Planning My Cheating Ex-Husband's Wedding

Emily Carter POV:

The plush white carpet of the Bellagio honeymoon suite felt cool against my bare feet. I stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, a sea of glittering lights that was the Las Vegas Strip spread out below me. Alex's white dress shirt, the one he'd unbuttoned hours ago, was the only thing I wore. It smelled of him-of champagne, a hint of expensive cologne, and victory.

A flute of champagne, still cold, was in my hand. I took a small sip, the bubbles fizzing on my tongue. Hours ago, I'd been reciting vows I'd helped write. It wasn't just a wedding; it was my masterpiece. The culmination of my career as San Francisco's most sought-after wedding planner.

Every detail had been mine. The specific varietal of white rose-the Vendela, for its perfect ivory bloom and subtle scent. The string quartet's selection, a little-known piece by Richter that swelled at the exact moment we said 'I do.' I had poured all of my professional perfectionism, all of my belief in a perfectly constructed life, into this marriage.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind. Alex's chin rested on my shoulder, his voice a low, magnetic rumble against my ear. "What are you thinking about, Mrs. Harrison?"

That name. It sent a jolt straight through me, a warm current of possession and belonging. I smiled, turning in his arms to face him. "Just admiring my work."

I leaned in and kissed him. His mouth was familiar, passionate, a perfect fit for mine. But as my fingers traced the strong column of his neck, I felt it. A subtle, unusual stiffness in the muscles there.

I dismissed it instantly. He was exhausted. We both were. It had been a long, perfect day.

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his blue eyes intense. "You were a dream today, Emily. I honestly can't believe I have you."

He said the words, the perfect words, but his eyes flickered. For less than a second, something else passed through them-something complex and unreadable. A shadow.

A knot of unease tightened in my stomach, but I pushed it down, drowning it in the overwhelming happiness of the moment. I was overthinking. I was a planner; I looked for flaws. There were no flaws here.

"You have me," I whispered, and we finished the last of our champagne together. The sweet, celebratory taste filled my mouth again, and the atmosphere shifted, becoming charged and intimate.

His hand slid from my waist, his fingers ghosting under the hem of the shirt. "Now," he murmured against my skin, "I think it's time for the real wedding night to begin."

A blush crept up my neck. I put a hand on his chest, gently pushing him back. "You first. Go take a shower. You smell like a distillery."

He chuckled, a deep, easy sound that usually soothed me. He kissed my forehead. "Yes, my queen."

Alex turned and walked toward the opulent marble bathroom. He shrugged off his suit jacket, tossing it carelessly onto the king-sized bed, onto the pristine silk duvet.

His phone slipped out of the inner pocket. It landed face-up on the pillow next to where I would sleep.

I didn't think anything of it. I walked over to the bed, picking up my leather-bound planning binder from the nightstand. I wanted to look over the timeline one last time, to savor the perfection of the day I had created.

The bathroom door clicked shut. A moment later, the powerful rush of the shower filled the suite, a wall of white noise cutting me off from him.

The silence that remained was peaceful. I sighed, a sound of pure contentment, and flipped through the pages of my binder.

Then, a soft vibration broke the quiet.

I looked up. In the dim light of the suite, Alex's phone screen was glowing.

A notification banner was displayed at the top. A new message.

The name of the sender was Jessica. I'd never heard him mention a Jessica.

I couldn't make out the full text, just the name and a line of words after it.

My heart gave a hard, painful thud. A cold dread, sudden and inexplicable, seized me.

It's a work colleague, I told myself. A friend sending congratulations.

But it was after midnight. On his wedding night. A message from a woman I didn't know.

I put down my binder. My hand moved toward the phone, hesitating, my fingertips hovering an inch above the cool glass screen.

The sound of the shower was a steady, rushing countdown.

I took a sharp breath, my decision made. I picked up the phone.