Chapter 2

“Emma, sweetheart. What made you call? Remember to pick me up the day after tomorrow so I can come to your wedding.”

Grandma put on her reading glasses and smiled warmly at me through the screen.

Seeing how relaxed she was, I finally let out a long breath. I tried to sound casual.

“Grandma, what’s today’s date?”

She smoothed back a few wisps of gray hair and smiled.

“It’s the thirty-first. Your wedding’s on the third. Why? That eager to get married?”

Grandma loved me more than anyone. She would never lie to me about my wedding. The thought finally eased the tension in my body.

But then another question struck me.

Why had my boyfriend and best friend gone to such lengths to deceive me?

Was humiliating me really their only goal?

Anger surged through my head. My hands and feet began to shake.

Noticing my silence, Grandma spoke gently.

“Get plenty of rest these next few days, sweetheart. You need to be the most beautiful bride.”

I bit my lip hard, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her there might not be a wedding.

Just then, Grandma exclaimed that her soup was boiling over and hurriedly ended the call.

Carrying my sandals, I slowly headed toward the boardwalk.

A large screen by the beach flashed a colorful message:

“HAPPY HALLOWEEN!”

I stared at it for a long time, then pulled up a photo of the invitation. November 3. There was no mistake.

My screen lit up again. Ryan was calling. I answered immediately.

Before I could speak, his shouting rang in my ears.

“Emma! My mother had a heart attack because of you! She’s in the hospital! If anything happens to her, you’ll pay with your life!”

“Where the hell are you?”

I ignored his rage and demanded answers.

“Stop taking your anger out on me. If she’s sick, get her treated. You’re the ones who let this little performance get out of hand. Don’t blame me.”

“The wedding is still three days away. What are you trying so hard to pull?”

Ryan’s face turned scarlet. A vein throbbed at his temple.

“Have you lost your mind, Emma? We’re not children anymore. Take some responsibility.”

“If you didn’t want to marry me, we could have sat down and talked. But you dragged your grandmother here and left her waiting while you ran off to enjoy yourself at the beach. How can you be so heartless?”

My chest tightened.

“My grandmother? What are you talking about?”

Ryan pulled Grandma into view. Tears covered her wrinkled face.

My head buzzed at the sight of her. I grabbed the railing beside the sidewalk to keep from falling.

Grandma wiped her tears with her sleeve and choked out the words.

“Emma, you’ve always been such a good, sensible girl. Why would you joke about something this important?”

“Ryan’s mother is in the hospital because of you!”

“Come here right now and apologize to everyone.”

Ryan took the phone back and shouted.

“If you have any conscience at all, get over here!”

A second later, he sent me the hotel’s location.

The same place where I had died in my previous life.

My heart, which had finally settled, began pounding uncontrollably again.

I had just spoken to Grandma. She’d been making soup at home in the country.

How could she possibly have reached a hotel in the city in a matter of minutes?

Desperate to confirm what was happening, I called her again.

By then, tears were already streaming down my face.

When Grandma saw me, her brows knitted with worry.

“Oh, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Has Ryan been treating you badly?”

Even her concern couldn’t warm the chill inside me.

Behind her was unmistakably her country kitchen.

I wiped away my tears and pulled myself together so she wouldn’t worry.

“Nothing, Grandma. I just miss you.”

I hung up and sent Ryan a screen recording of the call, hoping he would stop this nonsense.

“My grandmother is at home having chicken soup. I don’t know where you found that woman.”

The whole ordeal had drained every ounce of my strength. I wandered around like a ghost.

Then my phone chimed several times. Messages from Ryan.

“Emma, you’re unbelievable. Now you’re using an AI video to fool me?”

“Your grandmother is right here at the hotel. She’s been waiting for you all morning!”