Chapter 4

On the day of the wedding, I arrived at the hotel right on schedule.

As the makeup artist finished my makeup, she smiled warmly.

"Ms. Smith, you look absolutely beautiful today."

I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

I truly looked like a bride eagerly waiting to marry the love of her life.

However, I was the only one who knew the truth. I was not there to marry Eugene. I had come to give him and Jeannie the greatest gift of their lives.

The makeup artist reached for my veil, then suddenly stopped.

"Ms. Smith, this veil..."

I looked up.

One corner of the veil was wrinkled. There was a faint smear of lipstick on it.

My fingers clenched instantly.

This veil had been sewn by my mother during the final days of her life.

By then, she was already so weak she could barely hold a needle. Her hands shook constantly.

Even so, she sat up in her hospital bed and spent an entire month carefully sewing every pearl and every tiny silk rose onto the edge of the veil.

She had smiled and said, "I may not be here to walk beside you down the aisle. So let this veil stand in for me and stay with you every step of the way.

"When you wear it, pretend Mom is still holding your hand."

Not long afterward, she passed away.

From that day on, I kept the veil stored in my wedding dress box. I could hardly bear to take it out, let alone touch it.

Before the wedding, I sent it to the hotel ahead of time. I reminded the staff again and again to keep it stored separately.

However, now it had been crumpled.

It was stained with another woman's lipstick.

The makeup artist looked embarrassed. "Would you like me to clean it up for you?"

I stared at that glaring streak of red.

Suddenly, even breathing hurt.

After a long silence, I slowly shook my head.

"No. Just leave it."

The door opened.

Eugene walked in wearing a black suit. His handsome face looked calm and gentle.

If I had not already learned the truth, I probably would have fallen for him all over again.

He stopped behind me and met my eyes in the mirror.

"Melissa. You look beautiful today."

He reached out to straighten my veil. Then he gently cupped my face, his eyes overflowing with affection, and leaned in to kiss me.

The moment our breaths mingled, my vision went black.

Another scene appeared before my eyes.

It was a private lounge.

Jeannie wore my veil. Her eyes were red, and the lipstick on her lips was badly smeared.

"Eugene, have you lost your mind?

"You are marrying Melissa in an hour."

Eugene lowered his head to look at her, keeping his voice low.

"That is why this has to be the last time."

Tears rolled down Jeannie’s cheeks.

"You say that every single time.

"However, every time you see me, you cannot help yourself."

Eugene did not deny it. He reached up and gently wiped away her tears.

Jeannie slipped her arms around his neck. As they fell together onto the sofa, the veil slipped from her shoulders. It floated softly down beneath them.

My whole body froze.

In that instant, it felt as though something inside me collapsed with a deafening crash.

They both knew that veil had been sewn by my mother with her own hands before she died.

On the day my mother passed away, both Eugene and Jeannie stood beside her hospital bed.

She had been so thin she was little more than skin and bones.

Even then, she held Eugene’s hand tightly and pleaded with him again and again.

"I will not be here to see Melissa get married.

"Please love her for me."

Eugene nodded, his eyes red with tears.

"You have my word.

"I will never let Melissa be hurt."

Jeannie cried too as she held my hand.

"Do not worry. I will always stay by Melissa’s side.

"When she gets married, I will send her off for you."

However, now they had taken the veil my mother left me and pinned it beneath their bodies while they did something so disgusting.

The vision ended abruptly.

Back in reality, Eugene was still adjusting my veil.

A knock came from outside the door.

"Mr. Shaw, Ms. Smith, the ceremony is about to begin."

Eugene held out his hand.

"Come on."

I looked at the hand reaching toward me.

Long fingers.

Clean, familiar.

It was the same hand that stayed up all night changing the cold towel on my forehead whenever I had a fever.

However, now that hand had also caressed Jeannie’s body. It had taken all the love I gave him and crushed it into a joke.

I placed my hand in his. Eugene led me out of the room.

The doors to the ballroom slowly opened.

Onstage, the emcee smiled and addressed the guests.

"Before the exchange of rings, the bride has prepared a few words she would like to share with everyone.

"Let us all listen to the words she wants to say to her groom."

Eugene turned toward me, surprise flickering across his face.

"When did you add that?"

I smiled.

"Last night."

I reached into my clutch and took out a folded sheet of paper.

In the front row, Jeannie sat with teary eyes fixed on me.

She probably believed the wedding would unfold exactly as the two of them planned.

However, neither of them knew that the words I prepared were not just words of love.

They were also the beginning of their downfall.

With every relative and friend Eugene invited watching from the audience, I slowly opened my mouth.

"I would like to thank Eugene and my best friend, Jeannie."