Chapter 2: The Ghosts in The Conference Room

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• The Vows We Fake    Chapter 30: Cracks in The Foundation

  There are whispers now. Not the kind that float softly through the air like background noise. These whispers cling like smoke; thick and suffocating. They pause when I enter a room, then resume when I turn my back. The first time I heard the whispers, I was in the vendor hallway at the Riverglass Pavilion. Two florists, one from Tuscany and the other from London, stood by the espresso cart murmuring between sips. “Did you hear about the planner? Something about a missing bracelet… Sera’s, I think.” “Zane’s fiancée?” the other asked, eyes wide, excitement disguised as concern. “Apparently she didn’t press charges. Must be out of pity.” They stopped talking the moment they noticed me. I gave them a stiff nod, my cheeks burning. But the look in their eyes said it all. My whole personality as a decorated planner had gone down the drain.. all they saw me as was the woman who might’ve stolen something from a billionaire’s bride. I walked past them with my head high, but inside, my che

• The Vows We Fake    Chapter 29: Survival of The Broken

  Zane had been silent through it all. And then he coughed. “Amara,” Zane said. “There seems to be another confusion about the bridesmaid fabric.” “I have the approved sample in my file,” I said evenly, handing it over. “The decorator received it a week ago.” Sera snatched it, lips pursing. “This isn’t blush taupe. This is mauve. Mauve is a funeral color.” “It’s the exact swatch you signed off on. You wrote the initials yourself.” “I did not.” Sera turned to Zane. “I think she’s deliberately undermining things. There have been too many mistakes lately.” “Sera, I’m too busy to play cat and mouse with you. I frankly don’t care about your wedding. I want to do my job and get paid.” Sera‘s nostrils flared. She was angry; I could tell. She was like a kettle soon to boil over. She turned to her fiancé. “Zane? What do you have to say about this?” We both turned to him. Sera narrowed her eyes at him, silently daring him to take my side. I lowered my expectations to the barest minimum. Of

• The Vows We Fake    Chapter 28: The Whisper Campaign

  I stood beside the massive arched window in the bridal showroom, clipboard pressed to my chest, my jaw aching from clenching. Outside, deliveries came and went like clockwork. Inside, chaos was brewing hot. “Does anyone know why the cake vendor didn’t arrive?” Sera’s voice echoed in the room. “I was under the impression today was the tasting. Wasn’t it, Amara?” I turned, spine straight, and offered a placid smile. “There was a scheduling shift. They’re due in tomorrow. I sent a revised itinerary yesterday morning.” “Oh.” Sera blinked dramatically, glancing around as if performing for invisible cameras. “I must’ve missed that… or maybe it didn’t come through. It’s hard to keep track with all the confusion lately.” “I'll forward it again.” I caught the brief look exchanged between the florist and Sera’s stylist. Thy didn’t have to speak to show that they had new opinions about me, and not positive ones. The seed was already planted. Another note in the growing chorus of whispers ab

• The Vows We Fake    Chapter 27: Ivory and Lavender

  The next morning, I woke early, bloodshot eyes and a heart heavy as stone. The days to come seemed daunting, but I had hardened my mind. Get through this wedding… and get it over with. Leah was already buzzing around with my tablet and schedule, trying to drag me into professionalism, but I barely heard her. Another venue inspection loomed ahead, and Zane had insisted I be there in person. Something about “vision synergy.” When I got the email, I’d almost thrown the tablet across the room. But I went. Because that’s what professionals do. And also because he was my employer. I had to go. Bellmare Estate was a breathtaking cliffside estate, marble and glass, bathed in late-morning light. The kind of place you’d dream of marrying someone you loved. It was eerie. I remember the strange feeling I got when I heard that the couple I was working for chose Bellmare. That was the venue of choice for me and Zane five years ago. Now that I think about it… why did Zane chose Bellmare when he di

• The Vows We Fake    Chapter 26: Ghosts That Walk Away

  Chapter 26: Ghosts That Walk Away “We‘re expecting,” Sara announced. Gasps arose from all corners of the room A second later, loud applause. People were cheering loudly. A few toasts. Clinking glasses. Flashbulbs. Smiles, laughter, joy. Sera’s smile widened. Zane looked straight ahead. I didn’t move. It was as if my feet were glued to the floor. My fingers clenched at my sides. The pain I felt finally had a name. Pregnant. Sera was pregnant. I knew that. But it felt less real when it was a hidden secret. Now the whole world knew. It was a nail to the coffin of my relationship with either parties of the couple. The crowd surrounded them like a tidal wave, hollering and cheering and congratulating. I felt sick. Sera stood at the center of the ballroom, glowing, hand resting against the slight swell of her stomach like it was some sacred relic. Zane was beside her, stoic and unreadable. And yet, when his eyes found mine across the crowded room, something was obvious in his eyes.

• The Vows We Fake    Chapter 25: The Announcement

  The Montclaire Grand Hall was decorated beautifully. Gold-trimmed drapes swayed beneath soaring chandeliers, while waiters in black bowties floated through the crowd, glasses of rosé perched on polished trays. An orchestra played something elegant in the background, the kind of music that filled silences between laughter and gossip of rich people. I stood near a marble pillar at the edge of the ballroom, the chill of the stone grounding me. My black dress was simple and understated. I wanted to blend in comfortably. It was comfortable enough to hide the slight limp in my steps due to my injury a few days ago. I traced the rim of my untouched champagne glass, eyes trained on the stage being prepped across the room. The crowd was filled with influence. Politicians, moguls, socialites, influencers. The wedding had become a spectacle, and tonight’s gala was the opening act. Sponsors had been whispering about turning the event into a brand: The Wedding Of The Decade. I felt like an i