Chapter 10

I led Mark into the kitchen, offered him a drink, my hands trembling as I poured two glasses of juice. I needed to say something, anything to bridge the gap between "Queen Chloe" and the girl I was pretending to be.

"You know I love Jaxon, right?" I started, staring into my glass. "And I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings. I didn't mean to grow distant, Mark. I just... I felt pressured into something I didn't feel like doing."

Mark took a sip, his expression unreadable. "I understand, Jaxon told me. But just because I understand doesn't mean Jaxon will. You know Jaxon, Chloe. He loves validation, especially from you."

"I just wanted a break," I whispered, the guilt of ruining Chloe’s relationship gnawing at me. "I didn't think he’d get this bored so easily."

I bit my lip, an idea forming. If I could just buy Jaxon’s forgiveness, maybe I could fix the mess I made for the real Chloe. "What if I get him something? Something he’s saving up for? Or take him out? Do you think maybe he’ll forgive me?"

Mark actually laughed. "Chloe, he’s Jaxon. The son of the owner of the Reid Estate and a multi-billion dollar company. What could he possibly be saving up for?"

I felt a flush of heat creep up my neck. I didn’t know Jaxon’s bank account. I didn’t know anything about this world. "I don't know, Mark! Besides, you should know him better than anyone."

"Why?" Mark asked, tilting his head.

"Because you’re his best friend."

Mark looked at me for a long beat, his eyes softening. "And you're his girlfriend, Chloe."

"Ex?" I whispered, my eyes looking dim.

Mark sighed and set his glass down. "Just... maybe call him, Chloe. I’ll help you talk to him. I’ve gotta go before your parents see me here and start asking questions."

"Goodnight, Mark," I said as I walked him to the door.

"Goodnight, Chlo."

I stood on the porch, waving as his car lights disappeared down the long driveway. The moment he was gone, the silence of the estate crashed back down on me. Suddenly, tires crunched on the gravel. Chloe’s parents were back.

I didn't wait to see their faces. I knew they weren't happy. I’d heard their heated arguments recently. I bolted up the stairs, my heart racing, and dove into Chloe’s oversized bed just as the front door slammed downstairs.

I stared up at the ceiling, my mind spinning. The wish? I started thinking about Jess and that strange device. What if it actually worked? But if it worked, why did it feel so wrong?

Then it hit me, the water. The splash from the sink when I had panicked. What if the device broke when it hit the water and caused a glitch? We were both standing right there.

"Is Jess my Fairy Godmother?" I whispered into the dark room. "Like Cinderella?"

But in the stories, the magic ends. The carriage turns back into a pumpkin. My eyes went to the digital clock on the bedside table. 11:58 PM. I waited. My heart thundered in my ears as the numbers flicked to 12:00.

Nothing happened. I was still blonde, tall and trapped in a life that wasn't mine. "I don't get to change after midnight," 

"What if this is permanent?"

If this was forever, Chloe would kill me. Or worse, she’d kill herself in my body, and we’d both be gone.

“Chloe,” we're back. Come down, we brought Squishy. That was Chloe’s mother, Evelyn.

Squishy? I whispered to myself. What? Who's squishy.

I rushed downstairs immediately as the calls didn't end. Chloe's parents looked exhausted.

"The vet says he’s fine, Chloe. Just a bit of a stomach bug," she said, not even looking at me as she set the carrier down. 

"Come say hello to your precious Prince. I'm going to get a glass of wine."

I stood frozen. I remembered seeing Chloe carry this tiny, white Pomeranian around like an accessory.

The door to the carrier zipped open, and a puff of white fur tumbled out. But instead of the excited yaps I expected, Squishy stopped dead. His nose twitched. He looked up at me, and his tiny frame began to tremble.

Then, a sound came out of him that didn't match his size, a low, guttural growl that vibrated through the marble floor.

"Prince? It's... it's me," I whispered, reaching out a hand.

The dog snapped at the air, his teeth baring in a snarl. He backed away from me as if I were a monster.

"What is wrong with that animal?" Chloe’s dad, Richard, grumbled as he walked in behind his wife, loosening his tie. He looked at the dog, then at me. "He’s been at the vet for two days and he’s already forgotten who feeds him? Typical."

"He's just stressed, Richard," Evelyn called from the kitchen.

"Chloe, just take him upstairs," her dad sighed, waving a dismissive hand. "He probably needs to be in a familiar space. Get him out of the hallway before he ruins the rug."

I had no choice. I scooped up the growling, squirming ball of fur, feeling his tiny heart racing against my palms. He didn't want to bite me, he was terrified of me. To him, I wasn't his owner.

Once I got into the bedroom and shut the door, I let him go. He scrambled under the bed immediately, his glowing eyes watching me from the shadows, the low growl never stopping.

I sat on the edge of the silk duvet

Is this my life now? I wondered. Hated by my peers, scolded by a VP who doesn't know my name, and even rejected by a dog who knows the truth?

I looked at the clock. 12:10AM. I doubt if I was ever going to change. I was still Chloe, and squishy was still growling beneath the bed, a terrifying thought took root in my mind: If the animals can tell, how long until a person does? How long until I make a mistake that I can’t fix with a pretty smile or a designer gift?