Marriage Shadows: Schemes and Betrayal Mysteries

To forget my ex, I promptly held a wedding with my current boyfriend.

At the ceremony, his sister wore a white dress, clinging to his arm, looking more like the bride than I did.

My boyfriend said, "She's been spoiled since childhood, so what's wrong with siblings being close? Just bear with it."

Did you expect me to bear that situation?

Did you really think I was that in love with you?

1

As I flipped through our wedding photos, my heart grew colder with each picture.

On the wedding day, my sister-in-law, Elliana Harper, wore a white low-cut dress identical to what a celebrity had worn, and even adorned her hair with a white ribbon.

In the group photo, Austin Harper looked tall and handsome, while Elliana appeared delicate and charming. Both were adorned with gold. Austin had a gold tie and Elliana had a gold wrist corsage.

We stood on either side, yet she clung tightly to Austin's arm, looking more like the bride than I did.

Reflecting on the wedding, more oddities surfaced.

For instance, our wedding date was set hastily, yet Elliana, who was studying abroad, immediately postponed her exams to return home. She would rather make multiple flight transfers just to attend our wedding.

At the time, I was touched by their sibling bond, encouraging Austin to chat with her more so she wouldn't feel bored at the hotel.

They did chat, but too much.

Every day during quarantine, she was busy discussing wedding details with Austin over video calls.

I preferred blue for the hotel decor, but Elliana insisted it was tacky, so Austin changed it to her preferred gold.

Austin's suit was originally coordinated with my father's, but Elliana disliked it and insisted on changing it to gray.

When my father saw Austin's suit, he was visibly upset, and it was up to me to calm him down.

As soon as she landed, my husband and I took her to look at rings.

I initially liked a diamond ring which cost 12, 000 dollars, but Austin persuaded me, "Jane, big rings don't look good. Let's choose another one. I think the one Elliana is wearing looks nice."

Elliana wore a small, exquisite diamond ring, not large but very stylish.

Hearing Austin, she playfully whined, "You can't play favorites! This is my choice. If you only buy it for sister-in-law, I won't agree!"

Yes, she called me "sister-in-law" when Austin was around. When he wasn't, she called me "Jane".

In the end, Austin bought a pair of rings, one for me and one for Elliana.

At checkout, Austin told me, "Jane, I only have enough for one ring in my account. Could you cover it for now? I'll pay you back later. Elliana has been spoiled since childhood, and I don't want her to be unhappy."

I understood and happily continued shopping.

Later, he never reimbursed me.

Although I didn't care about the money, realizing his money had gone to buy his sister a ring while I paid for my own was frustrating.

For instance, other friends gave us household gifts like bedding sets, ornaments, and small appliances. Only Elliana's gift was specifically for Austin.

I called my best friend, suppressing my anger, to come over.

When she arrived, I sat by the unopened gift box, staring at it with a pale face.

Danna Holt hugged me comfortingly and then went to find scissors.

When we opened the gift box, there was a pair of luxury men's briefs inside.

"Aren't they adults? Doesn't she know boundaries?" Danna was shaking with anger.

I laughed bitterly. "I heard Austin raised her when she was young. Sibling affection?"

"Do you remember the pre-wedding party games?" Danna asked.

She told me they had prepared numerous questions. For every correct answer the groom gave, he could move one step closer to the bride. However, an incorrect answer would result in a penalty.

The bridesmaids were on my side, asking about my hobbies, habits, and some small details in daily life.

Then, she heard Elliana ask, "Where does Elliana like to go when she's unhappy? Where does Elliana like to hide gifts? What were the three promises Austin made to Elliana when he was 17?"

The bridesmaids were stunned, but Austin answered them all correctly.

The pre-wedding party games turned into a nostalgic truth-or-dare between those two.

Finally, right before the wedding started, Elliana asked, "One last question! Will you love Elliana or Jane more in the future?"

Austin grinned foolishly, scratching his head.

"I love both!"

The bridesmaids were speechless, but they didn't tell me to avoid upsetting me.

After hearing this, I slapped the gift box off the bed.

2

After the wedding, Austin and I were supposed to go on our honeymoon.

Elliana wanted to join us and mentioned it during the dinner, but I flatly refused.

She put down her bowl with a dark expression, and Austin quickly tried to smooth things over, coaxing and persuading her until she was happy again.

But she was an adult, not a child.

I thought the issue had passed, but on our wedding night, around midnight, she knocked on our door with red eyes.

Seeing her like that, Austin gave me a look and took her outside to talk.

Exhausted, I lay in bed waiting for Austin, but fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up to find Austin gone.

Confused, I checked my phone and saw a message from him, "I'm taking Elliana out for a walk. You go ahead and sleep."

Where were they going for a walk, all night?

I called him, "Austin, did you forget we have a flight at ten this morning? Don't you want to go on our honeymoon?"

Austin hesitated before asking, "Jane, can Elliana come with us?"

As if he could see my expression through the phone, he quickly added, "Elliana goes on a trip every year. This year, she didn't because of our wedding, and she's quite upset. She worked hard for our wedding and even broke up with her boyfriend to come back. I want to take her out to relax."

All the unpleasant details from the wedding flooded back, and I lashed out over the phone, "Austin, are you out of your mind? This is a honeymoon! Do you even know what a honeymoon is? If you want to go with her, then go. We don't need to continue this!"

I slammed my phone down and collapsed on the sofa, seething with anger.

Not long after, Austin returned, apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry, Jane. I didn't think it through. She's been the most pampered at home since she was little. When she cries, I don't know what to do, so I suggested taking her along. I realize it was wrong. Let's leave now. I've packed your luggage."

