Chapter 1

My best friend and my boyfriend planned our wedding together, from booking the venue to the gown to the ceremony details.

The two of them were inseparable. They even slept on the same couch.

Ask why, and the answer was always the same: they didn't want me to wear myself out.

At the rehearsal they pushed me, the bride-to-be, off to the side, and my boyfriend slid the ring onto my best friend's finger.

Marian Fox pressed her fingers to her lips, almost by reflex. "Why does this ring fit me so perfectly? Maud Pruitt's fingers are so much thicker than mine..."

"This ring suits the whole tone of the reception better. One size up and it would look terrible."

"So let's film this part and edit it into the wedding video."

My whole body went stiff. That was the wedding video we'd be pulling out to watch for years to come. What was the point of filming someone else?

Edwin Delgado said it like the matter was already settled.

"Marian's slimmer, she looks better in the gown, so we already talked it over. When we cut the wedding footage, we'll use today's rehearsal. If her face shows, we'll just swap it for yours with AI."

"Saves you from getting worked up and embarrassing yourself in the moment. It'd be a shame to have that on camera. Marian's more suited to a big occasion like this than you are."

And with that, he walked up to the front.

Before the officiant.

He said the vows, exchanged rings, even kissed her.

The applause from below made it sound like the two of them were the ones getting married.

Eight years. I'd thought once I was married, this kind of thing would finally stop.

I never imagined it would only get worse.

Was the next step going to be Marian taking my place on the wedding night too?

I opened my phone and hesitated, then sent a single message.

"Uncle, I'm calling off the wedding."

1

The two of them apparently weren't satisfied with just the ceremony. They filmed the giving-away part too.

The parents were Marian's parents.

They placed Marian's hand into Edwin's.

They shot it over and over on-site.

The two of them acted it out again and again, full of feeling.

Only when the footage was finally good enough did Edwin come over to me. "You're just standing there doing nothing. How about getting some water for the rest of us who are actually working?"

"I never asked Marian to do this for me—"

"It's exactly because you don't understand the etiquette for a big occasion that I had Marian stand in. She's doing this for you! She even had the two parents come out here. If you're not grateful, fine, but don't stand around complaining."

I finally couldn't hold it in. "My parents died young. I have no family. Whose face is the AI going to use? A dead person's?"

Marian's face went awkward at once, tears welling up in an instant. "I'm sorry, I didn't think it through! I only wanted your wedding to look a little happier. I meant well."

Edwin even ignored the compulsive neatness he couldn't normally control and wiped Marian's tears with his sleeve. "The two of us both work in weddings professionally. Maud doesn't understand any of it. All she can do is stand there pointing fingers, trying to feel important."

"That's enough. Stop standing there making trouble over nothing. None of us are going to forget you. If you've got the time, go buy everyone some food, run some errands."

If I did that, then since they'd handled the whole schedule and the rehearsal, I'd know nothing about how tomorrow's wedding was supposed to run.

Seeing that I didn't move, Edwin let out a hard sigh.

You could tell he was completely out of patience. "Then just help Marian fix her gown and shoes. You can't tell me you can't even manage something that small?"

Marian's face flushed red. "Maud, help me out. It really is a little uncomfortable to wear."

A wedding gown is never especially comfortable to begin with. But as I fixed Marian's, my face went suddenly pale.

The gown Edwin had ordered a full six months ago was in Marian's size.

Wearing my gown early was one thing. I'd held back, again and again.

But it turned out the size wasn't mine at all.

Tomorrow, did they mean to have me get married in a gown I couldn't even fit into?