Chapter 2 - The Darkness Beneath
The bridal suite was a cavernous space, draped in velvet and smelling of expensive lilies. I didn't turn on the lights, wanting the room to remain in shadow for the surprise. I slipped off my heels and crawled under the frame of the king-sized bed. The floor was cold, but the excitement in my chest was warm.
Minutes passed. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The door clicked open. Two pairs of footsteps.
"She’s downstairs, right?" a woman’s voice asked. It was Vanessa.
"She’s occupied," Ethan replied. His voice was different. The warmth was gone, replaced by a flat, clinical boredom. "My mother is keeping her busy with the guests."
I froze. Why was his mother helping keep me busy? My stomach tightened.
"Good," Vanessa said. "The legal team is waiting for the signed documents. Did you make sure she signed the title transfer?"
"It’s in the folder on the dresser," Ethan said. "She didn't even look at the pages. She just saw the 'mortgage update' label and scribbled her name."
My pulse hammered. The title transfer? We had already finalized the deed for the house. Why would he need me to sign it again?
"And the prenuptial supplement?" Vanessa asked.
"Signed and notarized," Ethan confirmed.
I felt the air leave my lungs. A prenuptial supplement? I hadn't signed anything like that. He had tricked me.
"You played your part perfectly," Vanessa said, a cruel laugh escaping her. "Honestly, I almost believed you myself when you cried during the vows."
The woman behind the voice laughed too. Monica. A name from a phone I had ignored months ago.
May you like
"Did she suspect anything?" Monica asked.
"Not a thing," Ethan said. "She’s a classic mark. Emotional, naive, and entirely alone. The perfect wife."
