I ran away from my own wedding—still wearing my dress and heels—my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. My breath came quick and shallow as I sprinted down the endless hotel hallways, desperate for safety. But when I finally knocked on my sister’s door, hoping for help, I had no idea I was stepping into something much worse than I’d ever imagined.
Running in heels with a long wedding dress trailing behind me wasn’t easy. Every step sent sharp pain through my left foot, but I couldn’t stop. Behind me, an angry voice sliced through the silence like a knife.
“Skylar! Stop!”
I turned sharply, slipping on the polished floor, barely catching myself. The voice was familiar—too familiar—and it filled me with dread. I ducked behind a giant column in the hotel lobby, my breath ragged as I tried to steady my shaking hands.
“Turn around and talk to me like a normal person!” the voice demanded.
No. Not that normal. I knew that voice. It was the one that said, “You made me do this,” as fingers dug into my wrist. I rolled up my sleeves. The bruises were still there—fresh, dark purple marks that burned like fire.
Panicking, I burst through a door marked “Fire Exit,” racing down the stairs and into another hallway. I didn’t care where I was going, just anywhere but back.
I saw the first door and knocked hard, my heart threatening to jump out of my chest.
The door opened.
A man stood there—jeans hanging low on his hips, bare chest, towel in hand, hair still dripping wet. He looked like he’d just stepped out of the shower. He gave me a once-over and smirked.
“Um… I didn’t order a bride tonight. But hey, I love a good discount.”
“Please,” I gasped. “I’ll explain later. Just… let me hide. Just for a minute!”
He grinned. “Alright. Come in before you turn into the next true crime headline.”
Inside, my heart thundered in my throat. He dried his hair casually, watching me with amused curiosity.
“I can’t stay long. But… can you give me something to wear? Something boyish? I promise I’ll return it.”
“I trust you more than my eBay buyers. Hang tight,” he said, disappearing into a closet.
He came back with jeans, a hoodie, a baseball cap, and sunglasses.
“Unisex, one-size-fits-all, certified drama-proof. I’m Ethan, by the way. Though you don’t exactly look like you’re in the mood for meet-cutes.”
“Thank you, Ethan,” I said quickly, slipping out of the dress.
When I turned, Ethan stepped forward and touched my forearm gently. I jumped back.
“What are you doing?”
“Relax. You’re not my type. And those bruises? They don’t suit you.”
His smile disappeared.
“It’s… a long story,” I muttered, pulling the hoodie over my head.
“That’s why you ran?”
I nodded. Silence filled the room except for the rustle of fabric as I pulled on the cap and sunglasses, hiding my face.
I looked in the mirror. It wasn’t me. It was someone else. A guy with suspiciously good cheekbones.
“Thanks… Ethan, right?”
“Right. And you are?”
“Sky… Skylar. But it’s better if you forget that.”
He tilted his head but didn’t push.
“If you change your mind, the door’s open. Just don’t bring your drama here—my neighbors already think I’m running a secret cult.”
And just like that, I escaped. From Derek, the wedding, the life I never wanted.
But I didn’t know—the worst was still waiting for me.
Because the hardest part isn’t running away.
It’s trusting the wrong person.
I hid behind my sister’s fence for what felt like forever—maybe forty minutes, maybe an hour. The darkness pressed in, heavier with every passing second, matching the fear squeezing my chest.
My fingers were numb. The bruises under my sleeves throbbed with every heartbeat. But I couldn’t ring the doorbell. Something inside held me back.
Junie was my sister, but we were never close. Different fathers, different lives, different worlds.
Still, she never judged me. And she was home—back from my wedding.
When the hallway light finally went out, I knocked.
The door opened almost right away. Junie stood there, barefoot, in an oversized T-shirt, hugging herself like she already knew something terrible was coming.
“Skylar?.. Oh my God, is that you?.. You look like you ran from a fire.”
“From my own wedding. You know that,” I said with a crooked smile. “Can I come in?”
“This… might not be the best idea. I won’t be alone long…”
“Junie, please. I’m begging you…”
She hesitated, then stepped aside. I walked in, feeling like a stranger in a perfect, unfamiliar home.
Junie poured me a glass of water without a word. I took a shaky sip, then started.
“I had nowhere else to go. Mom’s out of the question. She still thinks Derek’s perfect. He knows how to play the part.”
“Why did you run? That’s crazy! You two looked so happy…”
“I found out he was cheating. I asked him about it. We argued… he wouldn’t let me leave. He just stopped me.”
I rolled up my sleeve. Junie’s eyes widened in shock.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“I don’t want to cause you trouble. Just… let me stay the night. I’ll be gone before sunrise. You won’t even remember I was here.”
“Okay. But listen… my boyfriend’s coming soon. I haven’t introduced him to the family yet. He’s… complicated.”
“I get it. I don’t want to see anyone either.”
She led me down a long hallway and opened the old guest room door. The windows were covered, the bed neatly made.
“You can stay here. But Sky… promise me, not a word, not a step, until morning. Okay? There are crackers and soda in the closet.”
