The soft hum of a violin floated through the glass-paneled ballroom.
Outside, the sky was overcast, clouds clinging to one another like secrets. White rose petals were scattered along the ivory aisle, and golden chandeliers cast a warm glow over the hall filled with dignitaries, family friends, and guests in tailored suits and gowns. The scent of expensive perfume and old money hung in the air.
I stood behind the mahogany doors, veil lowered, bouquet trembling slightly in my hands.
Today, I was getting married.
To Zyden Cross.
I whispered his name silently, letting the syllables roll off the edges of my mind like a prayer I wasn't sure would be answered.
Zyden.
Even thinking of him made my stomach twist. The boy I once loved, who'd walked right past me in high school like I was invisible. The one I confessed to — only to be ignored, shamed, left behind. But that was years ago.
Things had changed.
Or so I thought.
When I returned from the States a week ago, I hadn't expected any of this. No grand reception, no warm hugs. Just quiet dinners and distant conversations. And then — two days after I came back — both our families met again. Laughs, blessings, wine, and that one announcement that changed everything.
"Zyden will be good for you," Selena had whispered as we sat on the balcony that night, the sky stretching dark above us. Her voice had been gentle, warm — like a sister's should be.
"You really think he agreed to marry me?" I had asked, hesitant.
She smiled then. So sincere.
"You're the one he chose, Evelyn," she said. "You were always meant to be his bride."
I had believed her.
Of course I did.
She was my sister.
And now, here I stood — heart pounding, breath shallow — ready to walk down an aisle I never imagined would be mine.
My dress was simple, elegant. Ivory satin that trailed behind me like liquid silk. Mother had chosen it herself, saying it reminded her of grace. I hadn't even seen the full wedding invitation. Everything was rushed. "Tradition," they said. "A family wedding. Sisters marrying on the same day."
Selena had been hidden most of the morning. I caught only a glimpse of her in her bridal room, laughing with the stylists, her veil tilted slightly back as she admired herself in the mirror. She looked beautiful, glowing.
I told her so.
She smiled at me through the mirror and said softly, "Just remember — no matter what happens today, keep smiling. Okay?"
I didn't understand her words then.
Now, I do.
The music shifted — the soft swell of a piano joined the strings.
Someone gave the cue. The doors creaked open.
The first thing I saw was the aisle — long and white, sprinkled with petals.
The second thing I saw… was Zyden.
Tall. Imposing. A black tuxedo perfectly sculpted to his frame. His face unreadable, jaw tight, eyes sharp.
My heart lifted despite everything. He looked like he belonged in another world — and for a moment, I foolishly believed I belonged beside him.
I took a step forward. Then another.
My fingers tightened around the bouquet.
I couldn't see Selena. She must've walked before me. She must be standing with Caelan by now, on the other side of the stage. My parents were already seated, smiling, proud. The guests turned their heads as I walked past, most of them nodding with approval.
And Zyden?
He didn't look at me.
Not once.
He kept his eyes forward. Cold.
I tried not to let it shake me. Maybe he was nervous. Maybe he just… wasn't good at these things.
I reached the altar.
The officiant gave me a gentle smile. "Shall we begin?"
I nodded.
Zyden didn't move.
Not even his hand reached out for mine.
Then I heard something strange.
The officiant said it again. Clearly. Loudly.
"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Caelan Voss and Evelyn Hart."
Everything stopped.
My breath caught.
I blinked.
What?
I turned slightly. The crowd clapped softly.
Caelan?
I looked beside me.
The man standing there — his features clearer now — was not Zyden Cross.
It was Caelan.
Warm-eyed, serious, confused Caelan.
The best friend I hadn't even spoken to since returning. He looked at me, just briefly, and I knew —
He thought I had done this.
I looked past him, my eyes frantically scanning the other altar.
And there — where I should've been standing — was Selena. Dressed in lace and grace, hand gently looped through Zyden's arm.
Smiling.
Smiling like she'd always been his.
I didn't feel the bouquet fall.
I didn't feel the weight of the stares or the whispers behind the guests' fans.
I only felt my throat close.
The world blurred.
What is happening?
The officiant continued. But I didn't hear it. My ears were ringing.
I stepped back.
No one stopped me.
Not my parents.
Not Selena.
Not even Caelan.
They let me walk down the steps of the altar — quietly, as if I were a guest in my own life.
I slipped through the side exit of the ballroom, heels clicking against the tile, breath caught somewhere between a scream and a sob.
And I realized it then — the truth no one dared say aloud:
I had been framed.
Used.
Replaced.
By the only person I trusted.
My sister.