A Wife's Revenge

THE ACCIDENT

I ran from the wedding venue.

My heels pounded against the floor as I burst through the side exit of the wedding venue. Behind me, I heard gasps, murmurs, someone even called my name, but I didn't stop.

The parking lot was blindingly bright, making me squint against the sun, not excluding the burden of my wedding dress which was heavy and suffocating. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I couldn't stay there any longer.

As I ran further, I noticed a taxi waiting at the curb. I yanked open the door and climbed inside. "Drive," I gasped. "Just drive."

The driver stared at me. "Miss, are you—"

"Please, drive to anywhere. Just get me out of here."

The taxi pulled away. I watched the venue disappear in the rearview mirror. The white roses, the crystal chandeliers, the hundreds of guests who had come to celebrate my wedding.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the window.

"Miss?" The driver glanced at me. "Where to?"

I opened my eyes. I didn't know where I was going but I just needed to be somewhere that wasn't here. "Take me to a bar," I said. "Any bar."

The driver hesitated. "It's eleven in the morning."

"I don't care."

The taxi drove through the city. I stared at the passing buildings, my mind blank. I couldn't think about what had happened. Not yet. If I thought about it, I would shatter.

I spotted a small bar on a quiet street that was surronded by dark windows and empty parking lot. It was the Perfect place.

"Stop here,"

I paid the driver and climbed out. My dress dragged on the pavement but I didn't care. I walked into the bar and sat on a stool.

The bartender stared at me like I was such a sight to behold. Well, Imagine running into a woman in a wedding dress, make-up all done, alone at eleven in the morning.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"Whiskey. The strongest you have."

He hesitated but poured the drink. I grabbed it and downed it in one gulp. The liquid burned my throat down harshly. I coughed but still signaled for another.

This time, I sipped it slowly.

"Lily?"

A familiar voice cut through the silence. I turned to see who it was. A woman stood at the entrance of the bar, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Sarah?"

It was my friend from college. We hadn't seen each other in years since we lost contact after school, and I wasn't able to invite her to my wedding. She walked toward me, with confusion etched on her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Why are you in a wedding dress? Are you supposed to be getting married today?"

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over and then I started crying. Ugly, messy sobs that shook my entire body.

Sarah rushed to my side. "Lily, what happened? Talk to me."

I couldn't speak, I just cried. She wrapped her arms around me and held me.

"It's okay," she whispered. "Whatever happened, it's going to be okay."

I shook my head. "No it's not. He cheated on me with my best friend on my wedding day."

Sarah's face went pale. "Oh my God. Ethan? He cheated on you?"

I nodded, sobbing. "With Mia, my supposed maid of honor. Three months, Sarah. They've been sleeping together for three months."

Sarah pulled me tighter. "I'm so sorry, Lily. I'm so sorry."

We stayed like that for a long time. I cried against her shoulder while she held me. The bartender quietly cleaned glasses and pretended not to notice.

Finally, I pulled back and wiped my face. My makeup was ruined. I must have looked like a disaster.

"Look at me," I laughed bitterly. "I'm a mess."

Sarah smiled gently. "You're not a mess." She looked at my dress and shook her head. "We can't have you sitting in a bar in a wedding dress," she said. "Come on. I'm taking you to the mall."

"The mall?"

"Yes. We're getting you out of that dress and into something you can actually breathe in."

Twenty minutes later, I was standing in a dressing room at the mall. Sarah had picked out a simple black dress and a pair of comfortable flats. She had also grabbed makeup remover and a brush.

"Take off the dress," she said through the curtain. "I'll get rid of it."

I looked at myself in the mirror. My wedding dress. I pulled it off and handed it to Sarah.

She didn't say anything. She just took it and walked away.

When she came back, I was in the black dress she had selected. It was simple, comfortable and It felt like freedom.

"Better?" Sarah asked.

I looked at my reflection. My makeup was smeared, my hair was a mess, but I wasn't in that dress anymore.

"Better," I said.

Sarah smiled. "Good. Now let's fix your face and go back to that bar. You're going to drink until you forget your own name."

When we arrived at the bar. The vartender from earlier was startled to see me back looking better and I signaled him for more drinks. I sat with Sarah, my third whiskey already placed, in front of me.

"Another round?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," I said. "Definitely yes."

The bartender poured another drink. I grabbed it and downed half of it.

"You know," I slurred, "I was so stupid. So stupid. I trusted him. I trusted her. And they......they—"

"Don't think about it," Sarah said. "We're here to forget, remember?"

"Right. Forget." I laughed. "I'm going to forget Ethan's face, everything about him"

Sarah smiled. "That's the spirit."

I drank more. The whiskey burned my throat. It was a good burn, It made me feel alive.

"Lily, slow down," Sarah warned. "You're going to—"

"I'm fine," I said. "I'm perfectly fine."

I wasn't fine. I was the opposite of fine, but I didn't want to think about that.

Suddenely, Sarah's phone rang. She picked it up, answered it and stood up immediately she hung up.

Lily, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice rushed. "My mom had a fall. They're taking her to the hospital right now. I have to go."

I blinked, still processing. "What?"

"Lily, I'm so sorry," she repeated, already grabbing her bag. "Here's my number. Call as soon as you get home." She said handing me a business card

"Of course," I said, my voice hollow. "Go. She needs you."

Sarah hesitated for only a moment, her eyes filled with guilt and worry, then she turned and hurried toward the exit.

I finally stood up to go back to my apartment. I paid the bartender, leaving him a generous tip before stumbling out of the bar. It was already 4 p.m., but I was drunk enough for the world to spin around me.

As I stepped onto the road, headlights suddenly flashed before my eyes, then came a deafening crash.

Everything went black and the last thing I heard was a stranger shouting, “She’s still breathing!”