Betrayed Before “I DO”

Chapter 2

She held my gaze for a second too long. like she was waiting for me to scream back at her, to react and give her more ammunition. She clearly enjoyed it so much, and I could never understand it. How could someone be so evil? A sharp chill ran through me, then it was gone.

I turned away without another word.

Walking up the stairs slowly, each step felt much heavier than the last one. By the time I reached my bedroom, I leaned against it and let out a breath that I did not realise I had been holding. My chest felt so tight, and my heart thumped in my chest. Pushing myself away fom the door, I sat on the edge of my bed and tried to stop myself from shaking.

I recalled how she had mentioned Daniel's name. Like she knew something that I did not.

I did not want to think about how that comment was already eating me up. Was that not what she wanted?

My eyes rested on the full-length mirror, and I stared at my reflection.

I reached for my hair and pulled it free of the hair tie, letting it fall loosely over my shoulders. I looked so much like my mother. Did my father hate me because I reminded him so much of her?

My phone buzzed on the bedside unit, catching my attention.

I picked it up and brushed my thumb across it.

Daniel.

My Daniel.

A smile spread across my face before I could stop it.

He was what mattered.

The man who had chosen me and loved me for me.

"Happy birthday, beautiful. See you soon."

Maybe that was what I needed, to see him. I did not want to wait.

I wanted to get out of this house, but I knew that would be chaos.

Grabbing some fresh clothes, I made for my shower and got ready.

An hour later, I was dressed and ready to leave this hellhole.

"Daniel will be so surprised to see me already," I told myself as I looked out of my window and smiled.

I moved quietly through the hallway, my footsteps soft against the floor as I headed towards the stairs. The house was still loud downstairs—voices, laughter, music drifting up—but up here it felt different. Quieter. Almost empty.

I hugged my cardigan tighter, desperate to shield myself from the lingering ache. After all that had happened, I ached for Daniel. Only he could stitch these splintered pieces of me together. He always did. Or so I believed.

I walked past Amelia’s bedroom without thinking until I heard her voice.

“She won’t question it.”

I froze.

My breath caught in my throat as I slowly turned my head towards the door. It wasn’t fully closed, just slightly open, a thin strip of light spilling into the hallway. My heart started to beat faster.

Why was she talking about me?

I shouldn’t have stopped. I knew I shouldn’t. But something about the way she said it pulled me closer.

“She trusts you,” Amelia said, her voice softer now. “She always has.”

A boulder pressed against my chest, tension hardening in the pit of my stomach. I crept forward, each step silent but seismic, drawn by a terrible, magnetic dread.

“You just need to keep it together until tomorrow. After that, it won’t matter.”

Tomorrow?

My heart thundered, crashing against my ribs like warning drums. Something twisted and jagged slithered in my gut. Something was horribly wrong.

I edged closer to the door, my hand hovering slightly as I leaned just enough to hear properly.

Then I heard it.

A low chuckle.

My entire body went still.

Because I knew that voice.

I knew it instantly.

Daniel.

My breath hitched sharply as my heart slammed against my chest. No. No… that didn’t make sense. Why would he be in there?

“You’re overthinking it,” Daniel said calmly.

The sound of his voice—so familiar, so normal—made my stomach drop. He was in there. With her.

“No, I’m not,” Amelia replied. “You’ve seen how she is. She won’t question anything you put in front of her.”

My fingers curled slowly at my sides. What were they talking about?

“She trusts me,” Daniel said. “She always has.”

Three simple words. But they hit differently now.

A fresh agony cinched around my chest, air sawing through me. Somewhere deep inside, something fragile snapped.

“She won’t even realise what she’s signing,” Amelia said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “By the time she does… it’ll be too late.”

Signing?

My breathing turned uneven. What was I supposed to be signing?

“She’s not as stupid as you think,” Daniel muttered.

For a second—just a second—I held onto that. Like it meant something. Like it changed anything.

Amelia laughed softly.

“Oh, she is when it comes to you.”

Silence followed. Heavy. Uncomfortable.

Then—

“You really don’t feel anything for her, do you?” Amelia asked quietly.

Everything inside me stilled.

My breath caught, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure they would hear it through the door.

For a moment, there was nothing.

Just silence.

And I waited.

I don’t know what for. An explanation. A hesitation. Anything.

Then—

“No.”

The word slammed into me, sharp and merciless.

My hand shot out, gripping the wall beside me to keep myself steady as my vision blurred at the edges.

No.

“She was just the easiest way in,” Daniel added.

Inside, something beautiful and vital splintered, leaving only empty space and bitter ache.

My chest felt tight, my breathing uneven as I stared at the door like I didn’t recognise it anymore. Like I didn’t recognise anything anymore.

My fiancé.

My sister.

Together.

Talking about me like I was nothing. Like I was a plan.

A lie.

My stomach dropped even further as a new realization hit me, cold and heavy and impossible to ignore.

This wasn’t new.

This wasn’t a mistake.

This had been planned.

And I had no idea how long they had been playing me.