0 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Valencias POW Youre twenty Finally arent you exited Jaxon will probably propose at the banquet tonight Celeste chirped , bouncing up and down in excitement , her purple silk nightgown swishing around her legs . Twenty Im twenty ? The parting words of the woman flooded back to me with crystal clarity , and my eyes widened Its time for you to go back to the crossroad of your life and change your destiny So this was the crossroad of my life ? Which meant that what happened today would decide the course of my future My heart raced in my chest , and a wave of confusion rolled over ne , threatening to drown me . But … had I really , truly gone back in time ? Was this real ? Not just some vivid , horrible dream Hello ? Earth to Vi ? Celeste waved a hand in front of my face , her carefree smile plastered across her lips . What do you mean , wait ? Of course youre turning twenty ! Thats what Im saying . You wont be getting any younger . Its time you Hey ! Where are you going ? I ignored her rambling and stumbled over to the cupboard . This room it was familiar . The same iron wrought bed . The same wooden floors . The ivory cupboard . I was back in my bedroom from six years ago . And when I had looked into the mirror , it confirmed my worst or perhaps my most hopeful thought . Its real . Are you ignoring me ? Celestes voice pulled me from my thoughts , and I turned to see her standing there , looking at me with mild irritation . She was eighteen . Young , bubbly , and oh so innocent before she became the traitor I knew in my past life . My heart burned with anger , and disbelief , but I forced it down . She hasnt betrayed me yet . I reminded myself of that fact , trying to quiet the storm of rage swirling inside me . If I was really back in time , then the person standing in front of me wasnt the Celeste who had stolen everything from me yet . Yet 1 shook off the thought . No … I just dont feel well , I muttered , trying to find an excuse to get away from her . I think I should rest for a bit . But before I could make my escape , Celeste rushed toward me and threw her arms around me , her voice high pitched and whiny . What ? No , no , no ! Its your birthday ! You need to get dressed up ! How will Jaxon propose if he doesnt- I shoved her off me , a shiver of disgust crawling up my spine . The thought of Jaxon proposing , of that night … it made my skin crawl . I didnt care about his proposal . I didnt care about anything except figuring out what the hell was going on . Mind your manners , sister , I snapped , my voice hatsher than intended . Im feeling under the weather and will come down shortly . Just … leave me alone for a while Celeste stepped back , her eyes wide , and I saw the glisten of tears welling up . What is wrong with you today ? she asked, her lower lip trembling as she turned and fled the room , her tears streaming down her cheeks . For a moment , guilt pricked at me . I hadnt meant to lash out at her like that . She hadnt done anything yet . This version of Celeste didnt deserve my anger . 1/2 ue , Jan Chapter 3 A deep sigh escaped me as 1 stood there , alone . I didnt have time to wallow in misery . If I had really been rebor and that was my future then I would find out soon enough . I stripped out of my nightgown and stepped into the bathroom A low growl of frustration escaped my throat as memories of my twentieth birthday resurfaced . I quickly finished my shower . I wrapped myself in a towel and padded back into my bedroom , walking over to the wardrobe . me not because he didnt If this was real , if I had truly gone back , then tonight was the night Jaxon wouldnt propose t want to , but because his sister , Ana , would spill red wine all over by beige dress . I would cry and leave the banquet early , and then Jaxon would come to console me … and take my virginity in the process . The thought made my skin prickle with revulsion . That first night had been a painful blur . I had endured it because I loved him , never realizing it was only the beginning of the pain he would cause , Allowing him that night had been the start of life filled with suffering , enduring it again and again for his sake And then , e very next day , Jaxon had announced our engageinent . He hadnt asked . He had simply declared it as if it were his right , and 1 , naive and love struck , had accepted it . Id been hurt but happy , truly believing it was more than I deserved . I glanced at the beige dress hanging in my wardrobe and gulped . Not tonight . Not this time . My eyes landed on a small box hidden in the corner of my closet . Inside was a dress , one Id received as a gift for my sixteenth birthday . I had never worn it because it was too daring too revealing for the quiet , obedient Valencia I used to be . But tonight ? Tonight I would do things differently . I pulled the dress from the box , the wine red silk shimmering in the light . It clung to my body perfectly , the fabric hugging every curve and falling in a graceful train behind me . A slit ran up my thigh , giving the dress a dangerous edge I had never dared embrace before . I left my hair loose , letting it tumble down my shoulders , and grabbed the darkest , bloodiest shade of lipstick I could find . When I looked in the mirror again , I barely recognized myself . This is it . Taking a deep breath , I steeled myself and headed for the door . Little did I know , this small change would alter my entire future . In CrushReel's ongoing romance novel, "All the Wrong Reasons," the protagonist, Andrea, faces a pivotal choice: either write a sex column or risk losing her job due to her lack of experience in that area. Determined to succeed, Andrea embarks on a journey to explore this unfamiliar territory. 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