As the door opened, my eyes met his.
Austin stood there in his tailored suit, perfectly fitted, perfectly timed. The soft golden light from the hallway framed his face, and for a brief second, just one dangerous second, he looked exactly like the man I had fallen in love with. The man who once made me feel safe. Chosen. Secure.
His smile was warm. Familiar. Disarming.
And yet, standing there in my wedding gown with a tiara resting on my head, my heart did not flutter with excitement.
It raced with fear.
Who is Austin really?
What has he been hiding all this time?
Am I about to marry my husband… or my enemy?
His eyes slowly moved over me, taking in every detail of my dress. The fitted bodice. The delicate embroidery. The way the white fabric flowed around my feet. His gaze lingered a little too long, as if he was memorizing me.
Seven minutes.
That was all we had left before the ceremony began.
Seven minutes before vows were spoken, signatures were signed, and my life was sealed permanently.
He looked almost too happy to see me. Too pleased. Too relaxed.
My mum stepped forward before I could speak.
She smiled at Austin, but it was not a warm smile. It was sharp, tight at the corners, carefully controlled. The kind of smile a woman wears when she is furious but refuses to let it show.
She stepped out of the room, but she didn't go far.
I noticed immediately. As Austin shifted slightly, I could still see her through the small gap beyond his shoulder. She hovered nearby, pretending to adjust something on the wall, her eyes never leaving us. Watching. Guarding.
Protecting me.
Austin sensed it too.
I saw it in the way his shoulders stiffened. The way his smile faded just a little. The air between us grew heavy, thick with something unspoken.
His expression changed, from confidence to curiosity, to confusion.
"Is everything okay?" he asked gently.
I lifted my eyes to his and searched his face.
How many versions of this man existed?
The one standing in front of me now.
The one whose phone I had held in my hands.
The one whose secrets were locked inside my closet.
"Everything is fine," I said quickly. "Mum is just stressed. The florists mixed up the flowers, and she's trying to reach them."
The lie slipped out smoothly.
Too smoothly.
I hated how easy it was.
But what choice did I have?
I couldn't afford to let emotions ruin what I had worked so hard for. This wedding was not just about love. It was about position. Security. Survival.
I had endured whispers. Judgment. Envy disguised as smiles. I had waited patiently while doors opened slowly, while people questioned whether I truly belonged beside a man like him.
I had climbed too far to fall now.
Soon, very soon, everything would change.
When I give birth to an heir, my place would be sealed. Untouchable. A mistress could never replace a wife who had given him his first son.
He didn't know yet.
No one did.
Not even my mum.
I had planned to tell them after the honeymoon. A surprise. A blessing. Something joyful.
Austin studied my face closely, as if looking for cracks.
"You seem unhappy," he said. "Are you anxious?"
Before I could answer, a sound cut through the room.
A muffled scream.
It was faint, almost hidden, but I heard it.
My body reacted before my mind could catch up. My chest tightened. My heart slammed violently against my ribs. Panic rushed through me like fire.
I raised my voice immediately, louder than necessary, trying my best to drown out the sound. I needed to distract him. I needed him to focus on anything except the closet behind me.
"I am not anxious," I said sharply, forcing a small laugh. "How about your mum? Is she here yet?"
The words were rushed. Calculated.
Austin frowned slightly.
"Good point," he said. "I should check on her. I need to know where she is."
I smiled faintly and tilted my head. "What would you do without me?"
He chuckled softly. "Absolutely nothing, my love."
Liar.
I screamed it in my head.
Outwardly, I smiled. A gentle, obedient smile.
"What did you come for initially?" I asked.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you're okay. That you're not having cold feet."
He took my hands in his, squeezing them lightly.
"I love you," he said. "I adore you. I can't wait to make you mine."
The words sounded polished. Practiced.
Empty.
Such a pretender.
"I'm fine," I said quietly. "Everything is fine."
He stared at me for another second, clearly unconvinced.
Then he nodded. "I'll call my mum quickly. I'll be right back."
As soon as he stepped out and the door closed, my knees nearly gave out.
I leaned against the wall, my breath shaking.
Seconds later, my mum rushed back in, her face dark with anger, her movements sharp.
"That woman almost exposed everything," I said, forcing calm into my voice even as my hands trembled.
My mum's eyes hardened. She marched toward the closet without hesitation.
As we moved closer, a phone began to ring. The sound came from inside the woman's bag.
We froze. Then we looked at each other.
"Check it," my mum said.
I opened the bag with trembling fingers.
The screen lit up.
Caller ID: My Love.
My chest tightened painfully.
"Probably her husband," I muttered. "Or…" I hesitated. "Or is it my husband?"
The thought made my blood boil. We searched deeper. Papers. Documents.
Then my breath caught.
Deeds.
Island deeds.
I stared at them in disbelief.
Inside the bag was also an expensive necklace resting in velvet, and a single diamond earring that caught the light.
"This woman is spoiled," I scoffed. "She's well taken care of."
Jealousy mixed with rage inside me.
The phone rang again.
As I reached for it, something slipped from the bag and fell to the floor.
An identity card. And a photograph.
I picked them up.
The photo showed her smiling, relaxed, standing between a young boy. Happy. Loved.
I turned to the ID.
Mrs. Rinnah Rockwood.
My vision blurred.
No.
I read it again.
The name did not change.
"That's… her," I whispered.
My mind scrambled.
Another woman had to be another Rinnah Rockwood.
A coincidence.
It had to be, I muttered to myself.
I stared at the child again.
"Why would she cheat on her family?" I muttered. "Some people are never satisfied."
The phone kept ringing.
"What if her husband is here?" I said suddenly. "What if he's around?"
My mum hesitated, then nodded.
"Make her answer," she said. "Tell her to say she's fine and just greeting some guests."
I opened the closet slightly.
The woman inside stared at me, eyes wide, her mouth taped; I couldn't read the expression on her face.
"Pick up the phone," I whispered. "Tell your husband you're fine."
My mum lifted a bat she had grabbed earlier.
"Do it," she said coldly. "Or you won't leave this room alive."
The woman nodded frantically.
I loosened the tape enough for her to speak.
She answered.
"Hello?" she said.
The voice on the other end made my blood turn cold.
"Hi Mum. Where are you? You should have arrived by now."
The phone slipped from her hand.
I grabbed it instantly and ended the call.
My heart thundered.
That voice.
I knew that voice.
It belonged to my husband.
Austin had called her mum.
I stepped back slowly, my legs weak.
I stared at the woman again.
Her posture.
Her face.
Her calm, even in fear.
How had I not seen it before?
"How…" I whispered. "How can you be his mother?"
My stomach dropped.
My breath came in shallow gasps.
What have I done?