Fifteen minutes. That’s all I had before I was supposed to walk down the aisle.
The dress was perfect, my makeup flawless, and the venue looked like something out of a dream. Everything had come together just as I had imagined. But as I sat down to slip on my wedding shoes, my heart stopped.
Something was wrong.
I slid my foot into the shoe, expecting the usual snug fit, but instead, it wouldn’t budge past my toes. My breath caught. Frowning, I tried the other one. Same thing. A cold wave of confusion rushed over me.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
With trembling fingers, I flipped the shoes over and checked the size. My stomach dropped.
Three sizes too small.
Panic surged through me. I had worn these exact shoes yesterday for the final fitting, and they fit perfectly. Someone had swapped them. But who? And why?
I forced myself to take a steadying breath and turned toward my bridesmaids. “Uh, guys? Did anyone move my shoes?”
They all turned to me, their faces puzzled. Katie, my maid of honor, frowned. “No. You left them in the bridal suite, right?”
I nodded, gripping the tiny heels so tightly my fingers ached. “Yeah. I did.”
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Emma, one of my bridesmaids, stepped forward. “Maybe someone mixed them up? Did the hotel staff come in while we were gone?”
“They shouldn’t have,” Katie said, her brows furrowing. “We locked the suite when we left.”
A nervous lump formed in my throat. “Then how did these get here?”
No one had an answer.
I scanned their faces, searching for any sign of guilt. Everyone looked genuinely confused—except for one person.
Hailey.
Ryan’s sister sat in the corner, legs crossed, sipping champagne. Unlike the others, she wasn’t looking around in concern. She was watching me.
And she was smirking.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. Hailey had never been my biggest fan. She always made little snide comments, rolling her eyes when she thought I wasn’t looking. But this? This was something else.
I forced myself to stay calm. I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions—at least, not yet.
“Katie, can you check the closet? Maybe my real shoes are still in there?”
She nodded and hurried off. But I already knew what she would find.
Nothing.
I turned back to Hailey, my heart pounding. Her smirk widened as she caught my gaze. Slowly, she raised her champagne glass and took another sip, her eyes never leaving mine.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
I stood up, smoothing my dress, and walked straight over to her. “Hailey,” I said, forcing a polite smile, “would you mind helping me find my shoes? They seem to have disappeared.”
Her lips twitched. “Oh no,” she said, tilting her head in mock sympathy. “That’s awful. Maybe they got misplaced?”
I clenched my jaw. “Yeah. Such a shame, right before the ceremony.”
She blinked innocently. “Guess you’ll have to go barefoot. It’s not like anyone’s looking at your feet.”
My fingers curled at my sides, but I kept my tone light. “Cut the act. I know it was you.”
For the first time, her smirk faltered just for a second, but then she let out a soft laugh. “Relax, Teresa. It’s just shoes.”
Just shoes? My wedding shoes?
I took a slow breath. “Why did you do it, Hailey?”
She twirled her champagne glass between her fingers before leaning in, her voice a whisper only I could hear. “Because,” she said, her breath warm against my cheek, “you don’t belong here.”
My heart pounded. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She sighed, swirling the champagne in her glass. “It means that you don’t fit in here. You never have.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Your family loves me.”
Her smirk darkened. “That’s exactly the problem.”
I stiffened.
“They talk about you all the time,” she continued, bitterness dripping from her words. “Mom adores you. Dad calls you ‘the daughter he never had.’ Grandma won’t shut up about how wonderful you are. Even my brother—” she rolled her eyes, “he looks at you like you’re the only person in the world.”
Something twisted inside me, but I kept my face neutral. “And that bothers you?”
She let out a humorless laugh. “Oh, please. It’s not about that. It’s about the fact that you stole his future. Her future.”
I froze.
And then it clicked. This wasn’t just jealousy or spite.
She had wanted Ryan to marry someone else.
“His ex,” I murmured.
Hailey’s smile turned cruel. “Finally, you get it.”
I saw red.
But I wasn’t about to let her win. Not today.
I squared my shoulders and smiled. “You know what?” I said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The room quieted.
“Since I can’t wear my shoes, I’ll just have to borrow someone else’s.”
Hailey’s smirk started to fade.
I turned to her, grinning. “Oh! Hailey, what size do you wear?”
Her eyes darted around. “Uh… six.”
I clapped my hands. “Perfect. That’s my size. Hand them over.”
Silence.
Hailey blinked. “Wait, what?”
I held out my hand. “You heard me. You’re the only one here with my size, and I need shoes. So, since you’re so eager to help, I’m sure you won’t mind lending me yours.”
The bridesmaids burst into laughter.
Hailey, however, was not laughing.
She let out a nervous chuckle. “Teresa, come on. I was just—”
“No, no, no,” I interrupted. “You wanted to be involved in the wedding, right? Well, now you are.” I smiled sweetly. “Shoes, please.”
Her face turned red. “You can’t be serious.”
I arched a brow. “Oh, I am.”
With everyone watching, she had no choice. Slowly, she bent down, slipped off her designer heels, and shoved them into my hands.
“There,” she muttered.
I took them and slipped them on. Perfect fit.
I grinned. “Crisis averted.”
Hailey sat there, barefoot, arms crossed, fuming. But she didn’t say another word.
A few minutes later, I walked down the aisle in Hailey’s shoes, each step a reminder that I had won. Ryan glanced down, brow furrowed. “What happened to your shoes?” he whispered.
I smiled. “Oh, your sister just wanted to make sure I had something borrowed.”
He frowned slightly but let it go. And as the ceremony began, I focused on him, our vows, and the love we had built together. Not even Hailey could take that away from me.
At the reception, as I raised my glass, I let my eyes flick toward Hailey.
“To family,” I said, pausing for effect, “and to those who try to sabotage weddings… only to end up making them even more memorable.”
The room erupted in laughter.
Everyone clapped—except Hailey. From that day on, she never dared to cross me again.
