“No, this can’t be happening!”
My husband’s excitement for our wedding night turned to horror the moment I slipped out of my wedding dress, revealing the secret I’d been hiding all day. The perfect facade I’d maintained crumbled, exposing a truth he never expected.

The day had been a fairytale — Greg waiting at the end of the aisle with that boyish grin, thinking this was the beginning of our perfect life together. But I knew better. While Greg believed this was our happily-ever-after, I had been sitting on a secret that would shatter it all.

The wedding was flawless. Champagne flowed, laughter echoed, and Greg’s parents beamed with pride.

The whole day was a dream come true — for him. As for me, I was playing the part, smiling at the right moments, laughing at jokes, and dancing with my new husband. But inside, I knew it was only a matter of time before the truth would come crashing down.

When the dress hit the floor, his face turned pale.

“What… what is that?” he whispered, stepping back as if I’d just pulled a knife.

I stood there, silent. The intricate tattoo that snaked from my ribcage down to my thigh glowed faintly in the dim light. It wasn’t just a tattoo—it was a mark. One he knew all too well.

Greg’s hands trembled as he pointed at it. “That’s not possible. That symbol… it belonged to my brother. He died in that cult.”

I looked down at the mark, then met his horrified gaze.

“I never told you how I survived,” I said slowly. “I was there, Greg. I was there the night your brother disappeared.”

His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the bed.

“I tried to stop them. I left everything behind. Changed my name. Hid for years. Then… I met you.”

He stared at me, speechless.

“You think this was an accident?” I said. “Meeting you? Falling in love? I never planned it. But once it happened, I couldn’t turn away. You were the only piece of him I had left.”

He looked up at me, eyes brimming with tears.

“But why now? Why today?”

I stepped closer, my voice low. “Because they found me, Greg. And if they know who I married… they’ll come for you too.”