As the room was shrouded in serene silence, a faint voice pierced the stillness, softly calling, "Hmm, Ms. Rosalina."
Rosalina slowly opened her eyes, curiosity piqued. 'Who could that be?' she wondered.
"Ms. Rosalina!" The voice became more urgent, causing Rosalina to snap her head up from her desk.
"What on earth?" she muttered, massaging her temples. The throbbing headache had become unbearable.
"I'm sorry for waking you, Ms. Rosalina, but your phone has been ringing for the past hour," the person who roused her explained.
Rosalina looked up, meeting the gaze of an average-height lady with captivating dark-brown eyes and lustrous black hair.
"Anita? How long have I been asleep?" Rosalina inquired.
"I just arrived, so I'm not certain, but judging by your pajamas, it seems you've been out since last night," Anita replied, handing her the phone.
'Since last night? But I'm pretty sure I died again ,' Rosalina mused. She glanced at her phone screen and checked the date.
"October 5th, XXXX."
'It's been fifteen years since my regression,' she thought, biting her lip.
"Perhaps I should postpone my visit to tomorrow. I understand the agony of heartbreak, but you seem to be lingering in its embrace for too long. Whenever you're ready, give me a call. In the meantime, I'll scout potential venues and keep you updated," Anita declared before gracefully exiting Rosalina's office, leaving her alone, lost in her contemplation.
'Heartbreak?' Rosalina pondered, triggering a cascade of memories from the previous month.
*FLASHBACK*
Rosalina's face radiated joy as she navigated the streets, guided by her GPS.
'Will Andre be thrilled by my surprise visit to his new place? I can't wait to witness his reaction.' She sighed, lost in daydreams. 'I'm certain he'll adore it; there's no doubt.' Her smile widened further as she glanced at the champagne bottle resting on the passenger seat beside her.
Just as she was about to shift her attention back to the road, two figures dashed across the front of her car. Rosalina slammed on the brakes, causing her vehicle to screech to a halt, narrowly avoiding them. Gazing at the duo through her windshield, Rosalina initially failed to recognize them. However, after a closer look, she identified the blond-haired man but remained perplexed by the unfamiliar girl beside him.
"Andre?" Rosalina murmured softly, her confusion etched across her furrowed brows.
"Eunice, please don't rush away like that. I told you I fell in love with you at first sight, and I genuinely want to be with you. I promise to end things with my girlfriend, and then we can be together," Andre professed, sealing his words with a kiss upon Eunice's lips.
Rosalina's gaze froze, a profound sense of bewilderment washing over her.
'Huh?' She shook her head, attempting to dispel the chaos in her mind, but the more she resisted, the more intense her emotions became.
The first hot tears welled up, and Rosalina couldn't contain them any longer. They streamed down her face as she grappled with the searing pain. 'What the hell?! Wasn't I enough for him?'
Restarting her car, Rosalina accelerated toward them at breakneck speed. Her fierce grey orbs remained locked on the rearview mirror.
Andre spotted the oncoming car and swiftly moved, tugging Eunice to safety just in time for Rosalina to zoom past them. 'He even shielded her. What a scoundrel,' Rosalina seethed inwardly before slamming the brakes once more.
"Hey! Can't you drive properly? You alm..." Andre's reprimand halted abruptly, his expression shifting from irritation to shock as he locked eyes with Rosalina, who emerged from her car with a glare that could pierce steel. His mouth hung agape momentarily, rendering him speechless.
"Don't you dare spew your nonsense at me, Andre! Who do you think you are?" Rosalina's voice resonated with fury as she locked her fierce gaze onto him. "You're nothing but a selfish, heartless jerk who values nothing but himself," she spat venomously.
Tears cascaded down Rosalina's cheeks, their salty trails tracing lines to the ground. Andre stood in silence, a spectator to her anguish.
"I'm sorry, Rosalina. I should've been honest with you from the start. It's time we put an end to this. It was clear this wasn't going to work," Andre offered a solemn apology, clasping Eunice's hand.
"You should've ended things before you betrayed me, you fool. What kind of person does that? Oh right, a self-absorbed scoundrel like you," Rosalina's voice dripped with bitterness as she unleashed her anger on Andre. "Don't you dare crawl back to me when she kicks you to the curb."
With those words, Rosalina stormed back into her car and sped away, keeping an eye on Andre vanishing in her rearview mirror. As she took a deep breath, the weight of the situation hung heavy in the air. She continued driving, her destination clear: back home.
*FLASHBACK ENDS*
Rosalina let out a profound sigh as the memory weighed on her, and she remarked, "This marks the third time, and in every single lifetime, it's Eunice he's chosen over me."
'How utterly exasperating,' she thought, the sound of her tongue clucking echoing her frustration.
With a determined gesture, Rosalina pushed up the sleeves on her right arm and fixed her gaze on the boldly written number, now proudly displaying zero. "I've always wondered why this was here. Now, I understand."
Fatigue tugged at her, and she ran her slender fingers through her hair which was a striking silver-grey strands, tousling it slightly. "This is my last opportunity," she realized, her mind filled with flashes of pivotal moments from her first two past lives.
In her initial existence, Rosalina obediently fulfilled every wish of her foster parents. Dated Andre only to be abandoned by him. She eventually inherited the Navarro family's fortune but met a tragic end at the hands of her malevolent stepbrother.
Her second life saw her embark on a journey as a wedding planner and, defying societal norms, eloped with her dear friend turned lover, Andre, hoping that this time their love would triumph. Regrettably, their love story concluded tragically, leading only her to her untimely demise.
'And now, what have I done differently in this current timeline?'
She leaned back into her chair, twirling slowly in a circular motion and mumbled , "I rebelled against my parents, caused chaos during my school days, and much more."
With purpose, Rosalina rose from her seat and exited her office, making her way towards her bedroom for a shower. "I was and still am the queen of chaos," she muttered under her breath as she entered her bathroom.
After her refreshing shower, Rosalina wrapped herself in a towel, her feet gliding gracefully across the soft carpet as she entered her bedroom.
The resonating chime of her phone pierced the air, pulling her back from her contemplation. Without checking the caller's ID, Rosalina reached for her phone and answered it.
'I should pay a visit to the orphanage today,' she decided as she held the phone to her ear.
With the phone secure between her ear and shoulder, Rosalina slipped into a stylish short denim jumpsuit. Its fitted bodice highlighted Rosalina's silhouette, and a matching denim belt cinched her waist, accentuating her curves while adding a fashionable flair to the outfit along with two convenient side pockets adorned the shorts.
"Hello," Rosalina greeted as she gathered her hair into a high ponytail.
"Hello, Rosalina? Oh, phew! I thought I'd lost your number," Andre's voice emanated from the other end of the line, causing Rosalina's brow to furrow in irritation. Without hesitation, she ended the call.
"I really don't have time for trash in this timeline," Rosalina muttered as she strode out of her bedroom.