Her Stolen Wedding

My childhood friend, Mason Rowe, and my best friend, Natalie Hayes, stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking my path. They looked ready for me to make another scene like I always had before.

But what did they have to be afraid of?

Two years ago, on the night before my wedding, Chloe Holloway had "accidentally" smashed the sails of my bridal ship.

Furious, I'd shoved her.

The very next day, Mason pinned me down in the middle of downtown and slapped me ninety-nine times in front of a crowd.

Last year, Chloe had "accidentally" burned the wedding gown I'd spent six months embroidering.

I'd finally snapped and ripped her dress to shreds.

Ethan Holloway, my brother, dragged me away, stripped me down to my underclothes, and suspended me from the ship's mast for seven straight days.

"Chloe's dress took seven days to make. You'll spend seven days paying for what you did. That's only fair."

Even now, I could still remember the way they looked at me during those seven days.

It made me wish I'd died there.

Back then, at least Natalie had still been on my side. Somewhere along the way, though, she'd started siding with Chloe too, joining everyone else in lying to me.

Beside me, Mason spoke with obvious impatience, "We didn't mean to keep it from you. But you're always picking on Chloe, acting like the whole world owes you something."

He looked toward the dock, his eyes softening.

"Look at them. Julian and Chloe belong together. They make the perfect couple."

I stared at him blankly. It felt as though molten lead had been poured down my throat, burning so badly I couldn't force out a single word.

I'd found Mason when I was seven years old. He'd been nothing but skin and bones, always hiding in corners, too afraid to look anyone in the eye. He wouldn't let anyone get close to him.

I was the one who stayed by his side and led him out into the light.

Back then, he'd told me, "You'll always be the only person I'll ever stand by. If anyone hurts you, I'll risk my life to protect you."

Now he stood in front of me instead, his gaze colder than ice. It was as if the moment I laid a finger on Chloe, he'd be the first to fight me.

Congratulations and laughter drifted over from the ceremony.

"Julian finally married you. I've been waiting forever to have you as my sister-in-law," Julian's sister, Vanessa Sterling, said with a bright smile.

A few years ago, when her husband cheated on her, I was the one who stood up for her and helped recover the assets he'd secretly transferred away.

When she'd suffered a massive hemorrhage during her pregnancy, I was the one who raced through red lights to get her to the hospital in time, saving both her and her baby.

Afterward, she'd grabbed my hands and said, "You're the only sister-in-law I'll ever accept. I'd rather lose Ethan than lose you."

"The family's curse spent all night soaking in the river. She's probably lying in a hospital bed by now. If she'd been today's bride, she would've jinxed the whole wedding."

The room erupted in laughter. Every laugh pierced my ears like a thousand needles.

Ethan saw the resentment in my eyes and tightened his grip around my arm. "Don't go in there and humiliate yourself."

Then he looked at me without an ounce of pity. "I'll tell you the truth. The person who came up with sabotaging your bridal ship all these years... was Julian."

My head snapped toward him.

For years, every time something happened to my bridal ship before the wedding, everyone called me cursed. A walking bad omen.

But Julian had always stood in front of me.

"I don't care what they say. You're the woman I've chosen to marry. I love you. Nothing will stop me from making you my wife."

His every word still echoed in my ears.

"Audrey Holloway," Ethan said coldly, "if you still want me to think of you as my sister, turn around and leave. Right now."

I lowered my head.

One by one, I pried his fingers off my arm.

Then I looked up and stepped onto the boarding ramp.