I was lying in bed, scrolling on my phone with my pregnant belly heavy in front of me, when a local news alert popped up.

'Wife killed in suburban murder case. Husband stabbed her to death after she refused intimacy during pregnancy.'

I clicked it open, only to realize the article was dated for tomorrow.

And the killer's name? My husband's.

At first, I thought it was some sick prank or a glitch on the site. But then I saw the photo attached to the piece: our wedding picture.

My face had been completely blurred out.

The moment my heart seized, the bedroom door creaked open.

My husband stood there, licking his lips, his smile so chilling it made my blood run cold.

"Honey, I want you tonight."
Chapter 1 The News for Tomorrow
"Julian, I-I'm not feeling well. The baby's been restless."
My voice trembled. My mind replayed the news alert I'd just seen.
When I said that, Julian Lawson's smile fell away, and impatience hardened his tone. "Again with not feeling well? What are you crying over this time?"
I froze. Julian never spoke to me like that. He'd never raised his voice before.
I opened my mouth to protest, but he lunged forward and gripped my wrist hard. "Are you seeing someone else? Is that why you keep finding excuses so I can't touch you?"
A cold breath of panic hit me.
A creeping dread rose inside me. Could that news story actually be real?
I tried to pull away and climb out of bed, but he was frighteningly strong. He yanked me back and slammed me down.
Pain stabbed through my belly.
He scanned the room and grabbed the kitchen knife from the nightstandthe one I used to peel apples.
The blade pressed against the side of my neck, cold and bright.
"If you're that unwilling, I'll send you and your bastard on your way."
Pain exploded. Blood poured out.
I watched his face contort into something I didn't recognize as mine to keep loving, and then the world tilted into darkness.
I jerked awake, sitting bolt upright, gasping.
I looked down. My body was unhurt. My phone screen still glowed. The clock showed I'd jumped back ten minutes.
The same bloody news alert had just popped up again.
The bedroom door clicked and opened. The same familiar face stepped in and repeated that phrase that had chilled me to the bone.
"Honey, I want you tonight."
This time, I didn't meet force with force.
I steadied myself, pulled up a smile, and softened my voice. "Darling, the baby's been so fussy today. I'm exhausted. Maybe another night?"
I thought that gentle dodge would buy me time.
His impatience flared faster than before. "That line again? Elena, do you think I'm stupid?"
He closed the distance between us; his obsession looked darker this time.
"Elena, do you not love me anymore?"
Before I could answer, he attacked like a furious animal.
But I was ready. I rolled to the other side of the bed, and he missed.
Flushed with anger, he snatched up the knife. I thought it was over.
As he raised the blade, my eyes caught the back of his hand. There, near the base of his thumb, was a pale brown birthmark.
My pupils contracted. Julian didn't have a birthmark.
The one with that mark was his twin brother, Jayden.
Julian and Jayden were identical in looks but nothing alike in temperament.
Julian had always been gentle; Jayden was brooding and withdrawn, someone I'd always been wary of.
Because our in-laws were superstitious, believing twins could harm each other, Jayden had been sent to the countryside to be raised by elders and only came home when he went to college.
He had never been close to us, and his relationship with Julian was distant at best.
Why would Jayden pretend to be Julian and come here to kill me? Where was the real Julian?
A thousand terrifying thoughts flashed through my head. Survival instinct surged, and I fought to get up again.
Chapter 2 The Fourth Wake
This time, he didn't give me a chance to speak.
The knife slid into my belly with the same sick, precise motion.
When I opened my eyes for the third time, I sprang up and ran to the door, slamming the bedroom lock tight.
At almost the same moment, someone turned the handle outside.
My phone lit up. The nightmare news alert appeared on schedule.
"Honey, open the door."
I pressed my back to the wood, my heart banging in my ribs. My hand shook as I dialed Julian.
After a few rings, he answered.
"Elena?" Julian's voice came throughfamiliar and tiredand I felt the dam inside me break. Tears poured down my face.
"Darling"
"Sorry, honey, an emergency came up at work. I'll probably have to stay late. Go to bed early. Don't wait up."
My heart sank to the floor.
It was Jayden at the door.
The pounding grew harder, more frantic.
"Elena, open up! Why did you lock the door?" he shouted.
I jabbed the phone close to my mouth and replied, "Julian, whatever you hear, don't come home. Call the police. Call right now!"
I hung up, took a deep breath, and forced myself to shout back at the door with everything I had. "Jayden!"
The hammering stopped.
One second. Two seconds.
Then, the assault resumedwilder, more violent.
"How did you know?" he asked.
No sooner had he spoken than the door split with a massive crack. He'd grabbed an axe in the hall and was chopping at the wood; splinters flew.
Through the new gap came Jayden's cold, amused laugh. "Elena, now that you know, I won't pretend anymore. Tonight, you have to die."

For the fourth time I woke up reborn, lying in bed, my body ice-cold.
There were fewer than five minutes before Jayden would push through.
I forced myself to stay calm and think. I needed something to defend myself. A fight over the knife would leave me at a disadvantage. He was stronger.
My eyes swept the room and landed on the vanity.
In the drawer sat a can of pepper spray. I'd bought it a little while ago because I'd been scared walking home alone at night, purely for self-defense.
I sprang up and slid the spray under the comforter where I could grab it quickly.
When I was done, I didn't lock the door. Instead, I walked over and eased it open just a crack.
A few minutes later, Jayden came in.
I didn't wait for him to speak. I threw back a corner of the blanket and smiled at him like a woman waiting in bed.
"Honey, you're home. I've been waiting for you," I said, my voice soft.
He froze.
He stood there, as if he couldn't understand.
I sat up, letting a strap of my nightgown slip off my shoulder, and curled a finger at him.
"What are you waiting for? Come on over." I tried to sound inviting.
The wary look in his eyes slowly slid away and was replaced by hunger. He thought he had me.
When he let his guard down and leaned over me, I snatched the pepper spray from beneath the blanket and blasted it into his face.
"Ahhh!" His scream tore through the house as he clutched his face and rolled across the bed.
Seizing the chance, I scrambled off the bed and bolted for the door. Living room, foyer, front doorI could be out!
I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it.
The door didn't budge.
I looked down. A big, shiny deadbolt hung across it.
Behind me, Jayden's screams gave way to heavy, staggering footsteps closing in. "Heh Elena, you really gave me a nice surprise," he croaked.