INICIAR SESIÓNI grew up as the Romano family’s darling. Then, on my eighteenth birthday, Mom brought home a girl I’d never met. “There was a mix-up at the hospital, Elena. You aren’t our biological daughter. Viola is.” I hadn’t even cut my cake when Dad placed a stack of bills in front of me. “Tuition, living expenses, everything we’ve spent raising you. A hundred and eighty-six thousand, four hundred dollars. You need to pay it back.” I gave up my place at design school. I spent twelve hours a day hauling boxes at a warehouse, then washed greasy pans in a restaurant kitchen where the water ran ice-cold through winter. My fiancé, Matteo, wouldn’t see me. “You had her place for eighteen years. While she was suffering, you were enjoying the life she should have had. Pay it back, and we’ll discuss the wedding.” For five years, I cut every expense and sent them every dollar I could spare. With one payment left, I was diagnosed with advanced cancer. The doctor wanted me admitted. I held on to my work badge. “Could I collect this week’s pay first? There’s only a little left. Then I won’t owe them anything.” By the time my last paycheck arrived, I could barely move from the pain. Propped against the headboard, I transferred the money with trembling fingers. A moment later, Mom texted. [Sweetheart, the test is over. You’re our biological daughter, too. Viola is your twin sister.] [She was taken from us as a baby and suffered so much. We were afraid we’d spoiled you—that you wouldn’t accept her. We wanted to teach you compassion.] [We’ll return every penny tomorrow. Your room is ready, and Matteo is waiting to set a wedding date.] [From now on, be a little more understanding with your sister. We can finally be a family again.] I stared at the screen and laughed, tears slipping onto my pillow. There wouldn’t be a tomorrow for me, Mom.
Ver más'Sebodoh itukah aku? Lucas, apa kau benar-benar tidak pernah mencintaiku?’
Tubuh Elena Mauren sudah lemah dan penuh luka. Ia menggunakan gaun pengantin dan terikat di sebuah kursi yang berada di dalam gedung terbengkalai.
Elena merasa sudah tak bisa menghirup udara. Ia baru berusia 30 tahun, tetapi harus wafat dengan tragis karena kebodohannya.
Jiwa Elena memasuki ruangan putih yang silau akan cahaya. Samar-samar, ia mendengar suara pria memanggil namanya.
“Elena kau harus bangun!”
Elena yakin, itu adalah suara Arionー suaminya. Meskipun Elena telah mengkhianati Arion, tetapi dia tetap datang menyelamatkannya.
Tidak lama, Elena melihat Arion menggoyangkan tubuhnya yang kaku. Ia juga melihat Arion menangisi dirinya.
“Aku selalu mencintaimu, kumohon jangan tinggalkan aku!" pinta Arion dengan nada menyedihkan dan penuh penyesalan.
Elena perlahan-lahan memejamkan matanya. Jika ia bisa mengulangi kehidupannya lagi, maka ia tidak akan menyia-nyiakan kesempatan itu.
Mendadak, Elena merasakan sebuah tangan menggoyangkan tubuhnya. Ia juga mendengar suara-suara yang tidak asing. Dengan rasa penasaran, ia segera membuka matanya lagi.
“Kak, apa lagi yang kau tunggu? Lucas sudah menunggumu di mobil."
Elena tersentak melihat Azalea sedang bersamanya. Azalea Caroline adalah adik angkat Elena. Lalu, ia mengedarkan pandangan di sekitarnya.
Ini adalah pintu masuk gedung pernikahan Elena dengan Arion. Elena akhirnya mengingat sesuatu.
Otak Elena berpikir lebih keras. 'Bukankah ini kejadian saat aku kabur dari acara pernikahanku? Tapi, kejadian ini 5 tahun yang lalu, kan? Mungkinkah aku terlahir kembali?'
Benar! Sebagai Nona Muda keluarga Mauren, seharusnya Elena memiliki kehidupan yang baik. Ia telah menikah dengan Arion yang begitu mencintainya.
Demi bisa bersama Lucasーsang kekasih, Elena rela mengorbankan pernikahannya dengan Arion. Namun pada akhirnya, hidup Elena berakhir tragis di tangan Lucas.
Azalea kembali menarik tangan Elena. “Kak, kita tidak bisa berdiam di sini terlalu lama. Arion akan kembali mengejarmu."
Lucas akhirnya yang datang, dan bertanya, “Kenapa, Elena?”
Elena tertunduk. Di dalam hati, ia sedang menertawakan dirinya. Elena telah terlahir kembali. Elena membawa ingatan yang dilihatnya di masa lalu.
Elena tahu dengan jelas, Lucas selalu mengistimewakan Azalea dan hubungan keduanya tak perlu dipertanyakan lagi.
"Heemm!" Elena menghela napas. Lalu, menatap Lucas dan Azalea bergantian.
Elena berbalik dan kembali masuk ke gedung. Saat ingin memasuki lift, langkahnya terhenti saat berpapasan dengan Arion.
Elena tahu, sejauh apapun ia berlari, Arion pasti akan tetap menemukannya.
Arion berdecak kesal melihat Elena. Dia bertanya, “Sudah bertemu dengan kekasihmu?”
Elena ingat, dari sinilah Arion mulai menunjukan kebencian. Ia menarik tangan Arion dan memeluknya dengan manja.
Elena berkata, “Tentu saja, sudah. Karena sekarang, dia ada di pelukanku."
Arion sedikit bingung dengan perubahan sikap Elena. Tetapi, ia tidak memberikan respon berlebihan. Keduanya pun kembali naik bersama.
Melihat hal itu, Lucas mengepalkan tangannya. Ia tidak mengerti dengan perubahan Elena yang tiba-tiba. Namun ia yakin, ini tidak akan berlangsung lama dan Elena akan kembali ke pelukannya.
