Chapter 1

The moment I was reborn on the beach, my buddy Liam's urgent phone call came through.

"Ethan! Where the hell are you?! The bride has been waiting for you for two hours!"

I rubbed my throbbing temples and swiped open my phone calendar with a laugh. "What are you talking about? Today's the 14th. My wedding is on the 21st. That's a whole seven days away."

"Seven days my ass!" His voice cracked. "All the guests at the hotel are about to leave! Vanessa has torn off her veil. Get over here now."

I looked up at the public screen by the beach. It clearly displayed June 14, 2026.

In my past life, I thought I'd been so busy I'd mixed up the dates. I rushed to the hotel like a madman, only to have a flower pot drop from above and smash through my skull the moment I stepped through the door. I didn't even get a chance to see the killer's face.

This time, I stared at the messages popping up on my phone -- "Today is your wedding" -- my fingertips ice-cold.

The sea breeze carried a faint fishy smell into my nostrils.

I jerked my eyes open, gasping for air, my whole body radiating bone-chilling cold.

In my past life, the flower pot had exploded on my head.

In an instant, intense pain struck. My whole body went numb. Blood pooled everywhere.

In the last second before losing consciousness, I still couldn't figure out why the wedding had been moved up seven days.

I'd spent half a year preparing for this wedding, attending to every detail. I'd even written the date on the invitations myself.

Before I could sort out my thoughts, the piercing phone ringtone pulled me back to reality.

My lock screen showed the countdown to my wedding with Vanessa: [7 days until the wedding]

Liam kept calling. I suppressed my irritation and answered.

His anxious voice came through. "Ethan, today's your wedding. The guests have been waiting for you for two hours. The bride is going crazy. Where did you run off to?"

I suppressed my anger and asked in a low voice, "Say that again. What day is the wedding?"

"June 21st! Did you forget your own wedding day?"

I gripped my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white. "Then check today's date."

Silence on the other end for a few seconds. "Ethan, today is June 21st, Saturday. Are you coming or not?"

I hung up and pulled up the invitation photo.

Black and white, June 21st. That was right.

But my phone calendar, the car display, the screen on the street -- all showed June 14th.

I forced myself to calm down.

In my past life, I'd lost my life because I rushed over impulsively.

I called my grandfather, George. He had raised me. He'd said he would definitely attend my wedding.