4 My eyes stayed open for this transition . The world warped , colors bleeding together , until I found myself standing in the center of a grand ballroom . A string quartet played an elegant waltz as couples glided across the polished floor . The sixth life . Tonight was the annual Vaughn family gala . Caleb had personally invited me . He'd even sent a dress to my apartme- nt . He would force me to dance in the center of the room . The moment I raised my arms , the entire dress , held together by a single , dissolving thread , would fall to the floor. Wearing nothing but pasties , I would try to run , but Caleb and his friends would block my path , their phones held high . They would film everything . The pictures and videos would be online before I even made it home . I would become the laughingsto- ck , the slut of the city . i remember Caleb holding his phone up to my face , a vicious grin splitting his face . " Well , well , Ava . Who were you trying to seduce with this little number ? Damn , nice tits . So white . " Overnight , the entire world had seen my body . I barricaded myself in my apartment , and a week later , I swallowed a bottle of pills . Now , across the crowded room , I saw him . He was leaning against a marble pillar , the picture of bored arrogance , watching me . He looked like a predator , waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and tear me to shreds . Our eyes met . I mouthed the words silently . Long time no see , Caleb . He saw me standing frozen in the middle of the dance floor and muttered a curse under his breath , pushing himself off the pillar to stalk toward me . I lifted the hem of my gown slightly and moved toward a passing waiter , deftly plucking a heavy dinner fork from his tray . Caleb reached me , his face tight with anger . " What the hell are you waiting for , you bitch ? Start dancing . How long do I have to ... " My gaze was locked on his , unwavering , as if he were the only person in the universe . " Go to hell . " " What ? " Before he could process it , I lunged . I drove the tines of the fork deep into his eye . I ripped it out and , in the same motion , plunged it into the soft flesh of his throat . Once again , that familiar hot spray . He stared at me , his face a canvas of horror , trying to pull my hand away , but I only pushed the fork deeper . 09:57 Chapter 1 " Aaargh ! " A choked , agonizing scream tore from his throat . The guests scattered , their own screams echoing in the vast ballroom . He clutched his neck , his one good eye bulging . " Why ... why would you ... " I looked at him , my expression cold as ice . " Because you're a monster . And you deserve to die . This dress ? The one you were going to humiliate me with ? You gave it to me . You thought this was all a fun game . Well , I decided to play , too . " I twisted the fork . Up on the mezzanine , Caleb's parents were rushing toward the staircase , their faces panicked . They were monsters , too . In that life , after the video went viral , I had gone to them . I had knelt on the floor and begged them to make him take it down . I told them he had given me the dress , that it was a setup . His mother had looked down at me with pure disgust . " That sounds like your problem . Maybe you should have thought about that before acting like a whore . " " For all we know , you wore that dress on purpose , hoping to trap a rich man , " his father had added . " Don't come here playing the victim . " Everyone looked at me with that same contempt . They all saw a gold - digging slut . That was the moment my last hope had died . Of course . Only monsters could raise a monster . This wasn't enough . Not nearly enough . They all deserved to die .