“Now you’ll never marry my son!” my mother-in-law laughed, setting my wedding dress on fire. I wiped my tears, smiled coldly, and said, “Enjoy destroying that dress, because the wedding was never the real trap.” Her face went completely pale when I made one quick phone call…

wedding. It sounded like a playoff stadium erupting after a buzzer-beater.

Chapter Four: The Viral Reception

The Grand Pavilion’s main ballroom had been architecturally designed to intimidate through sheer opulence. Tonight, however, the crystal and gold leaf felt entirely eclipsed by the radiating warmth of human survival.

Stiff, polite cocktail chatter continue reading …