Chapter 3: The Wedding That Wasn't Canceled
For a moment, I couldn't understand the words.
“Canceled?”” I repeated.
Sophie nodded, holding her phone out to me.
The message had been posted in the wedding group chat less than five minutes earlier.
Hi, everyone. Due to an unexpected family situation, Emily and Daniel's wedding tomorrow has been postponed. Please don't contact the couple while they work through this difficult time. We'll share an update when we can.
It was signed with my name.
Emily Carter.
I read it again.
Then I noticed the little profile picture beside the message.
My own photograph.
Someone had used my account.
“That wasn't me,” I said.
Sophie looked at Daniel.
“I know. That's why I came straight here.””
Daniel took the phone.
“Who sent it?””
“Emily's account. But the message was posted from a different device.””
I stared at the screen.
The group contained nearly a hundred people: relatives, friends, coworkers, the wedding party, and both families.
My aunt had already replied with a string of worried messages.
One of Daniel's cousins had asked whether the hotel rooms could be canceled.
Someone else had written, Oh no. I hope they're okay.
I felt sick.
“They're going to think we broke up.””
Daniel handed the phone back.
“Then we'll tell them the truth.””
“No.”” I shook my head.
“If I start explaining everything, it will become a public family war.””
Sophie crossed her arms.
“Emily, someone just canceled your wedding on your behalf. I think the war has already started.””
I looked at the ruined dress.
Then at the missing earrings.
Then at the handwritten note.
Everything was connected.
I could feel it.
“Where's Madison?”” I asked.
Sophie raised an eyebrow.
“Downstairs, pretending to help your stepmother arrange flowers.””
I wiped my face.
“Let's go.””
Daniel reached for my hand.
“Are you sure?””
“No,” I said honestly.
“But I'm going anyway.””
We found Madison in the dining room, arranging white roses in a crystal vase.
Vanessa stood beside her, scrolling through her phone.
My stepsister looked up when we entered.
“Oh, good,” she said.
“You're feeling better.””
I held out Sophie's phone.
“Did you post this?””
Madison glanced at the screen.
Then she looked at me with exaggerated confusion.
“What is that?””
“The message canceling my wedding.””
“I didn't send anything.””
“You have access to my laptop. You know my passwords. You were in my room.””
Madison set down a rose.
“Emily, you're accusing me of everything tonight. First the dress, now this?””
Vanessa moved between us.
“That's enough. Madison has been helping me all evening.””
“Helping you do what?”” I asked.
“Preparing for tomorrow.””
“Tomorrow is canceled, apparently.””
Vanessa's expression faltered.
“What are you talking about?””
I showed her the message.
She read it, then frowned.
“Well, perhaps someone misunderstood the situation.””
“Someone used my account to tell a hundred people that my wedding was canceled.””
“Then contact the group and correct it.””
“That's what I'm doing. But first, I want Madison to give me my mother's earrings.””
Madison's face changed.
It was quick, but I saw it.
Vanessa saw it, too.
“What earrings?”” Madison asked.
“The pearl earrings from my jewelry box.””
“I haven't seen them.””
“You were in my room.””
“So was Dad. So was Vanessa. So was Daniel. Are you accusing everyone now?””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Madison, this would be a lot easier if you simply told the truth.””
She turned toward him.
“Stay out of it. This is between me and my stepsister.””
“She's my fiancée.””
“Not if the wedding's canceled.””
The room went silent.
Madison's smile appeared slowly.
It was the same smile she had worn beside the ruined dress.
I stared at her.
“You wanted this, didn't you?””
She shrugged.
“I don't know what you're talking about.””
“You wanted me to lose the dress. You wanted everyone to think the wedding was canceled. You wanted tomorrow to fall apart.””
Vanessa set down her phone.
“Emily, you're making wild accusations.””
“Then explain the note I found in my room.””
I placed the handwritten paper on the dining table.
Vanessa read it.
Her fingers tightened around the edge.
Madison snatched it away.
“Where did you get this?””
“From my bedroom.””
She folded it in half.
Then she slipped it into her pocket.
That was the moment I knew.
She hadn't expected me to find it.
“Give it back,” I said.
“It's a piece of paper.””
“Give it back.””
She laughed.
“Or what?””
Daniel took a step forward, but I held up my hand.
“No. Let her answer.””
I looked directly at Madison.
“What changes if I get married tomorrow?””
For the first time, she didn't have an immediate response.
Vanessa touched her daughter's arm.
“Madison, perhaps you should go upstairs.””
