Chapter 3 · The Call They Ignored

After I moved, that unsettling feeling of being followed finally disappeared.

Two days later, the bridal boutique called me.

The consultant said, "Ms. Shaw, the custom wedding dress Mr. Reed ordered for you is ready. Would you be available tomorrow for a fitting?"

I glanced at the calendar and realized my wedding to Daniel was less than two months away.

Ever since Sophie got sick, I'd stopped all the wedding planning.

Stacks of invitations were still sitting at the bottom of my closet, completely untouched.

I replied with "Okay" and opened my chat with Daniel.

Our last messages were from the day I went to the hospital, and he still hadn't replied. He hadn't reached out to me once this entire week.

I typed out a message: [Tomorrow at 3 pm. Meet me at the bridal shop.]

Then I added: [We need to talk.]

It took him forever to respond, and when he finally did, his message was cold and brief.

He replied: [Okay.]

The next day, I took the afternoon off work.

I arrived at the bridal boutique at 2 PM, and the manager brought me over to see my dress. It was stunning.

I remembered the first time we came here and tried on ready-made dresses, but Daniel wasn't satisfied with any of them.

He'd looked at me and said, "You deserve the best of everything."

He hired a professional designer to create a custom dress for me.

He revised the designs over and over, and he wove every meaningful moment we'd shared into the dress itself.

At two-thirty in the afternoon, I sent Daniel a message: [Are you almost here?]

Daniel never used to make me wait.

Every time we went out, he'd show up early with flowers, already parked outside my building.

After he met my parents, they let him come upstairs.

I'd be doing my makeup, and he'd grab the curling iron, carefully styling my hair.

At 3 PM, I called him.

He didn't pick up.

I called again. After a long wait, someone finally answered.

"Daniel?" I said.

His end was loud and crowded, as if he were in a crowded place.

"Emily, I'm tied up right now," Daniel said, his voice rushed. "Can you wait a little longer?"

"How long?"

"Two hours. Two hours max and I'll be there!"

I was about to respond when Sophie's voice came through the phone, clear as day.

"Danny, who are you talking to?" she asked. "Come on, I want to ride the carousel!"

My heart sank. "Daniel?"

The line went dead. He'd already hung up.

By eight PM, Daniel still hadn't shown up.

"Ms. Shaw," the boutique manager said, shifting uncomfortably. "If Mr. Reed is tied up at work, we can always reschedule the fitting."

I didn't answer and scrolled through Sophie's latest social media post instead.

She was beaming in the photo.

They were at an amusement park, and Daniel was leaning down to place bunny ears on her head, his expression soft and indulgent.

The caption read: [So this is what it feels like to be someone's princess!]

I locked my phone. "Cancel it," I said.

The manager blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"The wedding," I repeated. "Cancel it."

"Ms. Shaw, you can't be serious!" she stammered.

I stood up and grabbed my purse. "Keep the deposit. Do whatever you want with the dress—throw it out, give it to Daniel, I don't care. Just don't contact me again."

Without waiting for a response, I walked out.

But the next day, Amanda called me.

Her voice bristled with barely contained anger. "Where are you? Why aren't you at the apartment?"

I sent her my location. "I moved."

When I got home from work, Amanda and Daniel were already waiting at my door.

The moment Daniel saw me, he rushed forward and tried to grab my hand, but I stepped back.

"Emily, what do you mean the wedding's cancel?" he asked.

I didn't look at him. "Exactly what I said."

"Why?" He looked helpless. "I already told you I'm just taking care of Sophie as her brother. Why can't you understand that? Why are you making this so difficult?"

Amanda's face darkened. "Emily, you've really outdone yourself this time.

"Tell me honestly, when Sophie got hurt, did you care about her even once?

"And now you're using the wedding as leverage because you're jealous? Have you no shame? Do you want to drive your sister to her grave before you're satisfied?"

I jerked my head up and looked at Amanda.

"Is that really what you think of me?" I asked quietly.

The woman who used to shower me with affection now looked at me with nothing but hatred.

"Emily, you've disappointed me beyond words," Amanda said coldly. "Daniel, let's go. If she wants to call off the wedding, fine. Let's see how long she can keep this up."

