On my wedding day, I woke up at five, only to find the makeup artist already doing the bridesmaid’s face. “Liam paid extra, so I’m doing an extra bridesmaid’s makeup.” Harper, the makeup artist, slowly and deliberately applied foundation to Skylar. “The bridesmaid wanted you to get more sleep, so she woke up early for me to do her first.” “Cassie, don’t worry, I’ll be done in a sec!” Skylar flashed me a sweet, yet somehow calculating smirk. I noticed she wasn’t wearing the bridesmaid dress I’d prepared. Instead, she was in a pure white gown, identical in color to mine. I stood rooted to the spot, a scorching wave of fury washing over me. My hand shot out, angrily dialing Liam’s number. “First, my makeup artist is only doing *my* makeup today.” “Second, get your childhood friend, that bridesmaid, to immediately change into the dress I picked out!” Liam sounded groggy, barely awake, a hint of exasperation in his voice. “Cassie, baby, why are you being so difficult?” “Skylar told me the bridesmaid dress you got was too big, it didn’t fit her right.” “And about the makeup, Skylar’s just not the type for all this glam, she barely knows how to draw her own brows…” I cut him off. “You either agree to this, or there won’t be a wedding.” The phone line went silent for a beat. Leo Johnson sighed, his voice raspy. “…Is it really that bad, sweetheart?” “Forget it. Happy wife, happy life. Hand the phone to Chloe, I’ll talk to her.” I handed the phone to Chloe Reynolds. Her face went stark white the moment she answered. Her eyes welled up with tears. Like she was the one who’d been wronged. “Leo, today’s your big day. I just wanted to look beautiful, was that so wrong?” “So, a bridesmaid has to look like a forgotten shadow? How insecure must a bride be to demand her bridesmaids actively dull their shine?” I knew those words were meant for me. But I didn’t even lift my head. This bridesmaid gig was Leo’s idea, shoved onto me. It was only right he dealt with it. A week ago, Leo suddenly told me. He’d found three groomsmen, but I only had two bridesmaids. He needed me to find one more. I was still wondering who to ask when he just pushed his childhood best friend on me. “Chloe has been with us since forever, like family. She’s the only girl in our whole crew of guys.” “The other three are groomsmen, and she’s just a regular guest? It’ll look like we don’t value her.” “You need a bridesmaid anyway, so why don’t you just ask her?” Leo said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. A strange feeling of distaste rose in me, and I wanted to refuse. But then he started badgering me relentlessly, sweet-talking me until I couldn’t say no. My refusal got stuck in my throat. I ended up agreeing. That very evening, the night I agreed, was our pre-wedding get-together with friends. It was my first time meeting Chloe Reynolds face-to-face. She was completely bare-faced, rocking a simple white tee and jeans. She looked bright, cheerful, and utterly innocent. When she saw me, she was overly enthusiastic. She immediately linked her arm through mine. Calling me “Leo’s lady.” “Leo really struck gold! To find a girlfriend as beautiful as you, Leo’s lady!” “None of his previous girlfriends ever impressed us, but now he’s finally bagged a real catch!” She pulled me with her left hand and Leo with her right, making us sit down. Their excessive familiarity made me even more uncomfortable. “Thanks, Leo’s lady, for letting me be a bridesmaid! Otherwise, these guys, with their twisted minds, would’ve made me a groomsman!” Noah, one of Leo’s old buddies, chimed in: “We already got your groomsman suit made! You’re our group’s favorite, Chloe! Leo’s wedding, you absolutely have to be center stage!” “What are you talking about? Leo’s lady is center stage!” They were all in sync, feeding off each other’s words, almost like a well-rehearsed act. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. The entire party, I felt like an outsider looking in. They drank and played games, and Leo instinctively shielded Chloe from drinks. When they were tipsy, Chloe draped her arm around Leo’s neck and they sang “My Best Bud” together. It made everyone tear up. “Leo, from tonight on, you’re not just *mine* anymore…” “Tell me, are we going to be best friends forever or what?” She yelled into the microphone at Leo. I’d reached my breaking point. I slammed my glass down and walked out. It was because of that party that Leo and I argued for a whole week, only making up the day before the wedding. The bridesmaid situation was set, no changing it now. All I wanted was to get married peacefully. But Chloe was still stirring up trouble. I couldn’t stand this kind of humiliation. If things didn’t go my way today. This wedding, it wasn’t happening. 