A week before the wedding, Daniel had still tried to come up with excuses for not coming home at first. But sometime later, he simply vanished.

If I were any other bride, I probably would have broken down.

But all I felt was relief. If he were back, I would have to pretend and direct my efforts into playing my part to deal with him. All I wanted now was to leave quietly.

The day before the wedding, I was packing the last of my encrypted documents into my suitcase when my best friend, Emily Barbieri, called.

"Hey, Rosalie! How's Parneyland? Was the firework show magical?" Emily asked excitedly.

I frowned and said, "Parneyland? I think you got the wrong person."

Emily fell silent for a moment before saying, "Wait, didn't you see Daniel's latest post? I'll send you a screenshot."

I tapped to open it. In front of the Parneyland castle, Daniel had his arm around a woman with straight hair. She wore a cute mouse headband while holding onto his arm tightly. Daniel looked down at her with a tender smile. He was wearing a ridiculous mouse headband too.

Daniel's eyes were full of boundless, tender love.

Scrolling down, I saw photos of them at the beach, the theater, and every single place on my bucket list. I had once begged Daniel to go to all those places with me. He either said they were too childish or that he would go with me next time.

The comments section was filled with blessings for the couple.

"What a loving couple! I didn't expect to see Don Marino wearing matching headbands with Mrs. Marino."

No one realized the woman in the photos wasn't me.

I couldn't be bothered to look at the rest of the photos.

"I didn't see them," I said impassively.

Emily panicked and tried to comfort me. "Don't be upset, Rosalie—"

"I'm not upset," I said.

Perhaps the truth I had already learned hurt far more than anything else. So, when I saw those photos, all I felt was numbness.

Right after I hung up, I heard the roar of Daniel's sports car in the driveway.

Was he back?

I barely had time to hide my suitcase away before he walked in, holding a paper bag.

He handed it to me with a bright smile. "You've been working hard these past few days. Here's a gift for you. I remember you like this."

I opened it, and inside the bag was a plush toy. Of course, it was pink.

I set it aside and asked pointedly, "Didn't you say you hated theme parks because they were noisy and childish?"

Daniel's answer came too swiftly. It was like he had rehearsed it way ahead.

He quickly said, "It's a sample from a business partner. Anyway…"

Suddenly, he trailed off and stared at my uneven short hair.

He pointed and said, "The wedding's tomorrow. Why does our place look so empty? And what happened to your hair?"

I gave him a perfunctory reply. "The weather's hot. Why are you suddenly home? Are you done with everything at the company?"

He averted his eyes diffidently and said, "Yes. The moment I took care of it all, I came back to keep you company."

I scoffed inwardly and thought, "You just remembered you have a wedding tomorrow after having the time of your life with Leah out there for a week."

"Anyway, both our families are meeting tonight to finalize the wedding details. Go get changed. We're leaving soon," Daniel said.

"You can go without me," I said, declining instinctively.

Daniel's tone was firm as he insisted. "No. My parents want to see you. The pink diamond set is ready too. Leah was kind enough to pick it up for you. You can wear it when you try on the wedding dress later."

I knew his stubbornness all too well. Refusing to comply would only cause more trouble for me. Furthermore, I was going away tomorrow. I might as well play along one last time.

When we reached the garage, I froze upon opening the car door to the passenger seat.

Crumbs and greasy snack stains covered the leather seat.

There was even a pink scrunchie wedged in the seat cushion.

Two years ago, I drank until I threw up just to secure a business deal for Daniel. When we were driving home, my stomach hurt so much that a layer of cold sweat formed all over my body. Even when I was so unwell, Daniel prohibited me from throwing up in his car very sternly.

However, it seems that his supposed severe obsession with cleanliness could be easily disregarded for the woman he truly loved.

I slammed the car door shut and slid into the back seat.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Why aren't you sitting in the front?"

"I'd get car sick." I closed my eyes and refused to talk to him.

The rest of the ride passed in heavy silence.

When we arrived at Marino Manor, Leah was already there. She was wearing an exquisite white chiffon dress with a garment bag in her arms. A dazzling pink diamond necklace glittered on her neck.

"Hey, Rosie! I picked up your wedding dress," she said, thrusting the bag toward me. "Go on and try it on."

I didn't move.

Daniel's eyes flicked between the necklace on Leah's neck and my bare neck.

He looked a little embarrassed as he spoke up awkwardly. "Leah, didn't I ask you to just pick it up?"

Leah instantly put a hand over the necklace, feigning innocence. "I know, but the designer insisted it looked good on me and asked me to try it on."

Then she turned to me and asked, "You don't mind, do you, Rosie?"

