008

Today is the day I'm sending my wedding invitations. To Lucy. To Daniel. And to the parents who left me bleeding and missing on what was supposed to be my happiest day. I stood in front of the mirror, curling the last strand of my hair. It fell in soft dark waves down my shoulders. My makeup was light but sharp, a clean liner, defined brow, and lips the color of wine. I looked at myself, really looked, and for the first time in a while... I didn't look broken. I looked like someone new. Someone cold and someone ready. I picked up the cream-white envelope from the vanity and slid it into my purse. I had three copies. One for each of them. I stepped out of the room and found Benjamin waiting by the door. He wore black pants and a dark blue shirt, sleeves rolled up. As always, calm. Collected. His eyes gazed over me slowly. "You look beautiful," he said. "Good," I replied. "That's the point." He smirked. He walked over and opened the car door for me like he always does. The drive was quiet. Just music playing low. I sat back, my hand resting on my lap. My heart wasn't racing. It was steady. Cold. I had been holding it for so long. Now is the time to show them I wasn't dead. And that I was no longer the girl they tried to bury. We stopped in front of Daniel's office first. I stepped out and walked into the building like I owned it. The receptionist looked up and blinked like she had seen a ghost. Maybe I still looked like one to some people. But not today. "Tell Daniel I'm here to see him," I said. "Uh... do you have an appointment?" "Tell him Elizabeth wants to see him." She went pale and picked up the phone immediately. Within seconds, I was walking into his office. Daniel was behind his desk, going through papers. The moment he looked up and saw me, he froze. For a second, he didn't move. Didn't breathe. I stepped forward, heels tapping slowly on the tile, and dropped the envelope on his desk. He stared at it. "What... Are you alive?" "A wedding invitation," I said calmly. His eyes shot back up to my face. "You're getting married?" "To Benjamin Grey," I replied, my voice steady. "CEO of Grey Global Enterprises." Daniel looked stunned. "What! When…. How?." I smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in it. "Surprised?” He stood up slowly, like he didn't believe what he was seeing. "Elizabeth, we thought... we thought you ran off. That you-" "You thought I faked my own disappearance?" I cut in, tilting my head slightly. "That I wanted attention? Like I faked that car accident back in college?" He went quiet. Guilt was written all over his face. "Well, I didn't. But don't worry, this isn't about explanations." I pointed at the envelope. "It's an invitation. Show up. Or don't. Either way, the world will be watching." I turned and walked out before he could say another word. Benjamin was waiting by the car. He opened the door without asking me how it went. He didn't need to. "Next stop," I said, sliding in, "Lucy." We drove to the boutique where Lucy now worked. She had taken over her mother's fashion brand recently. The sign outside was new. "L.V. Styles." Pretentious. When I walked in, she was standing at the counter, speaking with a client. The moment she saw me, the color drained from her face. The woman beside her asked, "Are you okay?" Lucy blinked and waved her hand. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine." I walked up to her slowly, taking in everything. She looked different. Pale. She added weight. She looked tired. But what stood out the most was the little curve of her belly. Barely visible, but still there. She was pregnant. Just two months since the wedding. Wow, that’s quick. I tilted my head slightly, lips curling faintly. "You're showing already?" Her hands flew to her stomach as if she could hide it. "Elizabeth..." "Save it." I pulled the second envelope from my purse and dropped it on the glass counter between us. "It's a wedding invitation." Lucy looked like she wanted to throw up. "You're alive?" "No thanks to you." She swallowed hard. "I didn't—" "I didn't come for an explanation," I cut in, voice cold. "I came to deliver this in person. You were so sure l was dead, weren't you? So sure you could take everything I had. My fiancé. My life." She didn't speak. Just stared at me like she couldn't believe I was standing here. "I'm marrying someone else now. Someone real. Someone powerful. You'll be there, right? I would hate for you to miss it." Her hand shook slightly as she reached for the invitation. "Elizabeth, please-" But I was already turning to leave. I walked out of that boutique like I was walking off a battlefield. Not a single glance back. Benjamin leaned against the car, arms folded, sunglasses on, watching me as I approached. He straightened when I got close. "You good?" he asked. "Never better," I said. He smiled a little, and I got into the car. "Last stop," I murmured. "The house." Benjamin drove slowly through the gates of the Blackwood estate. Mrs. Blackwood was pruning flowers in the garden. Mr. Blackwood sat on the patio with a drink. When they saw me, they froze. Elizabeth, the missing bride, is back from the dead. "Hello, Mom. Dad," I said, stepping out of the car. My mother's eyes widened. "Elizabeth?" I didn't wait for her tears or her questions. I walked up and handed the envelope to her directly. "I'm getting married." My father stood slowly, voice rough. "We thought you were" "You didn't think," I snapped, turning to him. "You assumed. You believed I ran away because that was easier than believing I could've been hurt." They both went quiet. "I'm not here to bond," I said. "This is just an invitation. Come if you want. It'll be a beautiful wedding." My mother stepped forward, voice soft. "Elizabeth... please." But I was already walking back to the car. When I sat down, I didn't cry. I didn't break. I felt whole. Benjamin looked at me for a second, then reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Proud of you," he said quietly. I looked at him. "This is just the beginning." And I meant every word.