His father, my revenge

I stood in front of the mirror while I held my breath. Today is that beautiful day that I have always imagined, oh it’s my wedding today I said to myself. The day I had dreamed about since I was a little girl is the day that makes me pretend to play in my mother’s clothes. Now, I was no longer pretending. I was about to become someone’s wife. Aiden’s wife. As I fixed the pearl earring on my left ear, I saw that my hands were shaking. I told myself I was only nervous and excited, not fear, certainly not fear. The morning sunlight streamed in through the window, filling the room with a warm yellow light. The room was quiet and peaceful, but almost too calm. I looked in the mirror and saw myself in a silky white robe that fit closely to my body. My hair was pinned to the back with soft curls framing my face. My makeup was almost done with just one final touch to my lips. I picked up the lipstick and carefully applied it. It is pink in color. Aiden’s favorite. A small smile formed on my lips. I was marrying Aiden Blackstone. The man I had loved for three whole years. The man who saw me when no one else noticed me. The man who made me feel like I mattered. I should have felt happy and peaceful but instead, I had a strange, suspicious feeling inside that I couldn't explain but Still, I smiled. Because this was my day. And I deserve all of it, I said as I thought about how far I have come as I looked in the mirror. I wasn't always this confident and happy. I wasn't this beautiful. There was a time when I went through tough times when I was barely making ends meet and lost myself in the process. Suddenly, I was flooded with memories of a traumatic accident from my childhood. I remembered every detail of the accident that night, the loud crash, and the eerie silence that followed, it's a memory that still haunts me to this day. A problem that put me into life suffering. I was in the backseat, going from laughing about what my Dad said to waking up in the hospital with injuries and bandages on my head and a nurse whispering ‘‘you are a strong girlʼ’ My parents couldn't survive the fatal accident. But I did and I regret surviving. Every day I wished I followed my mom. After the funeral, life moved on quickly. I had to move in with Shera, my dad's best friend's wife since she was the only family left. I will never forget the first day I moved into her house. It smelled so bad like old smoke and bleach. She gave me a cold look, "Don't expect any special treatment," she said while walking off and leaving me standing alone by the door with my luggage. That house never felt like home. Shera never called me by my name. It was always “that girl” or “you.” I ate leftovers, cleaned up after myself, and stayed out of her way. I learned quickly that love wasn’t something you could ask for. You either deserve it or live without it. So I focused on surviving, on how to leave their house and become someone in life despite her hatred. When I got into college, I thought things would get better. But they didn’t, not exactly the way I imagined it. I had no money, no support, and no idea how I was going to make it through life. I worked three jobs. Waitressed during the week, babysat on weekends, and cleaned motel rooms late at night. Some days, I only slept two hours. Some nights, I cried in the bathroom because the pressure felt too much for me. But I didn’t give up. I couldn’t give up, Because I wanted more. A life that was mine. A life filled with love, zeal, and peace. And then Aiden came into the picture. He wasn’t like the boys I met before. He was quiet, mature, always put-together. He came from one of the richest families in the New York. Everyone in New York knew the name Blackstone. But when he looked at me, I didn’t feel small. I didn’t feel like “the poor girl.” I just felt… seen, you know, noticed. We met at a coffee shop near campus. I spilled hot chocolate on his shirt. I expected him to be angry like every other CEO, but he just smiled and said, “At least it smells better than my cologne.” That was the beginning. And now, here I am. About to become his wife. “Natalie?” a voice called from the door. Emma peeked in. “Are you okay?” I turned and smiled. “Yeah, I was Just thinking.” Emma walked in and smiled at me deliberately. "You have come a long way," she said and I agreed, but it felt surreal. She touched my arm gently and said, "You deserve this." Every bit of it, I got emotional and thanked her. Emma had been by my side through late-night breakdowns, ramen dinners, broken shoes, job rejections. She was my sister in every way. Are you ready to put on the gown? she asked and I nodded. She helped me into it, it was a white lace, smooth satin, and a perfect fit. I turned to the mirror again, and for a moment, I didn’t recognize myself, I looked happy and I was glowing. The broken girl I used to be melted away. The knock on the door brought me back to reality. The guests are seated, said my wedding planner. “It’s time.” I smiled while nodding, but I felt worried like something was pressing down on me. I picked up my bouquet and followed Emma out. We walked through the hallway of the garden venue, White petals were covering the floor while Soft music floated in the air. Everything looked like a setting from a fairytale. Until I saw him, Aiden! He was standing at the altar in a black suit with his hands folded together in front of him. He looked calm, composed, and Handsome. Our eyes met and he smiled at me, I smiled back with my heart racing. But something was off. His smile didn’t reach his eyes. I pushed the thought aside, maybe I was just nervous. I said as I started walking, taking a step at a time slowly so I don't fall, each step I took got me closer to him and further from my old life. I felt like floating, but the strange feeling in my chest was still there. It felt like peace before problems arose, Like something big was waiting for me behind the curtains. I didn’t know that everything I believed was about to fall apart. I didn’t know I was walking into the biggest lie of my life. I didn’t know that the man waiting at the altar, the man I loved with all my heart, was hiding something so cruel that might break my heart. But as I walked down the hall, all I saw was him, and I felt the love we shared. All I could hear was the Soft music playing in the background, and this moment was supposed to be the start of my new life, my forever with him. But the thing about storms? They don’t announce themselves. They wait. And then they destroy you.