CHAPTER 4

Doni and Siska tried to persuade their daughter to open the door and talk about the chaos that had just unfolded, but Talita refused to budge.

Realizing that her daughter needed time alone to calm her emotions, Siska and Doni eventually decided to drop the matter for the time being and return later.

Inside the bedroom, Talita walked slowly toward the large mirror with an ornate gold frame in the corner of the room.

She stood there, staring at her own reflection with a bated breath.

The figure looking back at her from the mirror was a miracle almost too difficult for her mind to comprehend.

It was vastly different—completely stark—from the vision of her future self when she lived in misery as the wife of Reza Pratama.

Standing before her now was a twenty-two-year-old girl with breathtaking beauty.

Her skin looked clear, fresh, and flawlessly radiant.

There were no longer any traces of bluish bruises, no more slash wounds, and no more marks of brutal beatings anywhere on her body.

Her frame, which had once been emaciated, fragile, and resembling a living skeleton, was now full, healthy, and gorgeous.

Her long, dark hair cascaded down beautifully, perfectly maintained and glossy—a far cry from the matted hair that Reza used to grab and pull so ruthlessly without a shred of mercy.

Her face, which used to be constantly filled with fear, tears, blood, and utter despair, now radiated an innate, confident beauty.

Talita’s eyes slowly welled up with tears.

Tears of relief trickled softly down her cheeks.

She never imagined that the prayer of anguish she had whispered at the threshold of death would truly be answered by God.

Her destiny had been altered; God had given her a second chance to breathe in this world once more.

"Thank you... Dear God, thank you for giving me this chance," Talita whispered tremulously, touching her own face with sheer awe.

The gaze in her eyes, which had initially been filled with emotion, slowly shifted into a sharp, cold look suffused with unyielding resolve.

Deep within her heart, she swore on her very life: For this second life that has been bestowed upon me, I will never repeat the same mistake! I will never deign to choose Reza Pratama again! That cruel monster will never be able to touch me, ruin my life, destroy my family, or torture my body to destruction!

I will not let Reza touch my life even in the slightest! Talita said to herself.

Talita turned around and walked toward her bed.

She sat down on the soft mattress, then reached for her smartphone resting on the nightstand.

As soon as the phone screen lit up, a notification popped up on the display.

A text message from a name that instantly made her heart skip a beat.

Bastian Wijaya.

The message had been sent a few days ago, before today's chaos took place. Talita opened the message with slightly trembling hands.

"Talita, congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I wish you the best for your happiness. However... if you are willing to spare a little of your time, please reconsider this decision. Look deeper into the truth about who Reza Pratama really is. Don't let yourself regret it later."

Reading that message for the second time, Talita’s chest was struck by a wave of profound remorse.

Back then, before she knew of Reza’s rotten nature, Bastian’s message had been brushed off as mere background noise.

She had even thought of Bastian as a selfish, meddling man who was envious of her happiness with Reza.

In the past, Talita had simply ignored the warning and chose to block Bastian’s number out of her devotion to Reza.

But now... after experiencing firsthand what it felt like to be betrayed, tortured, and murdered unjustly, that simple message felt so precious.

Bastian had tried to protect her from the very beginning, yet she had been too foolish to see that sincerity.

I truly am the most foolish woman in the world, Bastian, Talita thought softly, staring at the phone screen with tear-filled eyes. You tried to protect me, but I ran straight into the arms of my own executioner.

Without a moment's hesitation, Talita opened the reply field.

Swiftly, she typed out a brief yet deeply meaningful sentence for the man who had silently loved her all this time.

"Thank you for your warning, Bastian. I have already called off my wedding to Reza. It is all over."

Send.

The message went through in a matter of seconds. Talita took a long, deep breath, feeling as though a heavy burden had instantly lifted from her chest.

However, before she could even set her phone down on the nightstand, the sleek device suddenly began to ring.

The screen flared brightly, displaying an incoming call from the very same number: Bastian Wijaya.

Talita started. Her heart pounded wildly. For a brief moment, hesitation washed over her; should she answer it right now?

She felt nervous, afraid, not knowing what to say.

Yet, her curiosity was far greater, and finally, Talita answered Bastian's phone call.

"Hello..." Talita said softly.

There was silence on the other end for a moment. The only sound was a heavy intake of breath.

"Talita...?" Bastian called out from the other side. "Is... is that really you?"

"Yes, Bastian... it's me."

"Talita... is it true what you wrote in your message earlier? Is it true... that you've called off your wedding to Reza Pratama?" Bastian asked, as if afraid Talita's answer might just be a dream.

Talita blinked, then a small smile formed on her lips—the first genuine smile she had experienced since returning to the past.

"Yes, Bastian. I'm not lying," Talita replied, sounding much steadier and clearer. "I've called it off. That wedding is never going to happen."

"The reason...?" Bastian asked quickly. "Why did you suddenly make such a huge decision? Weren't you always so deeply in love with him and so stubborn about wanting to be with him?"

Hearing that question, the smile on Talita’s lips turned into a cynical smirk.

"Because I've finally opened my eyes wide, Bastian," Talita answered with a heavily emphasized tone. "I don't want to waste the rest of my precious life living with a cruel monster like Reza Pratama!"

As soon as those words left Talita's mouth, the phone line fell completely silent for several seconds.

Talita furrowed her brow, wondering if the connection had dropped.

However, she faintly heard a sound of immense relief breathing out on the other end—a long sigh laden with a heavy weight that had instantly lifted from the man's shoulders.

"Bastian...?" Talita called out softly.

"Yes... I'm here," Bastian replied, his voice this time sounding much more relaxed.

"Bastian..." Talita said hesitantly, though her tone sounded serious. "Can... can we meet?"

"M-Meet...?" Bastian repeated, stammering. "You... want to meet me, Talita?"

"Yes," Talita answered firmly.

A subtle smile graced her lovely face once again. "There are some important things I want to ask you, Bastian. Something... I need to know directly from you."

Bastian fell silent for a moment, steadying his suddenly racing heartbeat, then replied with a voice of firm, unyielding certainty.

"Alright. If that's the case, let's meet tomorrow," Bastian said without a second thought. "We can meet at a very private VVIP restaurant so we can talk peacefully without any interference from anyone. I'll send the address and schedule to your phone."

"Alright, I agree," Talita replied.

"See you tomorrow, Talita."

"Yes, see you, Bastian."

Click.

She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the warm current of life flowing through every fiber of her being.

In this second life, Talita would make decisions with a clear head, entirely free from anyone's manipulation.