Inside the church, the organ started. Lena slipped into the back pew just as Mia began her walk down the aisle. Their eyes met for a second—Mia’s full of happy tears, Lena’s full of something else. Guilt. Fear. A sick, thrilling secret.
Lena watched Jake slip the ring onto Mia’s finger. Mia beamed. And in that moment, Lena understood the difference between her and her sister. Mia believed in love. Lena believed in being wanted. cheatingsis
Lena didn’t go to Portland. She went home, packed a bag, and left her phone on the kitchen table—unlocked, open to her forum DMs. The last message was a draft she’d written to Mia but never sent. She hit send now. Inside the church, the organ started
Two hours later, Lena sat on her childhood bed, watching the door. The forum had one new notification. A private message from LostAndFound : “Proud of you. Now the real story begins.” Outside, tires crunched on gravel. Mia’s car. Lena took a breath. For the first time in six months, she wasn’t hiding. She was just a sister. Waiting for the storm. Lena watched Jake slip the ring onto Mia’s finger
“You look beautiful,” he murmured, close enough that his cologne—the same one he wore to their secret hotel meet-ups—wrapped around her.