Chapter 4: The Secret Witness
I stared at the photo on my phone until my eyes burned.
It was a picture of Isabella standing near the edge of the dance floor.
But she wasn’t alone.
Behind her, partially hidden by a group of guests, was someone else.
Someone I recognized.
Nathan’s cousin, Claire.
My stomach dropped.
Claire had always been close to Isabella. She was the kind of person who laughed at every joke Isabella made and agreed with every opinion she shared.
But why was she there?
Why was Nathan sending me this?
My fingers shook as I typed.
*What does this mean?*
The reply came almost instantly.
*Wait for me. I’m handling it.*
I hated those words.
Not because Nathan meant harm.
Because for years, “I’m handling it” had usually meant he was protecting his mother from consequences.
I put my phone down and looked at my reflection in the mirror.
My wedding makeup was still perfect.
My hair was still pinned beautifully.
But my dress was torn.
And suddenly I felt like the entire day was a costume that had fallen apart.
The door opened.
My mother walked in slowly.
She looked tired, but her eyes were sharp.
She didn’t ask permission.
She simply came over and held my hands.
“What happened?””
I tried to smile.
“Nothing.””
She gave me a look.
The same look she gave me when I was ten years old and tried to hide a broken lamp.
“Don’t do that.””
I looked down.
“Isabella tore the dress.””
My mother’s face changed.
Not with anger.
With sadness.
“On purpose?””
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t have to.
She squeezed my hands.
“Your wedding dress was never the most important thing.””
I looked at her.
“I know.””
“No,” she said softly.
“Listen to me. The dress is fabric. It can be repaired. What matters is what happens now.””
I wanted to believe that.
But a part of me was still standing in that ballroom, hearing the sound of lace ripping.
A few minutes later, Nathan returned.
This time, he wasn’t alone.
Claire stood behind him.
Her face was pale.
The confident smile she always wore around Isabella was gone.
“Nathan,” I said quietly.
He looked at me.
“I’m sorry.””
I knew those words weren’t about the dress.
They were about everything.
He looked at Claire.
“Tell her what you told me.””
Claire swallowed.
“I didn’t know she was going to actually do it.””
My heart sank.
“You knew?””
Claire looked away.
“I knew she was angry.””
Nathan’s voice became cold.
“Claire.””
She closed her eyes.
“I knew your mom wanted to embarrass her.””
The room went silent.
My mother stepped closer.
“Embarrass her?””
Claire nodded slowly.
“She thought the wedding had become about your wife and her family.””
I stared at her.
“My family?””
Claire looked ashamed.
“She kept saying your mother was taking over everything.””
I almost laughed.
The irony was painful.
My mother, who had spent most of the year fighting to stay healthy, had barely asked for anything.
She only wanted one moment.
One.
“And what was Claire supposed to do?”” I asked.
Claire looked at me.
“She asked me to help.””
My chest tightened.
“What did she ask you to do?””
Claire’s eyes filled with tears.
“She wanted me to distract the photographer.””
Nathan’s expression hardened.
“What?””
Claire immediately shook her head.
“I didn’t do it. I swear. When I realized she was serious, I walked away.””
Nathan looked furious.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?””
Claire looked down.
“Because she’s my aunt.””
I stared at her.
“That’s the same excuse everyone uses for her.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Nathan’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“It’s my father.””
He answered.
“Dad?””
A few seconds passed.
Then Nathan’s expression turned from anger to confusion.
“What do you mean you found something?””
He listened.
“Where?””
Another pause.
Then he looked at me.
“The house.””
I frowned.
“What house?””
“My parents’ house.””
A strange feeling moved through me.
Like the story wasn’t ending.
Like the dress wasn’t the only thing Isabella had tried to destroy.
Nathan ended the call.
“My father said he found something in my mother’s room.””
“What?””
May you like
He looked at me.
“Something that proves this wasn’t the first time she planned something like this.””
