She gawked at me like I’d lost my mind. “You can’t be serious. If you cancel now, we’re not refunding you.”
I nodded without a word and walked out of the fitting room.
That night, back home, my phone buzzed with a series of angry messages.
Unknown number: [Feeling high and mighty, huh? Must be nice being a mistress, tossing out a dress worth thousands like it’s trash.]
It took me a moment to process the accusation before I realized the texts were from the sales assistant.
Unknown number: [Karma will catch up to you.]
Unknown number: [You better think twice before life catches up with you.]
I couldn’t help but laugh. I replied by sending her a photo of my engagement picture with Silas.
This time, she didn’t text back.
I thought that was the end of it… until the next day, when Silas and Elyse’s names started trending online.
[Shocking! Crowe Holdings CEO caught cheating with his divorced secretary. Scandal at bridal shop!]
Curious, I clicked on the article. Attached was a video. The thumbnail alone was enough to make my stomach churn… It was footage from that bridal
02
The video was only ten seconds long, but the impact was devastating. The people in it? Silas and Elyse.
Elyse was wearing a wedding gown, the one I’d tried on yesterday… and Silas had her pressed against the wall, kissing her with reckless abandon.
They kissed like two people in the throes of a passionate affair, utterly oblivious to everything else.
I gripped my phone tightly, my eyes fixed on the gown Elyse was wearing. It was mine.
In that instant, everything clicked.
The sales assistant calling me a mistress. The too–large waistline on the dress. Silas‘ indifference about seeing the gown.
It all made sense because he’d already been there. Elyse had already worn it.
A wave of nausea hit me, and I barely managed to reach the trash can before I started vomiting.
The phone on the table rang, its shrill tone cutting through the silence. One glance at the screen made my stomach churn again.
It was Silas.
I wanted to ignore it, but he kept calling. Annoyed, I finally answered.
“Nina, I can explain,” Silas said hurriedly. “I was drunk. I thought she was you, I swear. Please believe me. We’re innocent. Nothing’s going on between us,” he added, his tone frantic. “Don’t misunderstand, alright? Nina, I’ll cut off all contact with Elyse. Just… let’s forget this ever happened.”
His voice was filled with urgency, almost desperation.
I forced down the bile rising in my throat and replied evenly, “I know you wouldn’t cross the line, Silas. I believe you.”
There was no point in arguing since I was leaving tomorrow.
Silas let out a relieved sigh. “I knew you’d understand, Nina. That’s why I love you. You’re the best. Stay home tonight, okay? I’ll come back early and make your favorite ribs for dinner.”
Ribs.
For five years, Silas had thought ribs were my favorite food. They weren’t. Elyse loved them.
He had taken her preferences and projected them onto me. And I had let him.
But I was done being the substitute.
Just then, Lila called, giving me the perfect excuse to end the conversation.
Lila told me the plane tickets were ready, and we were leaving that night. “Start packing,” she said firmly.
“Got it,” I replied.
After hanging up, I slipped off the engagement ring Silas had given me and placed it on the table, right on top of my pregnancy test results and
abortion records.
