Chapter 3 · The Wrong Bride

I just stared at those two names, frozen, for what felt like half a minute.

My breath stopped.

Violette Blanche and Dennis Roberts.

My best friend and the man I've loved for four years were getting married.

The computer bag dropped from my hands and hit the floor with a loud thud, blueprints scattering everywhere.

I crouched down to pick them up, but my hands were shaking so much I couldn't even hold onto a single sheet.

This was it. Everyone else already knew.

All of Dennis's late nights, his business trips, those so-called urgent projects. All of them were just a bunch of lies.

Even that blind date Violette mentioned was nothing but a made-up story from beginning to end.

The gold bracelet I'd been grinding myself into the ground and saving every penny for. It turns out I was buying it for the very person who took my boyfriend away from me.

The woman I'd protected for five years and the man I'd loved for four. They'd betrayed me all along, making my whole life one big, cruel joke.

I knelt on the icy floor and burst out laughing.

The more I laughed, the harder the tears fell, splattering all over the blueprints and blurring the lines into a messy blur.

Suddenly, I thought of the thirty thousand dollars I had sent Dennis. That was the money my grandma left me, my only safety net.

He said his project was stuck, so I just wired it over, no questions asked.

Now I understand that the money was never for his project. That money went to their new home, their wedding, and everything they needed for their love story.

I used everything I had to help them build their forever.

I slowly gathered the scattered papers, stood up, put my bag on my shoulder, and walked out of the empty office building, step by step.

The late-night wind was biting, cutting into my skin.

I didn't cry out loud. I just walked slowly.

The streetlights stretched my shadow out, making it look so lonely and stark it almost hurt.

I pulled out my phone and opened Violette's chat. She was still sending me those adorable stickers.

A message read, [Jeanne, I've already picked out your bridesmaid dress! You're gonna love it!]

[You have to stand right next to me at the wedding, okay? I only want you as my bridesmaid!] Another message read.

Looking at those messages, I couldn't help but feel the bitter irony.

I didn't reply, but I didn't delete them either. I simply locked the screen.

The wind blew, and my eyes stung even more.

All those months I spent staying up late for that gift. All the sacrifices I'd made. My nine years of sincerity. All of it ended up feeding right into their carefully planned scam.

And me, the idiot, even agreed to be her bridesmaid. I was even ready to smile and watch them walk down the aisle.

*****

It was one in the morning when I stumbled back to my tiny apartment.

The motion sensor lights in the hallway flickered, casting my long, thin shadow on the wall, swaying unsteadily.

I dropped my computer bag to the floor, slumped behind the door, and slowly slid down the wall.

The sharp edges of the blueprints in my bag dug into my leg, but I didn't even want to move.

My phone screen was still lit up, showing the screenshot of that wedding notification.

Violette Blanche. Dennis Roberts. Euphoris Hotel.

Seeing their names side by side was so insulting. It felt like a stab straight to my heart.

I tossed my phone aside, and a low, raspy laugh slipped out of my throat. It sounded almost like a sob, but not quite.

How did I even make it through these past six months?

Every morning, I'd haul myself out of bed at half past six, race for the subway, and spend the whole day cranking out designs.

By eight at night, I'd work on my side gigs. Fixing up renderings, fussing over details, running around job sites. Sometimes I didn't even have time for a sip of water.

My coworkers said I was working myself to death, but I'd just smile and say, "Just want to get a gift for a friend."

I thought it was something really special for my best friend. I thought it was the best, most meaningful blessing I could give after nine years of my youth.

Turns out, it was the dowry I ended up preparing for them.

I pulled out my wallet. All it had were just some crumpled bills, a handful of coins, and a couple of bank cards.

I opened my banking app. All I had was a thousand over dollars that were scraped together penny by penny.

I wore only the cheapest clothes, and ordered only the cheapest takeout. I only drank coffee with free refills and always brought my own tissues. I split every dollar in half, making it work twice as hard.

All for that ten-thousand-dollar bracelet.

Now, even that price feels like a joke.

I opened the order page. The customer service officer had messaged me back, [The bracelet will be ready three days before the wedding, so you don't have to worry!]

[Also, the engraving you picked, "To: Vi's Happiness", is gorgeous. It really suits the bride!] The next message read.

I stared at those words, and out of nowhere, my eyes started to sting.

All I wanted was for Violette to be safe and happy. I really thought she'd be the closest thing to family I'd ever have.

