The moment those words left my mouth, the room fell completely silent.
Clara blinked at me.
Once. Twice.
Then she laughed. Not a small laugh either. A full, disbelieving one.
"Very funny", she said, shaking her head as she walked toward the dress again. "You almost scared me".
I didn't laugh. I didn't smile. I simply stood there.
She didn't know I was serious until she saw my face.
Clara slowly stopped moving.
Her eyes returned to my face.
And this time... she noticed.
The seriousness. The calm.
The certainty.
"...Wait", she said slowly.
"You're not joking".
I shook my head.
"No".
Her mouth fell slightly open.
"But–Seraphina.. the wedding is today".
"I know".
"With Dominic Blackwood".
"I know".
Her voice rose slightly with each sentence.
"The same Dominic Blackwood? Billionaire Dominic Blackwood? The most powerful man in the city?"
I nodded once.
"Yes".
Clara ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
"This doesn't make any sense. You've loved him for years. You were the one who wanted this marriage!"
A sharp ache flickered briefly in my chest.
Yes. That had been true.
In my previous life, I had loved Dominic with everything I had. I had been the one who fought for the marriage.
The one who begged my family to accept the arrangement.
The one who believed I could make him happy. I had been so sure of my feelings back then. So certain that love would be enough.
But I knew better now.
"I changed my mind", I said quietly.
Clara stared at me like I had lost my sanity.
"You can't just change your mind about something like this!"
Her hands flew into the air as she paced the room.
"Seraphina, do you know how big this wedding is? The Blackwood family, your family, the media–everyone is involved!"
"I know".
"Then why are you saying something so crazy?"
"Because I died. Because I lived five years in a marriage where my husband treated me like a stranger.
Because I bled to death alone on a highway while he stayed at the hospital with another woman", were the words I wanted to say but none of those words came out.
Instead, I simply looked at her.
"Clara", I said softly, "do you think Dominic loves me?"
She froze.
The question clearly caught her off guard.
"Well... I mean....."
Her voice trailed off.
That answer told me everything I needed to know.
Even Clara—my closest friend—couldn't say it.
Because the truth was obvious. Dominic Blackwood had never loved me.
Clara sighed heavily and sat down on the bed.
"Okay", she said slowly. "Let's be honest".
Her expression softened.
"Dominic isn't exactly the romantic type".
I almost smiled at that understatement.
"He's cold", she continued carefully. "And distant. Everyone knows that. But that doesn't mean he'll never love you".
I shook my head slightly,
"You don't understand".
"Then help me understand", she frowned and said.
I looked toward the wedding dress again.
White. Beautiful. Perfect.
A symbol of a future that once meant everything to me.
Now it just looked like a cage.
"Clara", I asked quietly, "have you ever spent five years trying to earn someone's love?"
She blinked.
"No...."
"Five years hoping that if you tried hard enough, they might eventually see you?"
Her brows slowly pulled together.
"Seraphina–"
"Five years feeling like you're invisible in your own marriage?"
My voice remained calm.
But inside, memories stirred like ghosts.
Cold dinners..Empty hallways.
Dominic walking past me without even looking.
Clara stared at me in confusion.
"...Why are you talking like that?"
Because I already lived it.
Because I know exactly how it ends. But I couldn't say those words.
So instead, I took a slow breath.
"I just realized something", I said.
"What?"
"I deserve better than that".
Clara looked at me for a long moment.
Something in her expression shifted. Concern slowly replaced confusion.
"You're serious", she murmured.
"Yes".
"But what are you going to do?"
Her voice grew quieter.
"The wedding starts in a few hours".
I knew that.
In my previous life, the ceremony had started at exactly noon. The ballroom had been filled with hundreds of guests.
Business partners.Socialites.
Media reporters.
All waiting to witness the union of the Vale and Blackwood families.
Walking away now would cause chaos.
But strangely...
The thought didn't scare me anymore.
"I'm going to cancel it", I said.
Clara jumped to her feet.
"Cancel it?!"
"Yes".
"You can't just cancel a wedding with the Blackwood family!"
I met her eyes calmly.
"Watch me".
Before she could respond, a sudden knock sounded on the door.
Clara and I both froze.
"Seraphina?"
My father's voice.
Clara's eyes widened.
"Oh no", she whispered.
The door opened before either of us could react.
My father stepped into the room. Richard Vale was a tall, imposing man with sharp features and silver streaks in his dark hair.
He rarely showed much emotion. But today, he looked pleased.
"Good morning", he said.
His gaze moved briefly between Clara and me.
"I hope you're both ready. The Blackwood family just arrived at the venue".
My heart skipped. That was earlier than expected.
Clara glanced at me nervously.
My father continued speaking.
"Dominic himself is already there".
Of course he was.
Dominic Blackwood was never late. Even to a wedding he didn't care about.
"Seraphina", my father said, "the makeup artists will arrive soon. You should start getting ready".
I stood silently for a moment. Then I said the words calmly.
"Father... I'm not going".
The room went completely still.
My father frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean", I said quietly. "I'm not going to the wedding".
His expression hardened.
"Seraphina, this is not the time for jokes".
"I'm not joking".
The silence that followed was heavy.
Clara looked like she wanted to disappear.
My father's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Explain yourself".
I held his gaze.
"I don't want to marry Dominic Blackwood".
For a moment, I thought he might explode with anger.
Instead, he simply stared at me. His voice dropped lower.
"Do you understand what you're saying?"
"Yes".
"This marriage was arranged years ago".
"I know".
"The entire city is expecting this wedding".
"I know".
"Then why would you say something so ridiculous?"
'Because the marriage will destroy me. Because Dominic loves someone else.
Because I refuse to waste another life chasing a man who will never care'.
But again, those words stayed locked inside my chest.
"I changed my mind", I said simply.
My father laughed once.
But there was no humor in it.
"You don't get to change your mind".
"I do".
"Seraphina".
His voice sharpened.
"This marriage benefits both families".
"I'm aware".
"Dominic Blackwood is the most powerful man in the city".
"And?"
My father stared at me like he didn't recognize me.
"You've wanted this marriage for years".
"Yes".
"Then why are you refusing now?"
I met his gaze calmly.
"Because I don't love him anymore".
That lie tasted strange on my tongue. But it was the only explanation I could give. My father studied my face carefully. For the first time, uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
But it disappeared quickly.
"This conversation is over", he said firmly.
"You will get dressed. Go to the venue. And you will marry Dominic Blackwood".
His tone left no room for argument.
Then he turned and walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he paused.
"If you embarrass this family today", he added coldly, "there will be consequences".
The door closed behind him.
The room fell silent again.
Clara slowly exhaled.
"...Well", she muttered.
"That went badly".
I remained standing in the same spot. My heart was beating faster now.
Not from fear. From something else. Determination.
Clara turned toward me.
"What are you going to do now?"
I walked toward the window slowly. Outside, the morning sun shone brightly over the city. Somewhere across town, Dominic Blackwood was waiting at the altar.
Calm. Confident.
Completely certain that I would appear in that white dress and marry him.
Just like I did in my previous life.
A small smile touched my lips. He had no idea.
I turned back toward Clara.
"Call a car", I said.
Her eyes widened.
"Why?"
I picked up my coat from the chair beside the bed.
"Because," I replied calmly,
"I'm going to meet Dominic Blackwood".
Clara stared at me.
"You just said you weren't marrying him".
"I'm not".
"Then why meet him?"
I slipped my arms into the coat.
Then I answered quietly.
"Because if I'm going to cancel this wedding..."
I looked toward the door.
"...I want to do it to his face".