Arnold finally agreed to my proposal for marriage. He specifically asked me to dress beautifully, saying he had a surprise for me. But when I arrived in full attire, there was no groom at the wedding. Arnold turned to Esther beside him and smiled. “You’ve always said weddings are tedious and boring. Today, let me show you how interesting a wedding can be. How does that sound?” My brother, Peter, loudly announced, “Wedding paused!” My childhood friend, Tyler, even pulled down a water balloon, soaking me completely. Arnold mischievously raised an eyebrow at me. “Sara, it’s just a joke. You didn’t really think I was going to marry you, did you?” This wedding was nothing but a farce, created by them to amuse my depressed stepsister. Seeing me silent, Arnold laughed again. “If you’re really so desperate to get married, just pick someone from the guests and marry them.” But when I actually walked out with my groom, they panicked. Peter finished reading the vows on stage, but the groom still hadn’t arrived. The guests below whispered amongst themselves. I realized this was yet another attempt to embarrass me. Sure enough, Arnold below nonchalantly fiddled with the ring in his hand and turned to Esther with a smile. “Esther, didn’t you say weddings are all tedious and boring? Just a couple of vows and a ring and it’s over,” he said. “Today, let me show you what a wedding can be like.” Peter immediately caught on and loudly announced, “Wedding paused!” Tyler shouted, “Esther! Look!” The water balloon above my head fell suddenly. Even though I quickly tried to dodge, it still hit me when I least expected it. My hair stuck to my face, drenched, and water dripped from my wedding dress. I gripped the sides of my dress tightly. Finally, Esther couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. Arnold slowly walked over, pretending to care, but his tone was indifferent. “What’s wrong, Sara? Aren’t you happy?” He turned and jokingly punched Tyler. “You went this far? Didn’t you think about how Sara is the bride today?” When I thought he might actually realize the joke had gone too far, he handed me the ring, still in its box, that should have been on my finger. “You wanted to get married, right? You wanted to be a bride? I’ve made it happen. I even got the officiant, best man, and guests ready for you.” Meeting my cold gaze, he sneered. “You really thought I was going to marry you? I’m just helping you fulfill your wish. I never said I’d marry you.” Then, he added with a mocking tone, “Make sure you keep the wedding ring safe. You wouldn’t want to lose it, or your groom can’t put it on for you. He then added, “Oh, wait, I forgot. There’s no groom at this wedding.” “Oh, no! There’s no groom at this wedding?” Tyler laughed openly, not even trying to hide the sarcasm. “But I think Sara is ready to marry you! Look how formal she looks!” His words drew everyone’s attention to my soaked wedding dress. If this had been before, I would have held back tears, begging Arnold not to humiliate me in front of everyone. But now, I simply wiped the water from my face, trying not to ruin my makeup. I calmly thanked him. “Thank you all for walking me through the wedding. I was a little nervous, but now I feel better. Hopefully, the real wedding will go more smoothly.” Arnold stared at me, then laughed loudly. “Are you really that stupid or just pretending? You still thought I’d marry you? “Can’t you see? I’m just trying to make Esther laugh! “Women who throw themselves at men are too cheap!” He didn’t even try to hide his teasing expression, showing no concern for how much his words would hurt me. Even Esther and the others laughed happily along. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a heavy hand, twisted and crushed. I had known for a long time that Arnold, my brother Peter, and my childhood friend Tyler were planning to humiliate me. A few days ago, Arnold had called me. “Sara, you want to get married, right? You want to be a bride? The venue you picked is ready. Let’s meet there.” My heart skipped a beat. He knew what I wanted. I’d always wanted to get married. After my mother passed, I had been living with my grandmother, and now she was very sick, gravely ill. Her only wish was to see me married. I had already booked the wedding venue long ago, and I had begged Arnold to marry me, even if it was just a fake wedding, to put my grandmother’s mind at ease. His phone call left me in a state of turmoil. I wanted to go to the study and talk to Peter about it, but I overheard them eagerly discussing how to stage this farce on the day of the wedding.
