The Devil's Mirror Chapter 1

In my past life, my husband was pushed into the sea and drowned by the woman he always loved.

While I was still in shock, trying to handle his funeral arrangements, the police arrested me.

The surveillance footage showed me pushing him overboard.

But at that exact moment, I was in my cabin with my stepfather, discussing business. I had a perfect alibi.

I asked my stepfather to testify for me. Instead, he told the police my company was facing financial ruin and I had planned to kill my husband for the insurance money.

Was this man really my father?

The result, of course, was a conviction for murder and a death sentence.

Until my final breath, I couldn't understand why everyone said I killed him.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the ship, just before my husband fell.

I went straight to security. I told them I was going to murder my husband soon and that they needed to arrest me immediately.

They thought I was crazy and ignored me.

Desperate, I started smashing things and acting like a lunatic until they finally detained me. Only then could I breathe a sigh of relief.

* * *

"Excuse me? You said you're going to kill someone?"

I tapped the face of my watch frantically. "Yes! It’s 5:05 PM. In twenty minutes, my husband, Chase, is going to go overboard by my hand. You need to arrest me. Now."

The air in the grand atrium seemed to freeze. The security officer looked me up and down like I belonged in a straitjacket.

"I've never had a killer confess before the crime. Are you high? Or just off your meds?"

"I'm not lying! Detain me now, and in twenty minutes you'll see I'm telling the truth!"

The officer frowned, his disdain obvious. "Look, ma'am, if this is some kind of roleplay you and your husband are into, fine. But don't disturb our work."

He started to walk away. Panic surged through me. I grabbed a large ceramic vase from a pedestal and hurled it at the floor.

Smash!

The sound of shattering pottery echoed through the hall. Tourists screamed and turned to stare.

"Are you crazy?!" the young officer shouted.

He reached for me, but I started grabbing anything I could reach—ashtrays, decorative plates—throwing them like a maniac.

"What is security doing? Grab her!"

"We paid thousands for a luxury cruise, not to watch a mental breakdown!"

The crowd’s anger boiled over. I acted like a woman possessed, smashing everything in the lobby until the Head of Security arrived with backup.

They tackled me to the ground, twisting my arms behind my back and slapping on the cuffs.

"I’ve never seen anything like it," the young officer told his boss, panting. "She walked up, said she was gonna kill someone, and when I didn't arrest her, she started destroying the lobby."

The cold steel against my skin made me feel safer than I had in years.

"Take her to the brig. Watch her. Don't let her cause any more trouble."

The brig was empty. I closed my eyes and counted the seconds.

In my last life, this was a family trip. Chase’s "one that got away," Sarah, had begged to come along.

I had refused at first.

But Chase insisted. He said Sarah was getting married soon and moving to Europe; this was her final send-off. I reluctantly agreed.

I didn't know that while they were watching the sunset on the deck, they would argue, and Sarah would shove him overboard.

I had tried to get the crew to save him, but the sun had set, and the waves were too rough. By morning, he was gone.

Before I could even mourn, the authorities came for me.

"We have probable cause to detain you for the death of Chase Miller."

I was shocked. "Sarah pushed him! I saw it from the balcony! You have the wrong person!"

But they showed me the footage. It was me in the video.

I looked to my stepfather, Richard, for help. He just shook his head. "Chloe, you have to pay for your crimes."

I couldn't believe he was lying. I was with him when Chase fell.

It was all a lie.

"Chloe Vance, just confess. Everyone on deck saw you do it."

One person can lie. But a whole deck of witnesses? A security camera?

I went to my execution screaming that it was Sarah.

Now, I sat in the brig, waiting.