The Day Everything Changed
The morning light spilled into my bedroom, soft and golden.
But my breath caught.
This room… this wallpaper… the calendar on the wall…
May 14th.
Five years before the night they killed me.
I scrambled to my vanity and pulled open the top drawer. Inside lay my old phone, the one I had thrown away years ago. My hands trembled as I powered it on, praying the date was a cruel trick.
It wasn't.
The lock screen lit up with a familiar message:
> [Lu Chen: Let's meet tonight. I have something important to tell you.]
In my past life, that message had been the start of everything — the confession that bound me to him, the chains I mistook for love. I had rushed to him that night like a fool, starry-eyed, believing I'd found my forever.
And it led to my ruin.
Not this time.
---
I went to the mirror and studied the face staring back at me. I looked younger — softer — without the fine lines pain had carved into my features. My eyes were wide, unguarded. No wonder they had believed I was easy to destroy.
I smiled coldly. "Not anymore."
.
---
That afternoon, I received another message:
> [Lu Chen: I'll wait for you at Lune Café at 8. Don't be late.]
In the past, I would have been there early, wearing my prettiest dress. This time, I would still go — but not for the same reason.
This time, I would look him in the eye and start pulling the first thread of his perfect little web.
---
At 7:59, I stepped out of my apartment in a sleek black dress — not the sweet pastel pink I wore back then. My heels clicked sharply against the pavement as I approached Lune Café.
Through the glass, I saw him: Lu Chen.
Tall. Handsome. Every inch the charming young CEO. He looked up as if sensing my presence, his lips curving into the smile that had once made my heart race.
This time, my heart was steel.
I pushed the door open. His gaze lit up.
"Xinya," he said warmly, rising to greet me.
I tilted my head, lips curling just slightly.
"Lu Chen." My voice was smooth as silk, sharp as a blade. "Let's skip the pleasantries… and get to the point."