On the day I was supposed to walk down the aisle, the boy I had cherished in secret for years whispered a promise that stole my breath.
He said as long as I took the first step, he would handle the other 99 steps.
His words, soft and full of conviction, became my beacon of hope. My heart raced with reckless abandon as I hurried to our meeting spot, brimming with the belief that this would be the start of something beautiful. But when I arrived, reality struck like a thunderclap. His smile wasn’t one of love but of smug triumph.
Behind him, his friends burst into laughter, their taunts echoing in the air.
“See? She fell for it! A thousand each, don’t forget to pay up!”
With his winnings clutched in his hand, he turned to the bridesmaid who had driven me there and pulled her into an embrace that was far too intimate to ignore. His betrayal was as sharp as a dagger, carving a wound deep into my chest.
Mocking me with a smirk sliced through my pride, he said, “Ravenna, don’t flatter yourself. The person I truly want is her, not you. Did you really think I’d fall for a married woman like you?”
Then, as if twisting the knife, he dropped to one knee, holding out a ring in front of my bridesmaid. The crowd gasped, their whispers cutting through the air like a thousand daggers.
Noticing my darkened expression, he chuckled, the sound dripping with malice. “If you want to scurry back and carry on with your wedding, feel free. But I doubt the groom would still have you!”
What he didn’t know, what none of them realized, was that this so-called elopement wasn’t his victory; it was my move in a game he didn’t even know he was playing.
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When Hendrick Pierce fell to one knee and proposed to Viella Ivory, my bridesmaid, the truth hit me like a cruel punchline to a joke I hadn’t realized I was the butt of. It wasn’t just a proposal; it was the final act in their carefully staged mockery.
I was the one who had received Hendrick’s heartfelt confession text, the one who dared to believe in a love that wasn’t mine to claim. I was the one Viella had so sweetly encouraged, whispering promises of chasing true love, even driving me here under the guise of friendship.
And now, with the cheers and blessings of the crowd ringing in my ears, the two of them stood entwined, basking in the glow of their deceit.
Meanwhile, I stood frozen, the weight of my wedding dress pressing down on me like chains, a tragic figure in a performance I hadn’t agreed to join.
After kissing Viella with all the flair of a man basking in his victory, Hendrick turned to his friends, his grin as wide as his arrogance.
“See? Ravenna really ran away for me!” he boasted, waving his hand theatrically. “The evidence is all here, now, cough up! A thousand each, no excuses!”
Laughter erupted from the group, their voices dripping with mockery.
“Come on, Hendrick! With that kind of charm, how could we not fund your happily ever after?” one chimed in.
“To Hendrick and his bride, may your love be as eternal as your ego!”
After tossing their mocking blessings into the air, his friends turned to me, their expressions twisted with disdain.
“Ravenna, should we applaud you for bravely chasing love or just admit you’re as clueless as a headless chicken? You’re married; how can you still be hung up on Hendrick?”
“Seriously! Hendrick is leagues above you. Take a good, hard look at yourself!”
“We bet you wouldn’t come, thinking even you wouldn’t fall for this. But here you are, too pitiful to even look at!”
I stood frozen, my hands gripping the edge of my wedding dress so tightly it nearly ripped, the fabric straining under the weight of my silent fury.
Hendrick pocketed his winnings with a satisfied smirk, then sauntered over to me, leaning in close as if to whisper something kind.
His voice, soft yet mocking, cut through the haze. “Ravenna, are those tears I see? Don’t tell me you’re about to cry.”
Then, with a dramatic turn, he waved at his friends, his tone shifting to fake reproach.
“Really, guys? Have you no hearts? You’ve almost brought the bride to tears! On her big day, too, how could you be so cruel?”
I snapped my head up, desperate for some sign that this was nothing more than a cruel nightmare.
But Hendrick shoved a microphone into my trembling hands before I could even gather my bearings.
His grin stretched wider, cutting through me like a blade. “Ravenna, today’s my big day. Everyone else brought me gifts, but you didn’t.”
He paused, letting the words hang in the air, a mockery in their own right. “That’s okay. We’ve been best friends for over a decade, haven’t we? You don’t need to give me money. Just sing me a song.”
My heart sank as his smile grew even colder. “Sing ‘Today You’re Marrying Me’!”
The air caught in my throat, disbelief flooding my chest. How could such cruel words flow so easily from his mouth?
The crowd erupted into applause, their cheers echoing like a cruel serenade.
Viella blushed, turning her head coyly. “Who said I’d marry you? You’re so annoying,” she murmured, her voice laced with playful protest.
Hendrick grinned, blowing her a kiss with theatrical flair before pivoting back toward me. His voice was sharp, cutting through the noise. “Sing! Didn’t you always love singing back in the day? Let’s hear it!”
Someone from the crowd joined in, their laughter ringing louder than my pounding heartbeat. “Yeah, Ravenna! Weren’t you the one always secretly singing for Hendrick in school? What’s wrong now? Too shy with all these eyes on you?”
