Chapter 9

No one noticed that Jessica had left.

Everyone was too preoccupied with the wedding.

Abby had always dreamed of a grand wedding, and Jack had accommodated her, replacing the original arrangements with an extravagant setup. A pricier makeup artist had been hired. Three sets of gowns had been prepared—one for the entrance, one for the ceremony, and one for the banquet.

At eleven-thirty, the grand doors swung open. Abby stepped into the venue, draped in a flowing white wedding dress. The melody of the wedding march played softly in the background.

On the giant screen, images of her and Jack flickered to life. Since she had taken over as the bride at the last minute, there hadn't been time for a proper wedding photoshoot. Instead, hastily gathered candid shots played in a slideshow.

The hall was filled with guests, yet an odd atmosphere lingered. Faces twisted in curiosity and hushed whispers spread through the crowd.

"A wedding where the bride changes at the last minute? Never heard of that before."

"Who cares? We're just here for the food. Whether it's the older or younger sister doesn't matter."

"Still, stealing her sister's fiancé—it's shameless, no matter how you spin it."

The murmurs reached Abby's ears. She remained unbothered, her expression unchanging, her gaze fixed on Jack, who stood impeccably dressed across from her.

It didn't matter what they said. What mattered was that she had become Jack's bride. Words wouldn't hurt her. They wouldn't take away what she had gained.

The wedding proceeded. The master of ceremonies spoke with eloquence, weaving together a narrative—a love story of patience and destiny. He spun a tale of devotion, transforming the truth of a stolen engagement into a grand romance, a love that had been fated all along.

Some young girls in the audience even wiped away tears.

Then, the emcee glanced at Abby. He hesitated briefly before resuming his script.

At that moment, the slideshow on the screen changed. The photos of the happy couple vanished, replaced by something else.

Evidence provided by Jessica.

A voice echoed through the venue, "Jess, you never should have been born. You can never win against me."

"Oh, wait. I'm not the one who's sick. You are—the one with terminal stomach cancer. You don't have much time left, do you?"

"You have no right to threaten me. At most, I've been faking an illness. But you? You've taken quite a lot of money from me, not to mention all the bribes from other patients' families. If I report you, you can say goodbye to your career."

Audio files. Video clips. Screenshots of conversations. One by one, the pieces of evidence exposed the truth, each more damning than the last.

Abby hadn't seen this coming. She clutched her ears, screaming, "Lies! It's all fake! Jess set me up! She's doing this because I took her fiancé—she's taking revenge!"

She scanned the crowd, searching for Jessica. But Jessica was nowhere to be found.

"She's hiding! She's guilty, that's why she's not here!" Abby shrieked.

Jack felt an unfamiliar weight settle in his chest. A deep irritation. And yet, he couldn't ignore the unease creeping in. He had always known that Jessica wasn't the type to pull reckless stunts. She was methodical, precise.

He needed to hear the truth from her himself.

He dialed her number.

"The number you've called is no longer in service."

He sent her a message.

A red exclamation mark appeared. He had been blocked.

He thought back to the phone call from Kelly during last night's dinner. An unsettling feeling took root.

Abby's parents were also trying to reach Jessica. But her phone remained off. They, too, had been blocked.

Watching their concern, a bitter taste rose in Abby's throat. Yet she quickly masked her resentment with a pitiful smile.

"Mom, Dad, Jack, please don't be mad at her. She didn't mean to ruin my wedding. It's my fault. I took what was supposed to be hers."

But this time, her parents didn't rush to comfort her. Their eyes held doubt. For the first time, they hesitated.

For the first time, they wondered if they had ever truly known their eldest daughter.

Jack had no patience for this farce any longer. He turned on his heel, ready to leave.

Abby seized his wrist. "Not yet! At least exchange the rings first! I know you're going to look for Jessica, but this wedding—this wedding must be completed!"

Jack shook her off and walked away without a word.

"Dad, Mom! Look at him! This is my wedding!" Abby cried.

But her parents didn't stay, either. Without another glance at her, they followed Jack out.

Something was wrong. They could feel it.

And so, Abby was left standing there, alone, beneath the weight of a hundred judgmental stares. The whispers around her grew louder. She could feel their scorn pressing against her skin.

Anger swelled within her. She tore off her tiara, ripped away her veil, and stormed out.

The wedding ended as nothing more than a public spectacle.

…

Back at Abby and Jessica's home, Jack stormed into Jessica's room.

A single note lay on the desk. There were two words, written in her familiar handwriting: I'm leaving.

Beneath the note, there were a few items. A bank card and a storage box. Inside the box was every gift he had ever given her.

What was she trying to say?

He immediately called Kelly.

"Where's Jessica? Is she at work today?"

Kelly sounded confused. "She didn't tell you? She was assigned to Paris for further training. She left this morning."

A notification popped up on his phone.

Kelly had sent him a photo.

It was a group picture. Jessica stood among her colleagues, smiling. The caption at the bottom read: [Congratulations to Jessica Conway and Nick Camdon for being selected for an internship at our Paris headquarters! A victorious return from the Global Fashion Design Competition!]