But who would believe him? His dad thought Emily hung the moon. And Emily had made it clear that she could twist anything Ethan said against him. For the next few days, Ethan was on high alert.
He watched Emily’s every move, trying to piece together a plan. She was careful, but sometimes she slipped up. One evening, Ethan walked into the study to find Emily hurriedly closing David’s laptop.
She jumped when she saw him. A guilty look flashing across her face. Oh, Ethan, she said, her voice overly bright.
You startled me. I was just checking some wedding RSVPs. Ethan nodded, not believing a word.
As soon as Emily left the room, he went to the laptop. It was locked, but Ethan knew his dad’s password. It was Ethan’s birthday.
The browser history had been cleared, but one tab remained open. The website for a major life insurance company. Ethan’s stomach churned.
This must be the policy Emily kept mentioning. He was about to dig deeper when he heard footsteps approaching. Quickly, he closed the laptop and pretended to be looking at the bookshelf.
David walked in, smiling when he saw Ethan. Hey, sport. What you up to? Just looking for a book.
Ethan lied, hating how easy it was becoming to deceive his father. David ruffled his hair affectionately. That’s my boy.
Always with his nose in a book. Come on, dinner’s ready. As they walked to the dining room, Ethan’s mind raced.
He had to find a way to stop Emily. But how? The next day, Ethan got his chance. David had a last-minute meeting at work, and Emily was out on one of her mysterious errands.
Ethan was alone in the house. With shaking hands, he opened Emily’s sleek silver laptop. It was password-protected, of course.
Ethan tried a few guesses. Her birthday, the wedding date, but nothing worked. Just as he was about to give up, he noticed a yellow sticky note poking out from under the laptop.
Peeling it back, he saw a string of numbers and letters. Could it be? Heart-pounding, Ethan typed in the code. The laptop sprang to life.
Ethan’s eyes widened as he scrolled through Emily’s files. There were dozens of documents with suspicious names. David’s schedule.
Policy details. He clicked on one labeled insurance policy. A PDF opened, full of legal jargon Ethan couldn’t understand.
But a few phrases jumped out at him. Accidental death. Double indemnity.
Payout of five million dollars. Five million dollars. Was that what his dad’s life was worth to Emily? Ethan’s hands shook as he continued searching.
He found a folder labeled Mark and opened it. Inside were dozens of photos of a man he’d never seen before, tall, dark-haired, with a scar above his left eyebrow. In some photos, he was alone.
In others, he was with Emily, looking very much like a couple. Ethan felt sick. Not only was Emily planning to hurt his dad, but she was cheating on him too.
Suddenly, he heard a car in the driveway. Emily was back. In a panic, Ethan closed all the windows and shut down the laptop.
He had just managed to replace it exactly as he’d found it when the front door opened. Ethan? Emily called. Are you here? Yeah, he called back, trying to keep his voice steady.
Just doing homework. Emily appeared in the doorway, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene. In the study? Don’t you usually work in your room? Ethan shrugged, avoiding her gaze.
It’s quieter here. Emily stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Well, don’t work too hard. Dinner will be ready soon. As she turned to leave, Ethan caught a glimpse of her phone screen.
She was texting someone. The contact name was Simply M. That night, as Ethan lay in bed, his mind whirled with everything he’d discovered. Emily and Mark were planning to kill his dad for the insurance money.
They were going to wait until after the wedding, then stage some kind of accident. Ethan felt overwhelmed. He was just a kid.
How was he supposed to stop two grown-ups from carrying out their evil plan? And with the wedding just days away, time was running out. He thought about telling his dad everything, but would David believe him? Emily had spent months painting Ethan as a jealous, difficult child. Would his dad trust him over the woman he was about to marry? As he tossed and turned, Ethan made a decision.
He couldn’t just sit back and let this happen. Somehow, someway, he had to stop this wedding. He had to save his dad.
With that resolve, Ethan finally drifted off to sleep. In his dreams, he saw Emily and the man from the photos, Mark, laughing over a grave. His father’s grave.
Ethan woke up with a start, drenched in sweat. The dim light of dawn was just beginning to creep through his window. In that moment, as the remnants of his nightmare clung to him, Ethan knew what he had to do.
He would stop this wedding, no matter what it took. Now back at the wedding, as the officiant began to speak, his words washing over Ethan in a meaningless jumble. All he could focus on was the growing panic in his chest.
The knowledge that he had to do something, say something before it was too late. If anyone can show, just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony. Let them speak now, or forever hold their peace.
The traditional words hung in the air. This was it. This was Ethan’s chance.
But fear paralyzed him. What if he was wrong? What if no one believed him? What if he ruined everything for nothing? The officiant nodded, about to continue. Ethan’s heart pounded in his ears.
It was now or never. Wait! The word burst from Ethan’s lips before he could stop it. Stop the wedding! A collective gasp rippled through the church.
All eyes turned to Ethan, who stood trembling, his small voice echoing in the sudden silence. Ethan? David turned to his son. Confusion and concern etched on his face.
What’s wrong, buddy? Ethan’s eyes darted from his father to Emily, who was staring at him with a mixture of shock and barely concealed anger. Dad? Ethan’s voice quavered, but he pressed on. You can’t marry her.
She’s…she’s not who you think she is. David knelt down, placing a gentle hand on Ethan’s shoulder. What are you talking about, son? Are you feeling okay? Ethan shook his head vehemently.
No, dad, you don’t understand. Emily? She’s been lying to you. She’s planning something bad.
A murmur ran through the crowd. Emily let out a nervous laugh, her eyes darting between David and the guests. Oh, sweetie, she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
I know this is a big change for you. It’s okay to feel scared about having a new mom, but this isn’t the way to express it. Ethan felt a surge of anger at her patronizing tone.
No, he shouted. That’s not at all. I heard you on the phone with Mark.
I know about the insurance policy. You’re planning to hurt dad. The church fell deathly silent.
David’s face paled, his eyes wide with disbelief. Ethan, that’s a very serious accusation. Where did you hear such a thing? I overheard her, dad, Ethan pleaded.
Late at night, she was talking to someone named Mark. They were talking about money and insurance and how they were going to get rid of you after the wedding. Emily’s laugh was higher pitched now, a note of hysteria creeping in.
David, honey, you can’t possibly believe this. It’s ridiculous. Mark is my wedding planner.
Of course we’ve been talking about insurance for the ceremony and money for the caterers and flowers. Ethan must have misunderstood. But Ethan wasn’t backing down.
No, that’s not true. I saw the insurance policy on your computer. It was for millions of dollars if dad dies.
And I found pictures of you with Mark. He’s not just your wedding planner. The crowd was in an uproar now.
Guests whispered furiously to each other, some looking scandalized, others concerned. David stood frozen, looking back and forth between his son and his bride to be. Emily’s face had lost its color, her composed mask slipping.