CHAPTER 1: WEDDING EVE

The day before her wedding, Olive Bennett couldn’t contain her excitement. Her white lace wedding gown hung neatly on the closet door, and her veil lay folded on the bed. Everything she had ever dreamed of was about to come true—marrying Frank, the man she had loved for six years, in front of friends and family.

She glanced at the clock. Delilah, her stepsister, was supposed to help her with last-minute wedding details, but she was late, as usual. Olive sighed and decided to make herself some tea.

The apartment was quiet except for the faint hum of the refrigerator. As she stirred honey into her tea, Olive’s phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. It was Frank.

“Hey, babe,” she answered cheerfully.

“Hey, I left my cufflinks at your place,” Frank said. “Mind if I swing by and grab them?”

Olive smiled. “Sure. They’re in the bedroom drawer. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”

“Thanks. I’ll be there in ten.”

Olive decided to take a quick shower before Frank arrived. She left her phone on the counter and headed to the bathroom, humming softly to herself.

After her shower, she wrapped herself in a towel and walked back into the living room. She froze when she noticed the door slightly ajar.

“Frank?” she called out.

There was no response. Curious, Olive tiptoed toward the bedroom. As she reached the doorway, she heard hushed whispers and soft laughter.

Her heart dropped.

She pushed the door open. What she saw made her stomach churn.

Frank was shirtless, his arms around Delilah, who was sitting on the edge of Olive’s bed. Delilah’s golden hair cascaded over her shoulders as she leaned into him, her lips brushing his neck.

Olive gasped audibly, and both of them turned toward her.

“Olive!” Frank exclaimed, quickly pulling away from Diana. “This isn’t what it looks like!”

Delilah, however, didn’t flinch. Instead, she smirked and adjusted her hair. “Oh, it’s exactly what it looks like, dear sister.”

Olive’s chest tightened, and her hands shook as anger and disbelief coursed through her. “Frank… how could you?”

“Olive, let me explain,” Frank stammered, grabbing his shirt. “This—this is a mistake!”

“A mistake?” Olive’s voice rose, her face flushed with fury. “You’re in my bed with my stepsister the day before our wedding, and you call it a mistake?”

Delilah laughed, her tone dripping with mockery. “Oh, Olive, don’t be so dramatic. Frank just needed someone who could actually satisfy him.”

The words hit Olive like a slap. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

“You’ve hated me your entire life,” Olive said, her voice trembling. “But this? This is low, even for you.”

Delilah stood up, her smirk widening. “Oh, honey, I’m just getting started.”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “By the way, I found this in your kitchen. Care to explain?”

She held up Olive’s pregnancy test results.

Olive stared at the paper in Diana’s hand, her mind racing. How had she even found it?

“Where did you get that?” Olive demanded, her voice shaking.

Delilah waved the paper mockingly. “It was right there on the counter. Tsk, tsk, Olive. Pregnant? And you didn’t even tell Frank?”

Frank’s face turned red with anger. He snatched the paper from Diana and scanned it quickly. His eyes narrowed as he turned to Olive.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked, his voice cold and accusing. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“It’s not what you think,” Olive said, her voice breaking. “I just found out today, and I don’t even know how—”

“Don’t lie to me!” Frank roared. “If it’s not mine, whose is it?”

Tears streamed down Olive’s face as she shook her head. “I don’t know! I swear, I don’t know how this happened!”

Delilah crossed her arms, a satisfied smile on her face. “Looks like your perfect little world is crumbling, Olive. What a shame.”

Olive couldn’t take it anymore. The betrayal, the accusations, the smug look on Diana’s face—it was too much. She grabbed her engagement ring and ripped it off her finger.

“It’s over, Frank,” she said, throwing the ring at him. “I never want to see you again.”

Frank looked stunned but said nothing.

Turning to Delilah, Olive’s voice was icy. “Congratulations. You’ve finally managed to destroy everything. I hope it was worth it.”

Delilah just laughed, her tone filled with mockery. “Oh, Olive, you’ll thank me one day. Frank deserves someone who can give him what he needs.”

Olive clenched her fists, her body trembling with rage and heartbreak. Without another word, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Back in the living room, Olive collapsed onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. Her chest heaved as sobs wracked her body. How had her life fallen apart in a matter of hours?

The man she loved had betrayed her with the one person she trusted least in the world. And now, she was pregnant—with no explanation for how it had happened.

Her phone buzzed on the table, but she ignored it. She couldn’t deal with anyone or anything right now.

For the first time in her life, Olive felt truly alone.