Night Before Wedding, Husband Kissed Friend's Foot; I Jailed Them

1: 1

The night before the wedding, I realized I'd left something in the hotel suite.

I doubled back and found the door standing slightly ajar.

Nigel Gilbert was down on one knee, lifting Tania Fox's foot.

He bent his head and kissed it, gentle as could be.

Tania was wearing my backup wedding gown, and Nigel was slipping the heels onto her feet.

Tania, tell me. What if, tomorrow, at the wedding.

What if the bride were you instead?

Tania flushed and pouted at him. You're insane.

I'm not.

I'm marrying her because the two families fit together. You know that.

He stood and pulled her into his arms.

You're the one I really want to marry.

Tomorrow you'll be sitting out there watching, and when the officiant asks if anyone objects.

I'll take you and walk.

Tania laughed until there were tears in her eyes. You're joking, right?

I'm not.

After a short silence, I turned and walked away.

No need to wait for tomorrow. I'd give the two of you what you wanted tonight.

Those few short lines drove into my chest like ice picks.

Seven years.

Nigel and I had been together for seven whole years.

From school uniforms to a wedding gown, I'd thought it was fate.

Turns out, in his eyes, it was only a marriage of convenience.

So those seven years of never leaving each other's side, all of it was just an act?

Tania, the best friend I'd given my whole heart to for ten years.

Wearing my gown, standing in my wedding shoes.

Whispering against my fianc's cheek.

The two of them wrapped up in each other, so tender, and it left me looking.

Like one complete joke.

Even like an extra person. The one who didn't belong.

I gripped the door handle, and I could hear my own ragged breathing.

For one second I wanted to kick the door in and storm through.

Wanted to point at them and scream, to smash this whole ridiculous scene to pieces.

But the moment the thought rose up, I pushed it back down.

Falling apart over a man whose heart had turned long ago.

Too cheap, and too far from worth it.

Making a scene would only leave a mess, and hand people a show to laugh at.

I drew a deep breath and was about to turn and leave.

Then Tania's voice came again from inside, edged with worry.

Nigel, if my uncle Farley ever finds out you treated his daughter like this.

He'll never let you off.

Nigel gave a low laugh, his voice full of contempt.

By tomorrow we'll be long gone.

The Farley holdings have already been mostly swallowed up by Gilbert Group.

Even if he wants revenge, he won't have the means.

I went rigid where I stood, disbelief on my face.

So that was it.

This was more than just a change of heart.

All that tenderness across seven years.

In the end it was only a con he'd planned down to the last detail.

Getting close to me, winning me over.

Coaxing my parents into trusting him without a single doubt.

All of it just to set his sights on the Farley empire.

Playing with my feelings, and swallowing what generations of my family had built besides.

Nigel, what a clever little plan you've worked out.

Through the gap in the door, I watched the two of them kiss.

The sight was so vile it turned my stomach.

Slowly I raised a hand and touched the slight swell of my belly.

There was a little life in there, just past two months.

I'd been planning to surprise him with it tomorrow, at the wedding.

Now the thought of it felt like a cruel joke.

I drew my hand back, and the expression on my face went cold, bit by bit.

For him, I had nothing left. Not a shred of feeling.

All that remained was disappointment.

So I turned and left without looking back.

The elevator dropped floor by floor, the mirrored wall throwing back a pale but steady face.

No tears, no panic.

Because when the heart is well and truly dead, a person only sees more clearly.

When I walked out through the hotel doors, the night wind was cool against my face.

I took out my phone and called my father.

He picked up quickly.

From the other end came the same warm, kind laugh as always.

What is it, sweetheart?

You've got the wedding tomorrow. Why aren't you resting this late?

I lifted my eyes to the huge wedding poster across the street.

On it, the couple smiled, sweet and happy.

But now, in my eyes, it was one enormous joke.

I was silent for a moment before I finally spoke.

My voice came out calm, nothing like a woman who'd just caught two people cheating.

Dad, this wedding. I don't want to go through with it.

There wasn't the slightest confusion on the other end.

What came back was my father's voice, steady beyond words.

You're sure?

I nodded. I'm sure.