“No,” I said.
“She can answer me.””
Madison's cheeks flushed.
“You always do this.””
“Do what?””
“Act like you're the only person who matters. You get the perfect dress, the perfect fiancé, the perfect wedding. Everyone spends months talking about Emily's big day.””
I stared at her.
“That's because it's my wedding.””
“And what do I get?””
I blinked.
“You get to attend.””
She laughed bitterly.
“Exactly. I get to stand in the background while everyone celebrates you.””
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
“You destroyed my wedding dress because you didn't want to stand in the background?””
“I didn't destroy anything!””
“You poured muddy water over it!””
“It was an accident!””
“You just admitted you were angry about the wedding!””
“Being angry doesn't make me a criminal!””
Vanessa grabbed Madison's arm.
“Enough. Go upstairs.””
Madison jerked away.
“No! I'm tired of everyone treating Emily like she's special just because her mother died!””
The words struck the room like a slap.
My father appeared in the doorway.
He had heard everything.
“Madison,” he said quietly.
She turned toward him.
For a moment, she seemed to realize she had gone too far.
Then her expression hardened again.
“What? It's true! Everyone feels sorry for her. She gets to be the grieving daughter forever, and I'm just the girl who married into the family!””
Dad stared at her.
“You were never treated like an outsider.””
“Really?”” Madison snapped.
“Then why does everything in this house belong to Emily? Her mother's photographs. Her mother's jewelry.
Her father's attention. Even the wedding gets to be about her dead mother!””
I felt the blood drain from my face.
Dad's expression changed.
“Don't speak about your mother that way,” he said.
Madison scoffed.
“She's not my mother.””
“No,” Dad replied.
“But Emily is your sister.””
“Step-sister.””
The word hung in the air.
Madison looked at me.
For once, she didn't smile.
Then she turned and ran upstairs.
Vanessa followed immediately.
Dad remained in the doorway, staring at the floor.
Daniel slipped his hand into mine.
Sophie quietly took her phone back.
I wanted to feel victorious.
Instead, I felt exhausted.
“Dad,” I said.
“Did you know about the message?””
He shook his head.
“No.””
“Did you know about the note?””
“No.””
“Then please stop defending her.””
He looked at me.
“I thought I was keeping the peace.””
“You were keeping me quiet.””
His face crumpled.
I turned away before I could see him cry.
Daniel helped me send a correction to the wedding group. We explained that the ceremony was still scheduled and asked everyone to disregard the false cancellation.
Within minutes, the replies began pouring in.
Some were supportive.
Others were confused.
One message came from Daniel's mother, Margaret.
Emily, sweetheart, call me as soon as you can. There is something you need to know.
I pressed the call button.
She answered on the first ring.
“Emily,” she said, her voice trembling.
“I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way.””
My stomach tightened.
“Find out what?””
Margaret took a shaky breath.
“Madison called me last night. She told me that Daniel had been having second thoughts about the wedding.””
I looked at Daniel.
His face went pale.
“What?”” he said.
Margaret continued.
“She said he had confessed he wasn't sure he wanted to marry you. She claimed he was only going through with it because of the deposits and the embarrassment of canceling.””
Daniel took the phone from me.
“Mom, that's a lie.””
“I know that now,” Margaret said.
“But she sounded so convincing. She even told me you had been arguing about money.””
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Why didn't you call me?””
“I was going to. Then she sent me a screenshot of a message she said you'd written.””
I felt a chill move through my body.
“What did it say?”” I asked.
Margaret hesitated.
Then she read the message aloud.
I don't think I can marry Emily. I just need a way out.
I looked at Daniel.
He shook his head slowly.
“I never wrote that.””
Margaret's voice broke.
“I know, sweetheart. But Emily, there's something else. Madison told me she had proof that Daniel had been seeing someone else.””
My fingers went numb.
“Someone else?””
“Yes,” Margaret whispered.
“She said she was going to show you the proof before the ceremony.””
The call ended a few minutes later.
Daniel stood motionless beside me.
Sophie stared at the floor.
I felt as though the house itself had shifted beneath my feet.
Madison hadn't simply ruined my dress.
She had tried to destroy my relationship.
And somewhere in this house, she was hiding evidence designed to make me believe the man I loved had betrayed me.
I turned toward the staircase.
“I'm going to find her.””
Daniel caught my hand.
“Emily, wait.””
But I was already moving.
Because I had finally understood what Madison wanted.
May you like
She didn't just want to ruin my wedding.
She wanted me to walk away from it.
