She Wore My Wedding Dress Before I Ever Did Chapter 04

She Wore My Wedding Dress Before I Ever Did Chapter 04

After leaving the hotel, I went straight to the wedding planner’s office.

The lead coordinator seemed to have already heard what had happened. The moment I walked in, she hurried to her feet.

“Ms. Morgan, what happened with the wedding timeline was a communication error on our part—”

I cut her off.

“Bring out every piece of material you’ve prepared for the wedding.”

One of the large display boards showed Miles and me standing in front of a wall of white flowers.

He was smiling gently.

So was I.

The photo had been taken at our engagement party.

Less than half an hour after it was taken, Vanessa said her stomach hurt, and Miles left early.

I sat alone in the restaurant while a server boxed up the engagement cake.

The coordinator hesitated before handing me a video script.

“Mr. Caldwell previously asked us to add this to the reception welcome montage.”

I took it from her.

One section read:

[Special thanks to Vanessa Reed for putting herself in harm’s way to save Miles Caldwell.]

The next page contained editing notes.

[Include footage of Ms. Reed trying on the gown at the bridal salon. Use it as soft, romantic bridal B-roll.]

I looked up.

“Footage of her trying on the gown?”

The coordinator went pale.

“Mr. Caldwell said the shot would only show her from behind and that her face wouldn’t be visible. He said it could be used as bridal B-roll.”

My fingers slowly tightened around the script.

So it had not stopped with her wearing the gown.

It had not stopped with Instagram.

Miles had even planned to include footage of Vanessa wearing my wedding gown in the welcome montage for our wedding.

I closed the script.

“Cancel all of it.”

The coordinator asked cautiously, “And Mr. Caldwell…?”

“The contract is in my name.”

She immediately fell silent.

I paid all the cancellation fees with my credit card.

The balance in my account took a serious hit, but I did not feel the slightest regret.

Money could be earned again.

The six years I had wasted on one person were what I could never get back.

On the way home, an out-of-state bride-to-be messaged me about the gown.

She was getting married the following month and had a limited budget. She asked whether I could cover the shipping.

I agreed, and a moment later, the sale went through.

Then she sent another message.

Buyer: [Has it really only been tried on once?]

I stared at the screen for several seconds.

Me: [Yes. It just doesn’t belong to me anymore.]

Miles still had not returned when I got home.

I removed the gown from its garment bag and spread it across the bed.

It lay there quietly, almost impossibly beautiful.

I had imagined wearing it and walking toward Miles more times than I could count.

Looking back, that path had never been a flower-lined aisle.

It was a staircase I had built alone, one step at a time.

The doorbell rang.

When I opened the door, Vanessa was standing outside.

She held a pack of cooling gel strips in her hands and wore a timid expression.

“Rachel, I came to apologize.”

I did not invite her in.

She stood in the hallway with red-rimmed eyes.

“I truly didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I was going to explain that part of the wedding timeline to you afterward.”

I looked at her.

“After the wedding?”

Her expression stiffened.

“I was only afraid you’d misunderstand. Mrs. Caldwell said everyone knew what happened three years ago. She thought thanking me at the wedding would show everyone what a loyal and grateful man Miles was.”

The phrase “loyal and grateful” sounded so noble.

My wedding was going to be used to prove just how loyal and grateful he was.

I asked, “What about Instagram?”

Vanessa bit her lip.

“I was only jealous of you. You have a wedding gown, a wedding, and Miles. I have nothing.”

I laughed.

“So you put on my wedding gown and posted pictures so everyone could speculate?”

Tears spilled from her eyes.

“I wasn’t trying to take anything from you. I’m just used to him taking care of me.”

Her words echoed something Miles had told me countless times before.

They had simply gotten used to it.

The most frightening part was not whether any of it was deliberate.

It was that everyone had grown accustomed to expecting me to step aside.

I pressed the box of cooling gel strips back into her hands.

“You came to the wrong person.”

Vanessa stared at me.

“What do you mean?”

“If Miles chooses to take care of you, that’s between the two of you. However you choose to thank each other, repay old debts, or make sacrifices for each other is your business.”

I looked directly at her and said each word clearly.

“Don’t use my wedding as a stage for the two of you.”

All the color drained from Vanessa’s face.

She continued apologizing, but her gaze slipped past me and landed on the box for the wedding gown inside the apartment.

“Rachel, you’re not really calling off the wedding, are you? Miles will be devastated when he finds out.”

“Then he can be devastated for once.”

I had been hurt more times than I could count, and no one had died from it.

After closing the door, I packed the gown into its shipping box.

When the mail carrier arrived for the scheduled pickup, Miles happened to come home.

The instant he saw the box, his expression changed.

“What is that?”

“The wedding gown.”

He lunged forward and pressed one hand down on the box.

“You really sold it?”

“Yes.”

“Rachel, how long are you going to keep this up?”

I raised my eyes to meet his.

“Miles, I canceled the reception and told the wedding planner to stop all further work.”

The anger on his face froze.

“What did you say?”

I placed a stack of receipts on the coffee table.

“I paid the cancellation fees. I’ll reconcile every shared expense, and you’ll get every dollar that belongs to you.”

Miles stared at me, and panic finally entered his eyes.

“Rachel, we’re supposed to be getting married.”

“Not anymore.”