Chapter 1

For six months after our engagement, James Carter handled every aspect of the wedding preparations himself.

He got me a six-figure wedding dress and booked an island venue. Everything was top-tier and custom-made.

Everyone said I was lucky, that I'd been set up with a once-in-a-lifetime, deeply devoted man like James.

But when I tried on that handcrafted wedding dress, I couldn't get the zipper up no matter what I did.

The store manager awkwardly suggested I lose some weight, saying James had instructed that the dress had to be made to his ex-wife's measurements.

I was stunned for a moment, then casually looked up the high-end wedding company that was on the verge of bankruptcy.

The company was owned by his ex-wife, Emily Bennett, who had dumped him two years ago because she wanted a richer life.

Before I could process it, I heard James outside, chatting with his buddy on the phone.

He said, "The money has been put in her company account. That should solve her urgent problem.

"Doesn't matter who the bride is. As long as the wedding goes exactly the way she wanted back then, that'll finally make her dream come true."

It turned out that all those millions and his so-called tenderness were just a front. To him, I was nothing but a placeholder.

I looked at myself in the mirror, struggling to breathe in that dress, and all I could think was how absurd this whole thing was.

Life was too short to waste on this.

I was not going to hang around and make things harder for him.

*****

"James, you're dropping millions to bail out Emily's wedding company that's about to go under. If Sophia finds out, she's gonna flip out," someone said.

The door was half open, and I could hear his childhood friend Michael Reed's voice, lowered, outside the fitting room.

"She won't," James replied.

His voice was as gentle as ever, but there was that unmistakable confidence, as if he had everything under control.

"Sophia is sensible. She knows I value loyalty," he added. "Besides, the money has been put in Emily's company account. That should get her out of trouble."

"But the wedding dress size. There's no way Sophia can fit into it." Michael hesitated, his voice uncertain.

James let out a soft laugh, the crisp sound of a lighter flicking open in the background. "Doesn't matter who the bride is. As long as the wedding goes exactly the way she wanted back then, that'll finally make her dream come true.

"Emily designed the dress herself. If we change the size, it'll mess up the whole design.

"Just have Sophia drop a few pounds. Women will go through anything to fit into a wedding dress. Convincing them is almost too easy."

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the fitting room.

The woman staring back at me looked pale, the angry red welts on her back impossible to miss.

The store manager stood off to the side, holding a measuring tape, looking at me like she didn't know what to do.

I grabbed my old coat from the sofa, draped it over my shoulders, and pushed open the half-closed door.

The conversation in the hallway came to an abrupt halt.

Michael's face froze, and he hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

James turned around, his expression calm as he walked over to me.

His eyes landed on the coat I was wearing, and he frowned for a moment before his expression relaxed again. "Why didn't you come out and show me?"

He stepped closer, instinctively tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his touch so gentle it was impossible to find fault with.

"The zipper won't go up," I said softly, meeting his gaze.

"The manager said the dress was made to Ms. Bennett's measurements," I added.

James's fingers paused for a moment, but his smile didn't fade.

He turned to the manager, his tone still gentle, but there was a subtle pressure behind it that made it impossible to argue. "Didn't I say the cut of this dress can't be changed?"

The manager nodded frantically, clearly nervous. "Yes, Mr. Carter, that's why I suggested Ms. Lane..."

"Sophia," James said, turning to face me and placing his hands on my shoulders. "The cut of this dress is top-tier. If we alter it, it'll ruin the silhouette.

"The wedding is only two weeks away. Maybe try to cut back a little?"

He looked at me, his eyes filled with tenderness and hope.

It was as if fitting into his ex-wife's size was meant to be some kind of gift to me.

Michael forced a couple of awkward chuckles, trying to smooth things over. "Yeah, Sophia. James dropped six figures on this custom-made, handcrafted dress.

"Just go easy on the food for a bit, and you'll be the most stunning bride at the wedding."

I lowered my gaze, staring at James's hands resting on my shoulders.

Half a year ago, he promised me a perfect home.

But it turned out that all he wanted was a flawless wedding ceremony.

And I was a convenient stand-in, a prop to fill the role in his perfect script.

"Alright," I said quietly, looking up at James. "I'll try to lose weight."

James grinned, looking satisfied, and dropped a soft kiss on my forehead. "I knew you'd be so sensible."

He turned to the manager and told her to wrap up the dress, then grabbed my hand and led me out.

"Come on, let's hit your favorite restaurant," he said. "But today, it's salad for you. Gotta tough it out for our wedding, okay?"

I didn't pull my hand away. I simply let myself be led out of the bridal shop.