Chapter 5
可
The noise from outside crashed in like a tidal wave, rattling Alyssa awake. She jerked her eyes open.
The first thing she saw was a pale blue ceiling with delicate floral patterns, all calm and elegant.
She sat up and looked around. The place felt both familiar and strange, and then it hit her–this was the little hideaway she and Sean used to call home.
Wait… I’m not in that goddamn mental hospital anymore? I’m still alive? she muttered under her breath.
Her eyes fell on a calendar hanging on the wall. The date: July 8, 2015. Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat. She was back–five years in the past.
Years of reading novels had prepared her for this crazy moment, and it hit her like a truck–she’d time–traveled.
To make sure she wasn’t losing her mind, she raised her hand and looked at her wrist. There should’ve been a deep scar there, from when she’d slashed her wrist for that bastard Sean. But now, the skin was smooth, untouched.
No doubt about it. She had actually gone back in time. ‘Hell, if life is giving me another shot, I’m gonna make it count this time, she whispered to herself.
She vowed to get justice for her dad’s death and make those who had hurt her–Sean and Hailey–pay the price,
Just as Alyssa started to get her head straight, she heard the sound of hurried footsteps and frantic knocking, like someone was about to bust down the door.
Megan’s voice rang out from outside, “Okay, I get her to cook. Don’t hang up the video call. Just shout out whatever you want; I’m crap at remembering this shit.”
The knocking got louder, more insistent like they were ready to break the door down. Alyssa jumped out of bed, her face pale but her eyes hard as steel. She slowly pulled the door open, her stare cold as ice as she locked eyes with Megan.
Megan blinked, taken aback by the sudden fierceness in Alyssa’s gaze. She couldn’t help but think, “What the hell? Did I see that right? Why does Alyssa look so different today? Her eyes… they’re not as soft as they used to be.
But with her friends watching over the video call, Megan had to keep up her act. She shot back with a smug grin, “Alyssa, it’s my birthday, and I’m having my friends over for dinner. So, get your ass out there, buy the groceries, and start cooking”
She turned back to the phone, her tone overly sweet. “Alright, girls, just say whatever you want to eat, and I’ll make sure she gets it.”
On the other end, the girls were already shouting out their favorite dishes, one after another, like an auction.
Megan shot Alyssa a sideways, contemptuous look, her chin lifted just a little. “You catch all that? Think you can remember every damn word? If not, grab a pen and paper.
Alyssa’s lips twisted into a mocking smile as old memories crashed over her like a wave.
That day, she’d been curled up in bed, doubled over with period cramps, just begging for a bit of peace. But Megan had stormed in like she owned the place, ignoring her pain. Her phone was on speaker, and Alyssa could hear Megan’s friends laughing and shouting as they rattled off a long list of dishes, expecting Alyssa to remember them all and start cooking right away.
Alyssa had tried to explain that she couldn’t handle cold water because of her cramps and suggested they celebrate at a restaurant instead. But Megan wasn’t having it. She got pissed and immediately called Sean, whining to him over the phone.
Sean called Alyssa right after that, saying it was Megan’s birthday, and she had to cook for her because it only came once a
1/2
2/2
20:03 Tue, Dec 10 FG
Chapter 5
year. Alyssa wanted to tell him it was also the anniversary of Mateo’s death, but he didn’t give her a chance to speak. His voice was icy as he snapped. “I bust my ass every day, and you can’t even keep the house in order? Do you expect me to handle everything inside and outside the house once we’re married? Then what the hell am I marrying you for?”
Those words had felt like a slap to Alyssa. She felt guilty, thinking Sean really wanted to build a life with her and that’s why The put so much on her plate. She believed she hadn’t measured up. So, she apologized to both Sean and Megan, and despite her grief, she dragged herself out of bed and got to work in the kitchen, making a big meal.
She’d planned to visit Mateo’s grave once the food was ready, but during the dinner, Megan and her friends kept calling her over, demanding more drinks and snacks, keeping her stuck there with no way to get out.
Just when she finally decided she couldn’t take it anymore and was about to leave, Hailey and Sean showed up unannounced. Hailey accidentally” tripped her, making her fall hard and hit her head, blood streaming everywhere. The whole place erupted into chaos. Hailey, pretending to be all concerned, kept insisting she had to take Alyssa to the hospital.
Alyssa kept saying no, but Hailey just turned on the waterworks even more, pleading, “Alyssa, please, just go to the hospital! Don’t make me feel so guilty, okay?”
Sean’s face was like stone as he cut in coldly. “Hailey didn’t mean it. If you refuse to go, you’re just gonna make her feel guilty forever. When did you get so damn stubborn and unreasonable, Alyssa?”
Alyssa, panicking, tried to explain and break free, but Sean wouldn’t budge an inch, standing there like a brick wall. With the pain from her cramps and the blood loss, she finally blacked out. When she woke up, she was already in the hospital.
And just like that, she had missed the one day that mattered–the day to honor Mateo.
