We Were Family Until the Jewelry Went Missing

I covered my best friend's shift one time, and just like that, the company's most expensive jewelry went missing.

Was I worried? Not in the slightest. My best friend? Oh, she was freaking out!

She blew my phone with one call after another. Begging me to come back quickly to work.

But I just let her calls ring out while I had a blast at a reunion with my former classmates.

In my last life, I actually picked up that call and rushed back. For what? Only to be accused as a thief right to my face!

Right then, my "best friend" turned into an Oscar-winning actress—suddenly, I was the neighborhood klepto she'd always suspected!

Apparently, I had "manipulated" her into swapping shifts just to steal that piece of jewelry!

But that wasn't enough humiliation. No, no. My boyfriend, who was supposed to be out for a business trip, came storming in. Gave me one slap across the face and a demand to pay up or else he'd dump me.

But I wasn't gonna take it just like that, so I called the cops. I swear I was gonna prove I didn't steal anything!

But what I didn't see coming was my uncle—my manager and basically family—showing "proof" to the cops.

And, lo and behold, there I was in the footage, "stealing" the jewelry and some confidential files! Oh, and I was "setting up" my best friend, too!

I felt so betrayed that my chest tightened up. Perfect timing—an asthma attack!

The whole story blew up the internet, of course. Friends, family, strangers—everyone was cursing me out, wishing me dead in the worst ways.

And just when I reached for my inhaler, someone "accidentally" sent it flying from my hand. I suffocated—that's how I died.

The craziest part? I opened my eyes, and I was back, right at the moment they accused me of that theft.

"Oh, bestie, I'm really, really grateful you covered my shift yesterday! I mean, without you, who else would've let me make it to my mom's grave? Seriously, you're basically the best friend ever! You know, any guy who marries you? Ah, he's gotta be the luckiest!"

Cheryl Madigan flashed her sweetest smile, heaping food onto my plate.

My boyfriend Chuck Givens jumped in over the phone, teasing, "Of course, my girl's the best! But any guy who tries to get close to her? He's gotta deal with me first!"

Uncle Hubert joined in, playfully scolding him. "Alright, kid, enough with the romance this early! Keep it up, and Adaline's gonna blush like crazy! She's terrible at hiding it, you know!"

Aunt Connie gave him a little slap on the shoulder with a giggle, telling him to stop teasing me.

I'd seen this heartwarming little family scene more times than I could count, but now? Now it felt like I'd just dropped into a freezer and couldn't get out.

My parents died in a car accident when I was in eighth grade. To take care of the poor little orphaned me, my aunt and uncle moved right into the villa my parents left for me.

They were so worried about "neglecting" me that they decided not to have any more kids after losing their first. Instead, they treated me like their own, their one and only.

Of course, Chuck caught on to how much my family adored me and decided he should play along. Back when we started dating, he'd spend an hour commuting just to bring me my favorite pastries from across town. And once he started working? He made sure to spoil me every single holiday—gifts, whatever I wanted.

And Cheryl? We'd been inseparable since eighth grade. She practically filled the "best friend" vacancy in my life. We clicked perfectly.

By pure "coincidence," she loved every single celebrity I did and despised scallions just as much as me. It was like we were twins separated at birth.

So, of course, I invited Chuck and Cheryl—who, just to be clear, weren't even biologically related to me—to come with me to live in my family's villa.

I thought maybe my aunt and uncle would raise an eyebrow or two, but no, they welcomed them with open arms.

Soon enough, we were one big, happy family. I even made a cute little online comic about our life together, and it picked up a decent fanbase.

The neighbors, my fans—they all looked on in awe, talking about how I'd been "surrounded by love" my entire life. Before Mom and Dad passed away, they'd treated me like a princess. Afterward, they left me an insanely big inheritance, and somehow, even more people showed up to keep loving me.

But if it hadn't been for them running around in my last life, calling me a thief, trashing my reputation, and practically throwing "proof" of my "crime" in the cops' faces…

I'd never in a million years have guessed that the family who supposedly "loved" me would team up to drag me through the mud, ruin my reputation, and absolutely crush me.

"Alright, bestie, time for work! Sure, your uncle's the manager, but we still shouldn't be late!"

Cheryl wiped her mouth and looped her arm through mine, all cozy and affectionate.

I forced a smile, biting down the urge to pull away from her little act.

Because in just three hours, the company's most valuable jewelry would be gone without a trace.