-

d this moment

s on the floor of Madame Dubois's atelier. On the runway at Fashio

I would wear. What I would say. How Chloe's face would look when she realized the fam

t would feel

e walking i

. Same cold. Even the same doormat that said "The Coles" - a mat my mother

He was wearing a charcoal gray suit today, no tie, top two buttons undo

his hand. I took it. His hand w

?" he aske

Parisian widow. Underneath, a black dress, short, tight, expensive. Black Louboutins that added four inches. My dark wavy hair

Not Isabella Cole. Not the girl

g the bell. Knocke

opened

, still thin, but her face was tighter now - too much fil

eyes widened when she saw him. Everyone knows Alexander Knight

sabella Laurent. From Paris. The designer your stepdaughter begged to design her wedding

dropped open. S

ff my su

rfect, cold, Parisian-accented E

he frowned, confused, like she knew my f

side the house, "MOM! WHO IS IT? IS

d behind her moth

er - she had gotten a nose job. Wearing a pink Juicy Couture tracksuit that said "BRIDE" in rhin

dead when

es wen

recognized me. My heart stopped.

he squ

AURENT! THE DESIGNER! OH MY G

hands were soft, manicured. Mine were calloused fro

ettier in person! I love your coat! Is it Maiso

er. The girl she watched get thrown out i

tch up. "Isabella Laurent...

straight at Victoria. "Marie Laurent. Bef

ia wen

it, your name is Laurent too? Like Mom's

eared be

y first love. My

Like he drinks beer now. His hazel eyes were still the same but duller. H

roze. His mouth

in his eyes. Recogni

a?" he w

d. "You kno

nswer. He jus

aist, possessive, pulling me int

voice like ice. "She flew from Paris specifically. She charges $100,000. And she

eah. I was just... Chloe, I

dragging me inside. "Come in! Come in! Daddy is not home yet but he will be so excited!

on the wall - but now there were more of Chloe and Victoria, and none of

it into Chloe's closet. I coul

My wedding! It's at The Plaza! Mr. Knight ow

made a low sound in hi

rst real smile

egs, letting the coat fall open to show my black dress and my long legs. "Tell m

s! Like I never did anything wrong! Like I am very sweet

ode him in my bed wear

eetly. "And the pearls

ace. "This is my mother's pearls! My mom

he lie tha

with her first paycheck as a nurse. She gave them to me on my twelft

them to marry my boyfriend,

d up.

touched the necklace. My

I whispered. "Real.

y mom has

only she could hear. Like she did

belong to you. They belong to the girl you threw into the rain in a white dress covere

r eyes, for the first time, filled wit

did you say?"

t, loud enough for Victoria a

Something very... pure. But with a little

s gray eyes were dark with so

g at my face, really staring, seeing

pered. "No, it c

detail she should have recognized - on the back, embroidered in tiny white thread, t

in my real voice now. No Parisian accent. Just me. The girl fr

ia scr

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