Chapter 8: The Dress

Chapter 8: The Dress

In my room, I fixed on my reflection in the mirror. Eyes that are now hollow with a redness, skin that is pale, a head that aches, but a mind that aches even more. The knowledge of the past and the future weighs on me. I didn't have enough money to marry Jay, but I also lacked the power to call off the engagement on my own terms, without his agreement. The only way for me to get out of this situation would be for my father to intervene, but I had sworn he would stay out of this.

“No, this won’t do,” I muttered to myself.

Now, my thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Miss Melody?" Mary called softly. "Your designer is here for the final dress fitting."

 “Send her in,” I said quietly. “Prepare coffee, as well as the warm cheese bread. This means she rose before dawn, skipping breakfast, in order to arrive on time.”

Mary excused herself to make arrangements, but I drummed my fingers in rhythm on the back of a nearby chair. Jay Merlot is one of the strongest men in the kingdom now, and I am the reason. I created him, starting from scratch, helping him grow into the strong Alpha he is today. And now, here I am, with no one to blame but myself.

"Cancel the engagement," I muttered, "to avoid the path of doom."

"Good morning, Miss Melody," said Olivia, the renowned designer, as she entered, with her two assistants following behind her.

Looking back on my previous life, I understood how stupid I had been. I thought that I had been the one who had been holding on to Jay, but no, he had been holding on to me too. He knew how I felt, and he used that against me. He kept me with him because of my father’s power, but he didn’t care about me, not even as a friend. If he did, maybe he would have been interested in the one that I had developed real feelings for.

To Jay, I had been merely a means to an end. It had not mattered to him whether I suffered, as long as I continued to serve his purposes. When had he begun to regard me, to regard all of us, in such a manner? Perhaps from the very beginning, when he, with Agatha, had come to our house. Ever since, I had worked tirelessly to keep my importance to him, no matter how slight that importance might have seemed to him to be. Others, too, he had; but he had been my only friend, a friend to whom I, even in fear of abandonment, had given obligations that far exceeded our relationship.

"Miss Melody," Olivia called my name suddenly, jerking me back to reality. She sounded discontent.

This is a woman known for designing the wedding dress of the Luna Queen, a renowned designer that I had begged my father to hire to design my engagement dress. Why? Because I wanted to look perfect for Jay. I wanted him to look at me when wearing that beautiful dress and fall in love with me.

How pathetic.

"Yes, let's see the final dress," I said, my voice lacking the excitement I once had for this occasion.

No doubt, Samantha had been deceiving Jay. She had been deceiving us all. So when I woke with my heart full of resentment, when I saw Jay standing before me, when I imagined a sword piercing his heart, I pushed the thoughts back. I had sought to survive, to escape the death flag. But now, a fire raged within my soul.

They had killed me. Jay, Samantha, Agatha. But Jay had stabbed me, while Samantha and Agatha had brought my downfall. They had planned my murder. And now, I sought revenge. I deserved revenge.

"Ha," I laughed, barely managing to suppress it.

The dress attendants stopped what they were doing, giving me apprehensive looks. "Does it not please you?" Olivia's hands shook as she questioned me.

For the first time since they'd offered it to me, I really looked at the dress. I felt my heart pounding as memories came flashing back. This dress is what I wore when I died. How could I possibly let Jay go after what he has done to me? He had bound me to him, and with his partner, he had ruined me and my father. How am I supposed to simply let him live happily with his partner?

No. They did not deserve happiness.

This might be exactly what I need to use against him. If I had been no more than a tool to Jay, a tool he has been conscious of, then I would be the tool that brings him down. "He’d keep me with him as long as I’m of use, but once he’s on top, he’d discard me. What would become of my father, who would get in his way?" "This is a mess," I whispered, tipping my head back and closing my eyes, praying my tears would stay put.

“Pardon?” Olivia’s sharp voice cut through the air.

"Miss, are you not satisfied with the dress?" Mary anxiously asked.

I had brought my father into this, and even though I was prepared to be interred beneath the weight of my revenge, I had to protect him. In fact, he had protected me my entire life. Now, he didn't deserve to die because of his stupid daughter.

“No,” I muttered, finally opening my eyes.

"Pardon? I made the changes that you asked for." Olivia started to explain, going on at length, her annoyance barely contained.

"Jay is my Alpha, which means he has dominion over me. Never would he willingly call off our engagement. If he wants to keep me bound to his side, then that's fine with me."

"I would destroy him from within," he said, his

The closer I was to him, the better.

“Even if it’s the last thing I do…,” I whispered. “I must get revenge.”

“Jay, Samantha, Agatha—I would make them pay.”

"Miss Melody, I have worked tirelessly with my team, day and night, to make such a luxurious dress for you. Even the Luna Queen."

Olivia's face is bright red with irritation. Her voice has fallen to a growl.

"Thank you, Olivia. You did well," I said, forcing a smile on my face, a cold smile that lacked warmth. I felt a chill run down my spinal cord as my lips twitched upwards slightly.

"I… you," Olivia stammered, shocked.

"Do you want to try it on?" Mary asked, looking nervously from me to Olivia, who was growling muttered imprecations that were too quiet for even my acute ears to discern. "No, there is no need for that. I trust Olivia and her team; it has to be a perfect fit," I assessed the dress. The clean white silk was the best lace that Olivia could find, because I had made certain of that. The gems sparkled on the hem, with embroidery that added to the bodice. This dress had been in progress for three months, with five fittings. But with every fitting, there was something that I did not like, some way in which it needed alteration, addition, or subtraction.

But with Olivia, I always ended up with a better dress. The amazement that had engulfed me when she first showed me the dress in my own timeline still resonated within my chest, exuding a bittersweet longing. I had been thrilled in my own past when I had set eyes on that dress. I had quickly changed into the dress, my heart pounding furiously with anticipation. The only thing that had been on my mind was how I would sweep Jay’s breath away with it. "It’s simply breathtaking," I whispered, my fingers tracing the lace that adorned the dress. The embroidery seemed to be whispers of a dream on my flesh. "However, I am afraid that when I don that dress, I might blind the guests," I said. Olivia's sidekick gasped, clapping her hands together in joy. “Oh no, miss! Only your beauty could dazzle that day!” I smiled faintly, waving the compliment aside. “You flatter me.” A sigh escaped my lips. “

However, I am not confident enough to wear it. I am afraid that on that day, only the dress will radiate radiance. If my mate is captivated by the dress, rather than my appearance beside him, I may shed tears.” "You want another dress," Olivia said flatly, her assistant's smile suddenly frozen on her face. I nodded. “I want another dress.” There were only six days left until the engagement, but Olivia couldn’t refuse. The commission she was going to make from this alone was staggering, and as the most sought-after woman in the kingdom, second only to the Luna Queen, I was the perfect muse for which she would showcase her masterpiece.