All Chapters of She Wore My Engagement Gown: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I left without a word and spent the whole afternoon alone in a coffee shop on the corner.By the time I got home, Julian and Sabrina were already on the sofa, laughing together.Their smiles faded a little when they saw me.Sabrina stood, took my hand, and said, "Avery, that gown fits really well. It was just too warm. Good thing you weren't the one wearing it."And the heels are no good either. They're beautiful, but your feet would kill you after standing that long."Julian told me to wear flats. He has absolutely no appreciation for anything."Sabrina swatted his arm, playing at being annoyed.Julian smiled and raised an eyebrow. "I was worried about your ankles."Sabrina pretended to sulk. "What's wrong with trying things on for my sister? I can put up with a little pain."There was no way into the warmth between them. I stood off to the side and said nothing, like someone who shouldn't have been in the room at all.Sabrina and I have very different builds. I'm a little t

Chapter 2

The next day, Julian came himself to take me to the engagement venue.When he saw me, he ruffled my hair and said, doting, "Once we're engaged today, I'll take you away for a few days."He was back to his old self, so I let the night before go.By then Sabrina had come out of the house in full makeup, glowing, a smile all over her face.She was wearing the gown she'd tried on for me the day before.Sabrina came up, took my hand, and smiled. "Avery, all of Rosewick knows the two of you are getting engaged today. I'll wear the gown in your place so I can keep you safe on the way."I froze and looked at Julian.His face gave away nothing. He opened the front passenger door and said, "Sabrina is doing this for your own good. There'll be a crowd today. We should be careful."I said nothing, and he added, "Once we get there, I'll send the two of you back to change."I kept my eyes on the dress Sabrina was wearing."You said yesterday it fit you. Then it won't fit me."Her face dim

Chapter 3

Sabrina's face changed. Embarrassed, she took my hand again, her eyes filling. "Avery, are you angry with me?"When I tried it on for you yesterday, I thought it would fit you..."I was afraid someone might sew a needle into the lining to hurt you. That's why I tried it first. If anything happened to you, what would we do? I only did it for your own good."I'd heard enough of it. I stopped answering.The moment she cried, Julian stepped in again. "Enough, Avery. Try to be reasonable."Sabrina is doing this for you. Change back and stop holding up what matters."I swallowed the knot in my chest and laughed coldly. "You want her to attend my engagement in my place?"Have all of you forgotten that I'm the one getting engaged today?"I was leaving soon, and I couldn't hold the words down any longer.Once they were out, the tightness in my chest eased considerably."You expect to walk out there dressed like that? What will the family think when they see you?"Julian raised his vo

Chapter 4

I had no interest in any of it and kept my head down.Julian picked up on my mood right away.He pulled me over and brushed his thumb along the corner of my eye. "You should have been the one out there today, but the gown didn't fit."That's the only reason Sabrina helped. I know how much you were looking forward to wearing it."When the gown was first commissioned, I'd spent three months at home choosing the designer.But when the meeting was set, Sabrina said it wasn't safe to meet a stranger and went in my place, and every conversation after that went through her.The finished gown kept the color I'd wanted.The design was the exact opposite of everything I'd asked for.Julian kissed my forehead. "It's all right."You'll be my Donna in the end. I'm marrying you. It doesn't matter who stood at an engagement party."None of it mattered anymore. He was right about that much.I pushed him off, done listening to any more of it. "I'm fine."I was leaving. There was nothing lef

Chapter 5

It was Sabrina's own.Julian, right beside her, noticed nothing wrong.He told Father Rinaldi, "This copy will do."Father Rinaldi had barely taken it when Sabrina realized. Her face flushed and she grabbed for it."Oh no. I signed it wrong. I wrote my own name."But the book had already been sealed by both families, and it was the only copy. It couldn't be altered.Julian looked embarrassed.He turned toward me, waiting for me to speak.I looked straight ahead, my face blank.Sabrina crouched in front of me and took my hands. "I really didn't mean to, Avery. Please don't be angry."Julian said, "Never mind. It's a name. On the day you'll be reciting your own, and the guests won't know the difference.""Let's just do that, Avery." Sabrina stared up at me, tears already running.I stood up calmly."It's fine. You've done everything else for me. One more signature is nothing. It's good, really."I only felt how completely pointless all of it was.Julian thought I was angry

