Of course I wouldn't tell Mom and Dad.
Because what I wanted was for the two of them to lose control on their own, to expose themselves without any help from me.
The next day, at a bridal boutique in the Financial District.
I stood in a pure white wedding gown, studying my reflection in the mirror.
In my previous life, I'd cried with joy when I tried on this very dress.
I'd believed it was a symbol of the happiness waiting for me.
Now, all that white did was hurt my eyes.
"You look so beautiful, Marina."
Carissa stood beside me, her eyes brimming with envy.
"Otis is going to be absolutely speechless when he sees you."
"You think?" I spun in front of the mirror. "Carissa, why don't you try one on too? We're already here."
Carissa blinked, then waved her hands.
"No, no, this is your fitting. I couldn't possibly..."
"Don't be silly. Just try it."
I pressed another gown into her hands with a smile.
"Look at this one. It's a mermaid cut. It would be perfect on your figure."
Carissa hesitated for a moment, then disappeared into the fitting room.
Five minutes later, she walked out in the mermaid gown.
In the mirror, she looked like a siren fresh from the sea.
A slender waist, delicate collarbones, an air of fragile beauty that made you want to protect her.
"Does it look good?"
She asked in a small, shy voice.
"It does." I meant it. "Better than me, honestly."
A flush crept across Carissa's cheeks, and she lowered her gaze, fidgeting with the hem of the skirt.
That was when the boutique door swung open.
Otis walked in.
He wore a charcoal suit today.
No tie. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, baring a sliver of collarbone.
"Marina, I'm here to pick you up..."
His words died the instant he saw Carissa.
She stood before the mirror in that wedding gown, afternoon light pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gilding her in gold.
Something shifted in Otis's eyes.
The change was subtle. If I hadn't spent a lifetime memorizing every micro-expression on that face, if I hadn't been watching for it on purpose, I never would have caught it.
His pupils dilated. His Adam's apple dipped and rose. The rhythm of his breathing changed.
That was the reaction of a man looking at the woman he loved.
"Otis."
Carissa lifted her head, offering a bashful smile.
"Marina made me try it on. Does it look okay?"
"It does."
His voice went rough for a split second.
He recovered fast, crossing the room to me and sliding an arm around my waist.
"But my bride is still the most beautiful one here."
I laughed inside. Cold, bitter laughter.
Out loud, I kept my voice sweet. "Otis, I think Carissa looks so much better in a wedding gown than I do. Why don't we let her be my maid of honor and wear this dress to the ceremony?"
Otis's expression stiffened, just barely.
A maid of honor in a wedding gown?
That was practically begging to be upstaged at your own wedding.
The old me had been blind to games like these.
I'd believed sisterly love mattered more than anything.
So when Carissa showed up at my wedding in a bridal gown and stole every camera in the room, I hadn't blamed her.
This time, I was the one making the suggestion first.
And I planned to fan the flames even higher by sending previews and invitations to every media outlet in Harbor Bay.
I wanted the entire city to see Carissa Henson standing next to Otis Vance in a wedding dress.
If there was going to be humiliation, we were all going to share it. Better than being the only fool.
"That doesn't seem appropriate," Otis said, frowning.
His brow creased.
"What's inappropriate about it?" I tilted my head. "Carissa is my sister. What's wrong with letting her dress up a little?"
Carissa chimed in right on cue.
"That's right, Otis. I'm happy to play the supporting role for my sister."
