Chapter Text
Opening Scene
The wedding hall shimmered with gold and ivory silk, chandeliers blazing as though to blind the world from scandal. Guests murmured in polished voices, their eyes sharp, waiting for the grand entrance of the bride.
But upstairs, chaos reigned.
“Sky is gone.”
The words crashed over Rain like a stone dropped into still water. His mother’s voice trembled, mascara streaking down her cheeks. His father was pacing the room, tugging at his tie, his fury cracking through the walls.
Rain stood frozen.
“She… she ran away?”
“She’s left us to ruin!” his father snapped, turning to him with eyes that burned. “Do you realize what this means? The Korn family will destroy us if this wedding doesn’t happen!”
Rain’s stomach twisted. Everyone knew the Chantras were drowning in debt, that this marriage to Phayu Korn wasn’t a love story but a lifeline. Sky had been their salvation. And now.....she had abandoned them.
His mother’s hand seized his wrist.
“Rain, you’ll take her place.”
The world tilted.
“What? I.....I can’t....”
“You must,” his father cut in sharply. “You have her features. The veil will hide you. No one from the Korn side knows Sky well enough to notice. It’s the only way to protect this family.”
Rain’s breath came short, his chest tightening. Him? In Sky’s gown? Walking down the aisle as a bride? His heart thudded so loud it drowned the frantic whispers around him.
“Please, Rain.” His mother’s voice cracked, her tears smearing against her trembling smile. “For us. For our name. For everything.”
And so, moments later, Rain stood before a mirror......his body swallowed in layers of silk and lace, his face veiled in delicate white. His reflection was haunting: not himself, not Sky, but some fragile ghost caught between them.
He whispered to his reflection, barely audible beneath the roar of blood in his ears.
“This is madness…”
The doors to the hall creaked open.
The guests rose to their feet.
And at the end of the aisle stood Phayu Korn.....tall, unreadable, a man carved from steel and shadows.
Rain’s pulse hammered as he took his first step forward. Each footfall was a lie, every breath a prayer that Phayu would never see the truth hidden beneath the veil.
---
Wedding Ceremony Scene
Rain’s hands trembled inside the silk gloves as he gripped the bouquet tighter, the weight of the flowers almost unbearable. Every step down the aisle echoed like thunder in his ears. The veil blurred his vision, but not enough to hide the sea of eyes fixed on him....hungry, judgmental, expectant.
Don’t falter. Don’t breathe wrong. Don’t let them see you’re not Sky.
At the altar, Phayu stood motionless, a towering figure in his black suit. His gaze locked onto Rain, sharp and unreadable. It was like staring into a storm that could break him apart at any second.
Rain’s chest tightened. Did he already suspect? Did those dark eyes see through the veil?
But Phayu only inclined his head slightly, offering the barest courtesy of acknowledgment, as though this marriage were nothing but another transaction to seal. His lips didn’t curve, his eyes didn’t soften. To him, the bride was a pawn.
Rain swallowed hard. Good. If he doesn’t care, he won’t look too closely.
The officiant’s voice rose, filling the air with solemnity. Vows were exchanged like lifeless words, each one scraping Rain’s throat raw. His voice came out softer than Sky’s would have, shaky but disguised by the veil. Still, every syllable felt like a knife: a promise meant for someone else.
Then came the rings.
Phayu slid the band onto Rain’s finger with steady precision, his touch cool, his expression unreadable. But when Rain lifted trembling hands to return the gesture, his fingers brushed Phayu’s skin.....warm, steady, grounding.
For a heartbeat too long, Phayu’s eyes dropped to him, and Rain swore the world stopped moving. The room, the guests, the whispers.....all faded, leaving only the sound of his pulse crashing in his ears.
And then.....
“You may kiss the bride.”
The words shattered Rain’s fragile calm. His breath caught as Phayu lifted the veil with a deliberate slowness, his hand brushing against Rain’s cheek.
Rain’s heart nearly gave out. This is it. He’ll see. He’ll know.
