, was now a sharp instrument, replaying the events of my first life with ch

d of champagne Chloe had insisted on ordering. I remembered the smug, triumphant loo

e. She had clutched her chest, her voice breaki

cried, tears streaming down her flawless face. "She said if I

moment, with the drugs on the floor and Brandon's "confession," it w

My mother rushed past me, her arms going straight to a sobbing Chloe, cradling

ble home. And this is how you repay us? By trying to sen

the story. Not really. They asked me

ring tears this tim

I whispered to

talk to Chloe, to reason with her. My new self knew that reason was useless

of concrete, actionable steps. They wanted to stage a drama? I would give them

wouldn't be a counter-accusation. It would be their own

one thing

d walked briskly across campus to the small electronics store just off University Ave

I hel

even. "Something small, high-quality. With

r the cheapest, but the best. I found what I was looking for: a tiny device, no bigger than a coat butto

s per

e," I said, placin

e store, the small box felt heavy in my palm, a tangib

wnloaded the app, paired the device to my phone, and tested it. I placed the tiny recorder on my books

the actors to walk into it. I glanced at the cloc

eath. The fear and despair of my past life were shadows, but the memory