Reborn on My Wedding Day

“I lay dying, fifty years of my life a bitter regret. My wife, Chloe, whispered her final wish: "Scatter my ashes... with Ethan's." Ethan. My half-brother. Even in her last breath, he was her focus. My own heart gave out, not from illness, but from the crushing weight of a life wasted, a fifty-year mistake born of obligation. All I felt was a cold, absolute despair, so much regret. Then, blinding light. I gasped, sitting bolt upright, in my own bed. My hands were young, strong. My reflection showed a sharp, twenty-five-year-old face. The expensive watch on the nightstand screamed the date: my wedding day. The very day that started my gilded cage of a life. But this time, a surge of something fierce ignited within me. Not this time. Never again. I wouldn't repeat the same mistake. I knew exactly what I wanted, who I truly wanted. At the altar, as the whispers started about Chloe' s inexplicable lateness, I turned from the stunned crowd. I walked past my furious father, past the gawking socialites, straight to her. Ava Chen, the wild, vibrant tech heiress, my silent protector in another life, the one who died saving me. "Chloe seems to have other priorities," I announced, my voice clear and steady. "Ava Chen, would you do me the honor of marrying me instead?" Her eyes widened, then a slow, defiant smile spread across her face. "Liam Miller," she said, her voice a balm, "I thought you'd never ask." This was my second chance. This time, I was choosing my own destiny.”