Chapter 9 - The Bride Who Never Existed
Claire Clark had spent decades preparing to become me.
Celeste had placed her near my family when we were children.
She learned my habits.
My mother's handwriting.
My birthday.
My fears.
Even the scar beneath my chin from falling off a bicycle at eight.
She knew everything except what it felt like to actually live my life.
Vanessa discovered Claire was her half-sister.
That revelation broke something in her.
For years, Vanessa believed she was Celeste's heir.
Instead, she had been another tool.
Claire had received the real education.
The real secrets.
The real criminal inheritance.
We tracked Claire through a wedding license.
She had applied to marry Marcus Vale.
Under my name.
If the marriage occurred before the trust dispute was resolved, Marcus could claim spousal rights to portions of the estate if something happened to "Amelia."
Something happening to me suddenly felt less theoretical.
The wedding venue was booked for that weekend.
No guests.
No photographs.
Just paperwork.
When police arrived, nobody was there.
On the altar sat a bridal bouquet.
White roses.
The exact arrangement my mother taught me to make.
A card was tucked inside.
YOU ALWAYS WERE BETTER WITH FLOWERS.
Underneath:
BUT I WAS BETTER AT BEING YOU.
Adrian noticed a security monitor.
Claire had left us a recording.
She appeared wearing a wedding dress.
My wedding dress.
Except I'd never been married.
"I spent twenty-two years learning you," she said. "Do you know how insulting it was to discover there was nothing special to learn?"
I watched without blinking.
"You had Evelyn. I had Celeste. You had a childhood. I had assignments. You got to be a person. I got to become useful."
For one terrible second, I felt sorry for her.
Then she smiled.
"I think I'll keep the useful parts."
The screen changed.
Live feed.
Brooks & Bloom.
Kayla was inside.
A man stood behind her.
Marcus.
He held something against her back.
Claire stepped into view.
She looked directly into my shop camera.
May you like
Then she reached for the switch controlling the flower cooler.
The screen went black.
