Ashley
"Remember, Ashley, you're going there to ruin the proposal," I muttered to myself, letting out a deep sigh as I rubbed my hands together while staring at my reflection in the mirror.
For this fancy date, I had deliberately picked baggy black jeans and a loose white T-shirt with the words "I Hate Men" printed boldly across the front.
On the previous date, I had worn a beautiful white dress that had ended up completely drenched in red wine, thanks to my sister, who had been there to witness the proposal.
When she accompanied me that day, I had believed she was looking out for me like a loving sister should.
However, I quickly realized later that she had already been involved with Owen behind my back, and at the time I had absolutely no idea. Now that I knew exactly how the proposal would unfold, I fully intended to ruin the entire event and reject Owen in front of everyone present.
"Time to rewrite your destiny," I whispered to myself quietly as I turned away from the mirror and grabbed my bag from the bed. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and braced myself mentally for what was waiting ahead.
"Ashley!" I suddenly heard someone shout, and Ariana's face appeared in the doorway. "Hello," she said cheerfully, waving her hand in greeting, and the mere sight of her made my heart skip violently in fear.
It felt as if someone had struck me hard in the stomach.
Her pale and slightly gaunt face instantly triggered the horrifying memory of her standing there watching as I fell to my death.
My heart began to race uncontrollably, and my breathing caught painfully in my throat. For a brief moment my vision blurred, and everything around me felt distorted until I felt her hand resting lightly on my shoulder.
"Ashley," she said again, waving her hand slowly in front of my face. "Are you alright?"
I couldn't respond immediately as I stood there frozen in shock.
This woman standing in front of me was my sister, the same sister who had murdered me out of pure hatred. Looking at her now brought back every painful memory I had tried to bury, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop replaying them inside my head.
Her bright smile only made me question how someone could pretend to care so easily while hiding such cruelty inside their heart.
"Time's running out for your date. And why on earth are you dressed like that?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest while staring at me with the same judgmental expression I remembered so well.
I frowned slightly, feeling the strong urge to lash out at her immediately, but I quickly reminded myself that this wasn't the Ariana from six years later who would eventually help Owen kill me.
"And why are you dressed like it's your date?" I asked calmly, speaking words that I would never have dared to say in the past.
Back then, she had successfully convinced me that she was always on my side, but now I understood that beneath her sweet smile she had hated me all along.
Trusting her had been the biggest mistake of my life, and that mistake had cost me everything.
"Ashley!" she exclaimed in disbelief as she placed her hand dramatically against her forehead. "What on earth are you thinking about? We're running late for the date with Owen."
I frowned but chose not to say anything else. At this point in time, I had always allowed her to accompany me whenever I went on dates with Owen, but today was different.
I had absolutely no intention of changing my mind.
I wanted to shame both of them.
The sister I had trusted.
And the man I had once believed I loved.
"Let's go," I said shortly as I walked out of my room and stepped into the living area.
Just as I entered the room, something suddenly caught my attention.
The family portrait hanging on the wall.
Something about it looked different.
When I stepped closer and looked carefully at the picture, my eyes widened in shock.
I was now standing at the very center of the photograph, the exact position where the legitimate daughter had always been placed before.
Ariana, who used to stand proudly in that position, was now standing where I had once been—the place usually reserved for the illegitimate child.
I could hardly believe what I was seeing.
As I continued scanning the living room, I noticed that the walls were now covered with several pictures of me, including one large photograph where every member of the family appeared happy and united.
Even my mother's picture was displayed prominently on the wall, something that had never been allowed before.
"Mum…" I whispered softly as I reached toward the picture, remembering clearly how I had once begged my father to hang a photo of my mother on the wall, only for him to refuse coldly.
And now…
Here she was.
Displayed openly for everyone to see.
I couldn't help but wonder if going back in time would change more things than I originally expected.
Perhaps the past itself had already begun shifting.
I could only hope that those changes would eventually work in my favor and help me get my revenge even faster.
"What are you staring at?" Ariana suddenly asked, interrupting my thoughts as she pointed toward the picture of my mother. "You must miss her deeply."
Once again she sounded as though she truly cared about my feelings, but now I knew that every word she spoke was simply part of her carefully crafted act.
"Let's just go," I snapped coldly before walking out of the house.
I was secretly relieved that I had not run into her mother, Phaedra, because she would certainly have had plenty to say about my outfit and how I was supposedly bringing shame upon the family.
When we reached the driveway, I immediately spotted the familiar Audi my grandfather had gifted me after I graduated from college. I walked toward it and climbed inside the driver's seat.
Once we were both seated and buckled in, I started the engine and slowly drove away from the house.
"So, are you excited?" Ariana suddenly began talking about ten minutes into the drive. "I mean, you used to talk endlessly about how you were waiting for Owen to propose to you, but now you seem… different. What's going on?"
I glanced briefly at my sister before returning my eyes to the road, still trying to process how she could act so normally when in reality she had been responsible for my death.
"I guess nothing excites me anymore," I replied calmly while focusing on the road ahead.
She sighed dramatically. "I honestly don't understand why you're dressed like that when you know Owen doesn't like it. If Mother had seen you dressed like this, she would have been extremely upset."
"Mind your business, Ariana!" I interrupted sharply while gripping the steering wheel tightly.
It felt strange speaking to her like that.
In the past I had always treated her kindly because I believed she was my sister.
But now I knew the truth.
Behind her sweet smiles and gentle words, she had been plotting my downfall the entire time.
"There's no need to get angry," she said quietly while turning her face toward the window. "I was only concerned about what Owen might say. But hey, if that's what you want to wear, go ahead. Oh, by the way, I invited someone to join us today."
That caught my attention immediately.
I didn't remember anyone joining us on this day before.
"Someone is coming?" I asked slowly. "Who?"
She chuckled softly as though she were hiding an exciting secret.
"He's the man I hope to marry someday. Don't worry, I'll introduce you to him today," she said happily.
I silently wondered who this mysterious man could possibly be, because whatever she was planning, I fully intended to ruin it.
Now that I had been given a second chance at life, both she and Owen would pay for everything they had done to me.
"I see," I said calmly.
The rest of the drive passed in complete silence until we finally arrived at the restaurant.
My heart began pounding loudly inside my chest as I parked the car. My hands felt clammy, and countless thoughts rushed through my mind as I prepared myself to face the man I once believed loved me.
"Let's go," Ariana said cheerfully as she grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the restaurant.
My heart pounded even harder as we walked toward the reception desk while Ariana spoke to the hostess about our table. I was barely paying attention, completely lost in my thoughts as I mentally rehearsed the words I planned to say to Owen, who still believed that I loved him deeply.
And then…
I saw him.
I froze instantly.
My eyes locked onto the familiar face that had turned my life into a nightmare.
Owen.
The man who had destroyed me.
The man who had murdered me.
He stood there waiting at the table with a smug smile on his face, and the sight of him sent a cold shiver down my spine.
My heart began racing uncontrollably, and my breath caught painfully in my throat as the terrifying memory of him pushing me out of that window flashed vividly through my mind.
His eyes slowly swept over me as we approached the table, and his lips curled into a sneer the moment he noticed what I was wearing.
His voice was dripping with disdain when he finally spoke.
"What the hell are you wearing?"
Those were the very first words that came out of his mouth.
I forced a polite smile onto my face as I noticed several people around us turning to stare.
I wasn't shocked by the way he was belittling me in public because he had always treated me this way, and in the past, I had foolishly allowed him to continue.
But today…
That would finally come to an end.