*Bow to the heavens...
Bow to your parents...
Bow to yourself...
The priest intoned as he watched the couple before him.
------------------
Inside the chamber, a beautifully decorated bridal bed was the setting for a young lady dressed in a striking red gown. She sat at the edge of the bed, her veil delicately covering her head, a pleasant smile adorning her face, adding sweetness to the room.
Not long after, the door swung open, and an elegant young man entered, a hard smirk playing on his lips.
The girl, busy smiling and waiting patiently, grew anxious as she noticed that the man showed no inclination to remove her veil.
"Why are you standing there? Come closer," she urged, her voice laced with anticipation.
At her words, the man let out a mocking laugh. "Ashley, you're so naïve. I don't need to come closer to you to get what I want. I already have what I need," he replied, casually crossing his legs as he sat back in the chair.
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked, her gaze turning sharp and piercing.
"You're such an ugly, pathetic btch. Who would ever marry a lowlife like you? Even the mark on your face disgusts me," he said, a sneer curling his lips as he watched Ashley lift her veil
"I got the mark on my face just to get the gemstone for you and save your life," Ashley said.
"That's because you so stupid," Liam replied
"Liam, you're such a bastard!" Ashley yelled at him, trying to wield her power against him. But then her heart sank. An endless wave of pain washed over her. "What the hell have you done to me?" Ashley glared at him, her voice laced with killing intent.
"Oh, darling, I forgot to mention that I added a little poison to your drink before we exchanged those couple vows," Liam replied, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"You son of a—" Ashley began, but she couldn't finish her sentence. A violent cough erupted from her throat, and she doubled over, clutching her chest as she struggled to breathe. With one last desperate gasp, she collapsed, lifeless.
Meanwhile, far away...
"Mom, I don't understand why Dad brought this girl back to our house. She's so useless! Ever since she arrived, she's been acting like a witch. Look at her; she's been sleeping for almost four hours. I just hope she doesn't wake up," Emma, the youngest daughter of the Killian family, lamented as she stared at the helpless body lying on the bed.
"Emma, you need to lower your voice. If your father hears you, he'll scold you badly," Miya, Emma's mother, warned, casting a sideways glance at Noah, who sat silently in the corner.
"I don't think there's any hope for her to survive," Noah said, shaking his head lightly. The room fell into stunned silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly, a series of harsh coughs broke the stillness—the girl who had been unconscious was awake.
Noah jumped to her side, relief flooding over him until he noticed the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
"Mom! Mom! She's alive! She's alive!" Emma exclaimed, shaking Miya urgently. "If she stays alive, Dad is going to feed me to his dog! Mom, I don't want to die!" Her voice grew more frantic, though her urgency barely registered with Noah.
"Go... go... go... call the doctor, fast!" Noah shouted, his voice rising with desperation as he turned to one of the men standing near the door.
---
"Calm… calm down, my dear. What did you give her? Why is she bleeding?" Miya asked in a low voice, her eyes fixed on Emma.
"Mom… I swear I didn't give her anything! I only pushed her into the river," Emma confessed.
Not long after, the doctor arrived and quickly began to treat the injured girl. As soon as the doctor exited the room, the girls watched as Ashley gradually regained consciousness.
"Where am I? Am I still alive? What happened? Why am I here?" Ashley thought to herself, taking in her strange surroundings. Suddenly, a sharp ache shot through her head, triggering a series of vivid images and a haunting voice.
"You're so disgusting. I will kill you today. Even if I push you into this water, no one will question me, and I will marry into the Madrigal family!" The voice echoed ominously.
"Emma, don't, please!" the girl thoughts to herself, terror etched across her face. Then, with a violent splash, she was thrust into the water with brutal force by Emma.
"Don't worry. Go and have a peaceful rest in heaven. You'll get a chance to see your mother," Emma said with a smile that wasn't a smile, before she fled the scene.
*Deep Inside the Ocean*
"Why was I summoned here? How am I still alive, and whose memories are these?" Ashley wondered, staring at the woman in front of her.
"I'm dead, and I need your help to continue my life. I don't want a simple existence, but fate twisted my path. My soul is weakening and fading, so I want you to avenge me and help me live again. I aspire to be a well-known model, popular everywhere. Please, you must help me," the girl pleaded, her face etched with sorrow.
Ashley looked at the woman before her. She appeared so pitiful, marred by old and new scars that gave her an unsettling appearance.
Ashley's statement was cut short when she heard a deep voice calling her name. "You have to go now," the girl said as she turned into dust.
"Oh goodness, I'm really happy that you're awake! Who hurt you? Tell me so I can deal with them right away," Noah said, his eyes gleaming with concern.
Hearing this, Ashley felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze. She shot Emma a fierce glare before shaking her head slightly, signaling "No."
"Mom, she definitely knows I'm the one who hurt her. Why is she acting like nothing happened? Is she plotting something evil?" Emma asked, her voice laced with panic.
"Now that you're okay, stay in your room and get some rest," Noah said as he exited the room, attempting to mask his joy with a bitter undertone, knowing she couldn't speak.
Everyone left the room except for Miya and Emma. Miya walked toward Ashley, her expression tense.
"What the heck are you planning, you lazy bum? You always try to tell Dad that I'm behind everything that happens to you. What's up? Changed your mind and decided to be my little pet?" Emma said with mocking laughter, a pleased smile on her face.
"Better behave yourself, dummy," Miya added, affectionately ruffling Ashley's hair.
"They're so stupid," Ashley thought, standing up from the bed and walking straight to the window to enjoy the beautiful view of the world outside.
"She wants to become a model? How is that even possible? I was betrayed in my previous life, and now I'm in another world for an unknown reason. What am I going to do?" Ashley said, rubbing her forehead as a slight headache began to form. "If it weren't for Liam, I wouldn't be here. Why did fate have to do this to me? I was supposed to retrieve the gemstone and return it, but now I've failed," Ashley cried softly, feeling overwhelmed with sadness.
Suddenly, her gaze landed on the large mirror beside her, and she was startled by her reflection, which showcased how unappealing she looked in her new form.
"So disgusting!" she exclaimed as she found a seat for herself. Focusing on her new life, she noticed the door
She glanced at the door that was wide open, and in an instant, it locked itself. "Let me focus on this life," she said, her hand touching her face in a moment of reflection. All the scars that once marred her skin had vanished, replaced by a beautiful, glowing complexion. Her short, rough hair transformed into long, luscious locks that danced around her face. Her brown eyes now sparkled with a brilliant blue hue that could steal anyone's heart. Her delicate and expressive hands seemed to hold a quiet strength and Grace.