Chapter 2

I was sleepless for the whole night. And the morning sun appeared.

I looked at Tobias sleeping soundly beside me.

I held back my sobs, holding back the resentment inside me.

With a deep breath, I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

My fingers trembled as I tapped on my phone.

I transferred the dirty video from the car's dashcam to the computer linked to the large panoramic screen at the wedding venue.

I wondered how Stacey and Tobias would deny their affair at the wedding in four hours.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

I signaled the makeup artist to pause.

I rose carefully and heard the electronic lock beep, and the door swung open.

I was stunned instantly.

The woman entering wasn't wearing the custom-made white bridesmaid trousers she had ordered.

Instead, she was in a strappy red dress. Her makeup was meticulously done to highlight her allure, and her hair cascaded in big waves over her shoulders.

In the decade I had known Stacey, I had never seen her like this.

I came to my senses and leaned against the vanity mirror, arms crossed. I said with a smile, "Stacey, Are you... in a new romance?"

Stacey's expression instantly shifted dramatically.

The soft expression vanished as she frowned. "Effie, you can't just care about your happiness and restrict me from dressing up, can you?"

She shot back, and her voice was tense and hurried before I could respond. "Do you just not want me to be happy? The red dress is more attractive. So? Are you afraid that I'll outshine you?"

She suddenly became agitated and snatched the bridesmaid's purse from the table. "Have you ever really considered me your best friend?"

Before I could realize what was going on, the purse was hurled at me.

Instinctively, I raised my arm to block it.

In the next moment, I heard the sharp crack of my nails breaking at the base.

The pain pierced through me.

Blood seeped between my fingers and stained the wedding dress.

The foundation and perfume bottles shattered across the floor.

Glass shards were scattered, and the room was in a deathly silence.

"Effie!" My mother gasped, rushing to my side.

Stacey glanced at my hand.

A fleeting look of panic crossed her eyes before she quickly masked it.

"You are always so dramatic," she sneered and left.

The door was slammed shut with a resounding thud.

My mother trembled with anger. "What is wrong with Stacey? Is she crazy?" my mother exclaimed.

I shook my hand, and the pain made me more clear-minded.

My phone vibrated.

It was a message from Tobias. "Honey, there's traffic, and I might be two hours late."

He even added a crying puppy emoji for dramatic effect.

But it was just after the morning rush hour. There was no traffic at all.

Half an hour ago, he had insisted on the ceremony's importance and asked me to wait for him to pick me up in the car himself.

I sneered.

So that was his plan.

"Mom, get me a Band-Aid," I said.

I wiped the blood off my wedding dress expressionlessly. "You all carry on, and I need some air downstairs."

"Effie, you'll miss the time for the wedding..." my mother started, but I cut her off.

"It's fine," I replied.

I brushed past others and headed downstairs alone.

I activated my phone's GPS.

Tobias must have forgotten that his car's navigation was logged into my account.

The red dot representing him was nowhere near the highway, but at the Hilton Hotel, just two streets away from my home.

I signaled the taxi driver to stop at the hotel entrance and gave him five hundred for the delay.

Through the car window, I saw Tobias in his groom's suit and holding a woman in a red dress.

At first glance, one might mistake them for the couple getting married today.

He looked down at Stacey in his arms. He smiled indulgently as he pecked her lips. He teased, "Are you so fierce? She's still your best friend."

Stacey giggled and traced circles on his chest with her finger. "If I'm not a bit fierce, she'll start asking many questions, as she is so stupid."

"She won't suspect anything, will she?" he asked.

"Relax. She definitely thinks I'm still mad at her and is wondering how to make it up to me. Would you believe that she'll probably text me soon to apologize?"