Third Wheel

Staring at her reflection one more time in the mirror, she had a satisfactory smile. Hazel Jones had been searching for the perfect wedding dress for ages-something that was going to complement her fair skin and long black hair.

"It's so beautiful," her younger sister, Nady, said with an excited tone. The shop assistant could finally sigh in relief.

"We want two," Nady added, and this left Hazel confused. "Why?" she couldn't help but ask.

"For me," that was Nady's response.

"Sorry, Miss, but this is a limited collection, and it's the last piece we have," the shop assistant apologized, and Nady was about to lash out at her when Hazel butted in.

"Please go make the payments," she said, handing her card to the lady who happily left. Hazel could only throw a look at Nady before she went to the dressing room to slip out of the wedding gown. Nady stomped her foot angrily. "Stop giving me that judgy look; is it a crime if I want to look as beautiful as you?"

"We are not the same people, Nady." Hazel snorted before she walked out, now dressed in her simple blue gown. The ringtone of her phone echoed as she handed the gown to Nady and retracted her phone. It was a call from her boss, so she mouthed to Nady, "Be careful with the gown," before leaving.

Nady scoffed, "Be careful, my ass." She walked to the dressing room to try on the gown.

-

Hazel was done with the phone call and tried contacting her fiancé, Max Wilson, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Come on, you said you would join me at the shop; where are you?"

She returned and couldn't find Nady where she left her; her eyes hastily scanned over the hiding area, and she stumbled upon a covered area. Hazel blushed, fully assured of whatever reason the couple inside needed privacy; she was about to leave when she heard a familiar voice from within the covered area.

"Admit it, the gown looks prettier on me than on my sister."

"Of course it does," a hoarse voice echoed, and Hazel's thoughts stopped for a second. "It's irritating whenever I think that I am going to be a sister-in-law to my man; can't you just tell them it's me you love?" Nady pouted and Max sighed.

"How many times do I need to tell you that my dad wants me to marry Hazel instead? It's all for my inheritance," he explained, and Hazel's eyes widened in shock. In a split second, she forgot to breathe.

Her legs went numb and her body weak, so she leaned on the wall next to her, not able to believe what she was hearing.

"But you will divorce her immediately after you get your inheritance, right?" Nady asked, and Max nodded before he asked, "What if your sister refuses to divorce me?"

A creepy smile crept on Nady's lips. "Then we will find a better way, something quicker and easier."

As if their thoughts were in sync, Max understood her perfectly. "Let's do her a favor and make her death less painful then."

They both burst out in laughter when Hazel stumbled on the chair next to her, and it made a sound. Nady got alerted and pulled the curtain open.

They were both shocked to find Hazel, who had a very pale look.

"Hazel, we..." Nady stuttered, not able to find the perfect excuse for why she was in there with Max.

"Uhm, he came looking for you." Nady couldn't blurt out everything; there might be a possibility that Hazel didn't get their conversation.

Hazel stood there and watched her sister battle with her words and Max, unable to hide the surprised look on his face.

"Wow" Hazel smacked her lips in disbelief; her palms became all sweaty.

"Fuck you both; how could you do this to me?" She finally burst out in tears. Before her was the man she had ever loved in her life, and next to him was her sister, the closest person to her heart, and they had to treat her this way.

Max shook his head in denial and took some steps closer to her. "Don't get the wrong idea, okay?"

Hazel pushed him angrily. "The wrong idea? Is killing me a wrong idea or what?" she scolded.

Hazel clutched her chest tightly; she was hurt, but not because he cheated on her or that he mentioned killing her; why her sister?

Of all the girls, why did it have to be her sister? She has always been the perfect elder sister to Nady, always putting her needs before hers, so how could she?

Hazel couldn't stand there anymore, so she bashed out of the shop and took a cab, which dropped her in front of the mansion, and she rushed in while shouting.

"Mother"

"Father"

She kept calling as her parents hurried to the balcony upstairs and stared down at her. "What happened? Do you have to announce your return by taking down this building with your voice?" Her mom scolded before they walked downstairs to her.

At that same moment, Nady and Max walked in. They held the wedding dress as they couldn't abandon it there.

"Mom" Nady dropped the dress and hurried to her mom, whose gaze softened.

"What happened, baby? Did your sister bully you?" She asked while scanning her body, and Nady shook her head before her eyes became sore.

"I love Max, mother," she blurted, and Hazel was taken aback, not able to believe that she could say such a thing in front of their parents.

"Which Max?" her dad butted in as Nady raised her hand and pointed at Max.

"Good news!" her mom yelled happily, her eyes blooming with joy, not able to believe that her younger daughter had finally fallen in love.

"Good news?" Hazel needed confirmation; maybe she didn't get her mother well.

"Yes, do you know how hard it is finding love these days?" her mom chuckled before she approached Max.

"Do you also love Nady?"

Max didn't hesitate to say yes. Then she clapped her hands happily. "If you both love yourself so much, then there's no need to complicate things."

Nady nodded and walked to her mom. "Exactly. I don't get why Hazel is trying to make a mountain out of it."

"The wedding is in three days; it's not too late to change the bride," her mom said, and this broke Hazel's heart. If not because she had personally carried out a DNA test, then she wouldn't have believed that this woman was her mother.

Her mother walked to her. "Nady is younger than you; you are supposed to understand her... Will you want to force yourself on a man that doesn't like you? Don't be a third wheel."

"What? I am the third wheel in their relationship." She asked in disbelief. Was she the one who went for her sister's man?

Now she was speechless; she even lacked the energy to cry. She stared at her dad, who didn't say a word.

Fine, is that what they wanted? Just like before, she was used to giving out her things and also sacrificing her happiness for Nady, so one more time wouldn't kill her.

She walked to the wedding dress and picked it up, approached Nady, and shot it at her. "You wanted the wedding dress, right? It's all yours; go fuck with whomever you want."