CHAPTER TWO : REWRITING THE PAST

She looked up at Ethan. His eyes was glistening with joy. she couldn't believe it. His facade was so strong, finding him out would be another task entirely.

"Miss Moore?" The officiant prodded.

"I don't" she said and stepped back. She couldn't do this. Whether it was a dream or not, whether it was real or not. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

A collective gasp. The crowd murmured amongst themselves.

“I’m sorry?” Ethan said, his face darkening.

She held her ground. “I said I’m not marrying you, Ethan. Not today. Not ever.” She removed her engagement ring and flung it at him.

The silence was deafening.

“Eliana,” Ivy hissed from the side. “This isn’t the time—”

Eliana turned her head, her smile sharp. “You’ll want to stay quiet, Ivy. This is the part where i tell you what to do.”

She turned to the crowd, lifted her bouquet, and placed it gently on the altar.

Then she walked out. Whether it was a dream or not. She wasn't taking that risk again. Ivy's band on his hand was enough proof that there was something between them. Even if it was concrete.

Until she could prove otherwise, she wasn't marrying him.

****

The Moore household was still rattled by what happened at the wedding.

No one expected it—not Eliana’s mother, not the board members who had flown in for the event, not even her father who’d always quietly admired Ethan even though he didn't really approve of Ethan in a way. And certainly not Ivy, who had stood like a porcelain doll among the chaos, lips parted, unable to mask her shock.

After all, Eliana had once worshipped Ethan Blake like he hung the moon.

So to walk out on him? On their perfect, carefully staged wedding?

It wasn’t just a scandal. It was beyond imaginable. The tabloids carried the news and it spread like wild fire. The first phase of her plan was unfolding.

The old Eliana would have folded under the pressure, would’ve wept in apology or begged for forgiveness. But not this one. This Eliana stood tall, even as her mother hurled words like “What were you thinking?” and “You’ve embarrassed us!” across the dinner table like daggers.

“I was thinking,” Eliana said evenly, her voice quiet but unshaken, “that I’d rather live with a little shame than with a lifetime of regret.”

Her mother only looked at her in confusion.

They didn’t understand. How could they? They hadn’t died in that marriage.

Her family was still reeling. Her father hadn’t come out of his study in a day. He hadn't been in support of the marriage but the Blakes were like family. To suddenly cancel on them was an insult in itself.

"There is a more diplomatic way we could have handled this." her father had said eyes brimming with disappointment.

Her mother had tried to reason with her in five different tones: concerned, scolding, coaxing, cold, and finally silent.

Eliana sat in her old room that morning-eight years younger, body still carrying the scent of wedding perfume she’d never worn. The sun poured through the window, the same way it had that morning in her first life. But this time, she didn’t feel dread. She felt free.

In her hand was a tattered brochure from the New York Conservatory of Fine Arts. She’d kept it—back then, it had been tucked away at the bottom of her drawer like a shameful secret.

She had nearly applied once. Nearly chased the dream she’d whispered to no one but herself. Her father had urged her to at least finish her schooling. But she had refused because she'd been afraid of losing Ethan. it had cost her a lot later in the future, and she'd regretted it everyday for the rest of her life. And Ivy had also leaned in during a sleepover and said, “You know Ethan likes elegant, quiet women… not performers. He thinks they’re dramatic.”

That single comment had done more damage than any outright threat.

Back then, Eliana folded the brochure away like she was burying a version of herself. She had been willing to do anything to earn Ethan love.

Now? She smoothed it out, grabbed a pen, and began filling out the form.

She wasn’t even halfway through when Ivy arrived—draped in a silky blush dress that screamed I’m not affected, though her smile was a little too tight.

“Ellie,” Ivy said breezily, letting herself into the room. “I brought you lemon tarts. Your favorite.”

Eliana didn’t get up. “I'm fine " It was still important to keep up the pretences. Until she had revenged against them.

Ivy plopped onto the bed like old times. “I just wanted to check in. What you did yesterday… I mean, wow.”

Eliana arched a brow. “Wow?”

“Well—yes. I mean, you do realize you shocked everyone. You loved Ethan. I mean, I thought you did."

“I thought I did too,” Eliana said calmly, “until I realized I was just in love with the idea of who I thought he was. I just realized that he was never the One. "

Ivy blinked.

"You've lost me, Ellie."

“Besides,” Eliana added with a shrug, “I figured I shouldn’t hurt you by marrying the man you’ve always loved.”

The smile faltered. Ivy looked amused, but her fingers tightened around the edge of her dress.

“Ellie!,” she said with a laugh too sharp to be real. “Come on. That was years ago. You know I don’t feel that way anymore. It was a baseless crush."

Eliana tilted her head, watching her. “You don't ?”

There was a flicker—just a flash—in Ivy’s eyes.

But her smile faltered when Eliana didn't respond and kept a fixed gaze on her a smile tingling on her lips.

“What? Ellie , you can’t be serious. That was ages ago. Ethan and I? That’s old history.”

"Mm.” Eliana didn’t argue.

Ivy laughed again, but it was thinner this time. “Come on. Don’t be paranoid.”

“I’m not,” Eliana said simply. “I’m just… being honest.”

She said nothing more.

And Ivy, suddenly unsettled, muttered something about having a spa appointment and left soon after.

As the door closed, Eliana leaned her head against the windowpane and allowed herself a quiet, knowing smile.

She wasn’t the same girl anymore.And Ivy was beginning to see that ,because that was the thing about second chances—when you paid attention, you didn’t just remember the truth. You recognized it in real time.

Later that evening, the past knocked again.Ethan stood waiting in sitting room. She knew his steps, had once memorized his footsteps.

The Butler came and announced him, he was brought inside her room.

"Ellie..... " he reached for her immediately he entered. She stepped back, he stopped eyes narrowing.

"what's wrong Ellie? What happened at the wedding? I understand you were nervous but wasn't calling it off quite a stretch? "

She didn't speak. He raked a frustrated hand through his hair.

"OK, I'm not going to rush you but we have to get married Ellie, You love me, and I love you. We are meant for each other. "

"No, we aren't " she said. Ethan stopped.

"What?"

"Ivy loves you. I couldn't do that to my best friend".

Ethan gave her a nervous laugh.

"was that the reason? "

She nodded slowly.

He chuckled, then heaved.

"she still has that crush on me? " he asked. she didn't answer. Couldn't answer.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her " he gave her a smile then walked out.

Eliana watched him go, heart beating rapidly.

By take care of her? What did he mean?

Was he going to.......... Kill ivy?

Did all it took for her Dream or past life- she didn't know which, all it took was her cancelling the wedding? For it not to come to pass? was it that simple?

Was she even making the right choice?