Chapter 1
The receptionist said, "Mrs. Lewis picked up the room key half an hour ago."
I shot her a look.
"I'm Mrs. Lewis," I said.
The receptionist was stunned.
I stood in the lobby in my wedding dress, with the party hall behind me being set up for my wedding.
She said, glancing at the computer, "There are two rooms under Mr. Jonathan Lewis's name. Room 1888 is the bridal suite. Room 1808..."
She paused.
"It's labeled 'Mrs. Lewis only,'" she said quietly.
I didn't book Room 1808.
I didn't pick up the key either.
But that woman used my name.
*****
"What did she look like?" I asked.
The receptionist thought for a moment.
"She had long, dyed hair, looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight," she replied.
"What name did she give?" I asked.
"Mrs. Lewis," she replied.
"Full name?" I pressed.
"She didn't give a full name. She said she was here to pick up the key for Room 1808. We checked the reservation, and since it was under Mr. Lewis's name, we handed it over."
I didn't ask any more questions.
"Can you make me a new key for Room 1808?" I asked.
The receptionist glanced at my wedding dress, then at the computer.
After a moment's hesitation, she swiped a new key for me.
I took the key and stepped into the elevator.
I arrived at the eighteenth floor.
The hallway was quiet.
Room 1808 was at the end of the hall.
There was a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
I swiped the key.
The light turned green.
The door opened.
No one was inside.
But someone had been here.
The bed was messy, and both pillows had clear impressions in them.
On the nightstand sat a half-empty glass of lemonade.
There was a lipstick lying next to it.
It was Tom Ford, shade 16.
I bought a Tom Ford shade 16 lipstick last month as a gift.
I bought it for Isabella Foster, my college roommate, as a birthday gift. I was the one who picked out that color.
I picked up the lipstick.
I twisted the bottom.
Inside the cap, there was a tiny sticker.
I was the one who put it there. It was a little smiley face.
Before giving a gift to any of my friends, I always stuck a little smiley face on the packaging.
This was the exact lipstick I'd given out.
I put the lipstick back down.
My eyes drifted to the pillow.
A single long hair lay there.
Brown, streaked with highlights.
But my hair was black.
I knew exactly who had hair like that.
It was Isabella.
She was the bridesmaid standing by my side today.
She was my closest friend.
We shared a dorm for four years in college.
After graduation, she moved away, but three years ago, she came back. I invited her and Jonathan to dinner, introducing them to each other.
I pulled out my phone and snapped some photos.
I took a picture of the lipstick, the hair, and the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door.
I saved them all to a new album.
I stepped out.
I closed the door behind me.
The elevator reached the first floor.
The doors slid open.
Isabella was standing in the lobby.
She was wearing a light pink bridesmaid dress, her hair freshly dyed with brown highlights.
As soon as she saw me, she rushed over.
"Elsie, where have you been? The makeup artist has been waiting for you forever!" she said.
She hooked her arm through mine, a red string bracelet on her wrist.
It was a red braided bracelet with a small gold bead in the middle.
It looked familiar.
Yesterday, I was scrolling through Jonathan's credit card statement and spotted a 100 dollars charge.
The jewelry store was called "Golden House."
The note read: [Red string bracelet ×1.]
He didn't buy it for me.
I never got a red string bracelet.
But now, it was on Isabella's wrist.
"I like your red string bracelet, Isabella," I said.
"What?" She glanced down at it and smiled. "A friend gave it to me."
"Which friend?" I asked.
"Just a regular friend," she replied.
She fiddled with the red string bracelet without even realizing it.
Then she tugged me forward.
"Come on, we're running out of time!" she said.
In the makeup room, the makeup artist was waiting for me.
I sat down to touch up my makeup.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
I had a white veil. My hair was up. I had flawless makeup.
Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
My phone buzzed.
It was a message from Jonathan. [Babe, where are you? Everything's ready. We are waiting for you.]
I stared at the heart emoji.
Last night at nine, he'd sent another message. [Just finished hanging out with the guys. Get some rest, babe. Tomorrow, you'll be the most beautiful bride ever.]
I wondered where he went after sending that message last night.
I replied with three words: [On my way.]
I put my phone away.
The makeup artist was touching up my eyeliner.
Her hands didn't flinch.
I kept my hands steady too.
But only one question echoed in my mind.
I wondered whose head made that dent in the second pillow in Room 1808 last night.
Isabella walked into the makeup room.
"Elsie, you look a little pale. Are you nervous?" she asked.
"A little," I replied.
She stood behind me, straightening my train.
The red string bracelet on her wrist glinted as she moved.
I caught a whiff of her perfume.
It wasn't her usual scent.
It was Jonathan's cologne.
It was the YSL cologne. I gave it to him for his birthday last year.
She was wearing his scent.