Beneath the Velvet Veil

1

It was the day I was supposed to marry my fiancé, Ethan Miller. The wedding was about to begin, but Ethan was nowhere to be found. His phone was off, and Mrs. Miller, his mother, was pacing anxiously beside me.

“Amy, the guests are already here. Have you heard from Ethan yet?”

The message thread on my phone was flooded with my desperate pleas, each one more frantic than the last. I’d been talking to him all morning, but he hadn’t replied to a single message.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Miller. I’ll go find him right now.”

Mrs. Miller gave me a long, exasperated look as she eyed me, fully dressed and ready for the ceremony. “Hurry up. Your grandfather is waiting in the front.”

I walked out of the dressing room in a daze.

Ethan hadn’t come home last night, and I’d called all his usual spots. No one knew where he was.

Then, I heard laughter coming from the groom’s dressing room.

Could he have already arrived?

I hurriedly pushed the door open and bumped into Brian Turner, one of Ethan’s best men.

“Oh, sorry!” I quickly apologized.

Brian’s eyes lingered a little too long on me before he raised an eyebrow.

“Wow, looking sexy, sis-in-law,” he said with an obvious, teasing grin.

My wedding gown was low-cut, and I wasn’t used to dressing up like this. I usually preferred casual sportswear. His words were clearly meant to provoke, with no trace of genuine admiration.

I ignored him and peered into the room. Ethan wasn’t there, just a bunch of his friends.

“Do you know where Ethan is?” I asked.

They’d all been drinking together last night; surely, one of them had a clue.

Brian smirked, his voice low and playful. “Want to know? Then kneel and beg me.”

“Brian, cut it out,” another voice warned.

“Why not? Who doesn’t know how much Ethan hates her? If it weren’t for her clinging to him and using his family to her advantage, he’d already be with Sophia Lee.”

Without hesitation, I dropped to my knees.

“Please, can you tell me where Ethan is?”

They were all caught off guard, staring at me in disbelief.

Brian was the first to snap back, bursting into laughter.

“I knew it, just like I said. She’s Ethan’s loyal lapdog.”

“Oh, look, my shoes are dirty. Since you’re a dog, how about you clean them up for me?”

Brian raised his foot, his shiny black shoes catching the light. They were spotless, of course. He was just making a point to humiliate me.

I bent down to touch his shoes when Zachary Green stepped in.

“Brian, enough. No matter what, she’s still a part of the Miller family,” Zachary said, his voice firm. “Last night, Ethan went to The Grove Estates.”

I looked at Zachary, relief washing over me. “Thanks.”

The Millers had bought us a home in The Grove Estates, so it made sense that Ethan would be there.

As I left, I could still hear their mocking laughter.

I remembered the first time I met them. They’d been so young and carefree, eagerly greeting me with cheerful, “Hello, sis!” so sincere and full of life. Now, everything had changed.

Just as I stepped outside the hotel, my phone rang. It was Ethan.

“Ethan, where are you? Everyone’s waiting for you.”

“I want Sophia to be my maid of honor. Have her help you walk down the aisle. Consider it me marrying her instead.”

“Fine. I agree,” I said, my voice trembling, though I tried to hide it.

Ethan chuckled softly, his tone unreadable. “Send a fancy gown to The Grove Estates.”

Then he hung up.

I didn’t have time to go pick out a new dress for Sophia. I grabbed the one I’d prepared for the ceremony and rushed over.

When I got to the living room, I didn’t see anyone, so I headed straight to the bedroom.

I opened the door, and the sight that greeted me was unbearable. Clothes were scattered across the floor, and Ethan was wrapped in a crimson-red blanket with Sophia in his arms. Their bare shoulders and arms were exposed, the scene saying more than words ever could.

I placed the gown on the bed and said, “I brought the dress. I’ll wait for you outside.”

2

After they got dressed, Sophia stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself. She looked at my wrist and said, “Amy, that bracelet is beautiful. It’d go perfectly with my gown. How about you lend it to me?”

It was a precious jade bracelet, passed down from my grandmother.

I looked at Ethan, but he said nothing, as if waiting for me to make the decision.

I carefully removed it and handed it to her.

“This is my grandmother’s heirloom. Are you sure you want to wear it?”

Sophia’s face twisted in distaste. “Ugh, take it away, it’s bad luck.”

Sophia took Ethan’s arm, walking ahead while I silently followed, as though they were the real couple and I was just the extra.

It wasn’t until we reached the hotel entrance that they finally let go of each other.

“Amy, why are you walking so slow?” Ethan glanced back at me, irritation clear in his voice.

“Why haven’t you caught up?”

“Sorry,” I said, quickening my pace.

As I passed Sophia, she suddenly stuck out her foot and tripped me.

My wedding gown was already a challenge to walk in, and with the sudden stumble, I fell flat on the floor. My hand hit the stairs, and I heard a loud crack—my bracelet had broken.

“Oops, Amy, how careless of you,” Sophia said, feigning concern.

Ethan shot me a quick glance but said nothing.

“Everyone’s waiting inside. Are we going to do this wedding or not?”

Of course we were. The show had to go on.

I scrambled to pick up the broken pieces, afraid that if I didn’t, Ethan would change his mind and leave.

Mrs. Miller noticed that Sophia was wearing my dress and frowned but didn’t say anything.

“Amy, look at the mess you made. Get someone to clean this up.”

“You all get ready. I’ll go tell them to start the ceremony.”

By the time the doors opened, I was still clutching the broken bracelet, afraid to let it go for fear I’d lose it forever.

Sophia came over to me, taking my arm.

“Amy, we’re about to go in. Why are you still holding onto that thing? Just throw it away.”

“You…”

Ethan, about to scold someone, froze when he saw my palm bleeding. I had gripped the bracelet so tightly that the shards had cut into my skin.

“It’s just a broken bracelet. I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow. Just throw it away, we don’t want people laughing at you.”

I looked at Ethan, my heart full of unsaid words. I wanted to beg him to care, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I was afraid that if I did, he would call off the wedding.

So, I walked to the trash can.

Zachary caught up with me.

“Let me hold onto it for you. You can get it from me after the ceremony.”

I nodded at him, grateful. He’d helped me twice today.

“Thank you.”

Before I could say more, the host’s voice echoed, signaling that it was time to walk down the aisle.

The doors opened. As I stepped forward, Sophia suddenly released me and took Ethan’s arm on the other side.

Ethan didn’t resist. He smiled indulgently, and the three of us slowly walked down the aisle together.

Whispers filled the room.

“What’s going on here?”

“This is new—never seen three people at a wedding before.”

“Isn’t that Sophia Lee from the Si family?”

“I think it is. Why is she dressed like a bride?”

“Ethan Miller is lucky, getting two wives at once.”

“I heard the Millers and the Sis were planning to get them engaged, but then this girl, Amy, showed up.”

“If it weren’t for her grandfather saving the Millers back then, they’d be finished by now.”

“Yeah, Amy’s really lucky. She’s married into a rich family thanks to her grandfather’s favor.”

The host, clearly nervous about the awkward situation, looked at Ethan’s parents, but they didn’t seem to care, so he had no choice but to carry on with the scripted lines.

When we reached the stage, Sophia was still holding onto Ethan.

My grandfather, watching this scene, pointed at us but couldn’t say a word.

“You…” He coughed, spitting up blood, and collapsed right there.

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