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The patriarch of the Hughes family was convinced I was the one bringing good fortune to Simon.
Strangely enough, the family seemed to like me more and more with each passing day. They treated me like I was one of their own like I truly belonged. Despite
Simon’s cold indifference, I honestly
thought I was happy. That was until I found the photos.
One afternoon, my mom came into my room with some surprising news.
“Daniel, Simon’s younger uncle, is
coming back from Europe in five days,” she said.
I froze, caught off guard.
Daniel had never married in my past life, and I certainly didn’t expect our arranged marriage to progress so quickly.
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I vaguely remembered Daniel. One thing was clear, though. He was always a good guy, almost like an older brother to me. Marrying him now felt like it would bring me more peace than tying the knot with anyone else.
I wasn’t sure why, but the thought of him. felt… right.
The next morning, I was up early, working away in my studio on the design for my wedding dress. I’ve been sketching out my dream wedding dress since college when I studied fashion design.
But every design I came up with back then had to fit Simon’s tastes. He wouldn’t let me use any design elements I liked-
everything had to be for him.
But now?
Now, I was free.
Free to design the dress I loved, the one
I’d actually want to wear–while marrying someone else.
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A few days later, I finished putting the final. touches on my dress and decided to grab a coffee from the breakroom..
That was when I saw Audrey‘ s post on social media.
In the photo, she was wearing my wedding dress. But it wasn‘ t the gown I had envisioned. The gown was cut in half and turned into a super–short skirt. To make matters worse, she was grinding against Simon, their bodies pressed so close as they danced.
[Simon knew I needed a dress, so he specially sent this one to me. Gosh, I feel so spoiled right now!]
I could hardly believe my eyes. My heart pounded in my chest as anger shot through me. Without a second thought, I stormed toward the fifth–floor ballroom, furious and ready to blow up.
There they were–Audrey and Simon- dancing like the world had disappeared
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around them. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, swaying with an intensity that made it feel like they were the only
two people in the room.
“This is my wedding dress!” I shouted, unable to keep my fury in check. “How dare you give it to her?! And ruin it like this?!”
Audrey immediately launched into her act, playing the innocent, helpless girl. Her eyes filled with fake tears, her voice quivering.
“Simon, did I do something wrong? Why is she so angry?” she whined, acting all soft and fragile.
Simon, of course, stepped in front of her, blocking me from her view like I was some sort of threat. “Bianca, it’s just a dress!” he sneered. “Besides, you’re still going to wear it for me at the wedding. So what’s the big deal? If it’s that important to you, why not just make a new one?”
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My blood boiled. “Who says I’m wearing it for you?” I shot back, my voice colder than I meant it to be. “This is the dress I’m
wearing for my wedding.”
Simon scoffed and shook his head like I was some naive child. “Come on, Bianca, don’t act like you don‘ t know. Your wedding is our wedding. I already agreed to marry you. There’s no need to keep up this act.”
That was it. I was done.
I glanced at the scissors lying on the nearby table, grabbed them, and walked straight toward Audrey’s dress. Without hesitation, I sliced the hem of the fabric, cutting it near her leg.
“Simon,” I said, my voice cold and sharp, every word carrying weight, “since you’re so sure of yourself, watch closely. I won’t settle for anything dirty. And I won’t keep the dress stained.”
Simon froze, his eyes wide with shock. In
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the past, no matter how I acted–whether playful or bratty–he’d never seen me like this. Never seen me so serious, so
determined.
His instincts kicked in, and he reached for me, but before he could make a move, Audrey’s high–pitched voice sliced through the tension.
“Simon, my leg! I think I scraped it. It really hurts, but don’t worry about me. Go take care of her. This is all my fault…”
Simon hesitated for a moment, torn
between me and Audrey. He looked from my retreating form to her, and then back at me. After a long, suffocating pause, he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
“Don’t worry about her. An insecure woman like her needs to be taught a lesson. Maybe this will help her reflect.”
I couldn’t respond. My body went numb, and my heart felt like it had dropped into a void. I just stood there, watching as my
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wedding dress–the one I’d poured my heart into–began to fall apart in my hands. The delicate fabric unraveled, just like everything else in my life.
I wiped my eyes quietly, trying to hold my emotions together, but the weight of everything I’d lost hit me like a freight train. All that effort, all that hope…was
ruined in an instant.