“Thank you, Junie. I won’t forget this.”
“I hope this is your fresh start. Without guys like him.”
The door shut behind her, and I let the tears fall—soft and quiet—into my palm.
I thought I had escaped.
But I had no idea I was walking right into a trap.
I didn’t know if I could trust Junie, but I had no choice. I found some crackers, but my throat was too tight to swallow. I needed water, so I crept into the kitchen, careful not to make a sound.
Passing the living room, I heard Junie’s soft voice—uneasy. Then another voice—sharp and cold.
Derek.
My whole body froze. I pressed my ear against the door.
“Derek, stop. Maybe you shouldn’t. She’ll be gone by morning anyway!”
“Are you kidding? I’ve put in too much work! I need to push her. She doesn’t have a choice!”
“You already have what you wanted! Two houses from your last cons. You have me. Let Skylar go—she won’t marry you now.”
“Her mother loves me. I’ll convince her again. She’ll give me the house.”
House? What house?
My heart hammered as I crouched lower, trying to stay hidden.
“Listen, Junie. I only get the house if we’re officially married. You know it was her father’s gift—for her, his favorite.”
A bitter whisper from Junie cut through me like a blade.
“I watched her get everything, year after year. And when you told me you had a plan, I didn’t hesitate. For once, I could be the center. For once, we could do something… together.”
I covered my mouth, horrified.
It had all been a game. A perfect act. And I was just a pawn.
“I made our mother trust you, Derek. You think she fell for your gifts and dinners? I was the one who told her the house should go to the man—the future head of the family. I said Skylar would listen better, give her grandkids faster.”
“You worked hard. Maybe it’s time we finish the job?”
“How? You think you can force her to marry after she ran away?”
“Yes! I don’t quit. This is our first con together. We’ll break her down. Like the others.”
I couldn’t breathe.
A con. Me. My sister. My father’s house.
My hands shook as I grabbed my phone and turned on the recorder.
But it slipped through my fingers and crashed loudly on the floor.
The door flew open.
“Skylar?!”
I stood frozen, pale, heart racing. Derek stepped closer.
“You heard all that, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t speak. The danger hung thick in the air.
He lunged at me, hand raised.
“You know what you just did?! You ruined everything!”
“Don’t touch her!” Junie screamed, throwing herself between us. “Derek, stop!”
“Get out of my way!”
I was frozen, terrified by the fire blazing in his eyes.
Then—
“Hey!”
A strong, calm voice thundered behind us.
“Ethan?!”
I couldn’t believe it. Ethan stood in the doorway, phone in hand, eyes blazing.
“I came to the wedding, brother. And guess what I found? A missing bride—a girl begging to hide in my hotel room. Took me a while, but I put it all together.”
“This isn’t your business!”
“Oh, but it became mine when I turned on my voice recorder,” Ethan said, holding up his phone. “And caught every word.”
“Give it to me!”
Derek swiped at the phone—shattering it on the wall. Ethan pushed him back—not hard, but with fierce calm.
“You chose this path.”
Ethan walked to me and draped his jacket over my shoulders, never taking his eyes off Derek.
“Let’s go, Skylar. You’re not staying here.”
I took one step. Then another. Then a third—without looking back. I was walking away with the man who saved me… twice in one day.
Later, Ethan and I sat in a quiet late-night café on the corner. He brought me a cup of hot tea and sat down across from me.
I cupped the warm mug in both hands.
“I don’t have a plan. My mother… she believes them. She thinks Derek’s perfect. She thinks Junie could never betray me…”
“I took care of it,” Ethan said calmly. “The moment I realized who my brother’s bride was, I got your mother’s number. I promised to help. As soon as I recorded the conversation, I sent it to her—along with this café’s address. She’s on her way.”
I didn’t know what to say. For the first time in ages, I felt something other than fear. Warmth.
“Thank you, Ethan. You didn’t have to do that. This wasn’t your fight.”
He smiled softly. “You know… when you knocked on my door, I thought it was just a random crazy twist of fate. But then…it became mine.”
I nodded, tears threatening to fall.
“That house… it was my dad’s. We planted an apple tree there when I was seven—just him and me.”
I clenched my jaw. Ethan gently took my hand.
“You’re going back there. On your terms.”
The café doorbell jingled softly.
My mother stepped inside.
“I’m sorry, Skylar. I was blind. I let them manipulate me. I just wanted happiness, grandkids, a fairytale ending…”
I just nodded.
“I’m calling the lawyer. Returning the house to you—just like your father wanted.”
“Mom…”
We hugged, tight and long. When I looked up, Ethan had quietly stepped outside, giving us space. But I knew—he wasn’t far.
A week later, I returned to my father’s house. The apple tree was blooming with white flowers.
Ethan waited by the gate.
“I brought a blanket,” he said, smiling. “Just in case you feel like running again.”
I laughed—the real kind.
We planned a quiet weekend at my dad’s place. But in my heart, I was planning something bigger.
Something real.
Together.
