Chapter One

~Emilia 

He stroked my cheeks while holding my waist, repeating the same promises he made to me years ago.

“I will forever love you as we grow old together, baby,” he murmured against my neck, his breath warm and teasing.

“Stop it, you're making me blush,” I said, trying to hide my excitement. It was the night before our court wedding, and I felt like the luckiest woman alive. Everything looked so perfect. Malik and I had been high school sweethearts, and I was happy we were finally tying the knot tomorrow.

Although he hadn’t introduced me to any of his family members, I wasn’t bothered—he didn’t want our families involved. According to him, he just wanted the two of us. No family. No drama. Just us. I respected that, even though a small part of me wondered why. But I brushed it aside.

“You're ready for tomorrow, right?” he asked, tracing lazy circles behind my back.

“Of course I am,” I whispered, feeling my heart flutter. I leaned into him, wanting the moment to last longer.

He leaned in to kiss me, but just then, his phone beeped. He paused, glanced at the message, and jumped out of bed, reaching for his jacket and car keys.

“Any problem? Where are you going at this time of night?” I asked, puzzled at the sudden shift.

“Oh, nothing baby. I just need to attend an urgent meeting. I’ll be back in an hour.” He grabbed his keys and kissed my forehead before closing the door behind him.

My stomach clenched, tight and uneasy, as a cold shiver ran down my spine—like a warning I couldn’t quite explain. Something didn’t feel right. But again, I brushed it aside, convincing myself I was overthinking.

Trying to distract myself, I slipped into my fluffy slippers and headed straight to my closet to admire my wedding dress again. I was super excited as I checked it out in the mirror. I just couldn’t wait to sign those papers in court with Malik.

I spun slightly, picturing myself walking down the courthouse steps, my hand in Malik’s. I smiled, imagining the photos, the way he’d look at me, the way everyone would say how beautiful we looked together. I had waited so long for this moment.

After carefully hanging the dress back in place, I made myself a light dinner. Still, there was no sign of Malik. The food was tasteless in my mouth. I barely chewed. I picked up my phone from the nightstand and glanced at the time. It was already an hour later—and still no sign of him.

No message.

I was getting really worried. I dialed his number. It wasn’t going through. I dialed again. Still nothing.

My mind raced as different thoughts collided in my head.

What if he was in a car accident? What if he was kidnapped? What if something terrible happened?

I paced up and down the room, panicking.

I dialed his number a third time, and this time, he picked up.

“I told you I’ll be home in an hour. Why are you blowing up my phone with calls?”

His voice was low, but clearly annoyed.

I froze.

“But... it’s been an hour and a half. I was a little worried. I thought maybe something happened to you,” I managed to blurt out.

“I’m fine, bae. Just held up in traffic. I’ll be home soon,” he replied, his voice now laced with forced calm.

I noticed he was a little pissed. Before I could say anything more, his voice added,

“And also, go to bed. Don’t bother staying up waiting for me.”

Then he hung up.

I stared at the phone. He’d never spoken to me that way before. I assumed maybe he was stressed out. Maybe the meeting hadn’t gone well. Maybe traffic had made him irritable. It was late.

I didn’t want anything to ruin our wedding tomorrow.

Still feeling uneasy, I crawled into bed. I couldn’t sleep. Every little noise made me jump.

I kept imagining the worst.

Eventually, I drifted into a restless sleep. The clock ticked slowly. Minutes dragged. Hours stretched.

The night felt endless.

---

I woke up to the rays of the morning sun peeking through the curtains. I yawned lazily and turned to the other side of the bed.

It was empty.

My heart skipped a beat.

I sat up quickly, heart pounding in my chest. I reached for my phone. 7:15 a.m.

Our wedding was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. at the courthouse.

Where was he?

Panicking, I dialed his number repeatedly. He didn’t take the call.

I rushed into the living room. No sign of him.

Just as I was about to call again, my phone beeped with a message:

> "Hey bae, I’m running a little behind. Go ahead to the courthouse and start getting things ready. I’ll be there in a few minutes. I love you.”

I heaved a sigh of relief.

Maybe I had overreacted last night. Maybe he really was just busy after all.

I rushed into the bathroom, humming happily. Today was still my day. Nothing would ruin it.

I quickly styled my hair in a bun, slipped into my wedding dress, applied my makeup, and added a touch of perfume and lip gloss.

I grabbed my handbag, slid into my heels, and walked gracefully to the garage.

I stepped into the black Rolls Royce he had bought me for my birthday, started the engine, and drove off to the courthouse with a hopeful smile.

The courthouse was only thirty minutes away, but it felt like the longest drive of my life.

Finally, I arrived.

I parked, stepped out of the car, and stood at the courthouse steps, clutching my handbag. I looked around.

Malik wasn’t there.

I checked the time. 7:55 a.m.

Still no call. No text.

I dialed again.

No answer.

I waited.

8:10 a.m.

Still no sign of him.

My phone beeped.

My heart l

eapt.

But when I opened the message…

my blood ran cold.

"Sorry. Malik can’t make it today. And you should stop waiting.”