Chapter 3

Inside that room was the bed Ethan and I had chosen together after three separate trips to furniture stores.

Ethan said nothing. Instead, he helped Ashley out of the coat and hung it on the rack like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then, something in the entryway caught his eye, and he froze.

"Mirabel?" he called out.

Ethan's brows furrowed, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "How did you end up like this?"

I looked up at him.

"I told you. If I made one more wish, I'd become three years old."

Having said that, I set the signed agreement that formalized the end of our engagement on the coffee table. The soft scrape of paper against its surface barely made a sound.

Ethan never looked at the agreement. Instead, his gaze landed on the open suitcase nearby.

"Why did you empty out the closet?" he asked with a frown.

I replied, "I'm packing. I'm leaving today."

Ashley immediately stepped forward and tugged at his sleeve. "Ethan… did I cause this? Maybe I should go back to the hospital. I'm really okay."

But Ethan caught her wrist before she could move.

"You nearly died. You're not going anywhere," he said firmly.

When he turned to me, his expression darkened. Then, he snapped, "Mirabel, I'm still going to marry you. I'll even go with you to find a way to get you back to normal if that's what it takes. But don't upset her right now. She's still recovering."

…

Ashley wandered around the living room until she stopped in front of my suitcase. The moment she saw the white wedding dress folded neatly inside, she reached out to touch it.

"It's gorgeous."

But a hangnail on her fingertip caught on the delicate lace, and she pulled without thinking. Almost immediately, the sound of fabric ripping cut through the air.

A large tear split the hem of the gown. Even then, Ethan didn't so much as glance at the damage. He simply lifted the wedding dress out of the suitcase and tossed it onto the couch.

"Don't touch it," he told Ashley. "It's dusty. You don't want to breathe that in."

Embarrassed, Ashley pulled her hand back. Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed something on the floor.

It was the bracelet I'd dropped by the door earlier.

She walked over, picked it up, and examined the intricate design.

"The pattern on this bracelet is so unique. Ethan, can I wear it for a photo to celebrate my recovery?" she asked.

I immediately stepped forward. "Give it back."

It was something my mom had given me. I reached for the bracelet, but my hands had grown too small. I couldn't even reach it.

In the next instant, the bracelet slipped from Ashley's fingertips and hit the floor with a clink.

Ethan's expression darkened when he heard that. He assumed I'd thrown it in a fit of anger.

He bent down, picked up the bracelet, and slid it onto Ashley's wrist. "Ignore her. As long as it makes you happy, just wear it."

Ashley lifted her wrist, letting the light catch the bracelet. "Does it look good?"

Ethan stared at it for a moment before saying, "It suits you."

I didn't ask for the bracelet back. Instead, I slid the hard drive across the table toward him.

"Twice," I began, holding his gaze. "You survived the plane crash, and you made it through bankruptcy. Why was she the one standing beside you both times?"

Ethan glanced at the hard drive, yet his expression didn't waver.

"When I was dying after the crash, and when I wanted to jump after I lost everything, she was the only person who never asked me for anything in return.

"Ashley was the one who stayed by my side during the lowest point of my life without demanding a thing."

At that, I looked down at the wound in my palm, the mark left by granting his wish. It hadn't even begun to scab over.

I'd traded my life to save his. But to him, it had been nothing more than the cost of a deal.

…

Morning light spilled into the chamber.

Still wearing my bracelet, Ashley pushed open the door and walked in.

Color had returned to her cheeks, and she looked far healthier than before. It was as though the pain she'd endured the night before had simply vanished.

"Mirabel," she called softly.

I looked up at her.

Her fingers traced the bracelet around her wrist, and a hint of excitement flickered in her eyes as she said, "I couldn't sleep at all last night. There's one wish I just couldn't stop thinking about.

"I want to experience an entire lifetime with Ethan. I want to see what it would be like from our wedding day until we grow old together. I'd like to know whether we'd have been happier if you had never existed."

I remained seated on a cushion, too weak to stand.

"No." My voice came out hoarse. "The Realm of Wishes isn't some game. A wish like that would cost me what little life I have left."