Sebastian Pena hates me for a whole decade after his true love's death. I try to please him at every turn, but he merely scoffs. "If you really want to make me happy, you should go to hell."

That hits hard. However, when a truck hurtles toward me, Sebastian throws himself at me. He saves me, but he dies in a pool of his blood.

Before he breathes his last breath, he looks into my eyes and says, "If only… I'd never met you…"

His mother is devastated at his funeral. "I should've given Sebastian and Gillian my blessings. I should never have forced him to marry you!"

His father resents me. "Sebastian saved you three times—he was a good person. Why weren't you the one who died?"

Everyone regrets having Sebastian marry me, myself included. I'm kicked out of the funeral.

Three years later, someone invents a time machine, and I travel back in time.

This time, I'm going to sever all ties with Sebastian. Everyone will get the happiness they deserve.

The time machine exploded into a blinding light. I squeezed my eyes shut, but suddenly, I heard Sebastian Pena's mocking voice close to my ear.

"My parents are practically threatening to kill themselves if I don't marry you, Sienna Rowse. You must be proud of yourself.

"But even if we go through with this wedding, what do you think you'll actually get out of it? Do you think we're going to be happy?"

My eyes snapped open, and there he was—Sebastian, standing right in front of me.

His hands were tucked casually into the pockets of his dress pants. Despite his lazy posture, the mockery flashing in his eyes was impossible to miss.

The Sebastian I knew in the future was poised and dignified, but the boy in front of me still carried the careless, untamed energy of youth, a look I hadn't seen in what felt like forever.

My nose stung with emotion.

The time machine had worked. I was back in the past.

But something had gone wrong—it hadn't taken me to the moment we first met.

Instead, I was standing at the spot from thirteen years ago, on the day Sebastian and I were about to get married.

At least it wasn't too late to change things.

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and stared at him greedily, trying to soak in every detail.

"Sebastian, you don't want to marry me because the person you really love is Gillian Brown, right?"

Maybe I hit a nerve. His body stiffened for a split second before he looked at me coldly and said, "Yeah, but so what? We're already standing outside the city hall. Do you think there's still a way to back out?"

I nodded honestly. "There is."

Sebastian let out a cold laugh. "I don't have time for your mind games. Just sign the papers, get the marriage certificate, and be done with it. I'll be waiting outside."

Watching him walk away, I felt like I was being stabbed with a thousand needles.

In both my past and present lives, I had loved Sebastian for many years.

He had risked everything to save me twice, and I had foolishly believed it meant he had feelings for me too.

Even Sebastian's parents had encouraged me.

"Sebastian's got a soft heart but a sharp tongue. If he didn't love you, why would he risk his life for you twice?" they had said.

I had believed them and happily married him.

It wasn't until his first love died that I realized I was never the one he loved.

The crushing words he said before he died, that he wished he had never met me, broke me completely.

My ten years of love had been ten years of torment for him.

Before I turned the dial on the time machine, someone had warned me. Only by fulfilling Sebastian's three greatest regrets could I break the toxic bond between us.

If I succeeded, he would no longer die because of me at 30. After that, we could finally live the peaceful lives we both deserved.

I lowered my head and wrote down Gillian's name on the marriage license application instead of mine.

I remembered clearly what Sebastian had once written in his journal, the three regrets that haunted him.

Regretting marrying Sienna. Regretting not standing up to his parents. Regretting not saving Gillian.

Today, at least, I had helped him fix the first one.

Holding two copies of the marriage certificate, I walked out the door. Sebastian was waiting for me just outside.

Without thinking, he reached for the papers in my hands, flipping one open to look. But I quickly grabbed his hand, stopping him.

I gave Sebastian a gentle smile.

"Sebastian, check it tomorrow. There'll be a surprise," I said softly.

His eyes landed on me, his brows knitting together. "You're acting weird today. Are you so happy to marry me that you've gone crazy?"

Honestly, it was something to be happy about.

Because I finally got to see you alive again.

I smiled and said, "I think you're the best person in the world. Anyone who marries you will be very lucky."

He let out a cold laugh and turned away. If I hadn't known he didn't love me, I might have thought he was just shy.

Just then, I heard a young couple nearby chatting excitedly.

"There's gonna be a once-in-a-century meteor shower tonight! Legend has it that couples who watch it together will stay in love forever. Let's go see it, babe!"

My steps slowed.

I remembered that on this same day in my previous life, I had clung to a small, selfish hope that maybe Sebastian could fall in love with me if we watched the meteor shower together.

But all I got in return were his cold, cutting words. He had said, "A couple who's just going through the motions watches a meteor shower, and you think that'll make it real?

"By that logic, if the whole world watched it together, there wouldn't be a single unhappy marriage. What kind of fantasy are you living in?"

This time, I didn't dare to hope anymore.

But to my surprise, Sebastian suddenly spoke. "If you want to see the meteor shower, I'll go with you. But don't even think about a honeymoon. Work's busy. I won't have time."

I looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to offer first. But then, almost immediately, I understood.

Sebastian might have had a sharp tongue, but he had always been kind at heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life to save me three different times.

The first time was when I was 18. I had been mugged in an alley, and he stepped in to save me. He took a knife to his right hand, and the injury damaged his radial nerve.

After that, he could never lift heavy objects again, and his dream of becoming a pianist was crushed forever.

The second time was during the earthquake. We were trapped together under the rubble.