Arnold laughed loudly and said, “I just called Sara to get her to prepare the wedding details. Guess what? She really thought I was going to marry her! “She’s dumb as hell, isn’t she?” Peter said, “She has no idea. The drama can only happen if we catch her off guard. It’s only fun if Sara makes a fool of herself. That’s what Esther will find entertaining.” I covered my mouth in disbelief. Even my half-brother, I didn’t know when, had chosen Esther’s side. Tyler immediately chimed in, “How about we swap the confetti over her head with water balloons? That’ll drench her and make her look like a drowned rat. “Just make sure Esther doesn’t find out ahead of time. Otherwise, it’ll be no fun.” They all seemed thrilled with their plan to prank me. Their faces showed that they were sure of their success. I stood frozen at the door, unable to move. The wedding I had so eagerly anticipated was nothing more than a farce to amuse Esther. The three people who once ran all over town just to buy me my favorite cake to make me happy… Where had they gone? When had they changed so much? In my memories, Peter, Arnold, and Tyler were the ones who cared the most about me. But ever since Esther came into this family, everything changed. Her depression was severe. So severe that just seeing me would bring her down, and every time she had an episode, she’d beg them to stay with her. At first, they were dismissive, thinking it was all an act. But gradually, their focus shifted from me to Esther. Arnold was the man I’d loved for seven years; Peter and Tyler had always been by my side. Now, they were willing to turn my wedding into a joke just to get a smile out of Esther. Making Esther happy had become their biggest goal even if it meant exchanging my humiliation for that. They tiptoed around Esther but showed no concern for how they turned me into the laughingstock. The thought sent a numbing pain to my heart. Today, I was indeed getting married. Just not to Arnold. I fixed my hair, trying to look presentable, and lifted the microphone to announce to everyone, “What just happened was a small interlude. Please be patient for just a moment.” Then I took my dampened, heavy wedding dress and added, “I’ll go change into another dress, or I won’t have time to change when my husband arrives.” Thankfully, I had predicted how things would go today and hadn’t worn my favorite dress. To my surprise, Arnold stared at me like I was some kind of clown. “Sara, are you insane because I’m not marrying you?” he suddenly asked. “I told you, this wedding was all a trick. There’s no groom!” Peter added with mocking laughter, “Sara, even if you’re embarrassed, there’s no need to lie! “And by the way, I know exactly whether anyone wants you or not. As your brother, I’m pretty sure I’d know.” His words drew laughter from everyone. For all these years, it was a well-known fact that I had chased after Arnold. Tyler pretended to ponder for a while. Then, he said, “Could it be that you’re trying to make Arnold jealous on purpose? “Such a low-level trick. Sara, don’t you find it hilarious?” Esther softly intervened and turned to persuade me, “Sara, this whole farce was just them trying to make me happy. I’m really touched that you’re willing to play along and entertain me. “I know you’ve liked Arnold for a long time, but love is a two-person thing… “A girl should value herself. Mom and Dad are down there, and there are so many guests. Don’t drag this out any longer.” She looked at me, her tone gentle, but her words implicitly criticized me for embarrassing myself. I turned to see my father in the audience, his face dark, constantly explaining to the guests. I took a deep breath and emphasized, “This is really my wedding, and my groom is on his way.” With that, I picked up my phone and dialed the top contact.
