Chapter 4

I stared at the screen. The comments were exploding.

[She did this on purpose, didn’t she? If you don’t want to get married, at least don’t torment people like this.]

[The groom’s mother died because of her. She should pay with her life!]

[I heard the bride’s still on vacation at the beach. What a piece of trash.]

[What a curse. She turned a wedding into a funeral. There’s no forgiving that.]

My finger shook uncontrollably as I scrolled.

Ryan’s mother… was dead?

That was impossible.

In my previous life, just as the flowerpot came crashing down outside the hotel, I had clearly seen his mother scream in horror.

I jerked my head up toward the cab’s display.

October 31, 2:23 p.m.

The driver glanced at me in the mirror. “Miss, you don’t look well.”

“Can you drive any faster?”

“This is as fast as I can go.” He paused. “The Crestview Hotel… You should prepare yourself.”

My heart lurched. “What do you mean?”

He didn’t answer. He simply turned up the music.

It was an old, familiar piece: the “Wedding March.”

Its gentle melody sounded horribly eerie now. Goose bumps rose along my arms.

My phone rang again. Lily.

“Emma, where are you? Ryan’s mother… she’s really gone.” Her voice trembled with tears. “Please hurry. Ryan’s in a terrible state. He keeps saying this is all your fault.”

I tightened my grip on the phone. “Lily, tell me. What is today’s date?”

A few seconds of silence.

“November third. Emma, are you… really sick?”

I hung up, opened my camera, and pointed it at a roadside sign.

Coastal Highway. Crestview Hotel, 9 miles.

The electronic date display on the sign clearly read: October 31, 2026.

I took a photo and sent it to Lily.

She replied almost immediately. “Are you seriously Photoshopping pictures now?”

Then another message.

“You’re still playing games after everything that’s happened?”

I turned off my phone and looked outside.

In the distance, the pointed roof of the Crestview Hotel was coming into view.

In my previous life, the vase had fallen from that curved balcony on the fourth floor.

The cab stopped outside the hotel.

I paid the fare. Suddenly, the driver grabbed my wrist.

“Miss, remember this,” he whispered. “Don’t trust anyone. Not even what you see with your own eyes.”

I shook off his hand. “What does that mean?”

He had already started the car. His last words drifted back through the exhaust.

“Time is a circle. You can’t escape.”

Standing before the revolving doors, I took a deep breath.

The lobby was empty, unnervingly quiet.

A huge welcome sign stood in the center.

Behind the gold lettering was our wedding photo.

Groom: Ryan Mitchell & Bride: Emma Bennett

Wedding Date: November 3, 2026

My breathing quickened. The terror of my previous life tore through what remained of my composure.

I was certain my death hadn’t been an accident.

If that was true, the killer wouldn’t show themselves unless I approached.

They might even find another way to kill me.

My back was soaked with sweat. I gritted my teeth and charged forward.

Crash!

The flowerpot shattered behind me.

Flying shards sliced across my leg, leaving bloody scratches.

I didn’t have time to care. I stepped back and glanced up.

The person above hurried out of sight, but I had already seen her face.

I thought I finally knew what was happening!

----------Cutoff Point----------