Stuck at Twenty-Eight

I owned a watch that could rewind time by exactly five minutes.

On my twenty-eighth birthday, my husband was reportedly killed in a car crash on his way to buy my birthday cake. Desperate to save him, I pulled that forgotten watch from the depths of my closet.

But five minutes was such a terribly short window.

To save him, I had to rewind time over and over, crashing and bleeding in the process. Finally, on my thirtieth attempt, I pushed my car to one hundred and twenty miles per hour, timed the brakes with absolute precision, and managed to intercept his vehicle before the collision occurred.

But when the driver-side window rolled down, Dominic merely looked me up and down with a sneer.

"You really are pathetic, Sienna. You actually ruined your own face just to save me."

"Well, look at you now. Let us see how you plan to compete against Melody for the pageant crown."

I stood frozen in the cold air, suddenly remembering the terrible cost of the watch.

Every single activation fast-forwarded my biological clock by one year.

I had used it fifty times in total over my life. Fifty years had been stripped away in a matter of hours.

At twenty-eight, I had suddenly become a seventy-eight-year-old woman.

"You... you did this on purpose?"

"Of course," Dominic said, leaning back in his seat. "Melody wanted to win the crown, but you have held the title for ten consecutive years. This was the only way to get you out of the competition."

He offered a cold, smug smile.

"It is a good thing you told me about that watch five years ago. Otherwise, we could never have pulled off such a seamless plan."

I had shared the secret of the watch with him during our third year of marriage. To help him secure a critical business merger, I had used the watch three times, a strain that had cost us our first unborn child.

When he found out, he had wept, holding me close and begging me never to touch the watch again. He swore he would work day and night to build a life for us so I would never have to sacrifice myself. True to his word, he spent the next few years climbing the corporate ladder, and the watch was buried deep in our closet.

Yet now, he had used my own life as a pawn to elevate another woman.

"Weren't you afraid I wouldn't be able to save you?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "Even with the watch, my physical limits are human. What if I had failed?"

He gave a soft, amused chuckle.

"I was never in any danger, Sienna."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an empty, theatrical blood pack. The hospital notification and the crash had all been carefully staged.

It was nothing but a grand performance designed to drain my youth.

"Do not look so miserable," Dominic said, reaching out to pat my withered cheek. "Even if you look like this, you are still my wife. That will not change for the next few decades."

Decades?

He assumed only my appearance had changed. He did not understand that my internal organs had also aged to seventy-eight. I did not have decades left. My body would soon succumb to the natural decay of old age.

Before I could speak, Dominic opened the car door and walked past me, his eyes lighting up.

"Melody."

I turned slowly, my stiff joints aching.

Melody threw herself into Dominics arms, sobbing as she playfully hit his chest.

"Dominic! You scared me to death! I thought something had actually happened to you!"

Dominic wiped her tears away with a look of pure devotion.

"It is alright, sweetheart. Look what I bought for you."

He opened the trunk, and a bundle of colorful balloons floated into the air, revealing a beautiful cake.

"It is your favorite mango flavor. I drove all the way to the bakery on the east side to get it."

Melody blushed, leaning against his shoulder.

"You are so bad. Who said I was your wife?"

The cake had never been meant for me. The words I love you, my beautiful wife written in frosting had been meant for her all along.

I clutched my hands tightly, forcing my tears back.

Melody finally noticed me, her eyes widening in mock horror.

"Is that... Sienna? Why do you look so hideous?"

She turned to Dominic, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Dominic, I only joked about wanting her to lose her beauty, but you actually turned her into this. She looks so old, it is almost sickening."

Dominic pulled Melody into his chest, covering her eyes with his hand as he glared at me.

"You are offending Melody. Apologize to her."

A cold, bitter laugh escaped my throat.

"I will not."

"Sienna, I am ordering you to apologize. If you refuse, I will not help you settle your traffic violations."

"Driving at one hundred and twenty miles per hour on public roads will get your license revoked, and you will likely face jail time. Good luck rebuilding your life with a criminal record."

During my thirty attempts to save him, I had driven like a maniac, nearly dying in several of the timelines. Now, the very act of saving his life was being used as blackmail.

"I said no!"

Dominic pulled out his phone, preparing to call the precinct. I did not move, looking at him with quiet disdain.

"Go ahead and make the call. But if I am locked up, Melody can forget about winning the pageant."

Having won the crown for ten consecutive years, I held significant influence within the committee. Dominic, despite his wealth, had no real connections in that circle. Otherwise, he would not have resorted to such extreme measures.