But the phone line kept buzzing with a busy signal, and after several minutes, no one answered. My heart sank, and I felt a little anxious. After all, we had only met once. Arnold watched me with a mocking tone. “Sara, I used to think you were just a little shameless, but now I think you’re really good at fooling yourself.” Peter sneered. “Sara, you should really stop with these pointless efforts.” Esther looked at me with a false air of understanding and turned to Arnold. “Arnold, it seems like Sara really wants to get married. “Why don’t you just pretend to go along with her for the sake of completing this charade? I think she looks pretty pitiful.” Arnold didn’t hesitate to refuse, saying decisively, “I’m just trying to make you laugh. I have no intention of marrying Sara.” He took a step back, distancing himself from me as if making it clear that he wanted no part in this and was afraid I might cling to him. Esther then turned to Tyler. Tyler also quickly declined, “This is way too embarrassing. I’m not doing it!” Watching them both hurriedly refuse, pledging their loyalty to Esther, I vaguely recalled the time when they were eighteen. They’d both fought to invite me as their partner for their coming-of-age dance. They’d competed to plant roses for me, just to win my favor. Now, my heart had grown numb. I didn’t want to watch Esther’s hypocritical act anymore. I said coldly, “Don’t worry. I won’t marry either of you scumbags. I’ve had enough of you. My groom is someone else.” My father seemed to have had enough. He yelled at me. “Sara! What are you playing at? Are you trying to ruin my reputation? “Why can’t you be more like Esther? Do you really want everyone to know you’re a desperate, unmarriageable loser?” I was stuck on stage, unable to leave, while all he cared about was his face. But my grandmother held my hand and stood firmly by my side. She gave me a comforting smile. “Sara never lies! Please, everyone, just wait a little longer.” At that moment, my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up. The voice on the other end was urgent but had a soothing, reassuring tone. “Sorry, honey, there’s some traffic, but I’m on my way.” I reminded him to be careful on the road. Tyler sneered and stared at me, “You’re really good at pretending. Did you hire an actor on the fly or something? “Sara, you’ll do anything to preserve your pathetic little pride, won’t you? “You’re so desperate to get married. Why don’t you just pick a man from the guests and get married right here?” Arnold pretended to be kind and suggested, but I knew he was doing it on purpose, trying to force me into a corner. The next second, he grabbed the microphone and spoke to the audience. “We’re having a live wedding here for Sara! Any man can sign up to participate. If someone catches her eye, we’ll just hold the wedding right here.” He continued with a sneer, “Anyone willing to try? Sara is loyal and devoted, and she’s been chasing after me for years.”
The guests started murmuring, some even taking out their phones to take pictures. I felt my face burn with humiliation as I bit my lip. Yes, I had chased after him for many years, but he had always accepted my kindness and given me vague, non-committal replies. Again and again, he trampled on my genuine feelings. A cold wind blew through the room. I felt cold both inside and out. There were actually people in the audience who seemed to agree with Arnold, wanting to marry me. Arnold led a man up to the stage, a man in his forties or fifties who looked even older than my father. He grinned, exposing yellow teeth and flashing a lewd smile. “What a beauty,” he commented. Tyler and Peter pushed me roughly in front of him. I felt disgusted and couldn’t bring myself to speak. Peter, seeing I wasn’t playing along, snapped, “Isn’t this faster than bringing in an actor? Hurry up and marry him. Stop embarrassing us all.” Esther chimed in, “Sara, just stop the act. We’ve already chosen the best one for you. What else could you possibly want?” I stared at these sanctimonious people, clenching my fists. “My wedding is not something for you to decide!” Then it hit me. I had just registered my marriage yesterday. At this very moment, my marriage certificate was in my bag. I took a few steps forward, grabbed the bag, and pulled out the marriage certificate. Then, I opened it and slammed it in front of them. “This is my marriage certificate, with my husband’s name on it. Like I said, he’s just not here yet.” Peter froze for a moment, his expression odd, before he burst into laughter. “Sara, you really went all out with the drama! “Do you even know who this man is? How dare you photoshop him into your husband?” Arnold took a quick look at the certificate, too. The room erupted into laughter. “Which shady place did you get this fake certificate from? You didn’t even bother to make it look convincing. Mr. Jerome Emmerson? I just asked him to meet up with me yesterday about a partnership. “He said he had just gotten married and was busy spending time with his wife! “You say this is your husband? Stop making a fool of yourself!” I remembered that Jerome had indeed spent the whole day with me trying on wedding dresses. His phone kept ringing, so I kindly told him to go ahead with his work, only for him to insist on staying and finishing the fitting. Esther looked at me with pity in her eyes. “Sara, it’s not your fault that you can’t have the one you love. But to force yourself to play out a charade like this just makes you look like a clown.” My father couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me off the stage. “Enough, Sara. Are you not done yet?” But Arnold held onto my hand, preventing me from leaving. “Didn’t you say he was almost here? “Aren’t you going to let us meet this so-called husband? You’re not leaving without showing him off, are you?” Peter and Tyler also grabbed me, preventing me from leaving. In the chaos, I almost lost my balance and tripped down the stairs. Just when I thought I was about to fall flat on my face, losing what little dignity I had left, a man caught me tightly in his arms, and the fresh, calming scent of pine wrapped around me. “Sorry, honey, I’m late.”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295577”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring
Leave a Reply