THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER: REWRITING MY DOOMED FATE

The soft buzz of Amelia Hart's phone echoed through her bedroom. She reached for it and smiled at the flood of unread notifications. SOPHIA: Congratulations on winning the National Archery Championship! You were amazing! MOM: Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Don't stay in your room all night. SECRETARY: Reminder The President's charity gala begins at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. Amelia chuckled quietly and locked her phone before placing it on the bed. Her room looked like any other young woman's. A laptop sat open on her desk beside a pile of books, a sketchbook lay half-covered with pencil drawings, and a cup of coffee had gone cold hours ago. The only thing that made it different was the security detail waiting outside the house. Being the president's daughter came with responsibilities she had learned to accept from an early age. People often assumed she had an easy life because of who her father was. They couldn't have been more wrong. Between university, public appearances, charity events, and years of training, her schedule was rarely free. She had learned archery as a child, later taking up swordsmanship and martial arts. Painting and embroidery became her way of relaxing whenever life became overwhelming. Tonight, however, she wanted to forget about everything else. She picked up the novel lying on her desk. The Tyrant Prince's Forsaken Bride. It had taken her almost a week to finish. After reading the final sentence, Amelia closed the book with a disappointed sigh. "That can't be the ending." She shook her head. "The heroine had so many chances to walk away, yet she kept sacrificing herself for someone who never deserved her." She ran a finger over the cover before smiling to herself. "If I were in her place, I would've changed my fate long before the ending." Her stomach growled. "I should stop talking to books," she laughed. "Mom's waiting." She slipped her phone into her pocket, grabbed her wallet, and headed downstairs. After telling her mother she'd be back in a few minutes, Amelia walked to the nearby convenience store to buy her favorite chocolate and a bottle of juice. The streets were calm, glowing beneath rows of streetlights. Cars passed by as people made their way home after work. It felt like an ordinary evening. She waited patiently for the pedestrian light to turn green. When it did, she stepped onto the crosswalk. Halfway across, someone shouted. "Watch out!" Amelia looked up. A truck was speeding toward the intersection. Its driver was desperately trying to brake, but the vehicle wasn't slowing down. For a brief second, time seemed to stand still. The headlights grew brighter. The sound of screeching tires filled the air. Then— Everything went dark. ... "...Young Lady?" The voice sounded distant, as though it were coming from far away. "Young Lady... can you hear me?" Amelia frowned. Her body felt strangely heavy. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Instead of the familiar white ceiling of a hospital, an enormous crystal chandelier sparkled above her. Sunlight streamed through tall windows dressed with elegant silk curtains, filling the room with a warm golden glow. She blinked several times. "This isn't..." A young woman dressed in a black-and-white maid's uniform leaned over her, tears shining in her eyes. "Thank goodness you're awake," the maid whispered, relief washing over her face. "You had us all so worried." Amelia stared at her in confusion. "...Who are you?" The maid looked as though she had stopped breathing. "Young Lady... it's me. Lily. Your personal maid." Personal maid? Amelia slowly sat up. The carved wooden furniture, embroidered curtains, marble floor, and shelves lined with old books all looked strangely familiar. Her heartbeat quickened. She knew this room. Not because she had been here before... But because she had read about it. Her eyes widened as the impossible truth settled in. She hadn't survived the accident. She had awakened inside The Tyrant Prince's Forsaken Bride. Not as a reader. But as the heroine whose tragic ending she had criticized only an hour earlier. Amelia let out a slow breath. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "So... this is my second chance." She looked out the window toward the unfamiliar kingdom beyond. "This time..." "I'll write my own ending."