Chapter 3

I checked my phone. It was just one in the morning.

I went to the living room to get myself some water.

The lights were still on, and Chubby was lying there, looking like he was asleep. Wyatt was nowhere to be seen.

I poured myself a glass of water, and just as I was about to finish it, I heard the sound of water running from the bathroom.

I walked over and tried to listen more carefully, because it sounded like there were voices mixed in with the running water.

The room was pretty soundproof, so I couldn't really hear what was going on. I called out, "Wyatt, are you in there?"

The voices inside abruptly cut off, and just as I was about to reach for the door.

The door opened from the inside.

Wyatt stepped out, and Lucy was right behind him.

"What were you guys up to in there?" I asked.

Lucy flashed me a relaxed smile. "I slipped on the way back, and my clothes were covered in mud. I just wanted to wash up, but your faucet suddenly exploded. Wyatt's in there trying to fix the mess."

Lucy was soaked through, her dress caked with mud.

Wyatt was drenched, too, water dripping from his hair and face.

"Honey, we need to get someone to fix the pipe at our place tomorrow," Wyatt said.

"Okay, I'll call property management in the morning," I replied.

Honestly, I didn't think much of it. Lucy and I had been best friends for years.

Plus, she had never been into guys like Wyatt anyway.

I hurried to get Lucy some fresh clothes to change into, and Wyatt headed to our room to change as well.

After she was dressed, Lucy took Chubby and started heading back home. I asked Wyatt to walk her back.

Wyatt was slouched on the couch, gaming, clearly not thrilled. "Boss lady's orders, how could I say no?"

"Alright, you two, stop flaunting your couple vibes in front of me," Lucy teased.

"Alright, I'm off, Alice. I'll come by tomorrow if I get the chance," Lucy said.

I nodded, smiling and waving goodbye.

Five minutes after they left, I walked over to the window.

From afar, I saw nothing was going on between them, no flirting, no weird vibes. I shook my head. I was just overthinking things again.

Lucy seemed super busy, and the next day she dropped Chubby off at my place again. I really wanted to say no, but when she hit me with those big, innocent eyes, I totally caved.

Just then, my wedding gown arrived. I was about to open the bag to check for any damage when Chubby suddenly started barking like crazy.

I had no idea what was going on, so I talked to him. He was usually so clever about these things.

"Cut it out, or the neighbors are gonna complain," I said.

Chubby glanced at me, then at the bag, and suddenly started scratching at the wedding dress with his paws.

"Hey, don't touch that, you damn dog. What the hell are you doing?" I snapped.

I grabbed his paw and started hauling him toward the bathroom, planning to lock him in there.

But he was way stronger than I expected, and before I knew it, I ended up flat on my butt.

When I looked up, he'd already made a mess of the wedding dress bag, and the layers of the gown were all flipped open and scattered around.

"You stupid mutt, let me show you how your owner should really discipline you today," I snapped.

I glanced around, searching for something to whack the dog with.

In the end, I picked up a hanger. Chubby's butt was about to get a real beating.

Thinking about that, I walked over, only to find the inside lining of the wedding dress completely soaked in blood.

The stains had dried up, turning a deep, dark red.

Right next to it, the crown veil had tumbled onto the floor, and the glint from it sent a chill down my spine.

I crouched down for a closer look and realized the crown was lined with sharp little needles, one after another.

If I'd actually put that on my head? I nearly lost it. My face went pale, and I grabbed my phone to call the bridal shop right away.

"Hello? What the hell is wrong with your shop? You sent me a dress that still has blood stains from the last customer, and why are there silver needles stuck in the crown? Care to explain what the hell is going on?" I snapped.

"Hold on. Wasn't my dress supposed to be custom-made? Did you seriously let someone else wear it before me?" I demanded.

I was fuming when I called; anyone would be pissed if they saw this.

The manager kept apologizing, swearing up and down that no one else had ever touched the dress or the crown.

"Then how the hell did the blood get there?" I demanded.

"And what about those needles in the crown? If I'd just put it on without checking, I would've ended up with holes all over my head," I snapped.

"Blood? Needles? No way, Ms. Sterling. Since your last fitting, nobody else has even laid a finger on your dress," the manager insisted.

"We've got security cameras all over the shop. You're welcome to come check the footage yourself. We'd never do anything shady or dangerous like that. Please don't blame us for something we didn't do," the manager pleaded.

I was still suspicious, but the manager sounded genuinely sincere.

But as far as I knew, the only people who'd ever handled the dress were the stylist, me, and Lucy.

I couldn't make sense of it, but I didn't push it any further. I just told them to take the dress back for a proper cleaning, and to check the crown and send me a fresh one.

There was no way to get a new custom piece now. The wedding was only two days away.

I frowned, shooting a complicated look at Chubby sprawled out beside me.

Was this just a weird coincidence, or was there something else going on here?