Chapter 3

Paulina's eyes opened, her vision blurry as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She felt disoriented, her mind hazy with confusion.

 The last thing she remembered was falling down the stairs, the pain shooting through her body, and the darkness that had swallowed her whole.

 But now, she was lying her head on a table, the cool surface pressing against her cheek. 

Slowly, she pushed herself up, wincing as she did. Her heart raced as she looked around, trying to make sense of what had happened.

She was in her living room, but something was off. The room looked different—familiar, yet somehow wrong.

 She glanced down at herself and noticed she was wearing a black dress, simple and elegant, the kind one would wear to a funeral. 

Her hands trembled as she ran them over the fabric, her breath catching in her throat. 

"What… what is going on?" she whispered to herself, her voice shaky. 

Her mind raced as she tried to piece together the fragments of her memory.

 The last thing she remembered was catching James in bed with Alexis, the confrontation, the fall… But now, here she was, dressed in mourning clothes, as if—

Her heart skipped a beat as realization hit her.

"No… it can't be…"She stood up, her legs unsteady as she looked around the room with growing panic.

 The familiar decor, the furniture—it all felt like a cruel trick of the mind. 

But then, her eyes fell on a framed photo on the mantel.

 She walked over to it, her hands trembling as she picked it up.It was a picture of her parents, smiling warmly at the camera.

 Her heart twisted with pain as she remembered the day it was taken. She had been so happy then, so full of hope for the future. 

But that hope had been shattered the day they died in the car accident. Her pulse quickened as she realized where—and when—she was. 

She wasn't in the present. Somehow, she had been transported back ten years, to the day of her parents' funeral. 

Her eyes scanned the room as she saw a calendar in the room. "No… this isn't possible," Paulina murmured, her mind struggling to comprehend the situation. 

"How… How did this happen?"She looked around, her gaze landing on the black dress she was wearing. 

She remembered it now—

This was the dress she had worn on the day she buried her parents. The same day she had planned to tell James that she wanted him to take over her father's company, to run it with the same dedication and passion her father had.

But that had been the start of her downfall, the day she had unwittingly set herself on the path of ruin by giving James everything.Paulina's breath hitched as the memories flooded back—

James' comforting words, his promises of love and loyalty, and her blind trust in him. She had been so naive, so desperate for someone to lean on during her grief. And now, she was back in that moment, as if fate had given her a second chance.

"But why?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why am I here?"Just then, she heard the front door creak open, and her heart nearly stopped. She turned slowly, dread moving in her stomach as she saw James Walk into the room.

 He was exactly as she remembered—tall, handsome, with that charming smile that had once made her heart flutter and younger.

"Babe, I brought you some food. You need to eat." Paulina gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

 The words… Those were the same words James had said to her ten years ago, on this very day.She stared at him, her mind reeling. This wasn't just a dream or some twisted nightmare. She was back, reliving the day that had changed everything. 

And James… he had no idea what the future held, how he would betray her, break her heart, and destroy her life or did he? She thought to herself. 

What if James and Alexis were both in on this the entire time.But now, she knew. She knew the painful memories of everything that had happened in the years that followed. 

She had been given a chance to change it all, to rewrite her story.But how? How could she possibly navigate this? What was she supposed to do?

James looked at her with concern, stepping closer. "Paulina, are you okay? You look pale. Sit down, you need to eat something."

Paulina flinched at his touch, her mind racing. This was her moment of decision, the beginning of everything. 

Should she confront him now? Should she try to alter the course of their lives?Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion, fear, and anger. And yet, underneath it all, there was a glimmer of hope. Maybe—just maybe—she could find a way to save herself from the pain that was destined to come.

"Paulina?" James' voice was soft, but it carried an edge of concern. "What's going on? Talk to me."

She looked into his eyes, the eyes of the man she had once loved so deeply, the man who would eventually tear her world apart. 

She had to do something, anything to prevent the future she knew was coming. But how?Just as she opened her mouth to speak, to confront him, or maybe to ask for time to think, something shifted in the room. 

A cold wind seemed to pass through, chilling her to the bone. And in that instant, she realized with a sudden, terrifying clarity that this wasn't just a second chance.This was a test. And everything depended on her next move