Chapter 15- THE MASK

Marcus looked down at the lip gloss marks on his shirt and didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, this? Sophia kissed me goodbye before I left the house this morning. She always does that when she’s in a good mood. Lip gloss everywhere.”

Ryan stared at him for a long second, then glanced at me. I kept my face calm. I had wiped my lips clean the moment we heard the footsteps. My heart was still racing, but I stayed quiet.

“Hmm,” Ryan said. He didn’t look fully convinced, but he let it go. “Alright. I’ll let you finish up.”

Marcus gave a small nod. “I should head out anyway. Good session today, Bella. See you next time.”

He left quickly. The door closed behind him, and the house suddenly felt smaller. Just me and Ryan again.

For a moment, I hoped the nice version of Ryan from earlier would stay. I stepped closer and reached for his hand. “Thank you again for the camera. It really means a lot.”

He dropped my hand right away and took a step back. His face changed. The sweetness disappeared.

“Go take a shower, Bella,” he said flatly. “You smell again. That heavy sweat smell. I can’t even stand close to you right now.”

The words stung worse than the slap. I stood there for a second, then turned and went upstairs without arguing. The hot water didn’t help much.

That night, Ryan sat in the living room on a family call about his sister’s wedding. I stayed in the bedroom and picked up my phone. There were a few messages. One was from Jake, the guy who had given me a ride after the event.

Jake: Hey, can we meet privately sometime? I want to apologize about last time.

I felt sick. I blocked him immediately and deleted the message. I didn’t want anything to do with him.

The next day was the wedding. I wore a nice Navy blue dress that flattered my curves. Ryan wore a suit and looked handsome. When we arrived at the venue, everything looked beautiful, flowers everywhere, music playing, people smiling.

But the moment we stepped inside, Ryan started avoiding me. He would walk ahead, talk to relatives, and leave me standing alone. Whenever someone came over to greet us, though, he changed completely.

“Oh, you two look wonderful together!” one aunt said, hugging us both. “Ryan, you’re so lucky to have such a beautiful wife. And Bella, that dress is looking stunning on you!”

Ryan smiled wide and put his arm around my waist. “Thank you. Bella has been working hard on herself lately.”

Another cousin came over. “You guys are such a cute couple! The way Ryan looks at you… goals!”

I smiled through it all, but inside it hurt. As soon as the people walked away, Ryan dropped his arm and moved to talk to someone else. I stood there holding a glass of juice, feeling invisible again.

His mother came over at one point. “Bella dear, you look lovely. Ryan told us you’ve been trying to lose some weight. It shows! You two make such a perfect pair.”

“Thank you,” I said softly. “We’re trying.”

Ryan appeared beside me, smiling for his mother. “We are. Bella’s been amazing.”

The moment she left, he stepped away again. I watched him laugh with his friends across the room. My cheek still felt a little tender from the slap, hidden under makeup. I touched it lightly and wondered how long I could keep pretending.

I needed air. I slipped away from the main area and went inside the building where the bride and her girls were getting ready. The room was bright and busy, full of laughter and last-minute fixes. The wedding dress hung proudly on a mannequin, a gorgeous white gown with delicate lace on the bodice, flowing layers of tulle, and tiny sparkling beads that caught the light. It looked expensive and romantic.

“Wow,” I said softly, walking closer. “This dress is stunning. The lace details are so intricate.”

One of the bridesmaids smiled at me. “Thank you, Bella! Come help us with the veil. It keeps sliding.”

I spent the next half hour with them. I carefully pinned flowers into the bride’s hair, adjusted the long train so it wouldn’t wrinkle, and helped fasten the delicate necklace around her neck. She looked beautiful, glowing with excitement.

“You look incredible,” I told her honestly. “Your groom is going to be speechless when he sees you walking down the aisle.”

She hugged me tight. “Thank you so much. You’re so sweet for helping.”

For those few minutes, I almost forgot about my own problems. Being useful felt nice. The girls chatted happily about love and marriage, and I smiled along, even though my own felt like it was falling apart.

Then the music started outside. It was time.

Everyone moved to their seats. I found my place near the front with Ryan’s family. Ryan sat beside me and even held my hand when people were watching. The ceremony began. The bride walked down the aisle looking radiant in her dress. Guests stood up, phones out, whispering how perfect she looked.

Finally, the groom stepped out from the side entrance, smiling proudly in his black tuxedo.

My stomach dropped.

It was Jake.

The same Jake who had driven me home that night after the event a few weeks ago. The man who had pulled down my dress while I was drunk and asleep. The one who had licked my breast and tried to go further. He stood there looking confident, hair neatly styled, shaking hands with the pastor.

Our eyes met for a brief second across the room.

My hands started shaking in my lap. I felt dizzy. How was this happening? The man who had almost taken advantage of me was about to marry Ryan’s sister. I sat there frozen, heart pounding, while the ceremony continued around me.

I didn’t know what to do.