2 They bickered back and forth for a while. Chloe finally caved. “Leo, today’s your big day. I definitely can’t drop the ball.” Her eyes were watery, like she was about to cry any second. After a moment, she finally changed back into the correct bridesmaid dress. I sat at the vanity, letting the makeup artist work on me. I ignored her. An hour later, my makeup was done, and she came over, wearing a full face of her own. It was almost laughable. Leo had actually told me she barely knew how to put on eyeliner. Her makeup looked perfectly fine, didn’t it? She was such a good actress. Everything was ready. My mom, Sarah, and my best friends, Harper and Skylar, were bustling around for me. Setting up props for games, preparing tea and water for the tea ceremony… Only Chloe was glued to the couch, scrolling through her phone. A constant stream of TikToks blared from her device. It made me even more agitated. Harper spoke up before I could: “Um… Chloe, we’re going over the games for later. Would you mind boiling some water for us?” She acted like she hadn’t heard a thing. Continuing to stare at her phone. “…Chloe?” “I’m here to be a bridesmaid, not the bride’s maid.” “It’s just a wedding, not a coronation. She really thinks she’s a princess.” She glared at Harper, her face cold. She didn’t move an inch until the groom’s party arrived. But the moment she heard them, she perked right up. Hiking up her dress, she rushed to the front. The bridesmaids had set up a series of questions; only by answering correctly could the door be opened. Chloe suddenly cut Harper off, asking abruptly: “Leo, when was the very first time we slept together?” The words hung in the air, and the entire room fell silent. Harper couldn’t hold back anymore and shoved Chloe back. “Are you here to sabotage the wedding?” “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all!” On the other side of the door, Leo looked like a deer in headlights. “Chloe, don’t talk nonsense! We’re just good friends, when did we ever sleep together?” Noah, one of the groomsmen, didn’t spare him. “Leo, remember that cabin trip to the mountains in high school, when there was only one room? The five of us piled onto one bed, and it was freezing. You were worried Chloe would be cold, so you held her the whole night!” “Shut your damn mouth, Noah!” Leo’s voice was filled with sheer panic. “Avery, don’t listen to their nonsense!” My nails dug into my palms. I bit back the urge to explode. Harper quickly changed the subject. After a few irrelevant questions and collecting some cash gifts, the door finally opened. Next up was finding the shoes. I just wanted to get through the process quickly. But the shoes were nowhere to be found. Leo was pacing frantically. The groomsmen almost tore the place apart. Then Harper leaned in and whispered in my ear: “I think I just saw Chloe secretly throw something out the window downstairs… It couldn’t be the shoes, could it?” My heart dropped. Rage surged through me, and I stopped caring about appearances. I yelled, “Chloe Reynolds, did you throw my wedding shoes out the window?” She flinched, her face slightly pale. “…No, I didn’t.” “No, huh? There’s a security camera in the room. We can just check it and see.” Chloe visibly panicked. “…I just wanted to make the game a little harder.” “Chloe, are you insane?” Leo finally snapped. He bolted downstairs. A moment later, he came back, holding my wedding shoes, now covered in dirt. His face was whiter than paper. “Avery… this…” My mom, Sarah, saw the shoes, and her face turned livid. “Leo, what is your friend thinking?” “Today’s your big day! Is she here to ruin it?” “Mom, Mom, it’s all my fault…” “Don’t call me Mom. I’m not your mother until you’ve poured me tea.” The atmosphere dropped to freezing point. Those brainless groomsmen tried to smooth things over. “The shoes were found, weren’t they? Is there any need to get so angry?” “Leo, you’re overreacting. Chloe didn’t mean it, she’s practically in tears, can’t you see?” “Everyone just shut up! Today’s my wedding, and my wife is the most important person here!” Leo looked at me cautiously. “Avery, I’ll clean the shoes right away.” I shook my head. “I won’t wear those shoes.” “Go buy me a new pair right now.” “Avery, you don’t need to be a drama queen about this, do you? Just cleaning them would be fine!” I took a deep breath. I snatched the shoes from Leo’s hand and threw them directly at Noah. “This is *my* wedding. If you’re not happy, you can leave.” “You—” “Enough! I’ll go buy the shoes right now!” Leo tore off his suit jacket and stormed out the door. Half an hour later, he returned with a new pair of shoes. Leo was drenched in sweat. “Avery, it’s all my fault. Please be the bigger person and don’t hold this against me.” He knelt on one knee and put the new shoes on my feet. Then he carried me bridal style to the car. Chloe stood nearby, her eyes red, looking like she’d suffered the greatest injustice. I couldn’t be bothered with her; I just hoped she’d have the sense to get lost right now. But she was completely shameless. She actually followed us and got into the car too. I had no idea then that she was cooking up something nasty to sabotage me. 3 The rest of the preparations went smoothly enough. We were about to make our grand entrance for the ceremony. At this crucial moment, my mom was suddenly called away by Mrs. Johnson. A chill ran