“Tonight is exactly when this needs to happen.”
Harper stood.
“I’m going upstairs.”
“Stay.”
She froze.
“What?”
“You’re staying.”
She looked at Dad.
Dad looked at me.
For the first time, he seemed unsure which side he wanted to take.
Then Harper crossed her arms.
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
“I already told you.”
“No.”
I pulled out my phone.
“The boutique confirmed that the security seal was broken.”
Harper’s face changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
“You opened the bag.”
She scoffed.
“So what?”
“So you lied.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“You said you thought it was zipped shut.”
“It was.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You opened it.”
She stared at me.
Then she smiled.
“Fine.”
Mom whispered, “Harper.”
Harper shrugged.
“Yes. I opened it.”
Chloe appeared at the top of the stairs.
Nobody noticed her at first.
I did.
Harper continued.
“I wanted to see it.”
“You wanted to see the dress.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Because everyone kept talking about it.”
“That doesn’t explain the pool.”
“I was angry.”
The words came out almost casually.
“Why?”
She looked at me.
“Because everything in this house has been about Chloe for months.”
Mom’s face tightened.
“Harper.”
“No, Mom. I’m serious.”
Harper’s eyes were suddenly wet.
“You have no idea what it’s like.”
“What?”
“To watch everyone treat her like some perfect angel.”
Chloe slowly descended the stairs.
“I never asked anyone to do that.”
Harper looked at her.
“You didn’t have to.”
“What did I ever do to you?”
Harper laughed bitterly.
“You came here and suddenly everything changed.”
“That isn’t my fault.”
“You took him.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“You took my brother.”
The room became silent.
Harper’s voice cracked.
“Before you, he was always here.”
I shook my head.
“Harper, I’m your brother. I’m not your property.”
“You don’t understand.”
“No. You don’t understand.”
She wiped her eyes angrily.
“I thought after the wedding we’d still be close.”
“We can be.”
“Not like before.”
“No,” I said. “Because I’m getting married.”
“You already are.”
That stopped me.
“What did you say?”
She looked at Chloe.
“You two already signed the papers.”
Chloe went completely still.
“How did you know that?”
Harper’s expression changed.
Mom looked at her.
Dad lowered his glass.
Nobody spoke.
I stepped forward.
“Harper.”
She looked away.
“Answer her.”
“I heard Mom talking.”
“When?”
“A while ago.”
“Where?”
She didn’t answer.
“Where, Harper?”
“In the hallway.”
I studied her face.
Then something occurred to me.
“Did you go through our things?”
She immediately said no.
Too quickly.
I walked upstairs.
Chloe followed.
We entered the guest room.
Our suitcases were against the wall.
I opened mine.
Nothing seemed wrong.
Then Chloe walked to the nightstand.
She opened the drawer.
Her face went pale.
“My folder.”
“What?”
“My marriage documents.”
I looked inside.
The folder was gone.
“What was in it?”
“Our civil marriage certificate. Copies of the insurance paperwork. My mother’s death certificate.”
My heart started pounding.
“Did you have it yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
We searched the room.
Nothing.
I checked my suitcase.
Nothing.
Then Chloe whispered.
“Wait.”
She pointed toward the closet.
There was a small wooden box on the top shelf.
I pulled it down.
It was mine.
I had used it to keep important documents when I was younger.
I opened it.
Empty.
Except for one folded piece of paper.
I unfolded it.
It was a photocopy of our marriage certificate.
Across the bottom, someone had written three words in black ink.
YOU ALREADY LOST.
Chloe covered her mouth.
I felt cold.
This was no longer a prank.
Someone had been inside our room.
Someone had searched through our private documents.
And someone had known exactly what they were looking for.
I took a photograph of the note.
Then another.
“What’s happening?” Chloe whispered.
“I don’t know.”
“But somebody has been watching us.”
“Yes.”
She looked terrified.
I pulled her against me.
“We’re leaving this house tonight.”
She nodded.
We started packing.
But before we could finish, I heard footsteps in the hallway.
The door opened.
Dad stood there.
He looked at the box in my hand.
Then he looked at Chloe.
“I think you two need to hear something.”
“What?”
Dad closed the door behind him.
“Harper didn’t come up with this by herself.”
My blood ran cold.
“What are you talking about?”
Dad rubbed both hands over his face.
“I should have told you earlier.”
“Told me what?”
He looked at Chloe.
Then at me.
“Your mother knew Harper was planning something.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“She knew Harper was angry.”
“That isn’t what you said.”
Dad’s voice dropped.
“She knew Harper had been asking questions about your finances.”
Chloe’s face changed.
“My finances?”
Dad nodded.
“Your house. Your savings. The insurance policy.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“What insurance policy?”
Dad didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said something that made the entire room seem to tilt.
“The life insurance policy you took out after your civil marriage.”
Chloe grabbed my arm.
“How much?”
Dad looked at me.
“Two million dollars.”
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then I heard footsteps running downstairs.
Harper.
Dad rushed after her.
I followed.
When we reached the kitchen, Harper was standing beside the counter.
The three things I had placed there earlier were now sitting in front of her.
My phone.
The damaged wedding dress photographs.
And the folded note.
She looked at them.
Then she looked at me.
For the first time since I had known her, Harper wasn’t smiling.
I walked slowly toward the table.
“Sit down.”
She didn’t move.
“Harper.”
She sat.
I placed my phone beside the note.
“I know about the insurance policy.”
Her face drained of color.
Mom came into the kitchen.
“What is going on?”
I looked at her.