Chapter 6

Julian waited a long time, and no reply came.His expression was cold and his knuckles white around the phone. Sabrina, sitting beside him, caught his mood. "Is she still sulking?"Julian didn't answer.Sabrina pressed her lips together and let herself look wounded. "Please don't blame her. Avery has been spoiled since she was small. They never let her do anything for herself."I've always done it all for her. She's used to it, so she can't stand the smallest thing going wrong."It's late. I should be getting back, but I'm afraid that if I do, she'll tell Mom and Dad it was my fault. I'm not their real daughter. They'll blame me..."She started crying again.Julian patted her shoulder. "It's all right. I know you meant well for her."You've had it hard too. She likes to throw fits. Stay at the estate tonight."I'll take you back first thing in the morning."Julian believed I was sulking and would never actually do what I'd written in the vow book.By the next day he still ha

Chapter 7

The first was three years ago.I had just gotten off the phone with the investigator, and I told him happily, "Julian, I'm safe. Nobody is going to kidnap me now. I can live a normal life. I don't have to keep hiding."As I said it, Sabrina came out of the fitting room and held a necklace up against my chest.She said, "Are you sure they got it right? A lot of private investigators are frauds these days."You're the family heir. You have to think about your safety at all times. Don't overthink it. Just go along with what we arrange."Julian listened to her and blocked the investigator's number on my phone."Listen to Sabrina on this. Don't decide things on your own."She's doing it for your own good."The second was a year ago.The grapes at the estate were ripe and I wanted to go pick them with Julian, hoping for some time alone with him.I told him I'd hired the best security in the world to come along and that nothing could possibly go wrong.He answered while helping Sab

Chapter 8

She'd sent it after the day she wore my dress, when I threw a couple of pointed remarks back at her and went home.Sabrina had written, "I don't think Avery listens to us anymore. This can't go on."What happens to us if she stops needing us?"Julian had thought nothing of it then.Reading it now lit a fire in him with nowhere to go. The dog was still chewing at his foot, and he kicked her away.Mia yelped. Sabrina came running, gathered her up and started soothing her, and when she looked up her eyes were scarlet."What are you doing? She's ours. We raised her together."Sabrina rounded on him, holding the dog tight and checking her over for injury.Julian didn't answer. He stood and turned the phone around in front of her."I'm asking you what this means."Sabrina faltered, looked away, and explained with a guilty edge, "I was afraid she'd get hurt."If she doesn't need us, who is going to protect her?"She said it as though she had every right to, but she wouldn't meet h

Chapter 9

Julian stood there in a black coat, hands in his pockets, his hair pushed around by the sea wind.When he saw me, his eyes reddened.I asked him slowly, "How did you find this place?"He held down the relief in his eyes and smiled gently. "I didn't think you'd really be here. Once your phone came back on, I had you traced."Of course. What couldn't Julian arrange?He watched me quietly, his eyes heavy."Now that I know you're safe, I can rest easy."I laughed coldly. "Nobody has hurt me but the lot of you. If nobody brought it up, who would remember our family ever had two daughters?"Sabrina had done everything in my place.Even my position had been taken over. None of it mattered. I didn't care anymore.Julian went still. "I'm sorry. Come home with me. Everyone is worried about you."I let it pass. Whether they were worried was no concern of mine.He took a vow sheet out of his bag, a new one, unfilled. "I brought this. This time you write it. Put your own name on it."I

Chapter 10

For as long as I can remember, I never wanted to be anyone's heir.From the time I was old enough to understand, the household staff told me that one day I would inherit the family.The elders said an heir had to carry the family's dignity and standing, and so every part of my life was laid out for me.Sabrina said it too. I was the family's heir, and as my older sister it was on her to protect me.Back then I didn't understand what being the heir meant.I only knew it was that position that took my ordinary life away from me.It was only after Sabrina left that I learned she hadn't come of her own will.After I left home, my parents began to sense that something was wrong. Julian went to them several times and laid out everything from all those years.Only then did they understand that Sabrina had gone to banquets for me and met the family elders as the heir.She had even sat in on the family's core business under my name.And I had been kept like a bird in a gilded cage, ca

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