down my spine, a vague premonition of something bad. But I tried to convince myself I was just overthinking. Leo and I walked hand-in-hand down the aisle. The Officiant finished the blessings, and the Emcee concluded the opening remarks. According to the rehearsal, it was supposed to be Leo and my turn to exchange vows. But the Emcee suddenly sprung a surprise on us, announcing an extra segment. No one had ever informed me about this segment. I turned to glance at Leo. Then I tugged at his sleeve. But he wouldn’t look at me, his profile a roadmap of guilt. “This is a custom from the groom’s family’s hometown, a new bride must pass a ‘threshold ritual’ before she can truly enter their home!” I had never heard of anything called a “threshold ritual.” Just as I was about to ask, several groomsmen suddenly grabbed and held me down. “What are you doing?” Harper tried to stop them from touching me. But the groomsmen were big, hulking guys, and Harper couldn’t pull them off. The scene started to get chaotic. “Leo Johnson! What is the meaning of this?” I demanded loudly. Leo’s face was filled with distress. “Avery, this is a wedding custom from our hometown. If you don’t pass this test, you can’t truly enter our family’s door.” “Just bear with it… I’ll make it up to you when we get home!” Someone kicked my knee. I stumbled, directly falling to my knees. Noah pressed down hard on my head. Calling out to Mr. and Mrs. Johnson: “Aunt and Uncle, please come!” It was then I finally understood what this “threshold ritual” meant: I had to kneel while Leo’s male relatives stepped over my head. It was a vile symbol of their dominance, meant to break me and assert their power over the bride. “Avery, just bear with it, it’ll be over soon!” Leo’s voice was trembling. He sounded like he was heartbroken for me. But from beginning to end, he just stood there watching. He did nothing. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were the first to step over me. Then came his Grandpa Johnson, Uncle Robert, and Uncle David. “Leo Johnson, you bastard!” I screamed, but the groomsmen pressed me down even harder. Chloe’s voice, full of schadenfreude, drifted to my ears. “This is our hometown tradition. If you want to marry Leo, you have to pass this test.” My carefully styled hair was already a mess. My wedding dress was covered in footprints from the groom’s family. My mom, having been lured away, had no idea what was happening. My bridesmaids, looking shaken, tried to rush up to help me. But Leo’s family had already surrounded me. The scene was a total mess. A wave of despair washed over me. Was this the wedding I had dreamed of…? I don’t know how long it lasted, but this segment finally ended. I didn’t want this wedding anymore. My bridesmaids were all looking disheveled and shaken, helping me up and trying to get me off the stage. Just then, Mrs. Johnson spoke again. “Avery, it’s not over yet.” “There’s one more ritual.” “Get lost! I’m not doing this wedding!” I screamed at the old woman. But they didn’t give me any chance to get off the stage. Leo’s family brought out a large bucket. A foul stench wafted over, making me want to vomit. “Avery, you must reach into this bucket of foul-smelling manure water and pull out eggs. The number of eggs you retrieve will determine how many sons you will bear.” Mrs. Johnson’s face was a network of wrinkles as she smiled. “Whoever wants to scoop can scoop! I’m not doing it!” “Avery… this is the last part, I beg you, please listen to my mom.” Leo groveled and pleaded with me. Seeing that sickening expression on his face, I felt nothing but disgust. I kicked off my heels, ready to leave the stage. Noah actually grabbed me again. “If they tell you to scoop, you scoop! What’s with all the talk?” “Don’t touch me!” I struggled fiercely. But my pristine white wedding dress was already splattered with filthy manure water. My wedding had been utterly destroyed. My bridesmaids tried to help me, but they were blocked by two other groomsmen. Chloe, on the side, was still directing. “Hurry up! Strip their clothes off!” “These girls are so pretty, aren’t you tempted?” “Strip their clothes off, and tonight they can be your brides!” Chloe stood there, hands on her hips, excitedly watching the spectacle. The guests in the audience couldn’t stomach it anymore. They started to protest. But Mr. and Mrs. Johnson insisted it was just a normal ritual. “Entering our Johnson family’s door isn’t that easy.” “We won’t accept this daughter-in-law until she’s been put through the wringer.” Chloe linked arms with Mrs. Johnson, calling her “Auntie” with a sickeningly sweet familiarity. “Auntie, after today, she’ll definitely be obedient and know who’s boss in the family.” Mrs. Johnson’s eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled. “I saw this new daughter-in-law was unruly. It’s a good thing you suggested putting her in her place. Once she’s in our Johnson family, she’ll know her place and keep quiet!” “But Chloe, if you were marrying Leo, I would never, ever let them do this to you.” “It’s a shame you