Camille's POV
"You look… stunning!" Nancy's voice floated from the doorway, carefully measured yet sharp
with that practiced ease she always carried. Her red Louis Vuitton heels clicked assertively across the polished floor as she approached the corner where I was standing. I turned to face her, returning the warm smile she wore so effortlessly. "The ever beautiful and soon-to-be Mrs. Lancaster," she added, pausing just in front of me, her gaze locking onto my hazel eyes. Mrs. Lancaster. The words felt surreal, like a fragile dream stitched from silk and diamonds I could barely believe was mine. Never did I imagine I would become the bride of Manhattan's most distinguished and enviable bachelor. Looking at my reflection now, draped in my mother's wedding gown under the chandelier lights, I realized the magnitude of how far I had come. And fuck heavens, I was more than ready to step into this role, to become Camille Lancaster in the next hour.
"Thank goodness you made it… I was so worried," I breathed, pulling her into an embrace, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes despite the effort of my flawless makeup.
"Of course I was going to show up on your big day. What did you expect?" Nancy's reply softened my chest, though the tears threatening to ruin my thousands of dollars of makeup made me blink them back. She brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear, her hands ghosting across my forehead with delicate precision. "Perfect," she murmured, and I felt the strange comfort in her touch.
I sank into the couch, as the dress pooled around me like spilled ivory silk, easing the tension after three exhausting hours spent getting ready, every inch of me the perfect bride that everyone expected tonight. Crossed legs and scrolling through my phone, I read countless emails and messages from loved ones who couldn't attend. Disappointing, yes, but the show—the wedding—had to go on.
Nancy's hands returned to my shoulders, warmth seeping through as she leaned closer, whispering soft words into my ear, her breath warm. "Those charming faces of Leo can't wait to be seen when he sees you walk to the aisle. Those beautiful dimples kill a part of my heart when they appear on his cheeks."
My smile faltered, confusion darkening my gaze as I tilted my head toward her, sensing the edge hidden beneath her words. "Relax, sweetheart, I'm just kidding. Don't take things too personal," she said, giggling lightly, her voice sugary yet masking something I couldn't yet name.
She moved on to the tiara, and I murmured her name softly, "Nancy—" only to be interrupted by her sudden pause, as if fireworks had gone off inside me.
"I'm so excited you accepted to be my bridesmaid. After all, what are sisters for?" I said, voice laced with appreciation. She smiled faintly but said nothing, securing the tiara into place along with the veil. I rose, but her hand stopped me.
"Sit, baby doll. One last thing. Your makeup needs a little touch-up," she said, applying mascara to my eyelashes. The brushes moved across my face like a soft breeze, yet her insistence began to hurt, her hands moving with a force I couldn't ignore.
"Nancy—?" I tried, but she didn't respond.
"Nancy!" Still nothing. For a moment, I wondered if she was enjoying this, the sharp ache in my cheeks building with every second. My anger ignited, and with a sudden surge, I gripped her wrist sharply and shoved her backward. She stumbled but quickly regained her balance.
"What the fucking hell do you think you're doing!" I spat, venom lacing my voice.
"Oh… I'm really sorry, baby doll. Just a little over-excited for the wedding," she said flatly, devoid of guilt. I rushed to the mirror, my wedding train sliding across the floor like a second shadow trailing me.
"Ahh!" I screamed, "What the fuck did you just do, bitch?" My eyes scanned the room, but she had vanished. And then, the sharp click of the door locking drew my attention, her smirk dark and threatening, the key twirling between her fingers sending shivers down my spine.
"Why are you doing this, Nancy? What do you want from me?" I whispered, trembling, tears streaming freely as I wiped them away with the back of my hand.
"Stop acting like you're the victim here. Seriously, you still don't know what I truly want. Do I look like a stupid joke to you, huh?" she hissed, swirling the key with precision.
"I want you out of the picture… I want you dead, Camille," her words struck me like ice water. "You stole Leo from me, and now look at you—a pathetic fool. Leo only belongs to me," she added, the smirk twisting bitterly across her face.
"You're out of your god-damn mind. You're being delusional. Childish—" I began, but she cut me off with a sharp laugh that made my stomach churn.
"Delusional… Come on, baby doll. Maybe it's time I show you how delusional becomes reality," she said, gently lifting a crystal trophy from the counter. Each deliberate step she took echoed against the polished floor, circling me like a predator sizing its prey. Her presence was terrifying, the air thick with the promise of death. My body trembled, cold sweat dotting my skin, tears unrelenting as fear and disbelief collided.
"No, you can't do this, Nancy. It doesn't have to end like this," I pleaded, but my words were like air slipping through her fingers, utterly meaningless.
"Go to hell, bitch."
Pain exploded across my head as the trophy struck, warm blood mixing with tears as I stumbled, my mother's wedding gown absorbing the crimson stain. Summoning the last of my strength, I pushed her aside and ran for the door.
"And where does the rat want to hide this time? There's no escaping, sweetheart," her words sliced through my panic, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to survive.
"Help! Someone please—" I screamed, battering the door, my trembling hands desperate against the knob. But Nancy's grip caught me, pulling my hair back with brutal force.
"I loved you, Nancy, and this is how you betray me," I spat, tasting blood, fuming despite my weakening body.
"Love…? You call that nonsense love?But I call it chuckles. Did you really think he'd choose you over me?" Her hot breath whispered against my ear, each word a dagger. "We've been fucking in bed,Camille.For months. Every night, he had a special meeting with me." She laughed cruelly, each note tearing at my stomach. "He was with me. In his fucking bed. In his office. In every perfect position you'll never experience."
Horror struck me as she drew a knife from her inner gown, its blade glinting sharply. "Sleep tight, baby doll. Hell awaits you," she murmured, and before I could react, she plunged it into me, the cold metal biting into my flesh. Blood filled my mouth.
"Nancy… please stop—" I cried, but she ignored me, twisting the blade cruelly, each stab sending waves of pain across my ribs. Blood poured freely, soaking my gown, and I tried to drag myself across the floor, reaching for my phone.
"Not so fast, Camille. Naughty girls don't escape from their punishment," she said, stepping on my fingers with her heels, and pain lanced through me.
"You'll regret this," I whispered, defiance flickering despite the agony.
Her eyes flashed. "What did you just say?" she demanded, pressing harder, making me scream.
"Bitch!" she spat, dialing a number frantically. "I—I killed her, babe. I… didn't mean to—"
Paralyzed by pain and blood loss, I watched helplessly as Leo entered the room. My groom, my husband-to-be, perfectly dressed in a charcoal suit, his eyes locking with mine. I thought rescue had arrived, but instead, he kissed Nancy with a desperation that shattered every shred of hope I had left. Neither tried to save me. Neither spared me a flicker of remorse.
"You did good, baby. Pathetic fools don't need mercy," his words struck through me like ice.
Tears streamed down my face, useless and meaningless to the two people I had trusted most. Nancy's voice trembled. "What do we do with the body… if anyone finds out?"
"Let me clean this mess—this time. You've done more than enough," he said, kneeling beside me, slapping my cheeks softly, a chilling calm in his expression.
"You're… a… mon… monster," I whispered, voice barely audible.
"Make sure no one finds out about her corpse," he instructed over the phone before hanging up.
Mother, I prayed as darkness closed in, if you ever loved me, if you ever cared at all, give me another chance. Let me return stronger to destroy them both.
And for fifteen years, I heard her voice once more, resonant and real:
Your prayers did not fall on empty skies, my love. Nothing about you was ever fragile or lost. You were simply in the sacred paused-becoming. Rise into your fullness and reclaim every piece of light they tried to dim.
And then, everything went black…