Austin always knew how to win me over with his words.

But now, whenever I saw him trying to charm me, I couldn't help but think of how he must have done the same with Elliana.

It made me sick to my stomach.

However, we had already booked everything, and changing plans now would be a nightmare. He apologized so sincerely, admitting his mistakes and promising to change. Under his playful antics meant to cheer me up, I forgave him, and we boarded the plane for our honeymoon just in time.

Before turning off my phone, I checked Elliana's social media. It was quiet, suggesting Austin had already dealt with the situation.

I asked him, "So, how did you explain not taking her with us?"

Austin chuckled sheepishly and said, "I promised her that once we return, I'd take her to Disneyland, just the two of us."

Did he mean just the two of them? Disneyland?

Seeing my face fall, he looked puzzled and asked, "What's wrong, Jane? Are you upset again? By then, we would have finished our honeymoon, right?"

Hearing what he said, I was rendered speechless.

So, they would go out alone after our honeymoon, huh? Was this something a married man was supposed to do?

I began to doubt my choices.

I sipped orange juice in silent frustration for two hours until we finally arrived in Hawaii.

The sea breeze lifted my spirits a bit.

Since we couldn't travel abroad due to time constraints, Hawaii was my favorite city within the country.

When Austin and I were dating, he used to say, "Jane, I want to take you to the seaside, to the island, where we can walk hand in hand on the sand and declare my vows against the sunset."

After all, it was my honeymoon, and I shouldn't let someone I disliked ruin it.

So, when we got off the plane, I took the initiative to hold Austin's hand.

But he didn't respond.

I looked at him.

He was staring at his newly opened phone, his brow furrowed. "Jane, we have to go back. Elliana is in the hospital."

His expression was serious and anxious.

I glanced at his phone. It was a chat with Elliana.

"Austin, I'm in the hospital. You left me behind."

Followed by a crying emoji and a picture of a medical report.

I bit back my anger and asked Austin, "What's wrong with her? Can't your parents take care of her? Does it have to be you?"

Austin stared at the medical report for a long time before saying, "It's asthma. Elliana has suffered from asthma since she was a child. It flares up during seasons changes or when she's under great stress..."

"Asthma is a chronic condition. She won't be in any danger while hospitalized. We can visit her when we get back and bring her some gifts. What do you think?"

Austin gave me a look. It was as if I were the villain in a novel.

He said, "Jane, we're married now, we're family. Whatever opinions you had about Elliana before, that's all in the past. If you truly considered Elliana your own sister, would you still say such things?"

I was stunned, never expecting him to say something like that.

I wasn't an only child. I had a brother and a sister. Especially my brother, who loved sports and often got injured. Once, he even broke a bone while playing soccer and was hospitalized, but he never insisted that we visit him.

My sister was studying for her master's degree in a big city. She was handling rent, medical appointments, internships, and studies all on her own. When she was unwell, I just sent her some money and a few words of advice.

Why was it that when it came to Elliana, it suddenly became about me not accepting her as family?

Besides, if I didn't consider her as family, would I have paid hundreds of thousands for her tuition and living expenses abroad? She even loved to travel, and I had covered those costs too.

I remembered that the notion of "not treating Elliana as family" came up several times before our wedding.

Each time, it was when she wanted to interfere with wedding details, and I disagreed.

Like when she wanted to wear a dress that resembled a light wedding gown. Danna mentioned that standing next to the groom, unfamiliar guests might get the wrong idea.

So I asked Austin, "Can Elliana change her dress? It seems a bit too eye-catching."

I didn't know how they communicated over video, but after a while, Austin came to me and said, "Elliana chose her dress a long time ago, and it's already altered to fit her. If you ask her to change now, she won't have anything suitable to wear. Think about it, if it were your own sister, would you let her go without a proper dress?"

I thought it made sense and didn't say more.

Looking back, I realized how foolish I was.

My sister, for my wedding, chose over ten different dresses, asking me each time, "Jane, is this too flashy? Does it match your wedding gown?"

My sister would always consider my feelings, not expect me to cater to hers.

3

Austin still caught the next flight back, rushing to Elliana's side.

Before leaving, he promised me that once he saw Elliana was okay, he would return to continue our honeymoon.

I didn't believe him at all.

I stayed in Hawaii because I loved the city. My work kept me busy, and I wanted to make the most of my rare visit, not because I was waiting for this ruined honeymoon.

When Danna heard that Austin had left me to be with Elliana, she was filled with shock and anger.

"What the hell is this jerk thinking?"

I shrugged.

"Does he even know what he's doing? Elliana is doing this on purpose. All she does is cling to him and act cute. Is she planning to move in with you two next? You could have had any great guy, but you chose Austin. What were you thinking?"

Seeing my expression, she wisely stopped talking.

Austin and I met through friends.

I had just gone through a breakup and was single. Austin was attentive and funny, and we quickly got together. Soon after, we were engaged and married, all within a year.

"Luckily, she'll be going back to school soon. Once she's abroad, she shouldn't cause much trouble." I said, feeling a bit weary.

"You're fooling yourself, Jane. Do you really think she won't come back just because she's studying abroad? And have you forgotten? She's failing so many classes she's about to be expelled. She's living it up on your dime and still stirring up trouble. How can you stand it?" Danna said, exasperated.

"Maybe in a few years, she'll have her own boyfriend and won't cling to Austin so much." I tried to reassure myself.

Danna opened her social media and showed me a post.

It was a picture of Austin and Elliana, both wearing Mickey Mouse headbands at Disneyland.

Elliana was making a heart gesture at the camera.

"For the world's greatest Austin."