Chapter 2 Episode 2

Darla's eyes opened to a new environment. It took her a minute to confirm that it was a hospital.

The doctor in front of her opened and the doctor walked in, his face full of pity as he stared at her. Dread formed on her face as she embraced her heart for the worse.

"Did anything happen to my baby?" Her voice barely escaped.

The doctor hesitated, his gaze lowering for a moment before he spoke. "I'm sorry, miss... but you lost the baby."

The words slammed into her, knocking the air from her lungs. Her heart clenched, the ache expanding, suffocating. A strangled sob tore through her as tears trickled down her cheeks.

It hurt her to know that a child that she could have loved dearly was already gone before she could show the child to the world. Maybe it was for the best, probably the world was telling her that she wasn't ready. Just as the thoughts rumbled in her head, another thought caught her attention.

Ethan.

He was in the wreckage with her, what happened to him?

"What about Ethan?" she whispered, barely able to form the words.

The doctor's expression softened slightly. "He's unconscious. We're monitoring him closely, but it's too soon to tell."

Darla nodded absently, her thoughts slipping away from her.

Just as she was about to close her eyes, a familiar face appeared on the screen. Across the room, a television screen displayed footage that reminded her why she was there.

The mansion-her family's home-reduced to smoldering ruins.

Her breath stilled. The bold letters at the bottom of the screen confirmed the nightmare. No survivors.

Her mother. Her father. Her sister.

Gone.

It wasn't just a dream, it was real. Her family was all gone, and she was the only one left behind.

What use was she to this earth when all her family was gone?

Just in a single night, she had lost everything that was dear to her.

It hurts.

It broke a part of her that she could never fix back. A scream escaped her lips as her arms wrapped around her own body as if she could somehow hold herself together. But it was futile.

All she could do was cry; the tears streamed down with no mercy.

A vibration from the bedside table pulled her back to reality.

Her phone.

Darla hesitated before picking it up, her fingers trembling. The screen illuminated a name she never expected-Roy.

Her pulse quickened as she opened the message. It was a message.

No, a wedding invitation.

A digital wedding invitation.

Roy was getting married in two days, but not to her.

To the woman he had once introduced as his cousin.

Darla's breath came in uneven gasps. It was impossible. Yet the evidence was undeniable, staring her down, right in her face. Her fingers hovered over the call button; she tapped it and waited for Roy to pick it up.

It rang once.

Twice.

Then straight to voicemail.

Darla bit her finger furiously; there was no one on earth her fiancé was getting married.

Her stomach churned as she tried again, only to be met with the same cold response. A moment later, the message vanished from her phone-deleted. Then, the final blow came.

She was blocked.

For three hours, she remained frozen in place, staring blankly at the phone, her mind playing over everything she had lost.

Slowly, she pulled the IV from her arm.

She may have lost everyone, but that was someone whose life mattered just as hers, and he had risked his to save hers.

She had to see Ethan.

The walk down the hall felt endless, her body weak, drained of all energy. When she reached his room, she hesitated before stepping inside.

Ethan lay still, his chest rising and falling steadily. In sleep, he looked untouched by pain-his sharp jawline relaxed, dark lashes resting against pale cheeks.

For the third time, Darla wondered how a man like Ethan had ever befriended Roy. In college, Ethan had always seemed cold and distant in a way that made him stand apart from everyone else. Yet, somehow, he had ended up in Roy's orbit.

A quiet voice pulled her from her thoughts.

"Who are you?" A voice asked.

Darla turned, meeting the gaze of a woman standing in the doorway. Elegantly composed, with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, she carried a blue bowl in her hands. Darla could see the resemblance in their eyes; Ethan was her son.

"How do you know my son?" The woman asked.

Darla swallowed. "We went to the same college." She said.

A small, knowing smile touched the woman's lips as she gestured for Darla to sit with her. But Darla shook her head. She didn't belong here. She knew Ethan would be safe with his mother, so she turned and walked away.

Two days had passed already, two days of mourning her parents and everyone she had lost. Darla stood before her mirror, staring at her reflection, unable to recognize the woman in front of her. She had grown thinner in the past two days. Maybe because all she had to herself was several bottles of alcohol and a wet bed from all her tears.