Then my gaze fell back to that lit window on the top floor of the hotel.

The corner of my mouth curved, cold and sharp.

But the wedding tomorrow goes ahead as planned.

2: 2

The line went quiet for two seconds. He didn't ask why.

That was my father. My feelings always came first.

Not like Nigel. Seven years of scheming and lies.

He was the only man in this world who was good to me and wanted nothing back.

I still remembered how it started. In college, I was the one who noticed Nigel first.

Back then his family had money too, enough to stand level with the Farleys.

I'd told myself the gap wasn't wide, and only then did I dare to love him with everything I had.

Later the Gilberts' investments failed, and overnight two-thirds of their assets vanished.

My parents never said a single slighting word.

If anything, they treated him better.

They protected his pride at every turn.

Afraid he'd sit there choking on it, they even went out of their way to steer projects and connections to him.

Looking back now.

I'd fed a wolf with my own hands.

All because I was too stupid, too naive.

Seven years, and I'd believed every lie out of his mouth.

"As long as you're sure, that's all that matters. Don't force yourself."

My father's voice was steady, full of quiet backbone.

"If the sky falls, your mother and I are still here to hold it up for you."

My nose stung all at once, and my eyes started to burn.

All these years, home had always been my last way out.

But this mess came from my own bad judgment of people.

There was no reason to make my aging parents clean up the wreckage for me.

"Dad, don't worry."

My voice was firm. "This is my problem. I can handle it myself."

He didn't press any further, only said to reach out anytime.

I hung up and leaned against the car door for a while.

The night wind was cold, just enough to blow me clear of my own foolishness.

I scrolled to my private secretary and called.

Two rings, then a clean, brisk voice.

"Ms. Farley, it's late. Is there something you need?"

I went straight to the point, no small talk.

"That company Nigel and I opened together, my name's on some of the founding shares, isn't it?"

The secretary paused, then answered quickly.

"Yes, Ms. Farley. Though the percentage isn't very high."

"That's enough."

I tapped my fingers on the car door, my voice cooling.

"In the past few years, who has that company worked with most closely?"

The secretary pulled the data and gave it to me straight.

"The main partner is the Gilbert Group. About seventy percent."

Of course.

Even the last shred of hope was gone.

He'd had it all worked out from the very start.

Using the joint venture as a springboard, hollowing out the Farley resources.

Then turning around and pouring every bit of it into the Gilberts' pockets.

"I need two things done right now."

I began laying out the instructions clearly.

"First, pull every share under my name out."

"Second, cut every partnership with the Gilberts."

"Cut it clean. Don't leave a single thread hanging."

The secretary clearly froze, surprise in the reply.

"Ms. Farley, if we pull out and sever ties now."

"The books will take a loss of at least ten million!"

Ten million.

Before all this, maybe I'd have weighed it, thought it over.

But now it just struck me as absurd.

Seven years of love, and I'd nearly thrown away myself and my whole family.

This much money, call it the price of a lesson.

Paying to see a person clearly. Worth every cent.

"I don't care how much we lose."

"Even if it's a hundred million, you cut it for me."

"Do it tonight. I want results by tomorrow."

Hearing how set I was, the secretary agreed at once.

I hung up, pulled the door open, and slid into the driver's seat.

The car was quiet, nothing left but my steady breathing.

I lifted a hand and rested it lightly on my belly.

The little life in there was only two months along.

I used to picture him being born into a whole family.

Now I was grateful there was still time.

Far better than bringing him into the world with a liar for a father.

I started the car and drove toward the villa.

The moment I got home, Nigel's text came through.

[Sweetheart, are you home yet?]

[Tomorrow's our big day.]

[I still can't believe it. It doesn't feel real.]

I stared at the screen and laughed out loud.

Seven years of careful scheming, and tomorrow it would get its grandest finale.

My finger tapped lazily at the screen, and I sent one line back.

[It really doesn't feel real.]

He didn't catch the mockery in it.

He was still playing the devoted fianc.

[Don't be nervous. I'll be right beside you the whole day tomorrow.]

[Holding your hand, for the rest of our lives.]

I looked at those two lines and my stomach turned.

The rest of our lives?

