Chapter 4

The banquet began, and the guests took their seats.

Once the bride had been switched to Eugenia, my father had rushed out to buy himself a brand-new suit.

Earlier, when I'd asked him about walking me down, he'd refused without a second thought.

"I'm not embarrassing myself out there. You can walk yourself."

My mother held Eugenia's hand, the rims of her eyes ringed red.

"Thank God today's just for show. Otherwise my heart really couldn't take it."

I sat in the corner and watched it all, my face blank.

My right ear, hit by the blast earlier, still throbbed with a stinging ache.

Someone knocked at the door.

"The bride is ready to enter."

Eugenia stood, smoothed the hem of her gown, and laid her hand on my father's arm.

The doors of the banquet hall opened slowly.

I didn't so much as blink.

Watching them step onto the red carpet, moving toward Otto one step at a time.

Watching Eugenia and Otto exchange rings, kiss, cut the wedding cake.

There was a hollowness in my chest. The wind blew through it and stirred nothing, not joy, not anger, not grief.

Everything moved along in order.

Until that bouquet was placed into Eugenia's hands.

The host ran through the next part of the program.

"Now we ask the bride to toss the bouquet over her shoulder."

Eugenia lowered her head, closed her eyes, and gave it a soft sniff.

The next second her face changed completely, and she clutched Otto's arm hard.

"Otto, what flower is this?"

Otto looked at her, puzzled.

"Your favorite, gardenias. I went and picked them out with you myself."

"I—"

Eugenia had barely forced out a single syllable when she crumpled down in pain.

Red welts spread across her skin in patches, and her face went pale fast.

Her breathing came quick and loud, rasping like a bellows.

My mother's clapping hands froze, and she scrambled up onto the stage.

"What's wrong with her?"

My father dialed the emergency line, his hands shaking.

"My daughter's not well, we're at the Intercontinental Hotel!"

I ran up and kicked the bouquet away, my voice calm.

"She's allergic to gardenias."

"Everyone step back, don't crowd around, let the air move."

So much had happened today that I'd nearly forgotten about this.

My mother rose, eyes red, and slapped me full across the face.

The force of it snapped my head to the side. I could barely feel my right ear anymore.

The sounds around me began to blur, as if a glass dome had dropped over me.

"You home-wrecking little curse, did you do this on purpose?"

"She's your sister. How could you be cruel enough to want her dead?"

My father hung up, heard that, and kicked me too.

My knees gave way and I dropped in front of him.

"If anything happens to your sister, you'll pay for it with your life!"

I opened my mouth, wanting to say I didn't.

But the words rose to my lips and came out so pale, so powerless.

Below the stage, the guests erupted.

"What's going on? Wasn't the older sister the one getting married? How did it become the younger one?"

"Does the groom even know the bride was switched?"

At those words my parents suddenly remembered Otto was there.

They turned in unison.

Otto stood behind them, his lips trembling.

His gaze moved between me and Eugenia.

He was too far off, and I couldn't quite make out what he said.

I only saw the shape of his mouth asking.

"What on earth is going on here?"