The Heir's Web of Lies

Chapter 2

Olivia stood before a full-length mirror as the McCoy family seamstress, Elise, took her measurements. She was lost in thoughts. Dear was evidently written on her face as she watched the seamstress work efficiently on the wedding dress.

The wedding was tomorrow, but Olivia did not feel the happiness a bride always felt for her wedding; she just wanted it done with so that she could figure out what the future holds for her.

Elise was making the final adjustments to the dress and wanted her to try it on. She unzipped the dress and helped Olivia into it. The soft lace hugged her body like a second skin, but she hardly noticed. Her mind was elsewhere, tangled up in that all-too-familiar mix of dread and uncertainty. The dress was made with Diamonds and Swarovski, and under the chandelier, it glittered and shimmered. The train of the dress was really long, and the veil was cut precisely to cover her face, but it was elegantly made. It was every bride's dream wedding gown, but to Olivia, it was a cage of no escaping; it was a weight she couldn't lift.

She swallowed hard, feeling a lump in her throat as she tried to push aside the unease twisting in her stomach. She sighed heavily and felt like collapsing to the floor.

“You're beautiful,” Elise said to her while grinning from ear to ear. She was pleased with herself for creating such a masterpiece, and it looked so beautiful on Olivia, “you will make a beautiful bride tomorrow”, she continued.

Olivia thanked her and proceeded to take off the dress with her help just then, the sound of heels clicking against the marble floor sent a jolt of anxiety through her. A looming figure that had felt like a distant threat was now closing in: Evelyn McCoy, Connor’s mother, the mastermind behind this entire marriage.

With a soft creak, the door swung open, and there she appeared. Evelyn McCoy. Towering, elegant, and decked out in her perfectly customized suit, every move she made radiated control. She seemed to wear her power like armor, her expression a flawless mask of practiced sophistication.

Olivia instinctively straightened, feeling the knot in her stomach tighten as Evelyn’s eyes swept over her, clutching coldly.

“Well,” Evelyn’s voice cut through the air, smooth but with a notable edge. “So this is who my son has chosen?”

Her words came off more as a statement than a question, as if Olivia just being here was an inconvenience for her. The displeasure flickered in the older woman’s gaze, scanning Olivia from head to toe with barely disguised contempt, her lips barely parting as she sized up the woman set to marry her son.

Olivia felt her heart race, fear tightening her throat as she fought to stay steady under Evelyn's icy glare. She froze, unsure of how to respond. Right now, she felt out of place, a fraud in silk and lace, pretending to be someone she never wanted to be.

“She’s… beautiful, isn’t she?” The seamstress's voice quivered slightly, trying to break the tension, but Evelyn's sharp eyes stayed locked on Olivia.

“Yes, yes,” Evelyn replied, her tone cool and dismissive. “Beautiful like a doll. But she isn’t what we need, is she?” “She has no standard nor any class”, she continued

Evelyn was visibly annoyed and irritated with Olivia. Already she has prepared the marriage between one of her Ally in politics and business, she wanted Patricia the daughter of minister Andrew, who both in beauty and status matched the characteristics she wanted in a daughter in law but her son Connor seemed to have gone insane for going for someone as lowly as Olivia

Olivia felt her chest tightening from the disdain coming from Evelyn, and the fact she was only a replacement made tears fill her eyes and ready to pour out, but she swore to herself that Evelyn wouldn't get the best of her. She wanted to run and seek shelter in her small apartment but the contract was binding her to this charade of a marriage. She clenched her fist and drew in a sharp breath.

Well, it’s done now,” Evelyn said, waving her hand dismissively as if she wanted to brush the whole situation off. “There’s no turning back. But let me make this clear, Olivia—you’ll never truly be welcome here. You’re just a placeholder, a convenience. And don’t even think for a second that you’ll ever fit into this family. Not really.”

Evelyn shot her a final, scathing look before turning to leave, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she exited the room. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Olivia in an icy silence.

For what felt like forever, Olivia stood frozen, her fingers still trembling from the encounter. She might have been crushed by Evelyn's disdain, but beneath it all, a flicker of defiance sparked in her chest. If she was merely a pawn in the McCoy game, she might as well play that part to her advantage.

The dress was gorgeous, but it was also another layer of armor—a mask she could use.

She had her own secrets. And she vowed someday, they would see the light.

The seamstress’s voice jolted her from her thoughts as she continued adjusting the gown’s hem, her hands gentle but clearly nervous. “The wedding’s tomorrow, Miss Wilson… Are you… okay?”

Olivia clenched her hands tighter and met the seamstress’s gaze, forcing a calm expression.

“Tomorrow,” Olivia breathed, her voice barely audible. She took a deep breath. “Tomorrow, it all kicks off.”