My heart was hammering against my ribcage so hard that it felt as if it was going to explode out of the caging. I scratched my chin nervously before laying my hand on the cool doorknob.

My hand grasped the golden doorknob to my boyfriend’s front door. I could barely hear the distant voices of my so-called best friend and boyfriend over the rush of my heartbeat in my ears.

Practically hyperventilating already, I ripped open the front door. The blonde woman turned to me with a smirk, then looked back at Tristan, feigning a scared expression. “She’s not who she says she is, Trist. She’s been lying for so long…”

Tristan stared at me warily, backing himself into a corner, literally and figuratively. His arms were crossed as he attempted to nonchalantly lean against the wall behind him, but the expression of fear that he had on allowed anyone to see past his casual mask.

My eyes widened. “No! No, she’s lying! She isn’t who she says she is!” I shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Millie. I turned to him. “Her name is—” A gunshot rang out, and I could barely hear the terrified scream Tristan let out.

Gasping breathlessly, I fell to the floor with a thud. My eyes trailed up towards the blonde, who held a smoking handgun with the same relaxed, smug smirk.

“Millie. Not Lia…” I rasped out, hand outstretched towards her before my eyes closed, and darkness consumed my mind.

“In your next life,” I could make out Millie’s voice, just barely, “Mind your own goddamn business, Lydia.”