In the end, she was safe and happy. But she and my boyfriend were living their best lives out of my sight, using my money, my trust, and all my youth.

Chapter 3

I just stared at those two names, frozen, for what felt like half a minute.

My breath stopped.

Violette Blanche and Dennis Roberts.

My best friend and the man I've loved for four years were getting married.

The computer bag dropped from my hands and hit the floor with a loud thud, blueprints scattering everywhere.

I crouched down to pick them up, but my hands were shaking so much I couldn't even hold onto a single sheet.

This was it. Everyone else already knew.

All of Dennis's late nights, his business trips, those so-called urgent projects. All of them were just a bunch of lies.

Even that blind date Violette mentioned was nothing but a made-up story from beginning to end.

The gold bracelet I'd been grinding myself into the ground and saving every penny for. It turns out I was buying it for the very person who took my boyfriend away from me.

The woman I'd protected for five years and the man I'd loved for four. They'd betrayed me all along, making my whole life one big, cruel joke.

I knelt on the icy floor and burst out laughing.

The more I laughed, the harder the tears fell, splattering all over the blueprints and blurring the lines into a messy blur.

Suddenly, I thought of the thirty thousand dollars I had sent Dennis. That was the money my grandma left me, my only safety net.

He said his project was stuck, so I just wired it over, no questions asked.

Now I understand that the money was never for his project. That money went to their new home, their wedding, and everything they needed for their love story.

I used everything I had to help them build their forever.

I slowly gathered the scattered papers, stood up, put my bag on my shoulder, and walked out of the empty office building, step by step.

The late-night wind was biting, cutting into my skin.

I didn't cry out loud. I just walked slowly.

The streetlights stretched my shadow out, making it look so lonely and stark it almost hurt.

I pulled out my phone and opened Violette's chat. She was still sending me those adorable stickers.

A message read, [Jeanne, I've already picked out your bridesmaid dress! You're gonna love it!]

[You have to stand right next to me at the wedding, okay? I only want you as my bridesmaid!] Another message read.

Looking at those messages, I couldn't help but feel the bitter irony.

I didn't reply, but I didn't delete them either. I simply locked the screen.

The wind blew, and my eyes stung even more.

All those months I spent staying up late for that gift. All the sacrifices I'd made. My nine years of sincerity. All of it ended up feeding right into their carefully planned scam.

And me, the idiot, even agreed to be her bridesmaid. I was even ready to smile and watch them walk down the aisle.

*****

It was one in the morning when I stumbled back to my tiny apartment.

The motion sensor lights in the hallway flickered, casting my long, thin shadow on the wall, swaying unsteadily.

I dropped my computer bag to the floor, slumped behind the door, and slowly slid down the wall.

The sharp edges of the blueprints in my bag dug into my leg, but I didn't even want to move.

My phone screen was still lit up, showing the screenshot of that wedding notification.

Violette Blanche. Dennis Roberts. Euphoris Hotel.

Seeing their names side by side was so insulting. It felt like a stab straight to my heart.

I tossed my phone aside, and a low, raspy laugh slipped out of my throat. It sounded almost like a sob, but not quite.

How did I even make it through these past six months?

Every morning, I'd haul myself out of bed at half past six, race for the subway, and spend the whole day cranking out designs.

By eight at night, I'd work on my side gigs. Fixing up renderings, fussing over details, running around job sites. Sometimes I didn't even have time for a sip of water.

My coworkers said I was working myself to death, but I'd just smile and say, "Just want to get a gift for a friend."

I thought it was something really special for my best friend. I thought it was the best, most meaningful blessing I could give after nine years of my youth.

Turns out, it was the dowry I ended up preparing for them.

I pulled out my wallet. All it had were just some crumpled bills, a handful of coins, and a couple of bank cards.

I opened my banking app. All I had was a thousand over dollars that were scraped together penny by penny.

All for that ten-thousand-dollar bracelet.

Now, even that price feels like a joke.

I opened the order page. The customer service officer had messaged me back, [The bracelet will be ready three days before the wedding, so you don't have to worry!]

[Also, the engraving you picked, "To: Vi's Happiness", is gorgeous. It really suits the bride!] The next message read.

I stared at those words, and out of nowhere, my eyes started to sting.

All I wanted was for Violette to be safe and happy. I really thought she'd be the closest thing to family I'd ever have.

In the end, she was safe and happy. But she and my boyfriend were living their best lives out of my sight, using my money, my trust, and all my youth.