Chapter 4
Though they didn’t believe me, there was nothing they could do.
The next morning, Alistair arrived with his secretary.
I went to greet him with the ring on my finger and studied his face.
He smiled at me with such affection.
For a moment, even Meredith, Seraphina, and Lily started to believe my story.
If only they hadn't seen my mangled corpse in a past life.
The wedding proceeded as planned.
At Alistair's request, or so I was told, we both walked down the aisle wearing veils.
Before all our guests, he spoke his vows with heartfelt sincerity and slipped the wedding band onto my finger.
When we lifted our veils, he looked at me as though he'd finally found the person he'd searched for all his life.
“This ring belongs to you,” he said gently. “It suits you perfectly.”
The massive diamond was a perfect fit, clearly made just for me.
Looking at his familiar face, I remembered how gently he'd held my face while drafting the papers to transfer company shares into my name.
He hated seeing me bullied at home and wanted me to have the power to stand up for myself.
Whenever I was sick, he'd drop everything to care for me.
My time with him had been the happiest of my life.
I smiled at him. “I love you.”
The guests burst into applause, moved by his devotion and my love.
Alistair's facade never slipped.
At the reception, I changed into a traditional gown and went with him to my family's table.
Seraphina leaned in close, her face a mask of confusion. “Is my memory failing me? Does he actually love you?”
Lily looked just as baffled. “You weren’t lying to us, were you?”
In our previous lives, there hadn't been a wedding ceremony, just a quick formality before I was sent to the bridal suite.
This time, we'd had a grand wedding, and Alistair looked at me like the woman he loved.
I forced a smile and said nothing.
If only I had been lying.
But he'd murdered me in my last life. That was a fact I couldn't change.
I tipped back my glass of wine and waited for night.
Eventually, even this reception ended.
When the last guest had departed, I went to the bridal suite to await my husband.
On the table sat a sharp fruit knife next to a peeled apple.
I knew hiding it would be useless.
In my last life, the knife he’d used had been hidden under the mattress.
He had probably hidden weapons all over the room to kill me.
As the night went on, the Sterling estate staff quietly withdrew, leaving us alone.
I glanced at the clock.
He would be here any second.
The door opened, and Alistair walked in.
The moment he saw me, his face twisted with a mad fury.
“You are not her! How dare you marry me in her place!”
He snatched the fruit knife from the table. “I’ll kill you!”