Selina woke up to chaos.
Her father was nowhere to be seen, but her mother's voice drifted up from downstairs. As she made her way down, she found Rosalind on the phone, explaining—rather calmly—that since Margaret refused to marry Damon, Selina would be marrying him instead… this weekend.
Even from across the room, Selina could hear the shock in the person's voice on the other end of the call.
Not that she could blame them.
After all, what was supposed to be Margaret and Damon's engagement party had somehow turned into Selina's wedding.
Everything—the venue, the flowers, the guest list, the preparations—had been planned for Margaret. Now, Selina had to step into a role that was never meant for her.
Though there were still a few small glitches.
As it turned out, weddings weren't as simple as signing a paper and exchanging vows on a whim, like in the movies.
Huh. Go figure.
No, there were legalities—licenses, paperwork, procedures.
Douglas and Edgar had left early that morning to fast-track the marriage process.
Margaret turned to her. "I'm sure there won't be any problems," she said. "But you're going to be busy these next few days. Apparently, getting married involves a lot more paperwork than I thought."
She hesitated, then smirked. "Right now, though, you have a bigger problem than that."
Selina frowned. "What?"
Margaret laughed. "You don't have a wedding dress."
Selina blinked.
Oh.
In all the chaos, she had completely forgotten.
Everything else about the wedding could be repurposed from the engagement party, but a bride needed a wedding dress.
Margaret certainly didn't have one. And there wasn't enough time to buy a new dress—not one suitable for a Blackwell bride, anyway.
Margaret spoke in a hurry. "Don't worry. I thought about it this morning. You can wear Mother's old wedding dress," she suggested. "It'll be your something borrowed. A family tradition, of sorts."
Selina remained unconvinced.
Rosalind's dress—however beautiful it may have been in its time—was probably outdated. And who knew what condition it was in?
Margaret reached for Selina's hand, squeezing gently.
"Trust me," she said. "I'll alter it myself. Make it perfect."
Margaret cupped her cheek, her voice soft as she whispered, "You will be the most beautiful bride this town has ever seen, Selina."
---
Later that afternoon, Selina stood before the full-length mirror, clad in her mother's old dress.
It was delicate, vintage ivory, intricately embroidered—but outdated.
Margaret stood behind her, carefully pinning the fabric.
"We'll need to change the bodice," she murmured, adjusting the lace at the shoulders. "Mother's dress has a beautiful vintage feel. Let's keep that, but make it modern."
Selina exhaled softly.
Margaret stepped back, assessing the fit. "The waist needs to be taken in more."
Then, teasingly, she added, "Aren't you supposed to be gaining weight? What's with the tiny waist?"
Selina smirked. "It's only been a few weeks. Right now, I'm mostly just throwing up. How am I supposed to gain weight?"
Margaret gave her a look. "Hold still."
Selina rolled her eyes but obeyed.
As Margaret continued adjusting the hem, she finally spoke. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes." Selina met her sister's gaze in the mirror. "Marrying Damon is the best shot I have."
Margaret arched a brow. "I was talking about the length of the dress. I know you like to wear ridiculous heels, but you're going to be on your feet all night."
Selina laughed. "I'll manage."
Margaret, unconvinced, sighed. "Since you brought it up… You know you don't have to do this, right?"
Selina's laughter stilled.
"You were going to."
Margaret exhaled. "That's different."
Selina tilted her head. "Is it?"
Margaret hesitated. Then, softly, she murmured, "This isn't what I wanted for you."
Selina stilled.
She hadn't expected that.
Margaret's hands gently adjusted the lace on the bodice. "I wanted more for you," she said quietly. "You should have more."
Selina tried to lighten the mood. "More than a Blackwell heir?"
Margaret didn't take the bait.
"I always thought you'd marry someone you truly loved," she admitted. "You deserve an epic love. You deserve everything this world can offer. Not… this. Whatever this is."
Selina looked away, focusing on her own reflection.
"I already had an epic love, sis. This is just me figuring out a way to pay for that love's consequences."
Margaret's chest tightened.
This was the first time Selina had spoken about him since she returned.
And that made Margaret worry.
Because Selina didn't talk about him with anger or hatred.
If she had, Margaret would have thought good riddance, that it was nothing but a foolish infatuation—one Selina would eventually get over.
But no—Selina still loved him.
It wasn't some mistake or an intricate deception like she had thought.
It was real.
And it wasn't as simple as she had assumed.
Margaret hesitated before sighing. "I hope you know what you're doing."
Selina met her gaze in the mirror. "I never do."
Margaret shook her head.
She whispered, "Yes, well… that's what I'm afraid of."
Selina felt something stir in her chest.
Margaret loved her. More than anything.
Selina might not deserve it.
But she appreciated it.
By the time Margaret finished altering the dress, the transformation was stunning.
Selina looked ethereal.
The dress, once outdated, now fit her perfectly. The lace draped elegantly over her shoulders.
Even their mother—who had been watching silently—was speechless.
Margaret stepped back, her eyes softening.
"There," she murmured. "Now… no one will ever forget this wedding."
Selina smiled slightly.
"Good."
------------------
Meanwhile, news of the wedding spread faster than wildfire. By sundown, the entire town was gossiping about the broken engagement and the new wedding. What was supposed to be Margaret and Damon's engagement overnight became Selina and Damon's wedding. And everyone had a different opinion about it.
At the town's bakery, a group of women gathered, their voices hushed but eager.
"Did you hear? Margaret refused to marry Blackwell's son."
"Really? I always thought Margaret was waiting for Damon's return. I admit, although Margaret's a beauty, I always thought he was way out of her league. But now you're telling me she's throwing away her chance at marrying into the Blackwells?"