But Phayu’s eyes lingered on him, searching, unreadable… and then he leaned forward. His lips brushed Rain’s in the briefest, most formal kiss, a seal to a contract rather than a claim of affection.
Still, the world tilted beneath Rain’s feet. Because though the kiss was void of warmth, something in Phayu’s gaze lingered after.....the faintest flicker of curiosity, of something unspoken.
Rain lowered his eyes quickly, praying Phayu wouldn’t see the storm of terror.....and something else....burning inside him.
The hall erupted into applause.
The deal was done.
The lie had begun.
---
Wedding Night Scene
The applause still rang in Rain’s ears as he was ushered into a car, the weight of the day pressing down on him like chains. When the door closed, his parents leaned in, their voices low but sharp.
“Rain,” his father said, his tone leaving no room for protest, “you must make sure the Korn family never learns the truth. Not until we find Sky.”
Rain’s fingers twisted together, cold sweat dampening his palms. “For how long must I hold on?” His voice cracked, betraying his dread.
“As long as it takes,” his mother whispered, her eyes feverish with desperation. “If the Korns discover the bride they received is not Sky, we’re finished. Do you understand, Rain? You must protect this family.”
Rain’s heart pounded so hard he thought it might break through his ribs. He nodded, unable to speak, the words protect this family sealing around his throat like a curse.
---
That night, after the endless reception and hollow congratulations, Rain was shown into a vast room inside the Korn estate. The golden lights glowed softly against polished wood and silk sheets. The bed looked too large, too soft, like a place he didn’t belong.
The servant bowed. “Please wait here for your husband.”
The word made Rain shiver. Husband.
Moments later, the door opened, and Phayu stepped inside. The man who had kissed him at the altar now carried no trace of warmth, his eyes as sharp and cold as winter steel.
Phayu didn’t waste time. He removed his jacket, tossed it onto the chair, and said flatly, “Do not think this marriage means anything.”
Rain’s head lifted, startled.
Phayu’s gaze pinned him. “You are nothing but a debt your family paid to me. Do not expect closeness, or affection, or even attention. I will play along for appearances, but once I find a way to untangle this farce, I will file for divorce.”
The words cut deeper than Rain expected. He swallowed hard, lowering his eyes to hide the sting in them. Of course this marriage wasn’t real....but hearing it so plainly made his chest ache.
Phayu didn’t wait for a response. He crossed the room, sitting down at his desk with a pile of documents. He flipped one open, as though Rain didn’t exist anymore. The sound of pen scratching against paper filled the silence.
“Change,” Phayu said without looking up. “Go to bed. Nothing will happen between us tonight.”
Rain bit his lip, clutching the fabric of his gown as he hurried into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection in the mirror.....painted lips, trembling hands, eyes clouded with shame. He stripped out of the gown quickly, desperate to shed the lie, but when he searched the bag he’d brought, his heart sank.
Nothing. No nightclothes. Not even undergarments.
All he had was the hotel’s bathrobe, which barely clung to his frame. He hugged it around himself and stepped back into the room, his face flushed.
Phayu looked up once, his expression unreadable. Rain hesitated, then forced the words out.
“I… I forgot my things at home. Could you… lend me something to wear?”
For a moment, silence hung heavy. Then Phayu rose from his desk, his tall frame looming as he crossed to the wardrobe. Without a word, he pulled out a crisp shirt and a pair of shorts. He handed them to Rain, his hand brushing his briefly.
The contact was fleeting. Phayu turned back immediately, returning to his desk without another glance.
Rain clutched the clothes as though they were lifelines. He slipped into them quickly.....the shirt soft against his skin, the shorts hanging loosely around his hips. For the first time that day, he could breathe without lace suffocating him.
He slid beneath the sheets, the mattress embracing him in its warmth. The softest bed he had ever lain on. His body should have been trembling, his mind should have been in chaos.....but exhaustion pulled at him, heavy and irresistible.
Everything will be fine, he whispered to himself in the quiet, as if the words could turn lies into truth.
Everything will be fine.
And slowly, with Phayu’s pen scratching in the background, Rain drifted into uneasy sleep.
----
END OF CHAPTER 1