Selama di dalam lift, Elena memandangi wajah suaminya. Ia baru menyadari Arion jauh lebih tampan daripada Lucas.
Elena dan Arion tiba di ballroom lantai dua. Mereka melihat Nyonya Mauren berdiri di depan pintu dengan cemas.
Saat melihat Elena dan Arion, Nyonya Mauren segera menghampiri mereka.
"Kalian berdua dari mana?” tanya Nyonya Mauren.
“Kami pergi mencari udara sebentar, Ma," jawab Arion cepat-cepat. "Iya kan, Elena?"
Elena langsung mengangguk. "Iya, Ma. Karena aku gugup. Jadi, aku meminta Arion membawaku jalan-jalan sebentar."
Nyonya Mauren berkata, “Oke. Jangan pergi ke mana-mana lagi!"
Elena dan Arion pergi ke ruang ganti. Sebelum pergi, Arion memberikan tatapan tajam pada Elena. “Jangan menghancurkan acara ini! Atau kekasihmu akan terkena imbasnya!"
Elena terdiam. "Iya. Aku mengerti."
Setelah mendengar jawaban Elena, Arion pergi.
Seorang penata busana menghampiri Elena. “Nona, silakan pakai gaun ini!"
Elena terkekeh melihat gaun yang disodorkan. Gaun pernikahan itu begitu terbuka di bagian dada. Sebenarnya, ia sangat tidak nyaman mengenakannya.
Sebelum terlahir kembali, Elena terlalu mencintai Lucas. Ia tahu, Lucas menyukai gaya berpakaian Azalea yang terbuka dengan aksesoris glamour. Jadi, ia sengaja menirunya.
“Tidak, aku pakai ini saja."
Penata busana kebingungan. Sebab, Elena memilih mengenakan gaun yang Arion pilih sebelumnya. Gaun itu lebih menutupi tubuh Elena dan tidak terlalu banyak aksesoris.
"Tapi, bukankah sebelumnya Andaー"
"Buang gaun pengantin yang terbuka itu!" perintah Elena.
"Baik, Nona."
Akhirnya, Elena mengenakan ball gown berwarna putih yang menonjolkan kesan elegan dan menawan. Riasan yang tidak terlalu tebal dengan rambut panjang aristokrat. Mahkota kecil di kepalanya semakin membuat Elena terlihat memesona.
Nina took my ashes to the coast. For the first time, I saw a stretch of open water without a dock fence in the way. She sat on a quiet ledge of rock and told me she’d kept her wedding dress safe. One day, she wanted her daughter to see it.Mom and Dad stood farther up the shore. Matteo stayed beyond them and didn’t come closer. No breeze carried an embrace from me. No seabird brought them a message. They waited until dark and heard nothing but the tide.Afterward, Mom’s voice gradually stopped pulling me back. Sometimes I saw nothing for long stretches. When I opened my eyes again, the trees by the lake had changed their leaves several times.Mom always bought two birthday presents on the same day. She sent one away and put the other in the east wing. Then she sat beside my cutting table, slowly choosing thread for me. When she picked the wrong color, no one corrected her.Dad put the ledger away, but he couldn’t forget its figures. For a long time, he’d stop in the middle of dinner an
The family’s guests weren’t invited to my funeral. Dad hadn’t suddenly figured out what I wanted. Nina had given them my hospice intake form, where I’d written down my wishes.[No religious service. No public viewing. If possible, take my ashes out of the city.]There wasn’t much to it. When the social worker asked for someone I trusted, I’d thought for a long time before writing Nina’s name. She’d promised that, if I got well enough to travel, she’d take me to the town where she’d spent her honeymoon. I could see the ocean.I’d still been making plans for next season.Mom folded the form, then opened it again. She wanted me dressed in something formal, but the staff told her I’d already set aside an outfit: the cream sweater I’d altered myself.She sat holding it for an entire afternoon. After that, she stopped mentioning all the new clothes waiting in my old wardrobe.Matteo wanted to leave his watch with me. Nina stopped him and pointed to another line on the form.[Only the brass t
Dad canceled every remaining event connected to the dinner. A few days later, he called back everyone who’d attended.I stood in the hall as they arrived. Out of habit, they looked toward the high-backed chair reserved for the head of the family. It was empty. Dad stood below the steps with no drink and no speech in his hand.He told them Viola and I were both his biological daughters. The story about a hospital mix-up had been a lie.Someone quietly asked whether it had been a way of keeping the girls safe.“No,” Dad said. “It wasn’t.”He didn’t leave it at the fact that I’d died of cancer. He told them about the money, the postponed marriage, and what they’d called a test. Mom sat in the front row, holding a printout of her calendar from my nineteenth birthday. She offered no excuses and made no attempt to hide her tears.An old adviser stood up. These were private matters, he said. Dad’s men would question his judgment. His rivals would take advantage.Dad looked at the people who’d
When they came to clear out my room, Nina stayed by the door. She wouldn’t let the household staff pack my belongings. Instead, she handed them to Mom herself: two work uniforms, a sweater with a mended cuff, and a canvas bag missing one strap.I’d brought a few sketchbooks when I moved in. As the damp got worse, I’d tied them inside a plastic bag and put them on the highest shelf.Matteo climbed onto a stool to get them. The knot took him a long time to undo. Eventually, he crouched on the floor with the books spread across his knees. The first still had the name of my New York school on its cover.He turned the pages and found my wedding-dress designs. The earliest had a long train. Later, the trains grew shorter, and fabric prices appeared beside the sketches. I’d marked what I could do with every scrap, working out whether there was enough left for a little bag.Mom leaned over and found a note on one page.[Nina. September. Beach wedding. No charge—she saved dinner for me after my












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