As if he deserved that.

But the act had to go on. I couldn't tip him off.

So I swallowed the disgust and sent back two words.

[Okay.]

Then I thought about it and added one more line.

[Looking forward to tomorrow.]

Sent, I tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.

I couldn't wait for tomorrow's wedding.

Couldn't wait to watch him stand up there, waiting to run off with Tania.

And then watch his beautiful dream shatter, right before his eyes.

3: 3

That night, I never once closed my eyes.

I lay in bed staring at the ceiling.

I ran through every possible thing that could go wrong today.

Every step, played out again and again, until nothing could slip.

Seven years of love, and all it bought me was a carefully built lie.

I owed him a show in return. One he'd never forget as long as he lived.

I lay there with my eyes open, and outside the window the sky slowly turned pale.

I got up, climbed out of bed, and walked straight into the bathroom.

I splashed cold water against my face.

The face in the mirror was pale, the eyes so dark they were almost frightening.

No eyes red from crying. Just a heart gone hard.

From now on, my tears were only for people who deserved them.

The knock came right on time.

I pulled the door open, and Tania was standing there.

Her makeup was flawless, her whole outfit soft and pink.

She smiled the moment she saw me, as if nothing had happened at all.

She waved and offered her congratulations.

"Aileen, congratulations!"

"You finally get to be with Nigel for the rest of your life."

She said it with such sincerity, not a flush on her face, not a flicker in her pulse.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes last night,

I probably would have believed every ounce of this best-friend act.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth and stepped aside to let her in.

"Sit. There's still plenty of time."

She lifted her skirt and walked in, looking around the room.

Her gaze landed on the bridal gown at the head of the bed, and the envy at the corners of her eyes couldn't quite hide.

I saw all of it. I had no intention of calling it out.

When a dog bites you, you don't bite it back.

What I wanted was for her to fall, principal and interest all at once.

To fall until she was shattered, and could never get up again.

Not long after she sat down, the floor below erupted.

All the soon-to-be relatives had arrived, aunts and cousins by the dozen.

Firecrackers, cheering, the whole villa in an uproar.

Nigel came up carrying flowers, the wedding party behind him.

He smiled the moment he saw me, still gazing at me with all that tenderness.

The crowd escorted me downstairs in a noisy swarm.

When we got into the wedding car, Nigel sat right beside me.

He held my hand the entire way, playing his devotion to the hilt.

I knew this was the last of his fake tenderness.

The car rolled along smoothly. Then, out of nowhere, I spoke.

"Nigel, if I ran away from the wedding, what would you do?"

He clearly froze for a second, something strange flickering through his eyes.

Then he slipped back into that same tender look.

"Sweetheart, that's not a funny joke."

His tone carried reproach, but I saw it plainly.

The corner of his mouth couldn't help lifting, just a fraction.

Delight. Secret delight.

He'd love nothing more than for me to run, so he could swap out the bride and make it all look natural.

And pin every bit of the filth on me.

I sneered inside, but on the surface I answered without a ripple.

"Just asking. Look how nervous you got."

He tightened his grip on my hand. "Of course I'm nervous. I can't lose you."

Beautifully said. I almost believed it.

The wedding car slowly pulled up to the hotel entrance.

They were calling it the wedding of the century, and it wasn't the slightest exaggeration.

The moment I stepped out, I saw the reporters packed around the doors.

Lenses long and short pointed at us, flashbulbs firing in one blinding wall of light.

Every outlet had come. The turnout was bigger than I'd expected.

Nigel's brow knit together instantly.

His voice edged with impatience and irritation.

"Who let them in?"

"Is security just here to eat?"

He'd planned to slip out quietly, without too much noise.

Afraid that if it got loud, the Farleys would catch on and come after him.

I spoke up beside him, light as air.

"I arranged it."

Nigel's head snapped toward me, his face full of surprise.

"Sweetheart, don't you hate having your privacy exposed?"

He'd only dared to set his trap so recklessly because he knew I kept a low profile.

I lifted my eyes to the dense wall of lenses.

The corner of my mouth curved into a faint smile.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

"Big and lively, with something to remember it by. What's wrong with that?"

