The sound of church bells echoed through the grand cathedral, each toll shaking her chest like a cruel reminder. Sophia stood in the shadows of the marble pillars, her hands trembling as she clutched the hem of her white gown. The dress wasn’t hers. Not really. It belonged to her sister.
Today was supposed to be Sophia’s wedding day. She had spent years believing she was destined to walk down this aisle, her hand in Alexander Carter’s—the city’s most powerful young CEO. But as the double doors opened and the organ swelled, it wasn’t Sophia who walked on the red carpet scattered with roses.
It was her younger sister, Lily.
Sophia’s heart froze. Lily wore the gown that had been tailored for Sophia. The veil covered her smug smile, but her eyes glistened with triumph as they caught Sophia’s from across the cathedral.
And then Sophia saw Alexander.
He stood at the altar, tall and untouchable in his tailored black suit, his expression as cold as winter steel. When his gaze swept the crowd, it skipped over Sophia as if she didn’t exist. His eyes softened only when they landed on Lily.
Every guest rose to their feet, whispering in confusion. Everyone in the city had been waiting for Sophia Carter’s wedding, but now—now the newspapers tomorrow would write about a different bride.
Sophia’s chest tightened with humiliation. Her fingers dug into her palm so hard her nails cut skin. She wanted to scream, to rush forward, to demand an explanation. But her mother’s warning echoed in her ears:
“Stay quiet, Sophia. If you ruin this, you’ll ruin us all.”
The vows began. Alexander’s deep, measured voice filled the cathedral. He spoke words that should have been meant for her, words she had once memorized in secret, words she had whispered into her pillow at night when she still believed in fairy tales.
But when he said the bride’s name, it wasn’t hers.
It was Lily.
The entire world collapsed in a single syllable.
Sophia staggered back against the pillar. Heat burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let the tears fall in front of the society crowd, in front of the journalists with their cameras flashing, in front of Lily—who had stolen not just her wedding, but her entire future.
As the priest declared them husband and wife, Sophia forced herself to look away. Her vision blurred, but she caught something strange in Alexander’s expression as he slipped the ring onto Lily’s finger. For just one fleeting second, his eyes flickered—toward Sophia, hidden in the shadows.
A look too quick for anyone else to notice.
Was it regret? Recognition? Or something darker?
Before Sophia could read it, the organ music swelled again. Applause thundered through the cathedral. Lily leaned up and kissed Alexander, sealing the betrayal in front of everyone.
The cameras captured every angle. Tomorrow, Sophia would no longer be the bride. She would be the woman left behind.
And yet—deep in her chest, something stirred. A seed of rage, of defiance. If they thought she would quietly disappear, they were wrong.
Her story was only beginning.
