Chapter 1

I stood behind Toni Summers, staring at her youthful, happy face reflected in the mirror. She couldn't have concealed her joy even if she'd tried.

Every bride who came to me wanting to look her brightest and prettiest was the same.

"Are you sure your wrist is all healed up now?" Toni suddenly asked.

I flexed my wrist. "Yeah. Don't worry. It's almost back to normal."

"Great!" she chirped. "I've seen your work. There's no other artist I trust more than you, Felicia!"

I didn't respond. I simply began applying her foundation before moving on to her eyes.

Dakota was smoothing the bridal veil when she suddenly exclaimed, "No way. Are these real diamonds sewn into the fabric? It feels incredible! How much did this cost?!"

Toni's eyes were closed, but her lips curled into a proud smile. "I honestly don't know. Walt arranged all of it for me. He said he hired a designer for the veil. He hired someone for the bridal gown, too.

"He's even spent the past six months putting together a team of the best wedding photographers in the industry!

"Everything about this was his idea. The decorations, the hotel, even the flowers and how they're supposed to be arranged. He personally went over the plans several times and reworked everything again and again.

"I told him we didn't need to spend so much on this, but he said… 'This is something we only get to do once in our lifetime. We can't skimp on it!'"

My brush froze in midair.

I still remembered the day we received our marriage license.

Back in the living room of our rented apartment, he had promised me with absolute conviction, "Once I've made enough money, I'll throw you the grandest wedding this century has ever seen!"

He did eventually make a lot of money. Then he told me, "Well, I know I said that, but... neither of us has time for that anymore, right? Besides... we've been together for so long now. We're not the young, starry-eyed couple we were back then. We're too old for that sort of whimsy, don't you think?"

Then, not long ago, both of my parents-in-law had been hospitalized one after the other. Their operations had cost a fortune, but Walt had said all his money was tied up in his company's projects. He couldn't withdraw any of it to cover the bills.

I had to drain all the savings I'd accumulated over the years and sell the jewelry my parents had given me for my wedding day. I took on project after project, client after client, and sometimes worked deep into the night.

I had cut my daily expenses to the bone just so I wouldn't have to borrow a dime from him. Yet now, it turned out he'd had the time and money to plan an extravagant wedding with someone else all along!

"I'm so happy for you, girl. Your husband sounds like a keeper!" Dakota's remark jolted me back to reality. "But I guess you deserve all this, huh? You've been with him since before he had a penny to his name. If you stood by him through the hard days, you deserve the best days he can give you."

Toni sighed. "No. I've only been with him for eight years. He had an ex-girlfriend who was with him for a pretty long time, too. Then she ran away. She couldn't stand living in poverty. She couldn't weather the storm with him, so she left.

"I'd just graduated when they broke up, and I happened to be interning at his company. I was there when he was at his lowest point.

"I don't have any special skills or talents to boast about when it comes to relationships. All I had to offer was my steady, loyal support and companionship. We braved the storms together... and here we are today."

"That is crazy!" Dakota exclaimed, her tone shifting from jealousy to indignation. "That ex was one blind, materialistic gal! I bet she's kicking herself for abandoning him now!"

Toni smiled and said nothing, while I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ground together.

I'd been with Walt Wolfe for eight years before marrying him, and we'd been married for five. I had no idea he'd been cheating on me for the last eight years of our thirteen-year relationship.

Worse, I couldn't believe he'd invented an entire story about me being some materialistic woman who'd run away when times got tough, all so he could justify his betrayal!

Had he forgotten all those years when we survived on microwave dinners and plain pasta? All those times when we had nothing but each other in that cheap apartment we called home?

Had he forgotten how I stepped up and worked even harder when his business failed and his debts began piling up? Had he forgotten the time I was too afraid to go to the hospital despite a dangerously high fever because I was worried about the bill?

How had he managed to lie so much, to maintain this double life for eight years, yet still show up on my video calls every night and say lovingly, "Sleep well, sweetie"?

Toni seemed to notice something was wrong. She tilted her head and asked, "Hey, Felicia? Are you all right? Is your wrist acting up?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a bright smile. "N-No. It's nothing. I'm done with your eyes."

The dressing room door opened, and a woman in a lavender bridesmaid dress sauntered in excitedly. "How's the prep, hon?!"