Dominic paused, his finger hovering over the screen, before slowly slipping the phone back into his pocket.

That single hesitation caused my tears to spill over. For Melodys sake, he could not bear even a fraction of a risk.

Only true devotion makes a man cautious.

Melody burst into a giggle behind his back.

"Are you serious, Sienna? Have you looked in a mirror lately? Who would believe that a wrinkled old woman was once the beauty of the city? If you show up at the venue, people will think you are the cleaning lady."

Looking at my dry, wrinkled hands, I raised my arm to slap her. Even if my youth was gone, I was still Sienna.

But Dominic caught my wrist effortlessly. He squeezed my hand, shoving me back onto the asphalt.

"Do you still think you are the queen of Bay Harbor? Look at yourself. You are not even fit to carry Melodys shoes."

Melody offered me a smug, victorious smile from behind his shoulder.

My palm scraped against a sharp stone on the ground, and the sharp sting made me sob openly.

Dominics cold expression softened for a fraction of a second, but the emotion vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He reached over to the passenger door, peeled off the custom decal that read Siennas Seat, and ushered Melody inside.

Three years ago, an assistant had tried to sit in that seat. Dominic had coldly ordered her out of the car, fired her on the spot, and spent ten minutes sterilizing the leather before allowing me to sit.

Now, he looked down at me with sneering indifference.

"You actually know how to cry, Sienna? I thought someone as arrogant as you was incapable of feeling pain."

How could I not feel pain?

Years ago, when he was hospitalized with severe gastric bleeding from constant corporate drinking, I had wept by his bedside. He had taken my hand, offering a pale smile.

"Sienna, I will protect you for the rest of our lives. I will never let you shed another tear."

Now, my tears only irritated him.

Dominic hauled me up by my collar and shoved me into the dark trunk of his car.

After what felt like an eternity in the cramped space, the car finally came to a halt. When the trunk opened, I realized we were at the backstage entrance of the pageant finals.

Dominic dragged me out into the light, immediately attracting a crowd of reporters and photographers.

"This is Sienna," Dominic announced loudly.

The cameras flashed rapidly, capturing my wrinkled face.

"My goodness! What happened to the reigning queen? She looks older than my grandmother! Melody is definitely going to win tonight!"

"This is a massive scoop! Keep filming!"

"Miss Sienna, as a ten-year champion, what right do you have to step onto the stage looking like this?"

I covered my face, trying to shrink away from the blinding lights. Instinctively, I looked for Dominic, the man who had always shielded me from the media in the past. But he had already stepped in front of Melody, protecting her from the crowd just as he used to protect me.

"Look, her husband does not even care about her anymore! Get closer, we need the front-page shot!"

Someone tripped me in the chaos, and I crashed heavily onto the floor. The reporters immediately crowded over me, pointing their lenses at my face.

"She looks terrible up close!"

"Look at those wrinkles, how disgusting!"

Their cruel whispers washed over me like a tide.

Then, Dominics cold voice cut through the noise.

"Sienna will be competing tonight as scheduled."

The room fell silent.

I knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted me to stand beside Melody as a hideous foil to guarantee her victory.

When we reached the dressing rooms, I saw that my private vanity had already been relabeled with Melodys name. She was already seated inside, having her makeup done.

Ignoring my injuries, I limped over to her.

"This is my dressing room. Get out."

"Are you joking?" Melody laughed, not even turning around. "Do you honestly think you still need makeup? How many pounds of powder would it take to fill the cracks on your face?"

The staff in the room snickered, whispering behind their hands.

I reached out to grab her arm to pull her from the chair, but I was no longer the strong, youthful woman I once was. Melody pushed me away with ease, sending me sprawling onto the floor.

"You are nothing now, Sienna. Everything you have belongs to me."

Melody stepped forward, the heel of her shoe grinding heavily into my right hand.

A sharp, agonizing scream escaped my throat.

Hearing the noise, Dominic rushed into the room. Before he could speak, Melody quickly slapped her own cheek, her eyes filling with tears.

"Dominic, Sienna said I stole her room and tried to hurt me. Is this her room? I will leave if it makes her happy."

Her fragile act immediately stopped Dominic from coming to my aid. His brief look of concern turned into cold anger. He dragged me up from the floor, forcing my face toward the mirror.

"Look at yourself, Sienna!"

He held my head in place, forcing me to stare at the wrinkled, white-haired old woman in the glass.

