"Alright," I said calmly as I set the glass down.

Relief flashed across Trevor's face. He gently ruffled my hair.

"I knew you'd understand. The doctor said Sophia's mental state has been really unstable lately. She could hurt herself at any time. As her future sister-in-law, just be patient with her."

He praised me for being understanding, as if it were only natural.

It was as if the wedding dress I'd poured my heart into meant nothing at all.

"Let's go rehearse at the venue," I said, standing up and stepping away from his touch.

Trevor assumed I was just cranky from waking up and didn't think much of it.

He walked to the closet and pulled out a backup dress before handing it to me. "You'll look beautiful in this, too, Mrs. Gibson."

I took the dress and changed right in front of him.

There was no real design to it. It was plain, almost dull. But none of that mattered anymore.

The moment we stepped out of the room, the sunlight from the island hit my eyes hard.

Outside the reception hall was a massive swimming pool. Trevor's friends had already arrived and were standing together, smoking.

When they saw the backup dress, several of them exchanged looks.

"That's a classy look, Helena. It's much better than that lacey dress."

The mockery in their voices was obvious. Trevor frowned slightly and shot them a look. "Shut up. One more word and I'll send you all back home."

They fell silent, but the amusement in their eyes remained.

Just then, the sound of heels clicked across the ground. Sophia walked over in a red dress.

With a glass of champagne in hand, she smiled brightly at Trevor.

"Trevor, don't I look pretty today?"

"You look fine," he answered casually.

Then, Sophia turned toward me.

That was when I noticed the antique tiara resting in her curled hair.

It was an heirloom passed down from my grandmother.

I'd imagined wearing it at my wedding countless times. It was the closest thing I had to having my mom there to watch me get married.

For safety reasons, I'd locked it in the bedroom's safe. Only Trevor and I knew the password.

I clenched my fists.

I stared at the tiara and snapped, "Who told you you could touch that?"

Sophia adjusted the crooked tiara on her head.

"Calm down. I just wanted to try it on for a bit."

"Take it off," I commanded, stepping forward.

Sophia immediately backed up. "Trevor, look how scary she is. I was only borrowing it. It's not like I was going to break it."

Trevor frowned and moved in front of her protectively before looking at me.

"Helena, enough," he said. "It's just a tiara. She'll return it tomorrow exactly as it was. You know she can't handle emotional stress."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"I'll say it one more time. Take it off and give it back."

I wasn't hysterical. I stated it calmly.

Sophia hid behind him. A smirk played on her lips.

She suddenly let go of Trevor and stepped backward until she stood right at the edge of the pool.

"Fine, I'll give it back. Just stop pressuring me. Life's pointless anyway."

As she spoke, she started tugging wildly at the tiara on her head. Her movements were rough and careless.

"Sophia, stop!" Trevor's expression changed instantly as he reached for her.

Sophia's foot slipped. "Ah!"

With a scream, she fell backward into the deep end of the pool. The tiara went down with her as water splashed upward.

"Sophia!"

Trevor's face darkened. Without even taking off his suit jacket, he dove straight into the water.

His friends immediately started shouting.

"Helena, what's wrong with you? If something happens to Sophia, that's on you!"

I stood at the edge of the pool and watched Trevor struggle to hold Sophia above the water.

I watched as my mom's heirloom flashed faintly beneath the surface before disappearing into the drain below.

A sharp pain twisted through my chest. I could barely breathe.

Trevor carried Sophia back onto the deck. Someone immediately handed him a towel.

He took the towel, left the shaking Sophia behind, and walked over to me.

His face was dark as he wrapped the towel around my shoulders to shield them from the ocean breeze.

Disappointment filled his eyes as he stared at my pale expression.

"Have you always been this ruthless?" he began. "Did someone have to die for a piece of jewelry?"

I looked into his eyes and laughed incredulously as I felt the warmth of the towel around my shoulders.

"If you keep acting like this, I may have to reconsider tomorrow's wedding," he said coldly.

Trevor turned and picked up the still-sniffling Sophia, then strode back toward the hotel.

They left everyone behind to stare and whisper about me.

I ignored every single look and pulled the towel tighter around my shoulders.

Then, right in front of everyone, I took off the towel, still warm with his touch, and tossed it into the trash just like I did to the shredded wedding dress last night.

I turned and walked back to my room, locking the door behind me.

I picked up my phone and opened the black profile picture labeled Jordan. "Jordan, does what you said three years ago still stand?"

Less than three seconds after I sent the message, the typing indicator appeared at the top of the screen.

"It does. Anytime."

I sighed and sent him the hotel's location. "Come pick me up tomorrow at 10:00 am."

I set my phone down.

Since Trevor loved using my boundaries to indulge his precious childhood friend, I'd like to see how he managed when those limits vanished entirely.

I skipped the bachelorette party that night.

A little later, my phone screen lit up.

Someone had sent me a screenshot of Sophia's social media post.

The photo showed her lying on a hotel suite bed wearing a man's dress shirt. She was playing with a dark navy tie.

It was one of Trevor's favorites. I'd picked it out for his birthday last year.

The caption read: "Some people are just phases in his life. I'm the one he'll end up with in the end."

Trevor's expensive Patek Philippe watch was clearly visible in the corner of the photo.

I saved the screenshot and blocked the sender.

At 11:00 pm. that night, someone knocked on my door.

I opened it to find Trevor standing at the threshold, reeking of alcohol. His collar hung open slightly, and the navy tie was indeed gone.

"Helena, you're still awake?"

He walked into the room and shut the door behind him before dropping onto the couch. He rubbed his temples. "We need to make a small change to tomorrow's ceremony."

"How small?" I asked coldly.

Trevor looked up. His eyes flickered for a second before turning firm again.

"Let Sophia walk down the aisle tomorrow."

The room went silent for several seconds.

I stared at him. It felt like looking at a stranger. "What did you just say?"

He took a deep breath and walked over to me.

His hand settled against the back of my neck, and he slowly stroked it.

"Her depression is getting worse. She's holding broken glass and refusing to let anyone near her, Helena. This is serious," he explained. "It's only a few minutes on the aisle. She won't be part of the vow. You'll still be Mrs. Gibson."

He wanted to strip me of my place as the bride walking down the aisle and let his mistress take it instead.

He even wanted me to sit below the stage in a bridesmaid dress while they exchanged vows.

The audacity.

The affectionate expression on his face made my stomach churn. I slapped his hand away. "You really think I'd agree to that?"

Trevor's expression darkened. His grip on the back of my neck tightened.

"I said it's just part of the ceremony. We spent six months planning this wedding. What exactly are you making such a fuss about?

"Do you seriously need to compete with a sick person over something this meaningless? Are you really going to ignore someone's life over a title?"

I stared at him. All the rage building in my chest suddenly disappeared.

Then, I smiled. Brightly.

"Okay. I'll do it."

Trevor froze.

He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms, resting his chin against the top of my head.

"You've been so understanding," he murmured. "After tomorrow, I promise everything will go back to normal."

I took a step back and avoided his embrace.

"As long as you stay below downstage and watch quietly, I'll take you on our honeymoon the second the ceremony's over."

At 10:00 am the next morning, the island sunlight was blinding.

The wedding venue was extravagantly luxurious. A towering champagne display reflected shards of golden light while business elites and socialites mingled beneath the floral arches.

I stood at the end of the aisle wearing a gray bridesmaid dress.

Laughter and whispers drifted around me from time to time.

"Look at that. The actual fiancee got shoved into a bridesmaid dress. That's a new one."

"Trevor's really gone too far this time. He's humiliating Helena in front of everyone."

I ignored them all and glanced down at my phone.

Jordan's chat window held only three words, sent five minutes ago. "Wait for me."

Right on cue, the wedding march began to play.

Trevor stood beneath the flower arch in a white suit. He stared toward the entrance with what looked like tenderness in his eyes,

The doors slowly opened.

Sophie walked in wearing the wedding dress she had shredded and then hastily patched back together overnight with lace. Holding onto Trevor's dad's arms, she strode proudly down the aisle.

Beneath the veil was a smug smile. Her gaze swept over me in open provocation.

Trevor stepped forward and took Sophia's hand from his dad.

They looked like a perfect match as they stood side by side before the officiant.

The officiant began reciting the vows.

"Mr. Gibson, do you take—"

"I do," Trevor answered without hesitation.

Thunderous applause erupted through the venue.

Soon, the ceremony reached the exchange of rings.

"Now, may the bridesmaid please present the wedding rings," the officiant announced before glancing downstage.

Every eye in the room instantly fell on me. Trevor glanced over, signaling for me to come forward.

There was even a trace of reassurance in his gaze, as if to say: "Just get through this, and we'll make things official tomorrow."

He looked as if he were confident he had everything in control. I slowly walked onto the stage.

I held the velvet box containing the rings in my hands.

Sophia lifted her chin and extended her gloved hand as she waited for them.

I stopped in front of them, but didn't open the box.

Instead, I slowly removed the engagement ring I had worn for three years from my finger in front of everyone.

Trevor frowned slightly and whispered, "Helena, be good. Don't make a scene right now. Give me the rings."

I looked at him. A mocking smile tugged at my lips.

"Did you really think I was born so you could walk all over me?"

Before he could respond, I lifted my hand and hurled both the engagement ring and the velvet box straight at the champagne tower.

The sound of shattering glass tore through the ballroom.

Champagne cascaded everywhere, splashing all over Sophia.

"Ah!" she screamed, jumping backward as the patched-up wedding dress instantly became soaked and disheveled.

The entire venue exploded into chaos.

Just as Trevor reached for me, a deafening roar suddenly thundered overhead.

Powerful gusts of wind swept flower petals across the ground, forcing people to shield their eyes.

Everyone looked up in shock.

Dozens of helicopters bearing the Scott family crest circled above the venue.

The helicopter at the center slowly descended. The cabin door opened.

Jordan stepped out wearing a black trench coat and descended through the storming wind as if he had fallen from the sky itself.

Behind him, bodyguards carried a couture bridal gown.

It was infinitely more luxurious than the one that had been destroyed.

Jordan strode down the aisle without sparing Trevor, whose face had already gone dark, a glance.

When he reached me, he took the gown from the bodyguard and draped it gently over my shoulders.

The dazzling white fabric completely covered the dull gray bridesmaid dress beneath it.

His fingers brushed through my wind-tangled hair. His eyes were filled with relief that came from finding something he had once lost.

"Sorry. I'm late."

He turned and pulled me into his arms.

His cold gaze swept across the crowd before landing on Trevor's stunned face. "Mr. Gibson, I'll take it from here. My wife no longer needs your care."