Chapter 6---Laughingstock At Her Own Wedding
1062 Words
Chapter 6-----Laughingstock At Her Own Wedding
Theodore shot me one last furious look as he carried Alyssa out. "If anything happens to her, Audrey, this is on you!"
I stood there in a daze, his angry face burned into my memory. All those promises we'd made... when exactly had he stopped meaning them? How had I been so blind?
I was still lost in thought when Birdie cautiously peeked in. "Audrey? You okay?"
Her voice snapped me back to reality. God, what was I doing? Moping over a man who'd chosen my dying sister over me? I shook it off and buried myself in work.
Around noon, my phone buzzed. Lena's name flashed on the screen. I hit decline.
Thirty seconds later, it rang again. It was Dad this time. A horrible thought crossed my mind: Had Alyssa actually died?
Against my better judgment, I connected the call and immediately regretted it.
"AUDREY YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT! YOUR SISTER'S DYING AND YOU SHOVED HER? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"
I held the phone away from my ear until the yelling stopped. "There are security cameras in my office. Do you want to see what really happened?"
Not that it would change anything. They would always find a way to blame me.
"The truth?" Dad scoffed. "Your sister has weeks to live and you can't even be civil!"
I hung up. No point arguing with people who'd already made up their minds.
When I didn’t respond, Dad’s tirade fizzled out. After a pause, his tone shifted.
"Look, Alyssa wants you to officiate the wedding. You’re free that day anyway—just do this for her."
"Sure," I said sweetly. "I guess you’re not worried that I’ll ruin her big moment."
There was a brief silence.
"You’ve been after your mother’s shares, haven’t you?" He said with a low voice. "Do this, and they’re yours."
My breath caught.
Those shares—my mother’s legacy—had been out of my reach for years, no matter how hard I fought. But he was willing to offer them up for Alyssa’s sake.
"Transfer half of them to my name now," I countered. "And then the rest after the ceremony."
A beat. "...Fine." Then, venomous: "You’re as greedy as your mother was."
I smiled coldly. "And that is still better than being as heartless as you."
……
Alyssa's condition had worsened after that fall. By the wedding day, she could barely stand without help. The wedding dress—the one I'd sewn with my own hands, tailored perfectly to my measurements—hung loose on her gaunt frame. The bodice gaped at the chest and the waist needed pins to stay in place.
"Some award-winning designer," Lena sneered, plucking at the excess fabric. "Can't even get the measurements right."
I smirked. "It was made for me. Funny how stolen goods never quite fit the thief."
"You—"
"Mom..." Alyssa tugged Lena's sleeve, her voice frail. "Don't blame Audrey. The extra room makes it easier to put on." Then she turned to me, eyes shining with fake gratitude. "Thank you for making my dream come true, sis."
I nearly gagged. Needing air, I headed for the door—only to bump into Theodore. He looked dashing in the suit I designed for him, turning heads as he moved. Realizing my wasted effort felt like a slap on my face.
"Ree..." he murmured.
I sidestepped him with an eye roll, but Richard's voice stopped me: "Where are you going? The ceremony's starting. Help your sister down the aisle—she's too weak on her own."
I whirled around. "I'm supposed to—?"
"You're the officiant and her sister," Lena cut in. "It's the least you could do."
Before I could refuse, Theodore added softly, "Audrey... after what happened last time, she's worse. The dress is too heavy for her to—"
I couldn't stomach another word of this nonsense. Before Theodore could finish, I turned on my heel and marched back inside.
Alyssa lifted her arm expectantly, like some princess waiting for her handmaid. "Thank you, Ree..." she murmured as I took her elbow, her smile oozing smug victory.
Go ahead. Gloat. The grim reaper was already at her doorstep anyway. I'd treat this as karma points for my next life.
The ceremony began.
The grand wedding march echoed through the gilded hall as the towering doors swung open. Spotlights converged on us—me, in my shame, and her, in my dress. I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached. I could feel a weight on my chest.
Arm in arm, we stepped onto the red carpet.
The moment we appeared, the room erupted in shocked whispers.
"What's going on? Isn't the bride supposed to be Audrey?"
"Why is Alyssa in the wedding dress?"
"Did they swap roles last minute? Is this some sort of joke?"
I tuned out the murmurs, focusing only on putting one foot in front of the other, delivering the bride to her groom.
At the end of the aisle stood Theodore—elegant, composed, his striking face alight with emotion, eyes shimmering with what looked suspiciously like tears. His gaze never once flickered toward me. Those glistening eyes were locked solely on Alyssa.
A fresh wave of heartache tore through me. *This was the man I’d loved for eight years? The one I’d bled for?*
He claimed that he was doing this to grant Alyssa’s dying wish. But the way he looked at her told an entirely different story. It was as if she was his entire world. Tears blurred my vision. I steeled myself, and placed Alyssa’s hand in his.
Theodore clasped it gently, pulling her close as they exchanged a look so intimate it felt like a violation to witness. Arm in arm, they ascended the steps to the altar. I turned away, collapsing into the front-row seat reserved for "family."
I thought that I’d be numb to this farce. But here I was actually hurting.
Then someone handed me a handkerchief. It was a hand that was well manicured. I could see the crisp cuff of a dress shirt peeking from a tailored sleeve. I took it without looking up and quickly wiped away my tears.
"His loss," came a cold voice that cut clean through the wedding noise. "He’s a fool to choose someone else over you."
- Writer
