen again.

Alive.

But why?

Evelyn collapsed onto her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest like it might anchor her to reality. Her mind raced. Could she really be back? And if so... why had she returned?

Was this some twisted punishment or a second chance?

Her phone buzzed again.

From: Mom

Breakfast is ready, sweetheart. Don’t be late. Love you! 💖

She stared at the message, blinking rapidly.

Her mom. Alive, healthy, texting her like nothing had changed. Evelyn had watched her mother wither away from stress and heartbreak in her senior year. But now... now her voice was echoing through the hall, cheerful and unburdened.

Evelyn ran to the door and yanked it open.

“Evelyn?” her mother called from the kitchen. “You okay up there?”

She couldn’t answer. Her throat was tight.

Instead, she crept down the stairs slowly, each step like walking into a dream. The house was smaller than the Carter estate. Warmer. Cozier. It smelled like cinnamon rolls and fresh flowers—her mom’s usual Saturday mood.

At the foot of the stairs stood her mother, wearing a sunflower apron and holding a spatula like a sword. “There you are. I was about to send out a search party. What’s with the face? Did the world end and no one told me?”

Evelyn let out a breathless laugh. Her chest tightened as tears burned in her eyes.

Her mother frowned. “Evie?”

Before she could stop herself, Evelyn rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

“Whoa—okay, what’s happening?” her mom whispered, arms instantly curling around her. “Talk to me.”

“I just... missed this,” Evelyn murmured into her shoulder.

Her mom pulled back slightly. “You just saw me yesterday.”

“I know,” she lied, smiling through wet lashes. “I just had a weird dream.”

“About the world ending?”

“Something like that.”

Her mom kissed her forehead and shook her head. “Alright, drama queen. Come eat. We’ve got to get to school on time, and you know how your teacher gets when you're late for French.”

School.

Evelyn blinked. She hadn’t thought about high school in ages. In her original timeline, everything began to unravel during her junior year. That was when she met Logan Carter—the charming senior who swept her off her feet and into a life she thought was love.

And Mia... Mia had already started whispering secrets into her ears by then. Pretending to be her best friend while slowly turning everyone else against her.

Evelyn clenched her jaw.

Not this time.

This time, she knew the game. This time, she’d play it better.

As she got dressed—pulling on an old denim skirt and her favorite hoodie from sophomore year—memories came rushing back in flashes. The party where she first met Logan. The day Mia convinced her to skip class to hang out with “cooler” friends. The moment her father stopped looking her in the eye after her grades began to fall.

The butterflies in her stomach weren’t from fear. They were from fire.

This was her chance to fix everything. To stop the slow crawl into darkness. And to find out why she died in the first place.

She checked her phone again, scrolling through contacts. No Logan. No Carter mansion. No secret engagement folder. Just her regular 16-year-old life.

As surreal as it was, it gave her clarity.

You’re not here to fall in love again, she told herself. You’re here to change everything.

At school, the halls buzzed with energy and chatter. Familiar lockers. Familiar teachers. Familiar faces she hadn’t thought about in years.

Evelyn walked in slowly, drinking it all in. A couple of heads turned. She hadn’t realized she was smiling so much. It was strange, knowing the future, knowing who would betray her—and yet, feeling power in that knowledge.

Then she saw her.

Mia Holloway.

Golden hair. Cherry gloss. Cropped cheer uniform even though it was a no-practice day. She was laughing with a group of girls by the lockers, center of attention like always.

Mia turned, eyes locking with Evelyn’s. “Evie!” she squealed, waving like they were best friends.

Evelyn forced a smile and walked over.

“Hey,” she said calmly, studying her.

“You okay? You look weird.”

“I’m great. Just... had a weird dream.”

Mia blinked. “A dream?”

“Yeah. A nightmare. Where you pushed me off a ledge and kissed my fiancé at my wedding.”

Mia’s smile froze.

Evelyn laughed. “Just kidding. Crazy, right?”

Before Mia could answer, the bell rang.

As students shuffled off to class, Evelyn turned and walked away, leaving Mia staring after her.

Her hands trembled just slightly, but she kept walking.

That was the first move. A small one. A whisper of war.

But it felt good. Really good.

This time, she wasn't walking blindly into her fate.

This time, she was ready.