---- Chapter 6 On Saturday, Sarah stood in front of her full-length mirror. She wasn' t wearing the simple, dark dress she had planned to wear to my funeral. Instead, she had put on a stark, severe, high-collared black dress, the kind one might have worn in a much older, more formal era of mourning. Her face was pale, her lipstick a deep, dramatic red. She looked like an avenging angel of grief. She was going to the wedding first. No, Sarah, don' t, | tried to project, a silent scream from my ethereal prison. Just let it go. Let me go. But she couldn' t hear me. She picked up her clutch, her movements deliberate and resolute, and walked out the door. | had no choice but to follow, a helpless passenger on her mission of righteous fury. The Botanical Gardens were stunning. Flowers bloomed in a riot of color under a perfect blue sky. Guests in pastel dresses and light-colored suits mingled on a pristine lawn, sipping champagne. The air buzzed with happy, polite chatter. When Sarah walked in, a hush fell over the group closest to the entrance. It was like a black hole had appeared in the middle of their vibrant universe. People stared, their smiles faltering. They whispered behind their hands, their eyes wide ---- with shock and confusion. Sarah ignored them all, her gaze fixed on the front of the aisle where a nervous Chloe was talking to her wedding planner. Chloe saw her. Her face, already glowing with bridal radiance, clouded over with irritation. She excused herself and walked briskly toward Sarah. "Sarah, what in the world are you wearing?" she hissed, keeping her voice low so other guests wouldn't overhear. "Is this some kind of sick joke? You look like you' re going to a funeral." Sarah' s expression didn't change. Her voice was calm, almost unnervingly so. "That' s because | am," she said simply. Chloe stared at her, uncomprehending. "What are you talking about?" "After this, | m going to a funeral," Sarah repeated, enunciating each word with precision. "It's at two o' clock. It' s for Ethan." Chloe' s face went slack with shock, then hardened with disbelief and anger. "That is not funny, Sarah. That is the most twisted, horrible thing you could possibly say. You' re trying to ruin my wedding day. Did he put you up to this? Is this his pathetic attempt at revenge?" The accusation was so far from the truth, so deeply rooted in ---- her own narrative of my failure, that | felt a phantom ache where my heart used to be. Even in death, she saw me as petty and vindictive. Mark chose that moment to stride over, his face a mask of possessive concern. "Is everything alright, darling?" He glanced at Sarah' s funereal attire and sneered. "What is this? Some kind of performance art?" "She' s trying to ruin our day," Chloe said, her voice trembling with rage. She turned to Mark, seeking his validation. "She' s saying... she' s saying Ethan is dead." Mark laughed, a dismissive, ugly sound. "Don' t be ridiculous, Chloe. It' s a pathetic cry for attention. He' s probably hiding in the bushes somewhere, hoping you' Il come running." Chloe looked back at Sarah, her eyes filled with a new certainty, reinforced by Mark's confidence. "You need to leave. Now. I'm sorry | ever invited you. | should have known you' d try to pull something like this." She turned to Mark, her back to Sarah. "I'm sorry, honey. ' Il have security escort her out." She was apologizing to him. She was protecting his feelings from the news of my death. Sarah didn' t move. A small, bitter smile touched her lips. It was a smile of profound pity and sadness. She knew it was useless. Chloe was too far gone, too insulated by her new life and the man who was propping it up. The wedding planner called Chloe' s name. It was time. The ---- ceremony was about to begin. Chloe gave Sarah one last, withering glare. She started to say something else, a final, cutting remark. But she stopped. Her eyes met Sarah' s, and for a fraction of a second, a flicker of doubt, of pure, cold fear, crossed her face. She saw the absolute conviction in Sarah' s gaze. She saw that this wasn't a joke. But the music was starting. The guests were taking their seats. Her future was waiting for her at the altar. Chloe turned her back on Sarah, on the truth, and walked away to become Mrs. Mark Johnson.