CHAPTER ONE
ELENA'S POINT OF VIEW
March 16th, Year 16. 8:20 a.m.
The wedding bells chimed softly as the chapel doors opened. My heart fluttered as I stepped in, my dress sweeping across the aisle. Every eye was on me, but I only saw one person- Julian Styles, the man I had loved for ten long years. My soon-to-be husband.
I smiled through the nervous flutter in my chest. This was it- the day I had waited for. After years of devotion, sacrifices, and distance from everyone I once knew, I was finally marrying the man I had built my world around.
But as I walked toward the altar, my smile faltered. My parents weren't here. They had refused to come — not because of me, but because they despised Julian. They thought I deserved someone better, someone who would treat me the way they believed I should be treated. I told myself their absence didn't matter. Love was enough. Julian was enough.
He smiled as I reached him, that familiar charming smile that made my heart race. I blushed and lifted my bouquet slightly to hide my face. What wasn't there to love about Julian Styles? He was gentle, warm, and kind. So what if he couldn't afford expensive gifts or grand gestures? Julian's love was the best gift.
The priest's voice echoed across the chapel.
"If anyone has reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace."
I smiled faintly, a little more and I would no longer be called Miss Elena Prescott but Mrs Elena Styles. My eyes drifted toward my best friend, Vanessa Cross, seated near the front. She caught my gaze, beaming with excitement, and mouthed, Yes! Her smile calmed me — until the priest repeated his question. Once… twice… and then….
Julian suddenly reached for the microphone. His voice boomed through the speakers, sharp and unexpected.
"I do."
I blinked. "Julian?" My voice trembled. "What's wrong?"
He turned to me, flashing that same bright smile — only this time, it didn't reach his eyes.
"It's okay, Elena. I know what I'm doing."
He stepped forward, tapping the microphone three times. The sound echoed ominously through the chapel. Then, he began to speak.
"My mother used to tell me a fable when I was a child," he said slowly. "About a wolf in sheep's clothing. I always thought it was just about animals. I never realized humans could be worse."
A hush fell over the crowd. My stomach twisted. I stared at him, confused, searching his face for an explanation.
Then came his next words- words that sliced through me like a blade.
"I never imagined that the woman I was about to marry could betray me by hiding her inability to conceive."
The crowd gasped. I froze.
"What?" I managed to whisper, stepping toward him. "Julian, what are you talking about?"
He ignored me, his voice steady and cruel.
"Vanessa Cross has always been an angel- unlike her deceitful friend, my supposed bride, Elena Prescott. And so, with everyone here as witnesses, I choose not to marry Miss Prescott… but Miss Cross instead."
My bouquet slipped from my fingers, the petals scattering across the floor.
I turned toward Vanessa- my best friend- and whispered, "Vanessa… why?"
Her smile was soft and venomous.
"Julian and I have been together for years," she said sweetly. "He treats me like a queen. He gives me everything you never had. And now, we're expecting."
She placed a hand on her stomach, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
My heart cracked in two. "I thought we were friends…"
"Friends?" She laughed. "Oh, Elena. I could never be friends with someone as pathetic as you- a desperate, naive woman who gave up her whole world for a man too blind to see what's right in front of her."
I stood there, frozen, my body trembling.
She leaned closer, her voice a whisper filled with poison.
"And while you were waiting for me in the lounge this morning, Julian and I were in your makeup room… having one last time together as lovers. He said, 'Oh Vanessa, I love you so much.' How does that sound, Elena? Terrific, right?"
"Stop it!" I cried, shoving her away as tears streamed down my face. But before I could move, a hard slap sent me crashing to the floor. My cheek burned, my vision blurred.
Somewhere above me, voices erupted- cheers, laughter, encouragement.
And then, the priest's voice rang out, sharp and final:
"You may now kiss the bride."
Applause filled the chapel as I lay there in silence, my world collapsing around me.
*****
"Elena… Elena! Wake up, girlie! It's your wedding day. Why are you crying?"
I jolted awake, gasping. Vanessa stood beside my bed, smiling sweetly.
My hands flew to my face. My heart pounded.
"I… I thought the wedding was over," I whispered.
She laughed. "Over? No way! It's today!"
I swallowed hard. "It was just a dream then…"
"Dream? About what?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but a sharp, sudden pain gripped the back of my neck. It felt like something cold and unseen tightening its hold. I froze, meeting Vanessa's curious eyes, and forced a smile.
"It's nothing," I murmured.
The pain vanished instantly.
"Alright then!" Vanessa chirped. "Let's get ready for our big day!"
Her words echoed in my mind 'our big day' and for the first time, I couldn't tell if my nightmare had truly ended… or if it had only just begun.