Part 3My Bridal Dress Taken, I Depart

My mother looked away, her voice sharp and defensive.

"You are the older sister. It is your duty to accommodate her. Hailey can't handle failure. You are tough. You can take the hits. What is the big deal?"

Standing behind her, Hailey peeked out. Her eyes were red and swimming with tears. She looked like a terrified little deer.

"Please don't fight. It's all my fault." She sniffled, her voice trembling. "Jules, please don't be mad at Mom. Someone maliciously ruined my dress. I didn't want to steal yours, but Carter swore you wouldn't mind because we're sisters."

"If you really hate me for it, I'll take it off right now."

I looked at her with pure disgust. "Great. Take it off."

All the blood drained from Hailey’s face. She stood frozen, awkwardly clutching the expensive lace skirt, biting her bottom lip as huge tears rolled down her cheeks.

I let out a bitter laugh. "What are you waiting for? Take it off."

My mother lunged forward, putting herself between me and her precious favorite child. She raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face.

"Have you lost your damn mind?! Are you trying to humiliate your sister on purpose?!"

The left side of my face went completely numb.

I didn't cry. I actually smiled.

For twenty-five years, no matter who was at fault, my mother always protected Hailey.

I looked my mother dead in the eyes, speaking with absolute clarity. "I am walking down that aisle in my wedding dress, or I am walking out that door and filing for divorce. And I will never come back to this family again."

Carter panicked. He grabbed my wrist, his voice shaking. "Jules, stop acting like a psycho! There are two hundred guests sitting out there waiting for us! If you walk out now, my family will be a laughingstock!"

Hailey spoke up again, her voice tiny and sweet.

"Actually, I have an idea. If Jules is really this upset, we shouldn't force her. We look identical anyway. Even Mom gets us confused sometimes. I can just put the veil over my face, go out there with Carter, and do the vows for her."

Carter’s eyes lit up. "That's brilliant. We're in completely different ballrooms. Nobody will ever notice."

My mother nodded in aggressive agreement.

They stood there plotting, treating me like I was completely invisible.

It was so absurd I wanted to vomit.

I violently wrenched my wrist out of Carter’s grip. I didn't know I had that much strength in me.

"Do whatever the hell you want."

I grabbed my clutch off the vanity and headed for the door.

Carter stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

"You can't leave. If Hailey is on stage pretending to be you, what happens if someone sees you walking through the lobby?"

My mother bit her lip. She grabbed a thick spool of silk ribbon from a floral arrangement on the table and shoved it into Carter’s hands.

Tie her up.

"I am not letting you ruin Hailey's perfect day," my mother said coldly. "You're just going to have to wait in here."

"Are you people insane?!"

I swung my fists, hitting Carter in the chest and the face. I kicked at his shins, fighting like a wild animal.

But I was just one woman against two people.

Carter clamped a hand over my mouth, binding my wrists tight with the thick ribbon. Together, they shoved me into the massive, heavy oak wardrobe in the corner of the room.

Carter looked at me through the narrowing crack of the door, his face twisting with pity. "I promise I'll let you out the second the reception is over, Jules. Just sit tight."

The very last thing I saw before the door shut was Hailey. She was standing behind Carter.

She looked right at me, and the corners of her mouth twitched up into a sickening, victorious smirk.