There was a two-second silence on Julian's end.

Then, Madison's breathless voice came through. "Julian, my chest still feels tight…"

The next second, Julian whispered, "Maddie just got through another episode. Her heart has always been fragile. She can't be left alone right now."

Curled up on the carpet, I felt as though knives were twisting through my stomach.

"It really hurts."

There was another brief pause before Madison's voice drifted through the speaker. "Julian, maybe you should go check on Olivia?"

Before she could finish, Julian cut her off, "Don't push yourself."

He turned his attention back to me. "Stop overthinking. A heart condition is serious. You just have a stomachache. I'll call an ambulance for you right now."

The call ended.

I stared at the closed master bedroom door upstairs.

The staircase was no more than a few yards from the living room, yet even that short distance was too much for him to make.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. But Julian still didn't come downstairs.

I had to brace myself against the wall to slowly make my way to the front door. When I opened it, the paramedics saw how pale I was and immediately stepped forward to support me.

"Where's your family?"

I forced a smile.

"Upstairs. They're busy."

…

When I opened my eyes, it was still dark outside.

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose. An IV needle was taped to the back of my hand, and cold fluid slowly seeped into my veins.

My coworker, Yvette Lewis, was sitting beside the bed. Her eyes were red, and she was still clutching my document pouch.

"Have you completely lost your mind? Your stomach's bleeding, yet you're still planning to fly to Luten tomorrow?"

My throat felt raw. "Did you change my flight?"

Yvette stared at me before letting out a humorless laugh.

"I moved it to tomorrow," she replied. "What about your wedding? Was that thing about the bride being replaced actually serious? Please tell me you're joking."

I stared at the brightening sky through the window.

"I wasn't joking. I replaced her myself."

Yvette froze.

I handed her my phone. The screen showed the confirmation image that the wedding planning company had sent in the middle of the night.

The groom was Julian, and the bride was Madison.

Yvette stared at it for several seconds before swearing under her breath. "Does he know?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. There's no reason for him to know."

Just then, the hospital room door opened.

Julian walked in.

Madison followed right behind him. She wore a short white dress and had Julian's suit jacket draped over her shoulders. The ruby necklace around her neck gleamed brightly beneath the hospital lights.

When Julian noticed that I was awake, he seemed relieved.

"The doctor said it's nothing serious. Since you're awake, let's not waste time."

Before I could ask for clarification, Madison clapped her hands and smiled.

A crowd immediately poured in through the doorway. There were bridesmaids, photographers, makeup artists, and several members of the Foster family.

They carried balloons, wedding decorations, and champagne-colored ribbons.

Within minutes, the cold hospital room was transformed with wedding decor.

A "Just Married" banner hung above my bed, and bouquets were arranged beside my IV stand. The room looked less like a wedding and more like a ridiculous memorial service.

Yvette shot to her feet. "She's still hooked up to an IV. What exactly do you think you're doing?"

"She's sick, isn't she? We'll just use this place as her bridal suite," Julian stated, frowning. "Olivia's always been understanding. She won't mind."

Madison tugged on his sleeve. "Olivia, this was my idea. If you don't like it, we can forget about it. We can wait."

Her eyes drifted toward the photographer as she spoke.

Julian's expression faltered. "Don't ruin the mood. Maddie put a lot of work into planning all this."

I looked at him.

The IV needle stung faintly in the back of my hand. A streak of blood had flowed back into the clear tubing. It stood out against the plastic.

Julian's mother, Phoebe Smith, walked over and patted Madison's hand. "Maddie's such a thoughtful girl. She's the one who understands Julian the best."

"I know, right? Ever since we were kids, we always thought Julian and Maddie were perfect for each other."

"Yeah. If Maddie didn't see him only as a brother, someone else would've never had a chance," several of the bridesmaids chimed in.

Then, as if they had only just noticed me, they added with a laugh, "Don't take it personally, Olivia. We're just joking.

"By the way, my friends planned all the wedding games today. You should just sit back and watch since you're not feeling well. Besides, everyone's basically family here. Nobody really cares if the bride participates."

Family.

I scanned the room.

The Foster family knew Madison. Julian's friends knew Madison. Even the bridesmaids at the wedding were Madison's friends.

Meanwhile, I, the actual bride, lay in a hospital bed like an outsider who was summoned to witness the ceremony.

Julian walked over to my bedside and adjusted the IV bag for me. He didn't say a word.

I looked up at him.

