My Wedding Was His Family’s Biggest Lie Chapter 02

My Wedding Was His Family’s Biggest Lie Chapter 02

The hotel was warm, but chills kept running through me.

The moment I sat in Ethan’s passenger seat, an unfamiliar perfume washed over me.

[Here it is! Vanessa’s signature perfume! Ethan drove her to see the condo this afternoon!]

[She even moved the passenger seat. Hasn’t Claire noticed?]

I bent down and felt for the lever beneath the seat.

It had been moved much farther forward than I ever did.

Ethan fastened his seat belt and glanced at me.

“Honey, what’s wrong? Are you getting cold feet?”

I watched the storefronts slide past the window. After a few seconds, I finally spoke.

“Ethan, how are the renovations on our wedding condo coming along?”

His hands stiffened on the steering wheel.

“They’re going great. The major work is done. We’re just letting it air out. Why are you asking now?”

I turned and stared straight into his eyes.

“I wanted to see it today, but the real estate agent said the name on the property title had changed.”

The car went dead quiet.

Ethan’s breath hitched, but he recovered fast and smiled.

“Oh, that. The agent got confused. I had someone hold the title for me temporarily for tax purposes.”

He sounded so calm that anyone would have believed him.

“Once we file the marriage paperwork tomorrow, I’ll add your name to the deed.”

If I hadn’t seen the signed transfer documents myself, I might have believed him too.

[Tax purposes, my ass! He gave the condo to Vanessa!]

[He’s still lying! He thinks Claire is easy to handle, so any excuse will work.]

I took out my phone.

“Really?”

Ethan’s voice softened again.

“Don’t overthink it, honey. You already have all of me. Why worry about one condo?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I opened my WhatsApp chat with Attorney Daniel Walsh and slowly typed a message.

Ethan glanced at my phone and smiled.

“What are you so focused on? Are you looking at hotels for our honeymoon?”

I turned toward him with the faintest smile.

“Yeah. Just planning our future..”

He reached over and tried to stroke my hair, his eyes full of affection.

“Honey, tomorrow you’ll be the most beautiful bride in the world.”

I tilted my head away from his hand and looked back at the dark night beyond the window.

“Yeah. Tomorrow will be unforgettable.”

…

At six the next morning, the makeup artist arrived at the Riverside Hotel’s bridal suite.

I sat in front of the mirror as she opened her makeup case and covered the table with a messy collection of bottles and jars.

Suddenly, the red comments popped up again.

[This makeup artist was originally booked for Vanessa. Ethan paid for a full set of La Mer products for her. Diane reassigned the artist to Claire at the last minute, but swapped everything out for cheap knockoffs.]

The makeup artist dug through her case and pulled out a bottle of foundation.

I glanced at it. There wasn’t even a label.

“All right, Ms. Bennett. Let’s get started.”

The makeup artist smiled and brushed my hair away from my face.

“Thank you.”

At eight, Diane pushed open the door.

She wore a tailored burgundy dress, her hair had been freshly styled, and her makeup was flawless. She carried a dark green jewelry box in both hands.

“Claire, this is from me.”

She opened the lid. Inside was a thin gold chain with a pea-sized imitation emerald pendant.

“Mom…”

I plastered on an overwhelmed, grateful look.

“It’s nothing fancy. Just a little something. We’re not ones for big fusses.”

Diane patted my hand. She looked exactly like a loving future mother-in-law.

The red comments exploded.

[“We’re not ones for big fusses”? She bought Vanessa Cartier Love rings, a Tiffany diamond necklace, and Van Cleef & Arpels earrings—about $120,000 for the bridal set. Claire’s necklace? Barely $170.]

[$170 is generous. Even that “emerald” came off a resale app.]