He tricked me into eating the last of the food and water, giving me the only chance at survival. If the rescue team had arrived even a little later, he would have died in that debris.

The third time, when a huge truck came barreling toward us, he pulled me into his arms without hesitation.

Shards of flying glass pierced the back of his head, but because he held me so tightly, I walked away with nothing more than a few scratches.

He had risked his life for me three times. How could I ever hope to stop loving him?

Sebastian didn't wait for my answer. Growing impatient, he said, "Well? Are you coming to see the meteor shower or not?"

Snapping back to reality, I gave him a bright smile. "Sure. Tonight, we'll watch the meteor shower together."

Only then did Sebastian's frown finally ease.

He flagged down a taxi.

"I'll drop you off at home first. I'll come pick you up later, and we'll head to the observatory," he said.

Just then, his phone rang. After answering, his brow immediately furrowed.

"Gillian hurt her hand. I'm gonna go check on her. You head home by yourself, okay?"

I nodded. "Alright."

He looked at me, surprised. "You used to hate it when I went to see her. What, you had a change of heart?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but he let out a cold laugh before I could.

"Right. I guess it doesn't matter anymore. We're married now, so she's no threat to you. Text me when you get home. I'm heading out."

He climbed into the car and left, never once seeing the disappointment and bitter smile on my face.

The truth was, I had never really tried to stop him from caring about Gillian.

It was just that one time, Sebastian's parents and I had accidentally witnessed Gillian kissing a much older man.

After digging a little deeper, we found out she had long been kept by different sugar daddies.

Only then had I tried desperately to keep Sebastian from getting too involved with her.

But he never knew. Even after Gillian's death, he spent ten whole years drowning in guilt and grief.

If I had to choose, I would rather see him together with Gillian than watch him suffer endless pain and, in the end, die because of me.

Guilt and self-reproach could crush a person completely.

I let out a sigh, went to the school to secure my recommendation for direct admission, then headed home.

Sebastian's parents had already prepared a table full of food. When June Tucker, Sebastian's mother, saw me walk in, she happily grabbed my hands.

"Sia, you're back already? Got your marriage certificate that fast? Where's Sebastian? Why didn't he come home with you?"

"He had some work come up at the office, Mrs. Pena. He had to go take care of it," I answered.

She frowned, clearly displeased. "That boy, today's such an important day, and he still can't put work aside."

Sebastian's father, Callum Pena, just laughed. "Being career-focused isn't a bad thing. They're married now anyway. A family dinner can happen any time."

June muttered under her breath, obviously unhappy.

Watching this warm, familiar scene unfold in front of me, my eyes stung with emotion.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pena, Sebastian and I didn't get the certificate. I've completed my paperwork for studying abroad. I'm planning to leave in a few days," I said.

June looked stunned.

"What do you mean you didn't get the certificate? Did Sebastian bully you? He's all talk, but deep down, he cares about you a lot, you know.

"We've seen how you stayed by his side, studying psychology all on your own just to help him through his hard times. Your feelings for him were always real.

"You two love each other. Of course, you should be together! Besides, you know better than anyone that Gillian is no good. We can't just sit back and let her get her way!"

Callum quickly chimed in, "Sebastian's just stubborn. Once you marry him, he'll come around eventually."

Their words sounded all too familiar. They had said the same things once before.

But in the end, forcing things only led to regret for all of us.

I gently grabbed June's hand and said softly, "Please don't get upset. Let me explain first. As much as I hate to admit it, you can't force love. Sebastian… he never really loved me.

"Last night, I had a dream. In it, Sebastian and I got married, but he refused to come home to me. He buried himself in work at the office, day after day, until he gave himself stomach ulcers.

"Even when I brought him soup to help him heal, he wouldn't touch it. He wouldn't let me take care of him.

"He said that being with me brought him more pain than happiness. And when he was 30, he died saving me from a runaway truck."

As I spoke, my chest tightened so much it felt hard to breathe.

June froze. "But… but it was just a dream, Sia. Sebastian would never—"

I sniffed and forced a smile onto my face.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pena, maybe dreams are a kind of warning. Maybe it's fate telling me that it's okay if he doesn't marry me. It's okay if we're not meant to be husband and wife.

"I just want him to live a long, happy life. The signs were always there. Sebastian loved music, and he hated the business world. He despised having his path chosen for him.

"If he hadn't injured his hand back then, he never would have gone into business. And if it weren't for family pressure, he never would have agreed to marry me.

"The root of it all… it was me. I was the mistake, and I don't want to keep making the same mistake again.

"I've already finalized my plans to study abroad, and I'll always remember your kindness. I promise, I'll still take care of you in the future."

June wiped at her eyes when she thought I wasn't looking. "You're a good kid. It's Sebastian's loss not to have you."

I pulled her into a hug. My own eyes had reddened, but I kept smiling anyway.

"It's okay. If I can't be your daughter-in-law, I'll just be your daughter. I'll still take care of you both, no matter what," I whispered.

Finally, Sebastian's parents managed a watery smile, and in the end, they agreed to let me go.

I thought about the second wish Sebastian had written in his journal. Maybe for now, this counted as fulfilling it.

The time machine would only let me stay here for 36 hours. And now, I had just one last regret left to fix. Would I be able to do it?

As night fell, I made my way alone to the observatory.

It was the perfect place to watch the meteor shower. I leaned against the railing, unable to stop a faint sense of anticipation from blooming inside me.