I met her gaze steadily and replied, "No. You can keep it."

Daniel's patience snapped.

He grabbed the garment bag irritably and shoved it into my arms while barking, "Go try it on."

Leah clung to my arm playfully. "I'll help her with it."

She dragged me along forcefully with a strong grip on my arm. The moment we stepped into the changing room, her saccharine smile vanished.

Lowering her voice, she asked in a voice full of unmasked hostility, "Rosalie, do you remember the time when you got locked in the equipment room all night back in high school? You cried until you lost your voice, but no one came. Do you want to experience that again?"

Of course I remembered. That night left me with crippling claustrophobia.

"What are you getting at?" I said in disgust.

She shrugged and replied, "If I were you, I'd get lost before the wedding. We look so much alike. No one would even notice if we swapped with each other. Daniel loves me, not you. I'm the one who should be his bride."

I tightened my hold on the garment bag and asked quietly, "If you love Daniel so much, why didn't you come back sooner in the last five years? Why now?"

Leah burst out laughing. "Who said I love him? Those five years abroad were the best years of my life. I just got bored of it now. So, my foolish sister, be smart and step aside this time. I took everything from you once. I can do it again easily."

"Fine. He's all yours. I don't want him," I replied uncaringly.

Her triumphant smile faltered, and she shot me a doubtful look. "What are you playing at, huh? You've always loved Daniel. Oh, I see. You're pretending to give up, but you're actually aiming to go through with the wedding."

She scoffed. "Come on, Rosalie. That's all you've ever been good at. You've always hid your jealousy behind that haughty facade you put on."

I retorted, "Leah, we're not kids anymore. Your little mind games have long stopped working on me."

My attitude infuriated her. Gritting her teeth, she spat, "Why, you! That won't work, huh? Then, what about this?"

Suddenly, her eyes reddened. She yanked the necklace from her neck with a violent tug. It snapped, leaving behind a red welt across her skin.

"Ah!" she screamed. In the same motion, she tore the garment bag in my hands before bursting out of the changing room in tears while holding her cheek.

She ran straight into Daniel's arms, sobbing pitifully until her whole body shook. "Rosie… Rosie wouldn't try on the gown! She said it wasn't her size and that it was made for me… Then, she yanked the necklace off me and tried to hit me!"

I stepped out slowly, holding the torn garment bag.

In the living room, Daniel's parents, as well as my dad and Camilla, all snapped their heads at the commotion. Their faces were grim, and their judgmental gazes that gave away their immense displeasure landed on me.

My dad slammed his hand on the table and scolded, "You're just like your mother. You're selfish, difficult, and have no respect for family!"

Camilla shrieked in agreement, "Exactly! How can you throw a tantrum on the day before your wedding?"

Daniel's parents, Pedro Marino and Beatrice Lupo, said nothing but made their disapproval known through the grimace on their faces.

Just like that, I was once again the villain. I was the unreasonable, ungrateful, and impossible one. I didn't bother defending myself. I just stood where I was with a stoic expression.

"Enough!" Daniel snapped, cutting them off. He came over and gripped my shoulder. But to my surprise, he didn't lose his temper.

"Alright, that's enough," he said gently.

Then, he put a hand over my shoulder and gave me a comforting side hug. "Since Leah has worn that pink diamond necklace, it's not a good choice to let you wear it as the bride. As for the dress, just let it be if it's torn.

"I'll order you a new set of jewelry made of top-grade diamonds. We'll have your gown remade. You'll be the most beautiful bride tomorrow, I promise."

Once upon a time, I would have teared up and felt immensely touched that he defended me in public. I would have thought all that I had suffered had been worth it.

But now? I found it incredibly boring.

I murmured half-heartedly, "Sure. I'm tired. I'll go home first."

Before anyone could respond, I turned and walked out.

Daniel instinctively reached out to stop me, but Leah grabbed his arm and whined, "My neck hurts…"

And just like that, his attention shifted back to her. He never came home that night.

With my suitcase on standby, I waited for time to pass. When the sky started lighting up, I left without a second glance backward.

…

At the venue where Daniel and my wedding was held, he stood at the altar. However, his bride was still nowhere to be seen.

He grew restless and called my number over and over again.

By the 19th time, the call connected.

"Where are you, Rosalie? Our wedding has started!" he shouted into the phone.

In the next moment, he heard a clear and mechanical voice over the line. "Attention passengers, please proceed to Gate B17 for boarding…"

The color drained from Daniel's face. Every trace of anger on his face vanished, replaced by raw panic.

He asked frantically, "Where are you going?"