Chapter 3

After I moved, that unsettling feeling of being followed finally disappeared.

Two days later, the bridal boutique called me.

The consultant said, "Ms. Shaw, the custom wedding dress Mr. Reed ordered for you is ready. Would you be available tomorrow for a fitting?"

I glanced at the calendar and realized my wedding to Daniel was less than two months away.

Ever since Sophie got sick, I'd stopped all the wedding planning.

Stacks of invitations were still sitting at the bottom of my closet, completely untouched.

I replied with "Okay" and opened my chat with Daniel.

Our last messages were from the day I went to the hospital, and he still hadn't replied. He hadn't reached out to me once this entire week.

I typed out a message: [Tomorrow at 3 pm. Meet me at the bridal shop.]

Then I added: [We need to talk.]

It took him forever to respond, and when he finally did, his message was cold and brief.

He replied: [Okay.]

The next day, I took the afternoon off work.

I arrived at the bridal boutique at 2 PM, and the manager brought me over to see my dress. It was stunning.

I remembered the first time we came here and tried on ready-made dresses, but Daniel wasn't satisfied with any of them.

He'd looked at me and said, "You deserve the best of everything."

He hired a professional designer to create a custom dress for me.

He revised the designs over and over, and he wove every meaningful moment we'd shared into the dress itself.

At two-thirty in the afternoon, I sent Daniel a message: [Are you almost here?]

Daniel never used to make me wait.

Every time we went out, he'd show up early with flowers, already parked outside my building.

After he met my parents, they let him come upstairs.

I'd be doing my makeup, and he'd grab the curling iron, carefully styling my hair.

At 3 PM, I called him.

He didn't pick up.

I called again. After a long wait, someone finally answered.

"Daniel?" I said.

His end was loud and crowded, as if he were in a crowded place.

"Emily, I'm tied up right now," Daniel said, his voice rushed. "Can you wait a little longer?"

"How long?"

"Two hours. Two hours max and I'll be there!"

I was about to respond when Sophie's voice came through the phone, clear as day.

"Danny, who are you talking to?" she asked. "Come on, I want to ride the carousel!"

My heart sank. "Daniel?"

The line went dead. He'd already hung up.

By eight PM, Daniel still hadn't shown up.

"Ms. Shaw," the boutique manager said, shifting uncomfortably. "If Mr. Reed is tied up at work, we can always reschedule the fitting."

I didn't answer and scrolled through Sophie's latest social media post instead.

She was beaming in the photo.

They were at an amusement park, and Daniel was leaning down to place bunny ears on her head, his expression soft and indulgent.

The caption read: [So this is what it feels like to be someone's princess!]

I locked my phone. "Cancel it," I said.

The manager blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"The wedding," I repeated. "Cancel it."

"Ms. Shaw, you can't be serious!" she stammered.

I stood up and grabbed my purse. "Keep the deposit. Do whatever you want with the dress—throw it out, give it to Daniel, I don't care. Just don't contact me again."

Without waiting for a response, I walked out.

But the next day, Amanda called me.

Her voice bristled with barely contained anger. "Where are you? Why aren't you at the apartment?"

I sent her my location. "I moved."

When I got home from work, Amanda and Daniel were already waiting at my door.

The moment Daniel saw me, he rushed forward and tried to grab my hand, but I stepped back.

"Emily, what do you mean the wedding's cancel?" he asked.

I didn't look at him. "Exactly what I said."

"Why?" He looked helpless. "I already told you I'm just taking care of Sophie as her brother. Why can't you understand that? Why are you making this so difficult?"

Amanda's face darkened. "Emily, you've really outdone yourself this time.

"Tell me honestly, when Sophie got hurt, did you care about her even once?

"And now you're using the wedding as leverage because you're jealous? Have you no shame? Do you want to drive your sister to her grave before you're satisfied?"

I jerked my head up and looked at Amanda.

"Is that really what you think of me?" I asked quietly.

The woman who used to shower me with affection now looked at me with nothing but hatred.

"Emily, you've disappointed me beyond words," Amanda said coldly. "Daniel, let's go. If she wants to call off the wedding, fine. Let's see how long she can keep this up."