On January 31st, Simon was already there. Clad in a bespoke suit, he stood beneath the ballroom lights, detached and aloof. The faint shadows beneath his eyes were the only clue that he'd barely slept.
Vivian twirled once in her white dress beside him. "Well? Don't I look gorgeous?"
Simon never looked up. His attention remained fixed on his phone. There were only 10 minutes left.
Guests had begun arriving in waves. Before long, laughter and chatter filled the room.
"Simon, your Cinderella isn't backing out, is she? Don't tell me she got intimidated by a place like this and decided not to come."
Someone nearby laughed.
"Honestly, I wouldn't blame her. I heard her father's disabled. A family like that probably wouldn't know what to do with themselves in a venue this fancy."
Simon's fa