and Leo weren’t destined to be… we won’t have the chance to be mother and daughter-in-law.” Chloe sighed with regret. “Auntie, just treat me like your own daughter.” “Regardless of whether Leo is married or not, my feelings for him will always be the same.” Listening to their conversation, a fire ignited in my chest. It burned hotter and hotter. I glared, grabbing Noah’s arm, and bit him hard. He yelped in pain. Immediately letting go of me. I stumbled off the stage, picking up two bottles of white wine from a guest table, one in each hand. Then I smashed both bottles over the heads of the groomsmen who were harassing my bridesmaids. Both men were bleeding. “…Avery, are you insane?” Leo’s face was filled with disbelief. As if I had done something utterly outrageous. “Avery… they were just joking around, did you have to go that far?” I dropped the wine bottles and slapped Leo across the face. Chloe tried to rush in and stop me, so I gave her a slap too. The entire venue finally fell silent. “Leo Johnson, what do you mean, ‘joking around’?” “How about I ‘joke around’ with you like this, huh?” “This wedding is off! I’m not putting up with this anymore!” “You rotten family, all of you, get lost as far as you can!” Then, I bowed deeply to all the guests attending my wedding. “I apologize for making you witness such a farce. I truly cannot go through with this wedding. For those who gave cash gifts, you can collect them at the door shortly.” With that, I pulled my two best friends, and without looking back, we left the wedding venue. 4 “Avery, are you okay…?” My two best friends, Harper and Skylar, looked disheveled but still tried to comfort me. The calm I had maintained suddenly fractured. My eyes stung. I rubbed them fiercely, then wrapped my arms around my friends. “I’m fine. This whole mess today just showed me the true colors of the Johnson family.” Harper sniffled. “I checked. They do apparently have customs like that in their old hometown, but that was decades ago.” “And the wedding pranks weren’t supposed to happen before the ceremony, but *after* the reception. Their family doing this now was clearly just to mess with you.” Even if Harper hadn’t said it, I knew. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were not happy with me as their daughter-in-law. During our engagement, when our parents first met, they disapproved because I came from a single-parent family. Then they complained about my high education, saying a woman with a Ph.D. would be too strong and would likely dominate their son. I was already uncomfortable then. But Leo sweet-talked me relentlessly, almost kneeling to convince me to continue with the wedding. Looking back now, I was just blinded by his words. Leo and I met during a hiking trip. He pursued me for a whole year before I agreed to be with him. We dated for five years. Throughout those five years, I knew he had good guy friends, and also one female friend. But he never introduced them to me. As a boyfriend, he wasn’t bad. Thoughtful and gentle, everything revolved around me. After we got together, he never went out drinking with his friends again. Even for company dinners, he’d report to me beforehand. He said he was willing to be completely devoted to me, a “wife-controlled man.” The world could be big, but his wife was bigger. Back then, I actually believed him. Now, I realize it was just his sugar-coated bullets. Meeting his friends right before the wedding. That’s when the cracks started to show. His friends were not friendly to me. Especially Chloe Reynolds. Chloe liked Leo; I could see it at a glance. The only reason they hadn’t gotten together all these years was probably because neither of them dared to acknowledge their true feelings. My appearance was just an accident. If I had known this would be the outcome. I would never have agreed to marry him. Someone like him deserves to be tied to Chloe. The more I thought about it, the more wronged I felt. I started to cry. Just then, Mom finally arrived. She saw me, covered in dirt and looking distraught, and her eyes widened in shock. “What happened…? Avery, why are you like this?” My friends explained the whole story to her. Mom trembled with rage, then stormed towards the wedding venue, saying she was going to get justice for me. “My daughter, whom I raised like a treasure, treated like this by them!” “Those bastards! I’m going to have a word with them!” I stopped Mom. “Don’t go, Mom. There’s no reasoning with those people.” “If we try to reason with them, we’ll just end up getting more upset.” “Mom, I don’t want this wedding anymore. If I married him, who knows how much more I’d have to put up with afterwards.” Mom wrapped her arm around my shoulders, her eyes red, and nodded firmly. “Avery, no matter what you decide, your mother will support you. My only wish is for you to be happy.” The four of us took a taxi back to the hotel. I bought plane tickets for the earliest flight home the next morning. I didn’t want to stay in this awful place for another second.
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