The Vanished Bride novel Chapter 5

Patricia, Chase's stepmom, once had a daughter with Davin, but sadly, she passed away young, leaving a void in their hearts. As fate would have it, they adopted Nicole.

Three years after Mrs. Reyes passed away, Davin married Patricia, and she became the new Mrs. Reyes. Because of Nicole, she never really warmed up to me.

The moment Nicole saw Patricia, she sweetly called out, "Dad, Mom," like the perfect little angel.

Davin shot a glare at Chase, suddenly furious. "How dare you show your face after disgracing the Reyes name!"

Yesterday, just as Chase and I were about to exchange rings at our wedding, Nicole called, saying her heart was hurting. Without a second thought, Chase dashed off, leaving me to become the town's laughingstock.

Nicole quickly knelt before Davin. "Dad, it's all on me. I thought my heart condition was acting up, so I called Chase. I never meant for this mess. Please don’t blame Chase."

Patricia hugged Nicole. "Nicole's heart issues started when her sister pushed her into the water years ago. Besides, the in-laws haven't complained, so why are you upset? Nicole, sweetheart, get up. The floor's chilly."

Scenes like this had become the norm over the past couple of years. Every time Nicole and I had a conflict, Davin would always side with her, leaving me to swallow the bitter pill alone.

Chase glanced around, not spotting the familiar face he was looking for. "Dad, where's Amanda?" he asked.

"You dare mention her? You left her at the altar and subjected her to public scorn! She calmed the guests, said she was getting changed and never came back. She kept the Reyes family’s dignity intact while you trampled on hers!"

Chase's expression shifted. "She didn't come back? Then where did she go? She sent me her location last night!"

He pulled out his phone, fingers turning pale. "The police called today, saying they found Amanda's wedding dress in the Ruby River..."

How ironic.

I chuckled. So now he realizes I'm gone?

"Where did she go? How would I know? You didn’t think about her when you ran off, did you? Who are you trying to fool now?"

"I'm Amanda's younger sister. Ever since we were kids, she’s been cunning. She even tried to drown me when I was five. When I finally made it home, she'd frame me over and over. She loves playing the martyr to gain sympathy."

Listening to her lies, I desperately wanted to explain, "It wasn't me! I never did that!"

I must have explained countless times, but everyone saw Nicole as the victim and my words as mere excuses.

I thought Officer Robert would be fooled by her, too, but his expression stayed steady.

"We found traces of blood on the wedding dress, which matched Amanda Kennedy's DNA. Plus, there were two holes in the dress, suggesting stab wounds. If Ms. Kennedy was wearing this dress, she would've been stabbed in the abdomen and back."

"We suspect Ms. Kennedy might have been murdered."

Chase turned ghostly pale, his hand shaking, spilling water from the cup he was holding.