The lingering pain in my stomach rolled through me in waves, yet strangely, I felt calm.

"Julian, am I really your bride today?" I asked.

A frown creased his brow as he finally spoke, asking, "What are you talking about?"

He glanced at his watch.

"I'll be picking you up in seven hours. Isn't that enough to make you happy?"

I smiled. "I am. I'm looking forward to the surprise I prepared for you at the wedding."

"What surprise?" Julian asked. Genuine anticipation shone in his eyes as he looked at me.

I hadn't seen that look in a long time.

Back when we first started dating, I made him a birthday cake. The frosting was uneven and crooked, but he held it in his hands and stared at it for ages.

"I love anything that's from you, Olivia," he said.

Back then, I mattered to him.

I hadn't been wrong about him. He just wasn't that man anymore.

I was about to reply to him when Madison leaned in. "What surprise? Did you get Julian a gift too?"

I didn't respond.

The nurse came over to remove my IV. As the needle slid free, a bead of blood welled up on the back of my hand.

Julian glanced down at it. For a moment, he looked concerned.

"The ceremony's in a few hours. Get some rest. I'll see you there."

I pressed the cotton ball against my hand and looked up at him.

"Julian, what if I told you I don't want this wedding anymore? What if I wanted to leave today instead?" I began. "Would you come with me?"

The room went silent.

Even the photographer stopped moving.

Julian's expression darkened. "This isn't the time for jokes."

Tears immediately flooded Madison's eyes. "Is this because of me? If I'm in the way, I can go back to Vandalia…"

She swayed before finishing her sentence.

Julian caught her without hesitation. "Maddie!"

He steadied her, then turned to me. "You know Maddie's not well. She's been pushing herself for this wedding. Stop overthinking. I told you—"

"Julian," I cut in. "You don't have to explain. You've known her your whole life. It's a given that you're going to take care of her."

The cotton in my hand had already gone red at the edges.

I smiled. "I'm not jealous anymore. I get it."

Julian's shoulders eased slightly. "That's good. I'm taking Maddie back to rest. I'll come for you when the car arrives."

With that, he helped her out of the room. The door closed behind them.

I stared at the bead of blood on my hand.

That was his last chance, but he still chose Madison.

The room was quiet except for Yvette and me.

Her eyes were red with anger. "Are you still going to the wedding?"

I pulled the tape off my hand.

Blood rose again.

I held down the wound.

"No. Take me home."

…

Half an hour later, I was back at the house we were supposed to share. The moment I stepped inside, I was hit by the smell of bluebells. It was suffocating.

The living room was still decorated with wedding favors and bouquets that the planning company had delivered yesterday. Champagne-gold ribbons hung from the staircase railing.

Everything was arranged exactly the way Madison liked it.

I dragged my suitcase upstairs.

The master bedroom door was slightly ajar. Julian and Madison weren't there.

I had no idea where "going back to rest" actually meant.

The shawl Madison had taken off last night was on the bed. Her lipstick and earrings were still on the vanity.

My marital home felt like a hotel that she had been living in for a while.

I stopped looking and opened the drawer. Inside it was the wedding ring Julian had given me. The band was thin.

"Wedding rings are just symbolic. We don't have to make it too flashy," he said.

Yet the ruby necklace on Madison's neck could easily buy dozens of rings like this.

I took out the ring and placed it together with the complementary diamond necklace. Then, I set the villa keys, access card, and wedding schedule on the coffee table one by one.

Finally, I picked up the invitation.

I grabbed a black pen and wrote in the blank space, "Wishing you a happy marriage."

Once I was done, I capped the pen. It made a light sound, like something locking shut.

My phone buzzed.

It was a message from Julian. "The bridal car is here. Where are you?"

Another one came right after.

"Stop messing around. Everyone's waiting."

I read them but didn't reply.

Yvette helped me roll my suitcase to the door. "Your documents, passport, and ticket are ready. Everything's ready at Luten, too."

I nodded.

Before leaving, I took in the house.

The crystal chandelier was on, the fragrance diffuser was still burning, and the wedding decorations were still up.

None of it had ever truly belonged to me.

I closed the door.

Yvette took my hand. "Let's go. Don't look back."

…

Security and boarding went smoothly at the airport. I turned my phone off to leave the past behind.

The next second, however, the cabin announcement came over the speakers.

"Attention, passengers. Due to an urgent search request from the Foster family, all outbound flights today have been fully restricted.

"May we know if Ms. Sinclair is on this flight?"