THE LIFE I REFUSED TO LIVE TWICE

Eva woke up with the taste of blood in her mouth. For a few seconds, she couldn't move. She stared at the white ceiling above her, listening to the faint ticking of a clock somewhere in the room. Tick. Tick. Tick. Her breathing was uneven. She remembered the rain. The headlights. The sound of tires screeching. Then nothing. Eva slowly lifted her hand toward her face. Her fingers were clean. No blood. No bruises. No pain. She sat up abruptly. The room spun. She grabbed the edge of the mattress until the dizziness passed. This wasn't a hospital. It wasn't a roadside. It wasn't the dark place she'd expected to wake up in. It was her old bedroom. The pale curtains. The wooden wardrobe. The small crack near the window that she'd complained about for years. Even the ridiculous pink lamp her mother had bought when she was seventeen was sitting on the bedside table. Eva stared at it. Her heart began beating faster. "No." She pushed herself out of bed. Her legs almost gave way beneath her. She reached the mirror. The girl staring back at her was young. Too young. Her skin was clear. Her hair fell past her shoulders exactly the way it had before she started cutting it short. There was no scar beneath her chin. No faint mark on her wrist. No tiredness around her eyes. Eva touched her reflection. Then she looked down at herself. She was wearing an old white sleeping shirt. Her hands trembled. "What happened to me?" A knock came at the door. Eva froze. "Eva?" Her mother's voice. Her heart stopped. She knew that voice. She hadn't heard it in years. Not since the funeral. Not since the last person in her family had stood beside her hospital bed and told her that she needed to stop making trouble for everyone. Eva stepped backward. The door opened. Her mother, Maria Bennett, walked inside carrying a tray. She stopped when she saw Eva standing in front of the mirror. "You're already awake?" Eva couldn't answer. Her mother frowned. "Are you feeling all right?" Eva stared at her. Her mother was alive. Not just alive. Young. Healthy. Wearing the blue dress she had worn on a particular morning three years ago. Eva's eyes filled with tears. "Mom." Maria's expression softened. "What's wrong?" Eva crossed the room before she could think. She wrapped her arms around her mother. Maria stiffened in surprise. "Eva?" Eva held her tighter. Her mother's familiar perfume filled her lungs. Warm. Real. Alive. For the first time since waking, Eva allowed herself to cry. Maria slowly placed a hand on her back. "Did you have a nightmare?" Eva closed her eyes. "Yes." It wasn't a lie. It had been the longest nightmare of her life. Her marriage. Her husband's betrayal. The humiliation. The family that had smiled at her while quietly pushing her toward destruction. And finally— The accident. Eva pulled away. She wiped her face quickly. "What day is it?" Maria looked confused. "Monday." "What date?" "June eighteenth." Eva went completely still. June eighteenth. Three years ago. Her wedding day. The day she had once believed was the beginning of her happiness. The day she had walked willingly into the biggest mistake of her life. Eva turned toward the calendar hanging beside the desk. June 18. Her knees weakened. She sat on the edge of the bed. Maria put the tray down. "Eva, you're frightening me." Eva looked at her. "Mom, where is Daniel?" Maria's eyebrows lifted. "Daniel?" "Daniel Blackwood." Her mother stared at her for a moment. "Why are you asking about him?" Eva's fingers tightened around the bedsheet. Because she remembered him. Not as the man she had loved. Not as her husband. Daniel Blackwood had never been either. He had been the man everyone in her family warned her about. The heir of Blackwood Group. The rival of her fiancé's family. The cold, difficult man who rarely appeared at social events and never seemed interested in pleasing anyone. And three years ago, he had tried to warn her. She hadn't listened. At the time, Eva had thought he was trying to ruin her wedding. Now she remembered his exact words. "Don't marry him." She had laughed. She had told him he was jealous. She had walked away. Months later, she discovered the truth. By then, it was too late. Eva swallowed. "Is he here?" "No." "Has he contacted anyone?" Maria shook her head. "Not that I know of." Eva exhaled. Good. She had time. Not much. But enough. Maria sat beside her. "Eva, what is going on?" Eva looked at her mother. There were a thousand things she wanted to say. That she had already lived this day. That she knew exactly what would happen. That in a few hours, her father would pressure her to continue with the wedding. That her fiancé, Marcus, would arrive with flowers. That everyone would tell her she was lucky. That she would smile. That she would marry him. And three years later, she would lose almost everything. But if she told anyone, they would think she'd lost her mind. So Eva took a slow breath. "I don't want the wedding." Maria's face changed. "What?" "I don't want to marry Marcus." Her mother stared at her. "Eva, don't start this again." "I'm serious." "Your wedding is in four hours." "I know." "Your father's business partners are already arriving." "I know." "Both families have spent months preparing." "I know." Maria stood. "Then what exactly do you want me to do?" Eva looked at her. "For once, I want you to ask me what I want." The room became silent. Maria's expression softened, but worry remained in her eyes. "Eva..." "I don't love Marcus." That wasn't completely true. She had loved him once. Or at least she had believed she did. But the woman who had loved him had died three years ago. Eva stood. "I won't marry him." A sharp voice came from the hallway. "You will." Eva's blood ran cold. Her father walked into the room. Richard Bennett. He looked exactly as she remembered him. Tall. Controlled. Always perfectly dressed. Always more concerned about appearances than feelings. He closed the door behind him. "Your mother tells me you're having doubts." Eva looked at him. "I've made my decision." Richard's jaw tightened. "You don't get to make this decision alone." "It's my marriage." "It's a business agreement between two families." There it was. The same sentence. The same cold expression. The same mistake. Eva almost laughed. In her previous life, she had begged him to understand. This time, she wasn't begging anyone. "I'm not marrying Marcus." Richard stared at her. "You'll embarrass this family." "I'd rather embarrass the family than destroy my life." His eyes narrowed. "What exactly happened to you overnight?" Eva said nothing. Richard stepped closer. "Do you understand what refusing this marriage will do?" "Yes." "Then you'll proceed." "No." Her answer was quiet. But firm. Richard looked genuinely stunned. Eva had never spoken to him like that before. He turned toward the door. "You have one hour to come to your senses." He left. The door closed. Eva remained still. Her mother looked at her. "Are you certain?" Eva nodded. "For the first time in my life." Maria sighed. "I don't know what happened to you." Eva looked at the calendar again. "I do." Her mother waited. Eva touched the date with trembling fingers. "I got another chance." "What?" Eva turned. "Nothing." A phone began ringing. Eva looked toward the bedside table. Her old phone. She picked it up. One name appeared on the screen. Marcus. Her stomach twisted. Three years ago, seeing his name had made her smile. Now it made her remember everything. She let the phone ring. Then it stopped. A message appeared. Marcus: I can't wait to see you, future Mrs. Carter. Eva stared at the words. Her thumb hovered over the screen. She deleted the message. Then she deleted his number. For the first time in three years, she felt something close to relief. But before she could put the phone down, another message appeared. This time, from an unknown number. Unknown: If you're serious about cancelling the wedding, meet me before noon. Eva frowned. Another message followed. Unknown: Come alone. Her heart began beating faster. She stared at the screen. There was no name. No explanation. Then the final message appeared. Unknown: You weren't the only one who knew Marcus was lying to you. Eva's fingers went cold. She read it again. And again. Who knew? She had spent three years believing that Daniel Blackwood was the only person who had tried to warn her. But if someone else knew— Why hadn't they helped her? Eva looked at the clock. 9:17 a.m. The wedding was supposed to begin at one. She had less than four hours to change the future. And suddenly, she wasn't sure whether the first thing she needed to escape was her wedding— or the person who had just sent her that message.