The Bride's Cliffside Gambit

On my wedding day, when my husband Caleb's "soulmate," Daphne, threatened to jump off a cliff, he coldly dared her to do it.

After Daphne plunged to her death, Caleb shattered. He dragged me to his family's cemetery and forced me to my knees, blaming me for her death. When I had a miscarriage, he called it my penance. When I begged to leave, he threatened my family, imprisoning me by his side and insisting our suffering was a debt we owed to Daphne.

But I was reborn.

I woke up in a Vera Wang wedding dress, back on my wedding day. Daphne was once again standing on the edge of the cliff, and Caleb was about to utter the words that would sentence her to death.

This time, I was going to save her.

And he would be the one begging for redemption.

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1

"Tell Daphne I don't give a damn if she lives or dies. I'm not running to her side!" Caleb Hawthorne's ice-cold voice jolted me back to the present.

I looked up and saw my reflection in the mirror, dressed in a pristine white wedding gown.

I was reborn.

I was back at my cliffside wedding on the California coast, an event once hailed as the wedding of the century. Back to what I once thought was the happiest day of my life.

Behind me, Caleb's expression was a thundercloud, his tone laced with impatience. In my past life, I had been pathetically grateful that he had chosen me. Now, all I could see was the frantic worry churning beneath his frustration.

He had fallen for Daphne long ago but had chosen me for the sake of the Hawthorne family's image—a "trophy bride" from a respected family of architects, chosen to lend the Hawthorne name an air of cultural sophistication. After Daphne’s death, a twisted, possessive grief drove him mad. He imprisoned me, a substitute for the soulmate he’d lost.

He prayed for her soul but showed no mercy to our unborn child. The world praised his profound devotion and condemned me as a shameless homewrecker. They all said I deserved it.

No one knew that Caleb had relentlessly pursued me for four years. He had been the one to approach me. In the end, I shouldered all the blame alone.

The injustice of it all still burned inside me. Now that I had a second chance, I refused to make the same mistakes.

I gently tugged on Caleb's sleeve. "Caleb, you should go check on her."

He stared at me in disbelief. In our past, the mere mention of Daphne’s name would send me into a jealous spiral. My sudden magnanimity caught him completely off guard.

Seeing my earnest expression, Caleb frowned. "You want me to leave you for another woman at our own wedding? Clara, are you trying to hand the tabloids a field day?"

The tabloids won’t kill me, I thought wryly. But he just might.

I smoothed my expression into a mask of elegance and composure. "Caleb, if your love for her is true, what does it matter what anyone else says?"

I even added, "We can postpone the wedding. You and Daphne are so close. If something really happened to her, you'd regret it for the rest of your life, and I couldn't bear that for you. A life is on the line."

My words drew a murmur of approval from the guests. Even Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne, who had always looked down on my family’s standing, seemed to soften their gazes.

Caleb pulled me into a fierce embrace and kissed my forehead, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Clara, I knew I chose the right woman. Wait for me. I'll be right back. As soon as I'm sure Daphne is safe, we'll continue the ceremony."

I nodded, gently pushing him away. "Go on. Saving her is what's most important."

He turned without a second thought and sprinted toward the cliff's edge.

I watched his retreating back, clutching my wedding dress, standing alone on the ceremonial platform before the media and our guests. I played the part of the perfect, understanding fiancée, waiting for a full hour.

In my past life, he resented my jealousy. In this life, I would push him toward Daphne with my own two hands.

Eventually, Caleb returned. But he wasn't alone.

Beside him walked Daphne, also clad in a white gown. She clung to Caleb’s arm, her smile triumphant and her eyes glinting with undisguised provocation as she stared at me.

Shocked whispers rippled through the crowd.

Caleb turned to me, his expression a mixture of guilt and resolve. His voice was hesitant. "Clara, Daphne told me… she's been in love with me for years, and she has only one wish—to exchange vows with me. She promised that if I agree, she'll never bother us again, so… could you… just for today, step aside and let Daphne complete the ceremony?"