The Betrayed Bride

Adrianna sat cross legged on the wooden floor of her big New York apartment. Sunlight shined in through the tall windows, but she didn’t notice. She held her phone between her shoulder and ear, pacing the room restlessly.

 She had called so many event planners, one after the other. Each one shared grand ideas flowers hanging from the ceiling, shining chandeliers, ice sculptures, and expensive dishes made by top chefs. But Adrianna wasn’t thinking about those details anymore.

 For six years, she had dreamed of this day. The day she would marry Damien, the man she loved with all her heart. Every detail mattered to hernot just the flowers or the music but the feeling of walking down the aisle, knowing she was about to start a new life. Every moment needed to be perfect, unforgettable.

 Her wedding dress had arrived that very morning. The dress was wrapped carefully in a soft satin bag. She had waited for this day for so long, and now the dress was finally here. She gently pulled it out and held it in her hands. The lace was delicate, soft as a whisper, with tiny flowers stitched into the fabric like secrets meant only for her.

 She closed her eyes and imagined how it would feel against her skin. The way the room would fall silent, every eye on her as she walked toward Damien. Her heart beat faster at the thought. This was her moment. Her forever moment.

 Just as she imagined that perfect vision, the sound of her phone ringing cut through the quiet like a sharp knife.

 “Adrianna,” came the voice on the other end. It was Cherry, her assistant. But Cherry’s voice was different this time trembling, urgent, and scared.

 “Something’s wrong,” Cherry said breathlessly. “Mr. Blackwood came to the office this morning. He didn’t stay long, but I overheard him talking on the phone. He said he was meeting someone.”

 Adrianna’s chest tightened. “Someone? By this time? Where? When we were supposed to check out the venue together?”

 Cherry hesitated for a minute, as if the words were hard to say. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about she said quietly. “Maybe just try to keep your mind off it for now.”

 But Adrianna’s heart had this strange feeling that something was wrong, very wrong. Her hands began to shake.

 The call ended. 

 Adrianna sat there in the silence, the phone still in her hand, staring at the blank screen as if it could tell her what to do next. Then just as she was trying to steady her shaking hands the doorbell rang sharply.

 Her heart jumped in surprise. She wasn’t ready for this. Not yet.

 When she opened the door, Damien stepped inside.

 He looked different. The charming smile she loved was gone. His eyes looked tired, and there was guilt written all over his face.

 He walked inside slowly, He didn’t say anything for a moment. He just looked at her, and the silence between them grew thick.

 Finally, he spoke, his voice low and heavy. “I cancelled the wedding preparations”

 Adrianna’s eyes widened. “Why?”

 His gaze dropped to the floor. “Katherina… your sister she’s been diagnosed with cancer. Late stage. The doctors say she has maybe three months.”

 The words felt like a blow to Adrianna’s chest. Katherina her sister always fragile, always needing attention, always the one everyone worried about. But this was different. This was a storm breaking over Adrianna’s whole world.

 “She wants to marry me,” Damien said, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s her last wish.”

 Adrianna’s breath caught in her throat. The perfect wedding, the life they had planned, the vows they were going to say all seemed to fall apart in front of her.

 “My wedding,” she whispered, her voice trembling with heartbreak, “was supposed to be our day.”

 Damien stepped closer, desperation in his eyes. “I’m offering you half my properties. Two million dollars. I want you to understand… this isn’t just about money. It’s about family.”

 Her jaw clenched. Anger began to burn inside her like a wildfire. “Compensation? Is that what I am to you? A deal? A consolation prize?”Something you can pay off?”

 Damien’s face darkened, frustration flashing across his features. “It’s not like that.”

 “But it is,” she spat back bitterly. “You’re choosing her. Over me. Over us.”

 There was silence again. It was thick and painful. Damien turned without another word and walked away.

 Adrianna sank to the floor, her hands shaking as she reached out to touch the empty space where her dreams had been.

 The next day, Adrianna didn’t sleep. She barely ate. Her mind was full of pain and confusion. How could Damien choose Katherina over her? How could her own sister do this to her?

 Determined to uncover the truth, Adrianna walked into the hospital with her heart pounding and her thoughts racing. The sharp scent of antiseptic clung to the air as she stepped into the private room.

 There, sitting upright in bed with an IV taped to her arm, was Katherina.

 Her hair was thin, her skin pale but her eyes? They gleamed with something far too alive like in a cunning way. 

 Adrianna took a shaky breath. “I thought you were dying. That you had cancer.”

 Katherina tilted her head, a slow, cruel smile forming on her lips. “Oh, I am sick,” she whispered, her voice calm and almost amused. “Just not in the way you think.”

 She ran a hand over her scalp, where her hair had been shaved to look like chemotherapy had taken it.

 “This?” she gestured at her frail appearance. “All part of the performance. A few injections. A little cosmetic help. Some forged medical reports. That’s all it took.”

 Adrianna’s heart sank.

 “I did what I had to,” Katherina continued, eyes sharp. “Because I wasn’t going to lose Damien to you. Not again.”

 Adrianna frowned, confused and hurt.

 “I’ve loved Damien long before he ever met you,” Katherina said. “You stole him away with your curves and pretty face. But at least he thinks I’m dying.

 Adrianna’s eyes burned with fury. “You lied to Damien. You faked cancer. You bribed the doctors just to manipulate him into marrying you. How could you? What kind of sister does that?”

 Katherina rose from the bed slowly, her hospital gown shifting as she stood tall too strong for someone supposedly dying. Her gaze locked onto Adrianna’s, cold and unapologetic.

 “I’m not evil,” she said softly, stalking forward. “But I’ve always envied you. You were the golden one. The beautiful one. The one who got everything handed to her without even trying.”

 She stopped just inches away, raised a finger, and pointed it at Adrianna’s chest.

 “If I can’t have what you have… I’ll take it by force.”

 And then, she smiled.

 “I’m telling Damien everything,” Adrianna said, her voice shaking but firm as she pulled out her phone. “Your lies, your fake illness, all of it it ends now.”

 But before she could press a single button, Katherina lunged forward.

 With a sharp slap, the phone flew from Adrianna’s hand, crashing against the floor and splitting apart.

 “Don’t you dare,” Katherina hissed, her fingers tangling in Adrianna’s hair as she yanked her close. Her voice was low, venomous. “Damien is mine. He’s always been mine. And in two hours, he’ll be my husband.”