Page 124 of Crossing Lines

The dress billows out on the form in a dramatic bouffant style while the top is structured and shimmery due to the sheer gossamer fabric I used. Intricate, hand-sewn floral appliqués adorn the bust, providing her coverage, while the plastic boning and gossamer curve the top into perfect lines. The sleeves, soft and puffed, are made entirely of the same gossamer fabric, ethereal and fully sheer, yet breathtaking in their elegance.

The skirt will sway every time she walks and the scattered embroidered flowers atop the outermost layer appear to float on it, giving off an air of effortless romance.

I snap a photo and send it tothe group chat.

Stella: Holy shit! That’s it. You’re making my wedding dress if I ever get married.

Aria: Same, and in the meantime, can you be my personal designer? Because that’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.

Elodie: BRB, crying my eyes out right now.

Me: I’m glad you love it.

Elodie: Love doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about it. I’m honored to wear this amazing dress on such a special day.

Relief pours into my heart and soul at Elodie’s happiness over the dress. Every stitch within this thing is a testament to our friendship, and to have a small piece of my love sewn into her special day is a gift beyond measure.

My phone rings, and it’s Nate.

“Hey,” I say. “What’s up?”

“I have a man and woman here to see you. They aren’t on the approved list, but their names are Ben and Victoria Mercer.”

My heart stumbles over itself at hearing those names.

“Are you sure they’re here to see me?” I ask, shocked to my core. What could they possibly want with me?

“Oh, I’m sure. Mrs. Mercer has madethatclear.”

“Okay? I guess you can let them in.”

I numbly walk down the stairs and into the living room, trying to wipe my paint-speckled hands on my overalls. Meeting them while sweaty and in stained clothes isn’t at all how I wanted this to go. Shit, I wish Evren were here with me.

Victoria breezes into the living room like she owns the place. Her hair, a cascade of rich, glossy brown curls frames her face in soft waves. Her perfectly tailored pantsuit is a masterpiece of design without a single visible label, exuding an air of luxury that only comes from experience.

Ben follows behind her, and I can’t help but compare how we look. We have the same eyes, lips, and coloring, but he has his mother’s face shape.

“You look so much like him,” Victoria says, taking a seat on the couch as if it’s the natural thing to do.

I slowly sit down in the chair across from her while Ben sits next to her.

“How long have you known about me?” I ask.

“Only a couple days,” she says.

“I told her the second I found out,” Ben says.

“And why are you two here?” I ask, uncomfortable with this entire meeting because I don’t know what to expect from it. Is she here to blame me for her husband cheating on her, like Mom has done my whole life? Or maybe she’s going to threaten me to stay silent like Miguel did to Mom? Or maybe?—

“I’m here to apologize,” Victoria says.

I snap my gaze to hers in shock. “For what?”

“For the things my husband did—things I didn’t know about until it was too late.” Victoria’s voice wavers and she takes a deep breath. “I didn’t marry him for love. It was…an escape from my own family, a way to carve out a life that was mine. I built my success on my own, and for that, I’m grateful. But Miguel? He’s always resented how far I went. Even as he reaped the benefits, he couldn’t stand that my achievements overshadowed his.”

She pauses, her gaze flickering as if sorting through painful memories. “I knew infidelity was inevitable, so I made him swear he’d be truthful about it. I thought that, at the very least, it would force him to maintain some shred of integrity. But I never imagined he’d hide his own child from me and leave you to suffer. I always knew I married a stupid man, but I never imagined he’d also be cruel.”

My pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out everything but the rush of thoughts crashing through my mind, one colliding into the next, desperate for clarity. She never knew about me? She didn’t try to keep Miguel away; instead, he did it all on his own?

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