Bestie Wears My Wedding Dress at My Wedding, I Fake Death

The morning light streamed through the windows of my bridal suite, casting a golden glow across the white silk of my wedding dress laid out on the bed. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, hardly recognizing the woman looking back at me. My hands trembled slightly as I applied the final touches of blush to my cheeks.

"Perfect," I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. In just a few hours, I would walk down the aisle toward Julian, the man of my dreams, and begin our life together.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Come in!" I called, expecting it to be my mother or perhaps the wedding planner with last-minute details.

The door swung open, and Chloe stepped in, her smile as bright as ever. My best friend since childhood, she'd been by my side through every up and down. Today, she was supposed to be my maid of honor.

"Elara, you look absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with what I thought was happiness for me.

"Thanks, Chloe," I beamed, turning to face her fully. "I'm so nervous. Do you think Julian will like my hair this way?"

Before she could answer, something changed in her expression—a flicker of something I couldn't quite place. Then, without warning, she stepped aside.

Three masked men burst into the room, moving with frightening speed and purpose.

"Chloe, what—" My words died in my throat as one of them grabbed me from behind, a rough hand clamping over my mouth.

"Sorry, Elara," Chloe said, her voice suddenly cold. "But this wedding is going to be mine, not yours."

I struggled against the man's iron grip, my muffled screams useless against his palm. The other two men began tearing through my belongings, shoving my wedding dress into a bag.

"Stop!" I tried to shout, but it came out as nothing more than a whimper.

One of the men produced a syringe. "This will keep her quiet," he said, his voice muffled behind his mask.

I felt a sharp prick in my neck, and the room began to spin almost immediately. The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Chloe's face—not with concern or remorse, but with triumph.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of water rushing nearby. My head throbbed, and my mouth felt like cotton. When I tried to move, I discovered my wrists were bound to the arms of a wooden chair.

"Finally awake, princess?"

My eyes focused slowly on the figure before me. Chloe stood in the center of what appeared to be a small cabin, but it wasn't her voice that had spoken.

"She's been out for almost three hours," a gruff male voice responded from somewhere behind me.

I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision. The cabin was rustic, with wooden walls and a single window that revealed dense forest outside. Through the window, I could hear the distinct sound of rushing water—a river, probably.