REBORN: Not Another Mistake

Dress

Chapter 4: Dress

I stared at the door long after he had left. My hand was still clenched beside me. My brain still couldn't believe what had happened.

I had refused the marriage. I had told him no. Yet I was still going to be his wife. I don't understand what this is supposed to be.

My father turned to face me. "I did not like your attitude today Lydia."

I stared at him, my teeth clenched.

"Do you have any idea what this would have caused? If Lucian had not chosen, do you know what would have happened?"

I stared at him without saying anything.

"I would have lost everything." He shouted. My stepmother reached out and held his hand.

I flinched a little but tried not to lose my composure.

"I had warned you not to embarrass me but you still went ahead and did. This is not how you are and I don't like this new attitude." He pointed at me. "I don't want any trouble coming from you before or after this wedding." He walked past me.

Miriam, my stepmother, turned to me. "Better listen to your father this time Lydia."

She walked past me with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Selene followed behind her.

I stayed where I was, glued to the floor.

This is who I am?

A strange laugh escaped me.

Of course not.

I wasn't the same Lydia anymore.

I dragged my feet back to my room and locked the door behind me.

I walked toward the mirror and stared at my reflection.

"You have to figure something out, Lydia," I muttered.

I still had three days before I married Lucian again.

But what was I supposed to do?

Running away wasn't an option. Even if I managed to leave the estate, my father would find me eventually. And even if he didn't, Lucian probably could.

I sat on the edge of my bed and tried to think.

In my previous life, I had known almost nothing about the man I married.

I knew he was powerful and people feared him. I knew he had businesses scattered across the city.

That was all.

I had never bothered to learn about his enemies, the people who worked for him or the people he trusted. I had simply entered his house and tried to become the perfect wife.

Which was the mistake that had cost me my life.

This time, I needed to know what I was getting into. I stood up and began pacing around my room.

Who handled Lucian's businesses?

Who were his enemies?

Who had access to him?

Markus.

Of course. I remembered him.

He was the man Lucian had called when he ordered me to be taken to the dungeon.

I remembered his hand around my arm and the way I had begged him to stop.

But that wasn't all I remembered.

Markus had been around Lucian often. At that time, I had never paid attention to him. Why would I? He was just one of Lucian's men.

But now, I wondered how much he actually knew.

I walked to my desk and pulled out a small notebook and wrote his name down.

I stared at it for a moment. I didn't know if he had anything to do with my death.

Maybe he didn't.

But I wasn't going to assume anything.

I closed the notebook.

A soft knock came from the door.

I quickly pushed the book beneath a pile of clothes.

I stared at the door for a while before I opened it. My dad's face came into view.

"Mr. Bianchi just called. Everything will be handled by him. The wedding dress, the jewelry and all. I hope you don't embarrass me again."

He turned and walked away. My hands still rested on the open door as I stared at his retreating figure.

"Not to embarrass you huh?" My grip tightened around the door. I slammed the door shut.

I spent another 20 minutes thinking and nothing came to my mind.

My room door flung open with a thud. I snapped my head to the direction. Selene walked in with two medium sized boxes and dropped them on the floor.

"The items arrived. Dad had me bring it to you." She said through ragged breaths.

I nodded and she left.

I gently picked one box and set it on my bed.

I remembered the boxes. It was exactly the same from my last life.

I gently opened the box that contained the dress. The dress came into view. Milk colour with glittery beads embedded across the neck. Beautiful and expensive.

My hands hovered on the dress.

Suddenly, an idea came into my brain.

Without thinking, I searched for my saving box and creaked it open.

I counted the money inside. It wasn't much, but was enough for what I wanted.

I grabbed my shoe and walked out of the house. I headed to the nearest shops and stopped there.

I searched through the clothes they had then my eyes landed on a simple, blue gown.

I paid for it and strode back home with a satisfied smile on my face.

I reached my room and locked the door behind me.

I pulled the dress and stared at it. "Perfect."

I took off my clothes and quickly switched into the dress. I stood in front of the mirror.

The cloth hung loosely around my body. I liked it.

It wasn't as expensive as the dress Lucian had sent or covered in glittering beads and it wasn't the dress a mafia bride was supposed to wear.

But that's exactly what I wanted.

I turned slightly and looked at myself in the mirror.

I imagined the look on everybody's faces when I walked into the wedding hall wearing this instead of the dress Lucian had chosen.

For the first time that day, I felt like I had a plan.

A low smile slowly spread across my face.

Lucian Bianchi chose a wife. But he doesn't know the price that comes with it.