24
The wedding day arrived at last.
After days of somber rain, Canada was finally bathed in rare sunshine. The warmth of the sun-kissed the skin, gentle and reassuring.
On the raised platform, Aunt Elena led me forward. Our hands clasped together, we slowly walked toward Marcus, who stood waiting on the other side.
He wore a custom-tailored suit that made him look especially composed, his presence calm and
comforting.
The wedding dress I wore was one Marcus and I had picked out together. The skirt bloomed like a flower in full grace, and the bodice was adorned with delicate lace shaped like pear leaves.
Aunt Elena’s hand trembled slightly. Her voice, thick with emotion, gently broke the silence.
“Belle, to walk you down the aisle on your mother’s behalf… it feels like I’ve fulfilled a lifelong wish.”
“All these years, you’ve suffered far too much.”
Her soft words made my chest tighten. A sting rose in my nose.
If my mother were still alive, would she have said the same?
Marcus knelt on one knee and kissed the tips of my fingers. “Miss, may I ask if you’re willing to marry me?”
I let out a teary laugh, reaching my hand toward him. “I do.”
At that very moment, Miguel finally arrived at the venue.
The second his eyes landed on the figures standing on the stage, his vision turned red.
‘No!”
He had rushed over as fast as he could, yet he was still one step too late.
In Miguel’s imagination, as long as I hadn’t walked down the aisle, there was still a sliver of hope I might return to him.
He suddenly lunged forward, only to be swiftly tackled by nearby security.
‘No wonder Mr. Murphy insisted on tightening security today. Looks like someone really came tc ruin the bride’s big day.”
“Hey, doesn’t he look familiar? My daughter watches his shows all the time.”
Miguel was pinned to the ground, his face grinding against the dusty floor.
“Yes, yes, I’m that celebrity! Let me go!”
The guard glanced down, unimpressed.
“What kind of celebrity ends up groveling just to be a third wheel?”
On the stage, a ruby ring slid slowly onto my finger.
Miguel felt something shatter deep inside him..
The moment he had played over a thousand times in bie min
man.
He stared at the platform in bitter disbelief, only to be shoved down again by the guards.
“Stay down.”
Perhaps it was from being pinned too long, but Miguel’s vision began to blur.
In that haze, it felt as though he was truly the one standing on that stage.
I faced him, dressed in the firework-patterned wedding gown, my smile bright and clear.
Father placed my hand in his.
“From now on, my daughter is in your care.”
“I’ll take good care of her,” Miguel answered without hesitation, eyes gleaming with the joy of man who had loved her since their youth.
The crowd beneath the stage erupted in cheers.
“Kiss! Kiss!”
Miguel pulled me into his arms, leaning in with trembling lips. “Why’s this guy crying? That’s
rare.”
A security guard’s voice cut through like a blade.
Miguel jolted. The cold from the ground seeped into his bones as reality came crashing down.
He looked back toward the stage.
I was kissing Marcus.
Our fingers were gently laced together, wedding rings shining on our hands like silent vows.
So it was him, the one crying.
Everything had just been a dream he spun for himself.
Miguel let the security guards drag him away, limp as a corpse, emptied of all hope.
