Betrayed On My Wedding Day

Chapter 3

Amara's POV

Daniel did not come back later that night.

At first, I told myself not to worry. He said he had things to handle and I need not worry, and I knew how demanding his life could be.

Still, when the hours stretched and the house stayed quiet, unease settled in my chest.

I sat on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, debating whether calling him would make me seem too needy. But it was only normal to care about the whereabouts of someone you loved, wasn't it?

I wouldn't know because this was my first actual relationship.

Just as I unlocked my screen, his name flashed across it.

It was a video call.

Relief loosened something inside me as I answered. His face filled the screen, slightly tilted, the lighting unfamiliar. He looked tired, but not upset.

“Hey you…” He said instantly.

“I was getting worried, just about to call you actually…”

“I came to see my parents,” he says before I can even ask.

“Are they okay?” I ask immediately.

“Yes,” he replies quickly. “Nothing serious.”

“By the way, I have a very long working day tomorrow, I will not be able to accompany you for the shopping we had planned. Lots of crazy things just came up and I can't be absent.” He added.

I did not know exactly how to feel about it, I suspected that the new deal signed would only add more work to him, and honestly, there was nothing I could do about it.

He must have noticed the little falter in my facial expressions, and he immediately apologized, stating the meetings and other things he would be doing the next day, he then promised to make it up to me.

“My best friend, Lucas, will go with you though,” he adds.

I hesitated, the thought of rescheduling crossing my mind, but I pushed it down. He already sounded stretched thin.

I would have preferred my best friend Daisy, come with me for the shopping, but she had gotten herself busy because she thought it would be just Daniel and I. Oh well….

“That’s fine,” I say.

We talked for almost an hour after that. About the wedding.

About other random things. About nothing at all. His voice grew slower, his eyes drooping mid-sentence, until he finally fell asleep on the call. I watched him for a few seconds before ending it.

The next day drifted by quietly.

I was eating and half-watching television when the doorbell rang. My heart lifted slightly, that had to be Daniel’s friend. I was nervous a little because I had never had a proper conversation with any of his friends, talk less of spending more than half the day with one of them.

I breathed in and out and opened the door, immediately, my knees almost gave out when I saw him.

Lucas stood there, tall and composed, his presence filling the doorway. I had seen him a couple of times before, but never this close. Never with him looking directly at me like this.

“Hi,” he says. “I’m Lucas.”

“I know,” I replied quickly. “Daniel’s told me about you.”

“I believe he said good things?” he asks, smiling.

“For your sake, I would say he did,” I said with a chuckle, stepping aside. “Come in.”

“Can I get you anything? Fruit juice? Wine? Anything?”

“Water is fine, thank you.” He made his decision and I dashed into the kitchen, seconds later I emerged with a glass of water for him. I went on to change the TV channel from the soap opera I was watching to a sport channel. I was basically twitching at this point.

While he waited and hopefully watched, I went upstairs to freshen up. Daniel’s card was in the drawer where he’d told me.

I picked it up, slipped it into my purse, and looked at myself in the mirror.

I still couldn’t believe I was about to get married.

When I came back down, Lucas was waiting patiently.

“Alright, I'm ready..” I said, he lifted his head and we walked out of the house, I locked the door behind us.

Outside, he opened the car door for me, and something about the gesture felt deliberate, careful.

The drive to the jewelry store was mostly quiet. Music played softly. A few times, I caught him looking at me, his gaze thoughtful. I pretended not to notice.

Inside the jewelry store, everything looked exquisite, I would never have dreamed to be in a place like this growing up.

Glass cases stretched endlessly, diamonds catching the light in a way that felt almost aggressive.

I instinctively moved toward the smaller displays, the simpler designs.

“These are nice,” I say, pointing to a modest set.

Lucas glanced at the price tag and then at me. “They are,” he agrees gently. “But they don’t feel like you. I don't think we are here for those, Amara”

I laughed nervously. “They feel like my budget.” Something about the way he called my name made something tingle in me.

He smiled. “Daniel didn’t give you one.”

I hesitated. “I don’t want to overdo it.”

A sales associate approached us, all polished smiles and practiced enthusiasm. Lucas spoke to her calmly, confidently, asking to see several high-end sets. I tried not to wince as she pulled them out.

When she mentioned the price of the first set, my mouth opened before I could stop myself.

“That’s… that’s more than my yearly rent,” I say quietly.

Lucas chuckled. “Then it’s definitely worth considering.”

I stared at him. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

We went through several other options. Each one seemed more extravagant than the last.

Eventually, we narrowed it down to three sets. When the associate totaled them, the number made my head spin.

“Eighty-four thousand dollars, can I get your card please,” she says smoothly.

I swallowed hard. “Lucas…”

He raised a hand. “It’s done.”

Before we left, he paused at another display and asked the associate to bring out a particular neckpiece. It was delicate, understated, and somehow perfect.

“This one,” he says. “Wrap it.”

“What for?” I asked curiously, not like it was any of my business.

“Oh, it's for you,” he responded sharply.

I turned to him. “You don’t have to…”

“It’s my gift,” he says simply.

“How much is it?” I ask.

He smiled. “Doesn’t matter.”

In the car afterward, conversations came easier. I told him a bit about my background, about not growing up with much, about learning early how to make myself small.

I mentioned my sickle cell and the diseases I had endured growing up, briefly. He listened without interrupting, without pity. I told him about how my doctor had been a strong source of support to me all through.

We moved on to other stores. The wedding gown.

“It looks good on you.” That was his remark when I tried it on, he looked absolutely gassed, and it only gave me more confidence. I needed that more than anything.

At some point, Daniel called to find out how it was going, but the call was short lived because someone needed his attention. Before he cut the call, he told Lucas to pick up his suit for him, best one he could find too.

We got that, Lucas had said it would be perfect on him.

We left to get shoes and a second outfit for the after-party.

The hours passed effortlessly. Lucas asked questions. He remembered my answers. He made me laugh.

Daniel was a good listener, but Lucas connected.

By the time we were done, it was already 7 p.m.

Instead of heading straight home, Lucas suggested dinner. He took me somewhere elegant but relaxed. I had better start getting used to this life.

We talked. We laughed. For a while, I forgot everything else.

When I finally got home, I was smiling from ear to ear. He helped me pack the bags into the house, then bidded me goodbye.

About an hour later, Daniel came back. He smelled unfamiliar, not bad, just different. I told myself it must have been his perfume variant in his father's house. He barely talked, said he was exhausted, and settled onto the couch.

I went to the kitchen to make him something to eat.

By the time I returned, he was already asleep. I took the meal back to the kitchen and came back to the sitting room.

I curled into his arms, letting myself believe everything was exactly where it should be.