Chapter 1 - THE WOMAN BEHIND THE SMILE
Margaret hadn’t come into that room to talk.
She had come to stop the wedding.
And she had already decided exactly how far she was willing to go.
“You really thought I was going to let this happen, didn’t you?”
Her voice was quiet now.
Cold.
Nothing like the sweet woman who had walked into the bridal suite calling me her beautiful bride.
I stood slowly.
“Let what happen?”
Margaret stepped toward the window.
My wedding gown hung beside her.
Ivory satin.
Hand-sewn beading.
Months of savings.
Months of fittings.
Months of imagining Jason waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
Margaret touched the fabric between two fingers.
“Let you become one of us.”
I stared at her.
“I’m marrying Jason, Margaret.”
“No.”
Her eyes snapped toward mine.
“You’re marrying a name.”
I almost laughed.
“You really believe that?”
“I know women like you.”
“Women like me?”
“Ambitious women.”
There was that word again.
The same word she had used during my final fitting.
Only this time, there was no polite smile hiding what she meant.
“You grew up with nothing.”
She took another step toward me.
“You worked your way into rooms you were never supposed to enter.”
I felt my jaw tighten.
“And that bothers you?”
“It makes you dangerous.”
“No, Margaret.”
I held her gaze.
“It makes you uncomfortable.”
Her expression changed.
Just slightly.
I had finally touched the nerve.
“You think because Jason loves you, you've won.”
“This isn't a competition.”
“To you, maybe.”
She turned toward my dress again.
“But you have no idea what you're marrying into.”
Something about the way she said it stopped me.
Not who.
What.
“What does that mean?”
Margaret smiled.
For the first time, it wasn't smug.
It was almost sad.
“You'll find out soon enough.”
Then her hand disappeared into her purse.
When it came back out, she was holding a silver lighter.
I stared at it.
“Margaret.”
Click.
A tiny flame appeared.
“What are you doing?”
She looked directly at me.
“Saving my son.”
Then she lowered the flame to my wedding dress.
The satin caught almost immediately.
Orange spread across ivory.
I lunged forward.
“Are you insane?”
Margaret stepped between me and the dress.
For a few horrible seconds, all I could do was watch the flame crawl upward.
The smell hit me next.
Burning fabric.
Smoke.
Something chemical from the beading.
I heard myself scream for help.
The door flew open.
Jessica entered first.
“Oh my God!”
Melody rushed past her.
Tina screamed.
Margaret stepped back as Melody grabbed the extinguisher.
White foam blasted across the gown.
The fire disappeared.
But the dress was destroyed.
The lower half was black.
The train had melted into a twisted mess.
The satin I'd run my hands across a hundred times was gone.
Margaret looked at it.
Then at me.
And smiled.
“There.”
She adjusted one diamond bracelet.
“Now you won't be marrying my son.”
I should have broken.
That was what she wanted.
Instead, I became strangely calm.
I looked at my ruined wedding dress.
Then at Margaret.
“You have absolutely no idea what you've just done.”
She laughed.
“Neither do you.”
I reached for my handbag.
Pulled out my phone.
And pressed one button.
Margaret watched me.
“What was that?”
I slipped the phone back into my bag.
“Insurance.”
Her smile faded a fraction.
Then footsteps thundered outside.
Jason appeared in the doorway.
His tuxedo jacket was open.
His face was pale.
“What the hell happened?”
Nobody answered.
Jason looked at the burned dress.
Then at me.
Then at his mother.
“Mom?”
Margaret lifted her chin.
“I did what you were too weak to do.”
Jason froze.
My stomach dropped.
Because he didn't ask what she meant.
He didn't look confused.
May you like
He looked terrified.
And suddenly, the dress wasn't the thing I was most worried about anymore.
