He Chose a Ghost Over Me

On my wedding day, I hid Ryan's phone. I couldn't stand the thought of him taking another call from his precious Sarah.

Because of it, she ended up overdosing, and Ryan lost his mind. He stood in front of everyone and declared he was marrying a ghost.

I begged him, pleaded with him, but he was unmovable. "You owe this to Sarah," he said coldly. "You're lucky I'm not pressing charges."

The whole world saw me as a pathetic joke.

Just as I was about to break, Ryan's brother, Brandon, took my hand. "Eleanor," he whispered, "I've loved you for years. I won't let you wither away. Live your life with me, please?"

Haunted by Ryan's icy rejection, I nodded. I married his brother.

But a year later, lying in a hospital bed after losing the baby, I overheard their conversation.

"Brandon, is this really worth it?" Ryan's voice was low. "You're torching your own life just to punish Eleanor. Tricking her into marriage, getting her pregnant, causing the miscarriage… isn't this too far? She was willing to have your child. Have we gone too far?"

Brandon let out a twisted laugh. "Man, that kid wasn't even mine! She's the reason Sarah's dead, and I'm going to make sure she suffers for every second of the life she stole."

My water glass slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor. The sound echoed in the sterile silence.

Brandon whipped around, his eyes bloodshot. "Why aren't you dead yet?" he screamed. "You were never worthy of carrying my child!"

Ryan's gaze was pure ice. "I regret the day I ever met you. Sarah would still be alive if it weren't for you."

They had forgotten. They'd forgotten that Sarah was the one who had been playing them both from the start.

My heart turned to ash. I walked straight to the window…

And then I woke up. I was back, on the very day Sarah found out she had cancer.

This time, I'm not living for anyone else. This time, I'm taking control.

"Eleanor, Sarah's not doing well. I want to bring her here, so we can look after her."

Ryan's words hit me like a physical blow, and for a moment, the world felt surreal.

He saw my dazed expression and mistook it for anger. Nervously, he took my hand and raised his other like he was swearing on a bible. "I know you're jealous of Sarah, about her past crush on me, but I swear, I only see her as a sister. She has no one. If I don't help her, she'll be completely alone. It's the right thing to do."

Watching the anxious crease on his forehead, I decided to cut straight to the heart of it. "You're still in love with her, aren't you? We're about to get married, and you're still hung up on her."

Ryan slowly lowered his hand, his patience thinning. "Eleanor, don't be ridiculous. Sarah has cancer. She's dying. Are you really going to be jealous of a woman on her deathbed?"

"I'm not jealous. Let her in. She's already at the door, isn't she?" I interrupted him flatly.

That's exactly how it played out last time. Sarah was already waiting on the doorstep, while Ryan put on this little show of seeking my permission.

But he was right about one thing. I have no interest in being jealous of a dying woman.

I've already died once. I don't love either of these brothers anymore.

"You'll be gentle with her when she comes in, won't you?" Ryan prattled on, as if I were some storybook villainess. "Sarah is fragile, so please, go easy…"

I'd heard enough. "Alright, don't keep the sick girl waiting. You can stay in her room. It'll make it easier for you to take care of her."

Last time, I fought it. I didn't want Sarah invading our space, which just meant Ryan was on the phone with her constantly. That's why I hid his phone on our wedding day—a desperate, foolish act that led to Sarah's suicide and a lifetime of regret for Ryan.

Just as I finished speaking, Brandon helped Sarah over the threshold. She was leaning on Brandon, but her eyes were locked on Ryan.