Chapter 4: Dresses and Deceptions

"Maddie, time to eat."

Ethan’s voice came from outside the bathroom door.

I snapped out of it and quickly hid the pregnancy test.

"Coming."

When I came out, Ethan had already set the food on the table. He’d even lit a cheap vanilla-scented candle from the dollar store, trying to make the place look homey.

"Wow, it smells amazing!"

When we first got together, Ethan’s cooking was awful. His fried eggs looked like roadkill and his pasta managed to be both crunchy and soggy. But I couldn’t cook either, so I could only force a smile and praise him.

Unexpectedly, his cooking improved by leaps and bounds. Now, it looked, smelled, and tasted great.

I pinched the flesh on my belly, complaining: "I’ve gained weight. This is all your fault."

I glared at Ethan.

He smiled and touched my belly, joking: "What if it’s because there’s a baby?"

My body stiffened, and my words stuttered:

"Stop... What are you talking about? You always take such good precautions."

Ethan didn’t notice anything strange and kept teasing:

"Really? I seem to remember a few times..."

I hurriedly covered his mouth. "If you keep talking nonsense, I won’t eat. I’ll starve myself and make you feel bad!"

Ethan laughed, dotingly removing my hand.

"Alright, I’ll stop."

After eating, Ethan tidied up the trash in the house. Then he told me to change clothes so we could go for a walk and help digest.

He tossed his keys into a chipped ceramic bowl by the door and waited for me in the hallway, jacket slung over one arm.

The moment I turned to go into the room, Ethan’s eyes darkened.

When I came out after changing, he was smiling gently and reached out to me.

"Let’s go."

When he held my hand, he interlaced his fingers with mine, gripping me tightly.

The afternoon sun wasn’t harsh; its warmth was just right.

We stepped outside, walking down cracked sidewalks sprinkled with fallen leaves. Ethan and I chatted idly. Turning a corner, I saw a newly opened bridal shop.

The shop smelled like new fabric and vanilla candles. A rack of pastel bridesmaid dresses shimmered by the window, and a Taylor Swift song played quietly from a Bluetooth speaker. The wedding dress in the window was exquisite.

Thinking of what Ethan said yesterday, I couldn’t help but look at it twice.

At that moment, Ethan said, "Let’s go in and have a look."

He pulled me toward the shop. I wanted to refuse.

"No, we..."

We’re not even getting married.

"And we don’t have the money."

Thinking about it, I changed my words.

Ethan smiled. "It’s okay to just look."

"It’s really pretty, isn’t it?"

I nodded.

Then, Ethan pulled me into the shop.

The saleslady introduced us carefully, and I slowly scanned the wedding dresses hanging in the hall, my gaze landing on the mannequin in the center.

A huge, trailing dress, layers upon layers, sparkling like a meteor, dazzlingly gorgeous under the lights.

"This is our store’s treasure, designed by the famous designer Madeline Monroe. It has a special meaning. Today is our grand opening, so you can try it on."

Special meaning?

How come I don’t know about that?

Ethan raised his eyebrows. "Madeline Monroe?"

"Yes, the eldest daughter of the Monroe family, Madeline Monroe. She’s won countless design awards at a young age. Her style is very popular among young people, but she’s very low-key and mysterious. Few people know what she looks like."

I’d heard similar praise many times, and felt nothing.

But Ethan’s reaction was interesting.

He stared at the wedding dress for a moment, then smiled meaningfully.

"Heh."

Then he turned to look at me. "Maddie, her name is only one letter different from yours."

He nudged me gently with his elbow, that teasing glint returning to his eyes.