My twin sister and I were getting married on the exact same day. But on the morning of the wedding, someone shredded her gown to pieces. When my husband found out, he took my wedding dress and gave it to her. The wedding coordinator was frantically calling for the bride and groom to line up. I was spinning in circles, tearing the bridal suite apart looking for my dress. That was when my husband finally looked at me, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. "It's Hailey's first time getting married. She deserves to have a flawless day. You two are exactly the same size, so I let her borrow your gown." I stared at him, entirely unable to process his words. "What about me? This is my first wedding, too." Carter furrowed his brow, completely exasperated. "Hailey is your twin sister. Can't you just be the bigger person for once? Besides, we already signed the marriage license at the courthouse last month. Today is just for show. I already talked to Hailey. She's going to walk down the aisle a second time pretending to be you. You guys are identical anyway. As long as you keep your mouth shut, no one will ever know." 1 Half an hour ago, when Carter told me he gave my dress to Hailey, I thought I was having a stroke. I stood frozen in the hallway for a full thirty seconds. When my brain finally rebooted, I shoved past him and marched straight for the ballroom doors. Hailey and I had booked our receptions at the same luxury hotel. My reception was in the Sapphire Room. Hers was right next door in the Emerald Room. I stepped into the dim ballroom. Up on the altar, Hailey was exchanging rings with her groom. A brilliant spotlight shone down on her lace bodice and flowing train. Pure, radiant, and absolutely breathtaking. It was my dress. The tips of my fingers went completely numb. I planted my foot, ready to storm that stage. But Carter grabbed me from behind. His grip was brutal. His fingers dug into my bare upper arm like steel claws. He practically dragged me backward, shoving me all the way into the secluded bridal suite. "Jules, stop acting crazy! This is the most important moment of Hailey's entire life!" He slammed the door shut and yanked at his bowtie, looking thoroughly annoyed. My eyes began to burn. A pathetic, choked sob clawed its way up my throat. "Is today not the most important moment of my life, too?" I stared at him without blinking. I wanted to look right through this man. We had known each other since childhood. We had been dating for two years. Carter avoided my eyes. A fleeting shadow of guilt passed over his face before it vanished. He reached out to hold my hands, speaking to me like a disappointed parent. "Jules, Hailey isn't built like you. She's highly sensitive, and you know she has a weak heart. If her wedding day was ruined, she would spiral into a depression she might never recover from." "We all grew up together. You know Hailey has always needed extra protection. Whatever she wanted, if you didn't have it, you helped her get it. If you did have it, you gave it to her." "Why are you throwing a temper tantrum over something so trivial?" I slapped his hands away and let out a dry, hollow laugh. "You think I'm throwing a temper tantrum?" "What else would you call it?" Carter ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, his voice rising with frustration. "It's just a piece of fabric! I'll buy you ten new designer dresses tomorrow if you want. Do you really have to be this relentless?" I looked at his self-righteous face. Every compromise I had ever made, every boundary I had ever let them cross, suddenly felt like jagged glass lodged in my throat. I couldn't breathe. Since I was a little girl, I was conditioned to yield to Hailey. If she wanted my favorite doll, I handed it over. If she wanted the trophy I won at the science fair, I let her put her name on it. When she developed a crush on Carter and actively tried to steal him, I quietly stepped back. But then Carter came to me. He asked me out. He looked me in the eyes and said he finally realized I was the one he loved, not Hailey. That was the only reason we were standing here today. I had swallowed all the unfairness because my mother drilled it into my skull every single day. She always told me Hailey was fragile. Hailey was sickly. I had to yield. But did I really have to yield my wedding? My dress? My own husband? When I didn't say anything, Carter assumed I had surrendered. His tone softened. He reached out to stroke my cheek. "Be a good girl. I promise I'll make it up to you tonight, okay? Let's go out there. We have to do our vows. You can just wear one of the bridesmaid dresses. It's just family and friends out there anyway, nobody is going to judge you." I leaned back, dodging his touch. I reached onto the vanity, picked up my diamond engagement ring, and dropped it onto the glass table. The sharp clink echoed in the quiet room. It sounded like a gunshot. Carter’s face went completely pale. "Jules, are you seriously doing this?" "Did you think I was joking?" I looked at him. My voice was so dead and calm it even scared me. "Carter, I'm done yielding. You can have the dress. You can have the wedding." "I want a divorce." "Absolutely not!" 2 The heavy wooden door flew open. My mother stormed into the suite, her face dark with fury. Hailey was right behind her, still wearing my wedding dress. "Do you think marriage is a game?" my mother hissed, glaring at me. "You're refusing to walk down the aisle over a minor inconvenience? What are all those guests going to think of you? What are they going to think of this family?" I stared at her. "So you think it's perfectly fine for me to walk down the aisle in a plain bridesmaid dress on my own wedding day?" "A dress is a dress! It's just a little less flashy. When I married your father, I didn't even have a real gown!" She rattled off her excuses rapidly. Her tone was practiced. It was entirely rehearsed. My legs suddenly felt like lead. "Mom, you knew about this. Didn't you?" My mother paused. Her eyes darted away from mine. "Jules, my hands were tied. I'll explain everything once the reception is over." My voice shattered the quiet room. "So you all knew! You all conspired behind my back to strip me of my dress and give it to her!" Total silence fell over the room. The only sound was the hum of the air conditioning vent overhead. The cold air hit my face, freezing me to my very core. "Mom, am I actually your daughter?" Memories flooded my brain. Every single year on our birthday, Hailey was the one who blew out