Chapter 1: Wedding Preparations

Ava's POV

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, turning from side to side. The wedding dress hugged my body tightly, maybe too tightly. I frowned, pulling at the fabric.

"Ava, you look amazing in that dress!" my best friend Sophie said, her eyes wide. "Just look at you!"

I looked at myself again, still not happy. "I look fat, don't you think?" I asked, pinching at my sides.

Sophie laughed and came closer. She put her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face the mirror again. "Look carefully," she said. "All I see is a very beautiful bride-to-be."

Just then, someone walked into the room. I turned and saw it was my stepmom, Grace. My heart sank a little.

"What are you doing here, Grace?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I came to see how beautiful my daughter looks," she said.

"Your stepdaughter," I corrected her quickly.

Grace came closer, her eyes moving over the dress. "Look how beautiful these dresses are," she said. "They were made with real silver thread. Your father must have spent a lot on them." She paused, looking at how the dress fit me. "Why is it looking so tight on you?"

I felt my face get hot. Grace always knew how to get under my skin.

"Your father should have gotten a dress like this for me at our wedding," she added, running her hand over the fabric.

That was the last straw. "Must you make everything all about you?" I shouted, my anger bubbling over. "This is my wedding, Grace. Not yours. If you want the dress so badly, why don't you divorce my father and I'll give it to you!"

Grace stepped back, looking shocked. "Sorry, honey," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "I just wanted to help."

"Don't help me," I snapped. "Sophie is already helping out. Please leave. This should be a happy week for me, so don't spoil it."

Grace left without another word. I let out a long breath, trying to calm down.

When I turned around, I saw Sophie walking out of the dressing room. She was wearing a wedding dress too. My jaw dropped.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.

Sophie twirled around, the dress flowing beautifully. "I just wanted to match with you," she said with a big smile. "It's my best friend's wedding. I don't want you to feel lonely while trying on dresses."

I tried to smile, but inside, I felt a pang of jealousy. The dress looked perfect on Sophie, like it was made for her.

"How did that dress get here?" I asked one of the designers, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Your fiancé ordered it," the designer replied.

My heart skipped a beat. "He ordered it?" I looked at the dress again. "That's not even my size. I can't fit in that dress."

Sophie jumped in quickly. "He wanted to surprise you, but they accidentally got the wrong size," she explained.

"Then why is it still here?" I asked, turning to look at her.

Sophie looked a bit uncomfortable. "I asked him if I could keep it for my collection," she admitted. "But hey, this is your wedding we're planning. Don't let anything ruin it. You look amazing in your dress, by the way."

I took a deep breath, pushing down my feelings. "I know, right?" I forced a smile. "I can't wait for you to get married soon too. Best friends forever?"

"Best friends forever," Sophie agreed. We did our secret handshake, just like we had since we were kids.

After trying on more dresses, we decided to get coffee. Sophie went to order while I found a table.

A few minutes later, Sophie came back looking worried. "Sorry, Ava, I need to go," she said quickly. "I have a meeting with my boss. I'm so sorry, I'll make it up to you."

"Should I call the driver to take you?" I offered, feeling disappointed.

"No, I'll take a cab," Sophie replied, already gathering her things. "See you later!"

And just like that, I was alone. I picked up my phone, wondering what to do next. Should I call Gabriel, my fiancé, so we could go for the cake tasting? But Gabe was probably busy trying to impress my dad at work. Should I call Dad? No, he was likely stressed and busy too.

I picked up my phone again, then put it down. I did this a few times before finally calling Gabe. He didn't answer the first time, so I called again. This time, he picked up.

"Hey, Ava," he said, sounding distracted. "I'm in a meeting. I'll call you when I'm done, okay?"

Before I could reply, he had hung up. I sighed. Looks like I'm doing this alone, I thought.

I called the driver to take me to the bakery. As we drove through the city, I remembered why we had chosen this place. It was where my parents' wedding cake had been made, and I wanted to keep the tradition going.

The bakery was beautiful, with sparkling chandeliers and marble countertops. Everything looked expensive and perfect. They took me to a nice corner to wait for the cake samples.

Soon, a worker brought out three cakes. My eyes widened when I saw a strawberry on top of one. "I didn't ask for a strawberry cake," I said, confused.

The worker looked surprised. "Sorry, these are all strawberry cakes mixed with different flavors," she explained. "We have a classic strawberry champagne, a strawberry chocolate swirl, and a strawberry vanilla dream. The cake's flavor was changed yesterday."

My heart sank. "I think these aren't for me," I said quietly.

The worker checked her clipboard. "It says here they're for Ava and Gabe's wedding. Is that not you?"

"Yes, but... we didn't order strawberry cake," I said, my voice shaking a little. "I'm allergic to strawberries."

The worker looked worried now. "Oh no, I'm so sorry," she said. "A young man and a lady changed the order yesterday. We thought it was your fiancé. You can call him to check."

Anger and hurt bubbled up inside me. Without another word, I stormed out of the bakery and asked the driver to take me to the hotel where Gabe worked.

When I got there, Gabe wasn't in his office. I headed to the VIP suite where he'd been staying for the past three months. I took out my key card, but the door was already open. Strange.

I walked in and saw two glasses of wine on the table. Then I heard voices coming from the bedroom. My heart pounding, I walked towards the sound.

What I saw when I opened the door made me freeze. My feet felt glued to the floor, and tears started falling from my eyes.

There, on the bed, were Gabe and Sophie. My fiancé and my best friend, wrapped in each other's arms.

They didn't notice me at first. I watched as Sophie leaned in and kissed Gabe, her hands running through his hair. Gabe pulled her closer, smiling in a way he hadn't smiled at me in months.

Finally, Sophie opened her eyes and saw me standing there. Her face went pale. "Ava!" she gasped.

Gabe turned and saw me too. He jumped up, grabbing for a sheet to cover himself. "Ava, it's not what it looks like," he started to say.

But I couldn't hear any more. I turned and ran, my vision blurred by tears. I ran past confused hotel staff, out the front doors, and into the busy street.

I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that my perfect wedding, my perfect life, had just fallen apart. And I didn't know how to put it back together again.