My Love is Dead

Serena's POV

Sunlight streamed through the church's stained glass windows onto the altar, casting colored shadows across my white wedding dress. I stood there, facing David, forcing myself to maintain the perfect bridal smile.

This isn't what I want.

All the guests' eyes were on me, each pair expecting to witness this "perfect" wedding. Mom sat in the front row, tears of satisfaction glistening in her eyes—she had finally married her daughter off to a "suitable" man. A doctor, stable, promising.

But he's not the one I love.

David wore a navy blue suit, his broad shoulders filling out the jacket perfectly. He smiled at me with genuine love in his eyes. For a whole year, he had been so patient, waiting for me to emerge from the shadows.

If only I could love him.

My lips curved upward stiffly while my heart felt encased in ice. This wedding had been my parents' arrangement from the start. I was like an exquisite porcelain doll, positioned here, ready to speak vows I didn't believe in.

The minister's solemn voice echoed through the church. "Serena Taylor, do you take David Harrison to be your lawfully wedded husband..."

My breathing became rapid. My chest tightened, as if something was pressing down on me.

I can't do this. I really can't do this.

"...in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer..."

Each word hammered against my chest. I thought of him, thought of the one who would never come back.

"...till death do you part?"

"I..."

Just as I was about to betray my heart and say "I do," I caught movement in the back of the church from the corner of my eye. That motion made my world freeze instantly.

No. Impossible.

I turned my head, looking through my white veil toward the back row. A man was standing with his back to me, slowly walking toward the side exit.

That silhouette...

My heart stopped beating. The world began spinning violently.

Impossible. This can't be.

The bouquet slipped from my hands, white roses scattering across the floor.

"Serena?" David's concerned voice reached me.

But I couldn't hear anymore. My world contained only that disappearing figure. Three years—for three years I had seen this silhouette in countless dreams.

That's Shawn. I'm certain that's Shawn.

"Oh my God..." I whispered trembling, "Impossible..."

Guests began whispering among themselves, murmurs rising like a tide. I felt their shocked gazes, but everything became blurred.

If I don't chase after him now, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.

I dropped my bouquet, lifted my skirt, and rushed toward the back.

"Serena! What are you doing—" David shouted in shock.

My high heels clicked urgently against the marble floor, the white train flying behind me. Guests gasped, chairs toppled, someone pulled out their phone to record.

I don't care. I don't care about anything.

I burst out of the church, the setting sun stabbing my eyes. Several cars were leaving the parking lot.

"Wait!" I screamed toward the parking lot, "Please wait!"

But there was only my own echo and distant engine sounds.

I kicked off my heels and ran barefoot across the asphalt. Sharp pebbles dug into my feet, but I felt no pain. I just searched desperately, tears blurring my vision.

Where? Where is he?

"Shawn!" I screamed hysterically, "Shawn, if it's really you, please don't leave me!"

Then, the taillights of a yellow taxi caught my eye, slowly pulling away at the exit. There was a blurry figure in the window, but the distance was too far—I couldn't see clearly.

Is it him?

"NO! Don't go!" I sprinted frantically, but the dragging train tripped me.

I crashed hard onto the asphalt, my knees and palms scraping against the rough surface, searing pain spreading instantly. Blood seeped through my wedding dress, but I ignored the injuries and struggled to get up and continue chasing.

The taxi had already merged into traffic, completely disappearing into the sunset.

I collapsed to my knees in the middle of the parking lot, feeling my entire world crumble.

I lost him. I lost him again.

Despair flooded over me like a tide, and I sobbed with my head in my hands. The tearing pain in my chest made it almost impossible to breathe.

"Serena!" My best friend Brianna rushed out, David close behind.

Brianna reached me first, gasping when she saw my injuries and pulling me into her arms. "Oh my God, you're bleeding! What happened?"

"It's him!" I grabbed her arm, "It's Shawn! He's back! He's ALIVE!"

Brianna stared at me in shock, David's eyes widening too.

"Did you see him?" I shook her frantically, then turned to David, "That man just now? That taxi?"

Brianna looked around confused, shaking her head. "Serena, I didn't see anything..." Her voice was full of concern, "There's no one else here."

"NO!" I screamed, "It's Shawn! I saw him! He was in the taxi! He came back!"

David crouched down, checking my injuries. His expression was complex—worried but also carrying some kind of heavy weight.

"I saw him." I insisted, my voice hoarse and trembling, "I know it sounds crazy, but I really saw him. That silhouette... it was Shawn. He came back!"

An hour later, we sat in the hotel's private lounge. I slumped on the couch, my ruined wedding dress spread around me. A doctor had treated my wounds, but there was no medicine for the pain in my heart. Brianna handed me water, but my hands were still shaking.

The wedding was completely ruined. The guests had all left—some shaking their heads in sympathy, others gossiping about the "crazy bride."

But I didn't give a damn.

"Serena," David sat across from me, his expression serious, "do you really believe what you saw back there was Shawn?"

"I'm certain." I nodded, my voice hoarse, "I know it sounds insane, but I know what I saw. That silhouette, that familiar feeling..."

"Serena, honey," Brianna gently stroked my hand, "maybe the wedding stress made you hallucinate..."

"It wasn't a hallucination!" I interrupted her, tears streaming again, "It was Shawn! I KNOW it was him! He came back!"

After a long silence, David took a deep breath. "If you're absolutely certain you saw him..."

He paused, looking at me with complex eyes.

"But Shawn is dead... isn't he?"