Chapter 1

The day before my wedding, something went wrong with my wedding dress.

The zipper was stuck at my waist, and no matter what I did, it just wouldn't move.

I stared at myself in the mirror in disbelief.

I starved myself for three whole months just to squeeze into this custom wedding dress.

I'd lost two inches off my waist. How could it not fit?

"Wendy, have you been sneaking some treats lately?" A playful, teasing voice came from beside me.

It was Yvonne Young, my fiancé Jason Grant's closest female friend, and also my bridesmaid.

She was stepping out of another fitting room, wearing the lavender bridesmaid dress that had been made just for her.

The dress hugged her slender waist and accentuated her full bust, making her skin look even more luminous and giving her a radiant glow.

My heart sank, and a wave of irritation I couldn't quite explain washed over me.

"No way, I've been sticking to my diet," I said. I looked in the mirror, trying to suck in my waist even more.

But the zipper still wouldn't budge.

Jason walked over, frowning. "What's going on? Did they get the size wrong?"

The bridal shop assistant looked panicked. "That's impossible, Mr. Grant. This wedding dress was custom-made to Ms. Lane's measurements from three months ago. We've checked it over and over again."

"Then she must have put on some weight," Jason said, his tone so offhand, as if it was nothing important at all.

My heart dropped.

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

He didn't even spare me a glance. Instead, he turned to Yvonne, and I saw that look of awe in his eyes, even if he didn't realize it himself.

"Yvonne, you look gorgeous," Jason said.

Yvonne gave a shy little twirl right there, her dress swirling around her.

"Really? Jason, I knew you always had the best eye for these things," she giggled.

She beamed at Jason, her gaze full of a sweet, open affection and closeness I'd never seen from her before.

When they stood side by side, Jason was charming and good-looking, and Yvonne was stunning and radiant. They looked like they were made for each other.

Meanwhile, I was trapped in this ridiculous wedding dress that wouldn't even zip up, feeling like the punchline to a bad joke.

The shop assistant suggested softly, "Ms. Lane, maybe you could try on Ms. Young's bridesmaid dress? You two look about the same size to me."

Before I could even say no, Yvonne stifled a laugh, covering her mouth.

"Come on, this dress was made to fit me. How could Wendy possibly get into it?" she said.

Jason chimed in right away, "Yeah, Yvonne has a better figure. There's no way Wendy could squeeze into it."

He said it so casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

In that moment, it felt like my blood had turned to ice.

My fiancé, when I was anxious and upset about not fitting into my wedding dress, didn't comfort me. His first reaction was to defend another woman.

He was protecting her one-of-a-kind perfect figure.

I stared at Jason. He finally sensed my gaze and shifted his eyes away, looking uneasy.

"Come on, it's not a big deal. Just let the shop fix it. The wedding's tomorrow. Don't get all worked up over this," he said.

He reached out to put his arm around my shoulders, but I dodged him.

I stared at my messy reflection in the mirror, and then at Yvonne, glowing and perfect beside me. Suddenly, a crazy and scary thought hit me, clearer than ever before.

Was this dress ever really customized for me?

Or maybe, in Jason's heart, I was never meant to be the bride at all. Who was it that he really wanted to marry?

I took a deep breath, trying to keep it together and shove down all the messy feelings swirling inside.

"Yvonne, come here for a second," I said.

I kept my voice steady, not letting a single emotion slip through.

Yvonne blinked, not sure what I wanted, but came over anyway.

Jason frowned. "Wendy, what are you up to now?"

I ignored him and looked straight at Yvonne. "Put on my wedding dress."

Yvonne's face fell. "Wendy, what are you talking about? This is your wedding dress—"

"Put it on, now," I cut her off, my tone leaving no room for argument.

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

The shop assistants froze in fear, and Jason's expression darkened completely.

"Wendy, are you done making a scene?" he snapped.

He reached for me, but the icy look in my eyes stopped him cold.

It was the kind of utter disappointment and coldness he'd never seen in me before.

I repeated myself, each word cold and clear. "Yvonne, I said, put it on."