He blanked for two seconds, then quickly put on a smile.

He reached out, slid an arm around my waist, and went along with it.

"You're right. Whatever you want."

"In a bit we'll stand at the center of the stage and let everyone witness our wedding."

"A moment like that really is worth keeping."

He thought he had the whole thing under control.

Thought it was just a girl's silly wish to have one glorious day.

He was already scheming over the scenes to come.

Maybe he could even ride this circus for a wave of publicity.

I leaned into his arms and smiled along with him.

But inside I was cold as ice.

Something to remember it by?

Yes. Of course I'll keep it, and keep it well.

In a little while there'll be so many lenses recording the show.

Enough to leave this pair of dogs disgraced, with no day to ever rise again.

As for the two of us, who's really playing whom

You'll find out soon enough.

4: 4

On the way to the dressing room, the emcee suddenly stopped Nigel.

Said he wanted to run through the stage cues one last time.

Nigel turned to give me a quick word, then followed him off.

That left Tania at my side, and the air between us shifted at once.

Her step was unusually light today, and she kept deliberately walking a pace ahead of me.

Her skirt sweeping the floor, every inch the lady of the house.

As if, somewhere underneath, she just wanted to stand over me.

Then, a few steps on, afraid I'd notice, she'd turn back and dig up something to smooth it over.

Nothing but old stories from grade school.

We'd known each other almost twenty years. She was the friend I'd kept the longest.

I'd given her my whole heart.

Whatever good thing came my way, I thought of her first.

And in the end it was her hand holding the knife, and she drove it in the deepest.

By the time we reached the dressing room, it was just the two of us.

She didn't even bother pretending anymore.

She reached for the backup wedding gown on the rack.

Threw it over herself in a couple of quick motions and turned a circle on the spot.

The lace hem lifted, and her eyes were full of a smugness she couldn't hide.

"Lena, do I look good in this?"

I lifted my eyes to her, and all I felt was how absurd it was.

Had she thrown out every last scrap of shame?

At my wedding, in my gown.

Who exactly had given her the nerve?

"Yes. You look good."

Her smile grew wider, and she checked herself in the mirror from every angle.

"I think so too. It fits pretty well, doesn't it."

She went on chattering to herself, never once looking back at me.

If she'd turned around just then, she'd have been startled.

The look I had fixed on her was cold.

Cold clear to the bone.

Just then, a knock came at the dressing room door.

My father called to me from outside. "Sweetheart, it's about time. You should get up on the stage."

I drew in a deep breath and went to open the door.

My father glanced at me, asked nothing, only held out his arm.

I slipped mine through it and we walked to the doors of the banquet hall.

The music started right on cue, and the red carpet ran all the way to the front of the stage.

My father and I walked forward, step by step.

Guests filled the seats on both sides, and the cameras all swung toward us at once.

I kept a proper smile on my face.

Stepping along the carpet, moving toward the stage.

Nigel stood up there, his smile gentle.

He held out his hand to me, his eyes like they held a whole sky of stars.

Everyone below was marveling, saying how perfectly matched we were.

Out of the corner of my eye, I swept across a quiet corner of the hall.

Tania stood right there, still in the wedding gown.

Her whole face lit with an excitement she couldn't hold down.

She was waiting. Waiting for Nigel to make good on last night's promise.

Waiting for the emcee to ask if anyone objected.

Waiting for the man she loved to walk out with her in front of everyone.

Too bad. That moment would never come for her.

The emcee stood in the center and smiled as he picked up the microphone.

First a few opening remarks.

When it came to the vows, he turned to Nigel first.

And held the microphone out to him.

"Mr. Gilbert, do you take Ms. Aileen Farley."

"To be your lawful wife, to walk through life hand in hand?"

Something vicious flashed at the bottom of Nigel's eyes.

He reached out for the microphone.

I knew what he was about to do.

I didn't give him the chance. I took the microphone first.

The room went suddenly still.

Everyone looked at me, puzzled.

Nigel froze too, confusion all over his face.

Gripping the microphone, I turned to face every guest below.

My voice carried clear across the entire hall.

"I'm sorry, everyone. This wedding, today."

"Ends right here."