Her eyes were sad and puffy but there was no make-up in the world that couldn't cover all that sadness.

The white dress she had chosen fit perfectly, draping elegantly over her frame. A wide-brimmed hat shadowed her features, her makeup sharp, accentuating the hollowness beneath her eyes. She barely recognized herself, but perhaps that was the point.

Today was the day she would do something reckless.

Roy had stolen everything from her-her future, her dignity, her child. And now, he was parading his perfect wedding in front of the world, as if she had never existed. As if her pain was nothing. Well, she would make him remember.

Darla didn't need a GPS to remember where the venue was, she had kept it in the back of mind for days. Her photographic memory made sure of that. Every detail of the venue seared in her mind-the venue where she was supposed to be the bride.

As she pulled up, the mere extravagance of it made her stomach twist. The beach setting, the floral arrangements, the soft golden glow of fairy lights-everything she had begged Roy for. Everything he had refused her, only to give it all away to someone else.

Guests arrived in clusters, seated in rows and columns, smiling and laughing at an event that should have been hers. Darla stepped forward, determined to ruin whats left of Roy's happy day.

Before she could get to the entrance, a man stopped her.

"You can't go in, ma'am." The security guard said. The wedding was strictly by invitation only but the invitation she had was taken before she had the chance to save it.

How would she have an invitation to her own fiancé's wedding?

Just as she opened her mouth to argue, a familiar voice spoke from behind her.

"She's with me." Darla turned sharply to find Ethan standing behind her.

He's alive. She thought to herself. Thrilled to see him again.

Dressed in a sleek black tux, he stood beside her. The last time she had seen him, he had been unconscious, clinging to life. Now, he was here. Not a single sign on him that said he was struggling for his life two days ago.

She felt relieved, but she forced it down. This was not the time for sentiment.

Ethan stepped forward, and without another word, the guard moved aside.

And just like that, Darla stepped into the wedding that was supposed to be hers, with the man who should have been Roy's best friend at her side.

The security guard gave a curt nod, and the grand doors swung open. The room beyond was breathtaking-an opulent hall bathed in golden light, with several floral arrangements and crystal chandeliers that caught every glimmer. It was everything Darla had dreamed of. Every single detail was perfect.

But none of it was for her.

She walked beside Ethan, her pulse pounding in her ears as she took in the scene before her.

"Thank you for letting me in," she murmured, glancing at him. She had no intention of staying by his side-she just wanted to slip into the shadows, watch from a distance, and witness the wedding unfold.

Ethan caught her gaze, amusement in his eyes. "Wanna crash it?"

She was shocked that he would even think she could do such a thing.

Darla hesitated, the hint of a smirk playing at his lips throwing her off guard. Heat rose to her cheeks as she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. Just enough to show she wasn't backing down.

Ethan tilted his head slightly. "I won't stop you," he said simply. And then, with a casual nod, he walked forward, leaving her alone at the back of the room.

Darla inhaled deeply, steadying herself. This was something she had never done before, it was strange to her but yet she felt like she had to do it.

The wedding slowly began.

She folded her arms, lingering in the corner as she watched the bride glide down the aisle in a gown that sparkled under the chandeliers. The fabric clung to her frame in a way that made her look flawless.

It pissed her off. The dress, the flowers, the soft candlelit glow-it was all meant to be hers.

Roy stood at the altar, grinning as if he had won the grandest prize. His eager hand stretched toward his bride, his fingers curling around hers as she met his gaze with nothing but love and trust.

All lies.

Darla exhaled sharply, a hiss slipping through her clenched teeth before she could stop herself. Some heads were turned. A few guests casted pointed glances at her-afterall she was the woman wearing white in a wedding where only the bride was supposed to wear white.

Darla didn't care, it was her way of letting them know that it should have been her up there.

The ceremony pressed on,

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

Roy's warm gaze was locked onto his bride, the same gaze that had once been reserved for her. The betrayal, the lies, the loss-became too much.

Before she could stop herself, the words tore from her lips.

"Stop the wedding!" She yelled.