"Accept reality. You are ancient now. Your body is practically ready for the grave."

"You cannot compete with Melody."

My reflection swam in my tears.

"But, Dominic... you gave me this dressing room as an anniversary gift," I whispered, my voice breaking.

A fleeting look of guilt crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve.

"Melody likes it."

"Besides, you will have no use for a dressing room after tonight. I will buy you something else."

"Melody, come here. Give her the slap she deserves."

He kept his grip on my head.

"I did not touch her!" I cried out.

"Do you expect me to believe that? You have always been too proud to let anyone take what is yours."

With a smug grin, Melody stepped forward and delivered a hard slap to my face. My cheek instantly burned and swelled.

Dominic let go of me, retrieving an ice pack to soothe Melodys face.

I was forced onto the stage without any styling or a proper gown. When I looked at Melody, I realized she was wearing the custom French gown Dominic had ordered for me months ago. It fit her perfectly.

I offered a quiet, bitter smile. The dress had never been sized for me in the first place.

When the music began, my appearance threw the host into an awkward silence. Melody glided down the runway like a graceful swan, while I limped beside her like a withered shadow.

The audience began to murmur, and soon, angry shouts erupted.

"We paid to see beauty, not this ancient relic! Refund our tickets!"

The demands for refunds echoed through the hall.

As we turned to walk back, Melody subtly stuck her foot out. Lost in my own despair, I tripped and fell flat on my face in front of the entire crowd.

Plastic bottles and trash began raining down on me from the stands. My vision blurred, and the world faded to black.

When I opened my eyes, Dominic was standing over me with a dark, impatient look.

"Where is your watch?"

Melody was sobbing softly beside him.

"Sienna, I need you to rewind time so Melody can win the final interview segment."

They assumed the pageant was decided solely by looks, but the final interview carried significant weight. Even without me, Melodys empty-headed answers would have cost her the crown.

"I will not do it, Dominic."

My body could not handle another activation.

"You have no choice. Melody has dreamed of this crown her entire life, and I will make sure she gets it."

Ignoring my protests, Dominic began searching my pockets until he found the silver watch.

"Dominic, if I use it again, I will die!"

His hand paused.

"I have already used up too much of my life! Another rewind will kill me!"

Dominic froze, looking down at me with a flicker of hesitation. But Melodys weeping grew louder.

"If she does not want to help, she should just say so. There is no need to make up such ridiculous lies. You are only twenty-eight, Sienna. How could a simple watch kill you?"

"Dominic is only being gentle because he pities you."

The hesitation in Dominics eyes vanished, replaced by cold annoyance. He forced the watch into my hand.

"Stop lying, Sienna. You are only throwing a tantrum because you are afraid I will leave you now that you are old. Do this for me, and we will go home and live our lives."

He pressed a sharp safety pin into my left palm.

"You only need to go back five minutes. You will be unconscious backstage. Use this pin to wake yourself up, then go straight to the judges. You have worked with them for years; they will change the scores for you."

"Melody is only half a point behind the leader. It will be easy."

He had planned everything so perfectly. Yet he had never once considered the price I would have to pay.

"Even if it costs me my life, you still want me to do this?" I asked, the pin digging into my flesh until a drop of blood appeared.

Dominic avoided my gaze.

"You are not going to die. I still love you, Sienna. We will grow old together."

He wrapped his fingers around my hand, forcing my thumb onto the crown of the watch, and twisted it.

The temporal shift began.

Every time Melody failed to secure the top spot, Dominic forced me to rewind again.

One time. Two times.

By the tenth activation, a copper taste filled my mouth, and I coughed up a dark pool of blood. Dominic looked startled, but after a moment, he pushed my hand back onto the watch.

Finally, on the fifteenth attempt, the judges yielded to my desperate pleas and altered the scores.

Melody was announced as the winner.

I collapsed onto the cold concrete backstage, every ounce of my life force drained. Looking at the silhouette of Dominic and Melody embracing under the stage lights, I let out a soft, rattling sigh.

"Goodbye, Dominic."

Blood began to trickle from my eyes, nose, and mouth. My heart gave one final, weak shudder and stopped.

Dominic slowly released Melody, turning back to look at me. Seeing me lying motionless on the floor, he frowned, assuming I was still playing the victim.

"The judges told me you got her the scores, Sienna. You did well. Now stop pretending and get up."

When I did not move, a sudden chill seemed to strike him.

His face drained of color as he slowly knelt beside me, his hands trembling as he reached out to turn me over.