Chapter 3

Ralph pressed a gentle kiss on my forehead before heading out.

I lay in the hospital bed for a long while, trying to steady my nerves.

Turned out Reyna was right. Ralph really did let Thora choose my wedding dress for me.

Thinking about what was coming next, I clenched my fists.

Thora only dared to hurt me without a care in the world because Ralph indulged her every whim.

'Fine, before I walk away, I'll leave them a little surprise,' I smirked.

Ralph said he'd come back after making dinner for Thora, but it was almost nine and he still hadn't shown up.

Just as I was about to turn in, Reyna showed up out of nowhere. "Ralph's not coming back tonight," she said.

Reyna threw a thick coat over me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me out of the hospital room. "Come on, I'm taking you to watch some real drama.

"After you see this, you'll finally give up on Ralph."

Reyna led me to a house halfway up the mountain. We hopped over the back garden wall and crouched beneath a window.

I gave her a puzzled look, and she motioned for me to press myself against the window. "Just take a look," she whispered.

I peered through the corner of the window, and it felt like I'd been struck by lightning.

There was Ralph, completely entranced, wrapped up in passion with a lifelike doll that looked exactly like Thora.

I'd never seen him so unhinged before; it left me completely speechless.

Ralph was still caught up in his madness when suddenly, there was a commotion out front.

"Ralph, what are you doing sneaking back to the old house?" Thora's voice called out.

The next moment, the door flew open and Thora clapped a hand over her mouth, shrieking.

"Ralph, you—" Thora screamed. "Is that... me?"

Thora pointed at the doll in Ralph's hands, then suddenly broke down in tears. She asked, "Ralph, you do love me, don't you?

"Then why did you reject my confession? Why are you marrying Victoria?

"Do you even realize how many times I've cried, all because you're marrying Victoria?

"You'd rather mess around with a doll that looks just like me than actually be with me?"

Ralph was flustered and embarrassed, but the more anxious he got, the more his hands betrayed him.

He replied, "We can't do this! I can't let people make fun of you or drag your name through the mud because of me."

But Thora suddenly threw herself at him, her voice trembling as she pleaded, "Ralph, you're about to marry someone else. Please, just for tonight, grant me this one last wish."

Ralph finally lost control and pressed Thora down beneath him.

Only after they finished did I stop recording, tuck my phone away, and sneak out of there with Victoria.

Ralph didn't get back to the hospital until late that night. He lay on the cot, so hyped he couldn't sleep at all.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw his bloodshot eyes and the grin he just couldn't hide.

Ralph said applied, "Victoria, after breakfast, I'll let Thora help you pick out your wedding dress. Tomorrow's our wedding day. I'm so happy."

I forced myself to swallow the nausea and said I was happy too.

At the bridal shop, Thora would send me a video every time she tried on a wedding gown.

In each video, she was dressed up in a gorgeous gown, standing close to Ralph, the two of them smiling sweetly together.

"Victoria, Ralph and I both love this dress. You should wear it tomorrow," Thora chirped.

They didn't even bother to ask me, just went ahead and picked it out for me.

Thora smirked right at the camera, looking way too pleased with herself. "Victoria, you're gonna look drop-dead gorgeous in this dress. I seriously can't wait for your big day tomorrow."

Thora was dying to see me crash and burn tomorrow, probably hoping I'd end up humiliated and exposed.

But it's not gonna be me in the spotlight.

I smirked, letting out a quiet laugh. "Me neither."

The next day, at the wedding venue, I handed the scandalous footage of Ralph and Thora at the old house to the wedding crew.

Once everyone was seated, I pressed play and walked out without looking back.

As I left, the whole crowd was left reeling, hands flying to their mouths in shock.

Ralph and Thora looked like they'd just been struck by lightning. On the big screen, their scandalous video was playing for all to see, looping over and over.