Meadow's POV
"Hi. I'm here to check in. The reservation is under Meadow Russell."
The woman behind the front desk lifted her eyes slowly, like she'd already decided she didn't like what she saw. Her gaze traveled over me in a way that made my shoulders stiffen. Then her lips, painted a dark, dramatic red, twisted into something between a smirk and a sneer.
"You've got to be joking," she said, turning to the receptionist beside her.
I blinked. "I'm sorry?"
The two women exchanged a look, silent but loud enough to make my skin prickle. I frowned, gripping the strap of my bag tighter. What was their problem? I was exhausted, nervous, and running on fumes, and the last thing I needed was attitude.
All I wanted was my room key.
In just a few hours, I'd be married.
It was supposed to be simple. Intimate. Just Tyler and me. No guests. No family drama. No reminders of the past.
I'd imagined this day a thousand times, and none of those versions included being humiliated at a hotel counter.
The receptionist with the red lipstick tilted her head. "You already checked in. About two hours ago."
My brows drew together. "That's not possible. I just arrived."
"If this is some kind of prank," she continued coolly, "I'd advise you to stop now."
A nervous laugh slipped out before I could stop it. "I promise you, I'm not joking. I haven't checked in."
The second receptionist studied my face more carefully now, as if she were trying to solve a puzzle. Then she nodded once at her coworker. "Show her."
With an irritated sigh, Red Lip turned her laptop around and tapped the screen.
My heart skipped.
There it was.
The guest list.
My name, typed neatly into the system.
Meadow Russell.
"Oh," I breathed out, forcing a laugh that sounded too loud in my own ears. "That must have been my fiancé. Tyler. He probably checked in early and used my name. He said he might get here before me."
They looked at each other again. This time, confusion flickered across their faces.
"That's not what happened," the second receptionist said slowly. "You checked in with a man. I remember because I complimented your top."
My stomach dropped.
I looked down at my white crop top. BRIDE, printed boldly across my chest.
Tyler had bought it for me. Said it was perfect. Said he couldn't wait to see me wearing it today.
"And you told us you were getting married," Red Lip added.
Something cold slid down my spine.
"This has to be a misunderstanding," I said, though my voice wavered. "It really does."
Even as I spoke, dread curled in my chest, heavy and unwelcome.
"That wasn't me," I said again, more firmly. "I swear."
They didn't argue. Instead, when they looked at me this time, their expressions softened.
Pity.
I hated that more than the rudeness.
Red Lip reached beneath the desk and pulled out a key card. "I don't know what's going on," she said quietly, "but I hope you figure it out."
I took the card with numb fingers.
The elevator ride felt endless. The walls seemed to close in as it ascended, each passing floor tightening the knot in my chest. My thoughts raced, chasing each other in frantic circles.
This wasn't possible.
It couldn't be.
Juniper wouldn't do this.
Tyler wouldn't let her.
Not after everything that had already been broken between us.
My hands were shaking when I reached the door. I slid the key card through the slot.
The lock clicked.
I pushed the door open.
For a moment, my mind refused to process what my eyes were seeing.
My twin sister, Juniper, was in my room. In my space. With my fiancé.
They were tangled together on the bed in a way that left no room for misunderstanding.
The world tilted.
My bag slipped from my shoulder and hit the floor, the sound distant and dull. I tasted blood where I'd bitten the inside of my cheek without realizing it. Tears flooded my vision, blurring everything into a painful haze.
They didn't notice me at first.
Maybe he doesn't know, I told myself desperately. Maybe he thinks she's me.
The thought crumbled almost immediately.
Tyler and I had never crossed that line. Not once. We'd talked about it, agreed to wait, agreed that it would mean more after we were married.
"Oh," Juniper murmured, her voice unmistakable. "Yes."
Something inside my chest fractured.
Every instinct screamed at me to turn around, to leave quietly, to pretend I'd never seen this. But my feet
wouldn't move. I stood there, frozen, rooted to the spot.
"Juniper?" My voice came out cracked and thin. "Tyler?"
They turned at the same time.
Shock flashed across Tyler's face, followed by panic, and then something I couldn't quite name.
"Meadow," he said, scrambling upright. "I can explain. I thought…"
He stepped toward me, reaching out. I flinched back.
My eyes locked on Juniper.
She was calm. Worse, she was smiling. She adjusted herself lazily, completely unbothered by my presence.
"Oh, don't start with the excuses," she said lightly. "It's exhausting."
Tyler laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was supposed to be fun."
Fun.
My mind struggled to keep up. "What are you talking about?"
This wasn't confusion. This wasn't a terrible accident.
This was familiarity.
I had never introduced them. I hadn't seen Juniper in two years. Not since everything had fallen apart between us.
"How did you even…" My voice failed.
Juniper laughed sharply and stood, completely unapologetic. "You look like you're about to faint," she said. "We should probably stop dragging it out."
She crossed the room and wrapped herself around Tyler, kissing him without hesitation, without shame.
Right in front of me.
I wanted to scream. To run. To disappear.
But my body refused to listen.
I stood there, helpless, as she touched him possessively, her gaze never leaving mine. It felt deliberate. Cruel.
"You told me you weren't ready," I whispered, my voice barely recognizable as my own. "You said we'd wait."
Tyler laughed, a sound that cut deeper than any insult.
"I thought you loved me," I said, louder now, tears streaming freely. My knees threatened to give out, and I had to brace myself against the wall.
Juniper finally stepped away from him. Tyler moved closer, his
presence looming, and lifted my chin so I had no choice but to look at him.
"You really believed that?" he asked quietly.
My heart shattered.
"No," he continued. "Juniper is who I've always loved."
And just like that, everything I thought I had, everything I thought I was, collapsed.