the candles. I used to beg for a second cake so I could have a turn. My mother always said buying two cakes for twins was a waste of money. She promised we would alternate years. But every year, without fail, she pulled Hailey up to the table. When we were in middle school, the neighbor's house caught fire. The flames spread to our siding. I was trapped in bed with a broken ankle. They completely forgot about me. They grabbed Hailey and ran out into the street. Thank God the fire department arrived in time. After high school, Hailey completely bombed her SATs and didn't get into a single good college. My scores got me into Cornell. My mother secretly called my guidance counselor and tried to force me to take a gap year. When I refused, she dropped to her knees in the kitchen and begged me. She said if I went to an Ivy League school while Hailey stayed home, the humiliation would kill Hailey. Hailey locked herself in her room and cried for two straight weeks. But what about me? What did I ever do wrong? Hailey stole everything I ever earned, and I was just supposed to swallow the pain. Was I cursed to be treated like garbage for the rest of my life? 3 My mother looked away, her voice sharp and defensive. "You are the older sister. It is your duty to accommodate her. Hailey can't handle failure. You are tough. You can take the hits. What is the big deal?" Standing behind her, Hailey peeked out. Her eyes were red and swimming with tears. She looked like a terrified little deer. "Please don't fight. It's all my fault." She sniffled, her voice trembling. "Jules, please don't be mad at Mom. Someone maliciously ruined my dress. I didn't want to steal yours, but Carter swore you wouldn't mind because we're sisters." "If you really hate me for it, I'll take it off right now." I looked at her with pure disgust. "Great. Take it off." All the blood drained from Hailey’s face. She stood frozen, awkwardly clutching the expensive lace skirt, biting her bottom lip as huge tears rolled down her cheeks. I let out a bitter laugh. "What are you waiting for? Take it off." My mother lunged forward, putting herself between me and her precious favorite child. She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. "Have you lost your damn mind?! Are you trying to humiliate your sister on purpose?!" The left side of my face went completely numb. I didn't cry. I actually smiled. For twenty-five years, no matter who was at fault, my mother always protected Hailey. I looked my mother dead in the eyes, speaking with absolute clarity. "I am walking down that aisle in my wedding dress, or I am walking out that door and filing for divorce. And I will never come back to this family again." Carter panicked. He grabbed my wrist, his voice shaking. "Jules, stop acting like a psycho! There are two hundred guests sitting out there waiting for us! If you walk out now, my family will be a laughingstock!" Hailey spoke up again, her voice tiny and sweet. "Actually, I have an idea. If Jules is really this upset, we shouldn't force her. We look identical anyway. Even Mom gets us confused sometimes. I can just put the veil over my face, go out there with Carter, and do the vows for her." Carter’s eyes lit up. "That's brilliant. We're in completely different ballrooms. Nobody will ever notice." My mother nodded in aggressive agreement. They stood there plotting, treating me like I was completely invisible. It was so absurd I wanted to vomit. I violently wrenched my wrist out of Carter’s grip. I didn't know I had that much strength in me. "Do whatever the hell you want." I grabbed my clutch off the vanity and headed for the door. Carter stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "You can't leave. If Hailey is on stage pretending to be you, what happens if someone sees you walking through the lobby?" My mother bit her lip. She grabbed a thick spool of silk ribbon from a floral arrangement on the table and shoved it into Carter’s hands. Tie her up. "I am not letting you ruin Hailey's perfect day," my mother said coldly. "You're just going to have to wait in here." "Are you people insane?!" I swung my fists, hitting Carter in the chest and the face. I kicked at his shins, fighting like a wild animal. But I was just one woman against two people. Carter clamped a hand over my mouth, binding my wrists tight with the thick ribbon. Together, they shoved me into the massive, heavy oak wardrobe in the corner of the room. Carter looked at me through the narrowing crack of the door, his face twisting with pity. "I promise I'll let you out the second the reception is over, Jules. Just sit tight." The very last thing I saw before the door shut was Hailey. She was standing behind Carter. She looked right at me, and the corners of her mouth twitched up into a sickening, victorious smirk. 4 Click. The lock turned from the outside. The wardrobe plunged into pitch black. The only light came from the tiny gap under the door. Muffled through the heavy wood, I could hear the DJ in the Emerald Room hyping up the crowd. I heard the bass of the music. I heard the distant cheering of the guests. Those cheers were meant for me. Now, every single clap felt like a needle driving directly into my eardrums. My chest ached so badly I couldn't breathe. Thump. Thump. Thump. I threw my entire body weight against the heavy doors. The wood barely rattled. Nobody outside responded. The only result was a blinding pain shooting through my shoulder. The silk ribbon cutting into my wrists felt like razor wire. Every time I struggled, the friction burned my skin raw. I don't know how many hours passed. The music outside eventually faded into nothing. I slumped against the back of the wardrobe, gasping for air, completely exhausted. Warm blood trickled down my hands, soaking the ribbon and turning it sticky against my skin. By the time the hotel fell completely silent, it was late into the night. Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps entering the suite. I let out a desperate, muffled scream through the gag and threw my good shoulder against the door with everything I had left. Click. The wardrobe doors were violently yanked open. A terrified housekeeper and the hotel’s night manager stared down at me. "Oh my god! What happened to you?! Who locked you in here?!" the manager yelled. The harsh overhead lights blinded me. I squeezed my eyes shut as silent tears streamed down my bruised face. "Call the police."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "447288", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel