"Maureen, where'd you go? Why would you just leave without paying? How am I supposed to cover a forty-eight-thousand-dollar tab? You know I don't have a cent to my name after paying for this whole wedding, don't you?"

"Oh, I wasn't feeling well. Bad stomach cramps, so I came to the ER. Peter, I really didn't want to ruin your fun, so I came by myself. Why don't you come keep me company? And bring some money while you're at it?"

"But Gayle's drunk. How am I supposed to leave? Just transfer me some money, quick."

"I've hit my daily limit, and everything went to the final payment on the gown. I really don't have any left. Peter, my stomach hurts so much, won't you come sit with me?"

"Ugh."

Peter let out a low, furious growl, Gayle tucked against him on one side while he had to deal with me on the other. In the end he pretended the signal was bad and hung up, swallowed his losses, and paid the forty-eight thousand himself.

After he'd paid, he even sent me a screenshot, telling me that once the wedding was over the next day I was to hand over my gift-envelope money to pay him back.

"See, Maureen? These are all expenses I ran up for the sake of marrying you. You should shoulder some of it with me."

Reading it made me sick. I could already picture what it would be like once he married me: bleeding me dry, cleaning out every last thing my family had.

I slept a few hours, and then it was morning.

The wedding was about to start, but the makeup artist still hadn't shown up. One phone call in and I found out Peter had snatched her away first.

Gayle's insufferable voice came through the phone. She really did think she was the star of the show.

"Sorry, Maureen. Peter had the makeup artist come do my face first. Hurry over, we're all waiting for you!"

By the time I got to the venue, Gayle was already done up, and she'd put on the reception dress I'd had custom-made.

Their whole crowd of friends had gotten their faces done and dressed up specially, standing around the venue trying to look effortlessly cool as they showed off, leaving the makeup artist completely bewildered.

Peter played the part of Gayle's groom, letting her hang all over him however she liked.

When Gayle wanted her skirt lifted, Peter helped tug it up from the bodice. When she needed the restroom, he trailed after her holding her train, not the least bit shy about it.

And I, the actual bride, might as well have been some random guest who'd wandered in. I couldn't even claim center stage.

An hour later, the guests began to arrive.

Gayle, gathering her skirt, was busier than I was, staying at Peter's side the whole time to greet everyone.

They'd grown up together, and they knew each other's families.

Everyone assumed it was Peter and Gayle's wedding, offering them their blessings one after another and handing all their gift money to Gayle.

Once she'd shown off to her heart's content, Gayle came over, skirt in hand, and offered me a phony apology.

"Maureen, don't take it the wrong way. They're all my own friends and family, and I didn't want to tire you out, so I just helped greet them for you."

She handed me a stack of empty envelopes, every bit of gift money already gone.

"This is the gift money from friends and family. The names are all written on the envelopes. Peter says you should keep a record so you can return the favors later."

Wow. The nerve had reached a whole new level.

They'd cleaned out the gift money, and I was supposed to be the one repaying the favors?

"Ha."

I let out a cold snort. I was running very low on patience.

"Did I or did I not tell you not to call me your sister? Are you trying to make me slap you in front of all these people?"

"You— don't push it too far! I apologized to you in good faith, gave you a respectful title, and this is how you treat me?"

"That's nothing. I've got a much better trick saved up for you. Want to see it?"

Gayle's face had gone red with fury.

Every time she came at me she got nothing out of it, yet she couldn't stay away, and after I threw a few words back at her she stormed off in tears.

Two minutes later, Peter came marching over to fight her battle for her.

"Maureen Chavez! What is wrong with you now? Did you make Gayle cry again? With all these people here, you're humiliating her on purpose, aren't you?"

I didn't have time for him. The message from the man I was marrying had already come through. All that was left was for the ceremony to start.

"Maureen Chavez, I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?"

"I heard you. I was just thinking about what to say when I get up on that stage. How I'm going to apologize to Gayle."

That took half the heat out of him. He scolded me for another line or two, then left, probably to go report back to Gayle.

Half an hour later my makeup was done and I was in the wedding gown.

The guests were all seated. Grandpa had arrived too.

The host ran through the ceremony, and after he said, "Please welcome the bride," the spotlight landed on me.

A large hand closed around mine and led me slowly up onto the stage, and in an instant every eye in the room was on us.

We stepped up and edged Peter off to the side, leaving the guests dumbstruck, unable to tell which one was even the groom.

Grandpa was stunned too. He came toward the stage leaning on his cane, demanding an answer.

"Maureen, what are you doing? What is the meaning of this!"

"Getting married, Grandpa. Isn't that what you kept pushing me to do?"

"I told you to marry Peter. Who is this man you're holding on to?"

Grandpa pointed at the man beside me, his brows knotted up like a tangle of yarn.

"Oh, Grandpa, this is the man I'm marrying. His name is Lee Gilbert. Mom and Dad both know him. He's an old partner in the family business. The two of us joining forces is strength on strength, the icing on the cake."

"Nice to meet you, Grandpa. I'm Lee Gilbert, your grandson-in-law."

Lee gave a little wave, looking even more eager for the spotlight than I was, like he'd been dying for his moment.

Peter reeled, then rushed after Grandpa for justice.

"What is going on, Grandpa? Weren't you giving Maureen to me? How can she marry him?"

Grandpa got worked up too, jabbing his cane at the floor, demanding I explain myself.

"Maureen Chavez, what is this nonsense? Get this man out of here right now and go on with the wedding to Peter! Have you forgotten? Peter's grandfather saved my life—"

"He saved your life, is that it? I know, Grandpa. That's exactly why today I intend to repay his grandfather with a life."

The whole room froze.

The wedding hall went dead silent. Peter kept his eyes locked on me, terrified I was about to cause a scene.

He kept trying to block me, dropping his voice, telling me to give him a little face.

I moved to shove him away, furious, but Lee got there first and hauled him off to the side.

"Stand back. Don't get in the way of my wife's business."

That low, resonant voice of his startled me. I tugged at the hem of his jacket to signal him to keep it down.

Then I had someone bring up the big screen and played the slideshow Lee had put together for me the day before, right there for everyone to see.

"Take a look at the screen, Grandpa. The life I owe Peter's grandfather is right here."

Every eye fixed on the screen, and out of it came the sound of laughter. It was Peter and Gayle's faces.

Under the name of childhood friends the two of them had crossed every line there was, and all the flirty little videos they'd once posted had been cut together, playing out like a movie.

Every trending couple's challenge, they had filmed. Every reckless thing, they had marked as their own. They'd even had wedding photos taken in advance.

But the real bombshell was the handful of screenshots from hospital visits.

The whole screen was soaked in the smell of blood.

Gayle broke, the first to charge up and throw her body over the screen to cover it, but it was pure spectacle and did nothing at all.

"No, no more, stop playing it! Maureen Chavez, I'm begging you, stop playing it."

Watching Gayle cry, Peter couldn't bear it. He dropped to his knees and begged Grandpa to shut me down.

"Grandpa, today is my wedding day with Maureen. I'm begging you, don't let her keep making a scene like this. Make her stop!"

Grandpa fell silent, shaking with rage.

He looked at the screen and learned the truth, a truth that stunned him to the core...