All Chapters of I Vanished Before the Wedding: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

When Callum finally came home, I was curled on the couch, fever blazing through me. He switched on the lamp by the door. "Why are you sitting here in the dark—" Then he saw my face. The takeout bag in his hand slipped onto the coffee table, forgotten. It was from my favorite diner—tomato soup and grilled cheese, the comfort I always wanted when I was sick. He hurried into the kitchen, came back with water and fever medicine, then helped me sit up carefully, as if I might break. "This is my fault," he murmured. "I shouldn't have gone out drinking with them." His voice was soft, filled with guilt. "Go lie down. I'll shower first. I don't want you breathing in all this alcohol." Worry clouded his face. For one fragile, foolish second, I almost believed him. I almost convinced myself that he really loved me. Then I caught the scent clinging to his shirt. Roses. Mara's perfume. A minute later, the shower started running. Callum's phone remained on the coffee table, i

My phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. It read, 'We offer professional fake-death services—revenge against cheating men and homewreckers. Honest prices and guaranteed results.' Beneath the message was a mess of strange words and a suspicious link, practically daring me to click. Without really knowing why, I opened my laptop and entered the link. The website screamed danger, promising at least five new viruses, but I pressed on anyway. After all, what did I have left to lose? When my parents died, they left me more money than I could ever spend. Most of it just sat in a trust, untouched, waiting for a version of my life that no longer existed. The site offered a menu of tragedies: car crashes, drownings, hiking mishaps, and medical emergencies. My cursor hovered over one choice: sudden cardiac arrest. Ten days from now, I was supposed to marry Callum. Then I recalled Mara's words, 'I'll be Natalie's bridesmaid. When we walk down the aisle, just prete

I nodded, opened the door, and went inside. The moment I sank onto the couch, Callum's name lit up my phone screen. I watched it glow once, then again, before I finally answered. His voice came through low and rough, with a faint breathlessness underneath it. "Nat, I'm sorry. Mara and I were out shopping all afternoon, and I got so tired I fell asleep. I didn't hear my phone." He gave a soft laugh. "What's wrong? Miss me that much? You called me so many times." I cut him off, "My phone was in my pocket. I must've hit the screen by accident." Callum chuckled under his breath. "You don't have to be embarrassed about missing me. Just wait a few more days. I'll be home soon." Before he could finish, his breathing suddenly hitched. Then Mara's sweet, lazy voice drifted through the line. "Callum, come dry my hair for me." He stumbled over his words at once. "The hair dryer in Mara's room broke, so… Nat, I'll help her real quick. I'll call you later." "Okay," I answered.

I pressed play, and muffled voices spilled from my phone, blending with the ghostlike glow of the northern lights on the screen. The camera focused on a tent. Two figures stood close inside, their shadows merging as the fabric shifted in the wind. Mara's voice came through first. "Callum, you're mine." Callum didn't hesitate. "I'm yours. That won't change." Mara laughed softly and asked, "Then what about Natalie?" His reply was low and careless. "She's nothing but a baby machine." I sat there, completely still, watching until the video ended. When the screen went dark, I saved it calmly. Then I transferred another payment to the account from the fake-death company, as if settling a debt I couldn't put into words. Even after the video ended, I found myself staring at the screen. The aurora's surreal colors were frozen in place, impossible to look away from. On the day Callum proposed, he embraced me and vowed, "One day, I'll take you to Veyra Falls to see the northern

Callum was standing at the altar with Mara when a sudden, stabbing pain tore through his chest, as if someone had just ripped his heart away. His smile vanished. Instinctively, he fumbled for his phone and called his assistant. "Did you pick Natalie up yet?" His assistant answered with a light laugh, "I'm almost there, Mr. Pierce. Don't worry. I'll make sure Mrs. Pierce arrives safely." Before Callum could respond, an ambulance siren cut through from the other end of the line. It was loud, sharp, and urgent. Callum's breath caught in his throat. His assistant's voice turned nervous. "Mr. Pierce, there's an ambulance parked outside your building." Callum's thoughts scattered, leaving only numb silence in his mind. At that exact moment, a soft chime sounded inside the chapel, and the large screen behind the altar suddenly lit up. A second later, Callum and Mara's breathless voices filled the entire room. The guests fell silent. Then Callum heard his own voice coming