"To be fair, her waiting for Damon had been our speculation all these years. It was her parents who talked about the engagement, not her. She never showed any interest in another man, so we just assumed she was waiting.Then again, Margaret never showed interest in anything except Selina and her career."
"I heard that Margaret didn't want to leave her restaurant. That's why she backed out. It makes sense if you think about it. She's been working herself to the bone so she can open her own place for years now. And it has been very successful since its opening. Why would she leave her restaurant for some guy she hasn't met in years?"
"Then what about the Vales? Douglas and Rosalind must be so disappointed. They had been pinning their hopes on this engagement for years."
"Haven't you heard? Since Margaret didn't want to marry Damon, they switched to Selina."
The middle-aged women exclaimed in shock, 'What?!' Others quickly shushed her.
"It makes sense if you think about it. The engagement was a promise between Douglas Vale and Edgar Blackwell, not Margaret and Damon. Hell, none of them were even born when the promise was made. They betrothed Margaret to Damon because they were the same age. But as long as a Vale marries a Blackwell, does it really matter which sister it is?"
The other middle-aged woman nodded in agreement.
"But still, Selina? She was barely back in town for a second, and now she's suddenly the bride?"
"That's not even the most shocking part. Apparently, instead of an engagement, they're going straight to the wedding this weekend."
"What? Why so soon?"
"They probably didn't want to risk another one of them backing out."
"Still, isn't it a little too rushed? There has to be something else."
"Maybe she seduced him."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous! Selina? Seducing a guy? Let's be honest—saying that the Vale sisters grew up conservatively is an understatement."
"That's true. Edgar raised those two like precious and unobtainable gems. Selina might be more reckless than Margaret, but in the end, she wouldn't know where to start even if she wanted to seduce him."
"But then again, the Vale sisters are beautiful. Especially Selina. Damon might not have been seduced, but he is the type to take what he wants. Maybe Selina wasn't the one doing the seducing after all."
The women exchanged knowing glances. None of them knew the real story. But that wouldn't stop them from talking.
---
The next day, Selina had to leave the house to get Margaret and Rosalind's dresses. They decided to use the dresses prepared for the engagement for the wedding.
Selina didn't want to leave the house; she knew what she was walking into. And as expected—everywhere she went, people stared. Margaret accompanied her and had told her beforehand to ignore them. Keep her posture straight and unbothered.
So she did.
But Margaret herself wasn't as patient.
At the dress shop, a woman smiled too sweetly at them and murmured, "It must be strange—your sister taking your place to marry your fiancé overnight, and the next day, you go shopping together for their wedding."
Before Selina could reply, Margaret spoke first.
"What's really strange is how much interest you have in something that isn't any of your business."
The woman's smile faltered. Margaret's voice was even but sharp as a blade.
"Unless you have something useful to say, I suggest you focus on your own life instead of ours."
Selina bit back a smirk.
People thought Margaret was the sensible and compliant one because, when she stood next to Selina, she looked meek. However, Margaret was anything but meek. If they thought about it for a second, they'd realize that being a Vale meant you had to be tough. And to raise her sister since they were kids, Margaret had to be even stronger.
The difference between them was that Selina was temperamental.
The woman quickly turned away.
Margaret crossed her arms, looking unimpressed. She muttered, "These people should find better hobbies."
Selina linked her arm through her sister's. "Let them talk," she whispered. "They're just jealous. They all thought your marriage wouldn't happen, and now that it's been canceled, a Vale is still marrying a Blackwell. Talking is all they can do."
Margaret sighed. "And they will."
---
Back at the Blackwell estate, Alistair, Malcolm, and Sebastian sat across from their father. The tension in the room was almost tangible.
Alistair, ever the composed eldest son, folded his hands on the table. "Dad, are you sure about this?"
Edgar barely glanced at him. "The decision has been made."
"Yes, but—Selina Vale?" Malcolm asked, his tone skeptical.
Sebastian smirked, lounging back in his chair. "I'm just saying, if I showed up to propose to one sister and married the other, you'd have killed me on sight."
Edgar shot him a warning look. "True. Yet, thanks to Damon's actions, he left us no other option. He made his own bed when he decided it was a good idea to get caught with your aunt and Vale's little girl. Now he has to lie in it."
Alistair's expression remained unreadable. "But we all know that Damon wouldn't lie. And he says it was a simple misunderstanding. He has to marry Selina—someone who let people believe he compromised her—for the rest of his life because of something like this?"
Edgar's eyes darkened.
"We all know that Damon's telling the truth. Selina knows that we know. But what we know doesn't matter. All that matters is what Catherine thinks she knows. Selina understands that. If she doesn't clear her name, what will happen to her reputation? Damon doesn't live here, so he can just leave without a care in the world. But what about that poor girl? She would be left to deal with the rumors alone. I won't stand for it. Your brother has lived his life without responsibility, so he never considers the consequences of his actions. And life has let him walk away unscathed—until now. But Damon needs to learn about consequences."
No one spoke after that.
---
While the Blackwells discussed the wedding behind closed doors, Aunt Catherine had been under close watch. Isobel had been keeping track of her every move to ensure she wouldn't say something she shouldn't.
By the time the sun began to set, everything was prepared. The Blackwells moved quickly.
And Selina?
She stood before the mirror, fully dressed, as Margaret secured the final pin in her veil.
Margaret's reflection met hers. "It's almost time."
Selina took a breath.
The town could gossip about her all they wanted. Damon could glare at her all he wanted.
None of it mattered. None of them mattered.
This marriage wasn't for them.
It was for her.
Because at the end of the day—
She would be Selina Blackwell.
No one would be able to change that.
Then, she would leave.
She would disappear into Damon's world, have her baby, build a life for it, and when it was all over, she would walk away with everything she needed.