Chapter 1

My neighbor was going away for a week and insisted on leaving her dog at my place.

In my last life, I kindly said yes.

A week later, she went live and, in tears, accused me of abusing the dog until it died.

Every animal lover online tore into me. Someone splashed pig's blood across my door and scrawled "Die, you sick freak" over it.

At preschool, my son was mocked as "the freak's son." He developed autism and never spoke again.

My husband's funding deal collapsed. Buried in debt, he jumped to his death.

And she, riding that wave of attention, shot up into a pet influencer and set herself up for life.

When she moved into the mansion she'd just bought, she ran into me, gaunt and hollowed out, and gave me a faint little smile.

"Sis, I owe all of this to you."

Living it all over again, she stood at my door with that cute little dog in her arms and knocked.

"Martha Finch, I live alone, there's really no one to look after my dog. Could you help me out for a few days..."

I turned her down flat.

"A pet boarding shop charges a hundred a day and knows the job better than I do."

1

Sabina Taylor froze for a second.

I was usually the first to help anyone, so she probably hadn't expected a no.

She bit her lip, her eyes going red.

"Martha, I just graduated, I only make five thousand a month, I've got rent and food to cover. Seven hundred in boarding fees is really too much for me."

And with that, the tears started rolling down, one after another.

In my last life, I was allergic to dog hair and had meant to say no.

But that pitiful look of hers got to me.

I thought I was helping a lonely girl adrift on her own, wishing her well with nothing expected in return.

Instead, I was helping a devil out of hell tear my once-happy home apart, step by step.

And she climbed to the top of her life over the corpses of my family.

Watching her weep so prettily, all I felt was a wave of disgust.

"I'm allergic to dog hair. I can't help you with this."

Her crying suddenly got louder.

"Martha, please, I don't have any other friends or family in this city."

"I can give you my door code. You just walk him once a day and put some food out, that's all..."

I shook my head. "I can't."

The commotion drew the neighbors, and they gathered around to watch.

Wallis Chavez, from next door, tugged at my sleeve and coaxed me.

"Come on, hon, it's hard for a young girl making it on her own. It's such a small thing, just help her out."

Adam Lawrence frowned.

"That's right, Martha. A person should be kind. Neighbors help each other, it's only right."

"The poor girl, and such a cute little dog. How do you not have a shred of heart in you?"

I let my eyes move coldly over their faces.

Last year, when Wallis's elderly relative had a fall, I was the one who found them in time and ran around getting them to the hospital. The doctor said it was a good thing they came when they did. An hour later and they wouldn't have made it.

I even fronted ten thousand for the medical bills. She still hasn't paid me back.

Last month, during the storm, Adam's family hadn't stocked up on anything, so I gave them half the grain, oil, and meat in my house.

In my last life, these were the very people I'd worn myself out helping, and here they were, one line after another, hoisting me up onto their moral high ground.

Yet when the internet mob was all but hounding me to death, not one of them stepped up to speak for me.

My gaze landed on Wallis's face.

"You think it's a small thing? Then you keep the dog for her."

Wallis's expression stiffened, and she shook her head on instinct.

"I've got kids at home. If it bites one of them, who's going to answer for that?"

I looked over at Adam.

"You've got such a big heart. How about you cover her boarding fee, then?"

Adam pursed his lips. "She's the one asking you for help. Why should I be the one paying?!"

My gaze went back to Sabina's face.

"None of them are willing to help you, and there's nothing I can do either. You'll have to find someone else."

With that, and with her unwilling stare still on me, I shut the door with a bang.