She Wears My Wedding Dress

When I opened my eyes, the harsh screech of brakes echoed in my ears—not a trick of memory, but a real, shattering sound. I suddenly sat upright, gripping the steering wheel tightly, my palms soaked with cold sweat. Before me lay the familiar intersection, the red light still flashing, with thirty seconds left before it turned green. Reaching into my pocket for my cell phone, the moment I lit up the screen, my heart sank—the date showed my wedding day, 9:10 in the morning, still three minutes away from that near-fatal car accident. Shouldn't I be lying on a hospital bed? On this very day in my past life, at this same intersection, a runaway truck hit me, shattering my leg, and I spent three long months bedridden. And during those three months, Vivian Lincoln—the daughter of my cousin—wore the wedding dress meant for me and married my fiance, Leo Shawn. By the time I staggered back to the Shawn family, dragging my injured leg, they showed me a video—the woman in it, who looked like me, was wrapped in the arms of an unfamiliar man. Leo Shawn's mother pointed her finger at me, shouting that I was reckless and had brought disgrace upon the family; no matter how much I tried to explain, it was all in vain. Vivian stood beside Leo, her eyes red as if she'd suffered a great injustice, claiming she only stepped in to marry because she feared the wedding would be delayed. Back then, Leo Shawn pretended so convincingly, holding my hand and saying he believed in me. Though he couldn't marry me, he was willing to let me be his secret lover. I was truly blind at the time, actually believing his lies, even begging my father to slowly transfer the Scott Group's resources to Leo Shawn's company. Watching him rise from a small-time boss to a young talent admired by outsiders, I forgot that you can never tame an ungrateful wolf—one year later, when the Scott Group's funding dried up and it went bankrupt, Leo Shawn personally brought me a bowl of soup. Behind him, Vivian Lincoln stood laughing arrogantly: "Wendy Scott, if it weren't for the Scott Group's money, who would want to be with you? Now that you're useless, it's time for you to die." The poison in the soup worked so fast; as I collapsed to the ground, I could still see Vivian Lincoln's high heel pressing down on the back of my hand. She whispered into my ear, "That car accident was arranged by me, but unfortunately, I didn't manage to kill you." Hatred coiled around my heart like relentless vines. I thought that was the end, but when I opened my eyes again, I was back before the car accident. The green light switched on. I took a deep breath, my hands gripping the steering wheel steady now. The truck appeared exactly as before, following the same path to the very detail. I wasn't panicking. The moment the truck was about to hit me, I yanked the steering wheel hard, and the tires scraped the road with a sharp screech that seemed to tear through the air. The car barely grazed the edge of the truck and pulled over to the roadside. Only then did I realize my back was soaked with cold sweat. Watching the truck driver curse angrily in the rearview mirror, I suddenly laughed—Vivian Lincoln, Leo Shawn, this lifetime, the debt is due. The wedding hotel was downtown. When I drove up, cars already filled the entrance, and guests in formal wear were arriving in small groups. I smoothed the wedding dress over myself—it was chosen by my mom with care, the train embroidered with pearls. In my past life, I never got to walk the red carpet in it. This life, not only will I walk down that aisle, but I will tear apart that sham with my own hands. When I pushed open the banquet hall door, the wedding march was just starting to play, and every eye snapped to me. Following their gaze, on the stage, Vivian Lincoln wore the exact same wedding dress as mine, arm in arm with Leo Shawn, ready to exchange rings. Her hair was pinned high, her face adorned with delicate makeup; if you didn't look closely, she did bear a faint resemblance to me, especially under the warm yellow light. "Isn't that Wendy Scott? What's she doing here?" "Who's on the stage? Could she be a stand-in bride?" Whispers began to spread little by little. Someone pulled out a cell phone to sneak photos while a distant relative of mine frowned and said, "I always thought Vivian Lincoln was scheming, even daring to steal a wedding." Vivian's body visibly stiffened; she instinctively grasped Leo Shawn's arm so tightly her nails almost pierced the fabric of his suit. My mom was the first to rush over, grabbing my hand. Her fingertips were icy cold, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears: "Wendy, are you alright? You didn't pick up the phone just now—I thought something had happened to you. Your dad was even about to check the traffic cameras at the intersection." I looked at my mom's worried face, feeling a sharp sting in my nose—last time, when I was slandered, my mom had fought fiercely to protect me, arguing heatedly with Leo Shawn's mother at the Shawn family banquet. Later, she was targeted for revenge by Leo Shawn. On a rainy day, right at the community gate, she was knocked down by an electric scooter, broke her leg, and was hospitalized. Leo Shawn never even visited her once. "Mom, I'm fine," I said, taking her hand firmly and gently stroking the back of it with my thumb to calm her. "I almost had a car accident on the way, and my cell phone was left in the passenger seat, so I got held up a bit." I deliberately raised my voice so everyone nearby could hear: "But what I didn't expect was that just for being a little late, someone was already desperate to marry Leo Shawn in my place." My eyes fixed directly on Vivian Lincoln on the stage. Her face drained of color in an instant, as if every drop of blood had been pulled away, even her lips turned pale.