Chapter 3 Wedding Chaos
910 Words
Woken by the dazzling sunlight streaming through the window, Mabel was reluctant to open her eyes.
Her head felt like it was about to split open, and her limbs were devoid of strength as if she had been run over by a truck.
'What... what happened to me?'
A jolt of alarm surged through Mabel as she suddenly remembered that today was supposed to be her wedding day.
She snapped her eyes open and was shocked to find that she was not at home.
The disheveled bed, clothes scattered all over the floor, and there—undeniably—was the dress she had worn to her bachelorette party the previous night, alongside a distinctly masculine silver-gray suit jacket.
'Oh, a man's suit, Wait... a man?!'
Realizing something was amiss, she slowly turned her stiff neck and saw a stranger on the balcony, his back to her, speaking on the phone.
Mabel was shocked. She didn't know who that was, but it was clear he wasn't Yusuf!
She bolted upright, groaning involuntarily and gasping as her body protested the rough treatment from the night before.
'Oh my God, what exactly happened last night?'
The soundproofing of the balcony glass door was excellent; Mabel could only faintly hear the man's voice but couldn't make out the words.
"What do I do now?" In her confusion, Mabel's body made the decision before her brain could catch up. Within two minutes, she had cautiously and swiftly dressed, grabbed her purse, and fled the room filled with the remnants of last night's passion.
Stepping out of the hotel, Mabel sighed in relief and hailed a taxi.
"Sir, take me to Ritterson Road."
As she sat in the cab, she tried to calm her racing heart and nerves, to no avail—her anxiety only intensified.
She pulled out her phone, only to find it had shut down due to a dead battery.
The sympathetic driver lent her a USB cable, and she managed to turn it on, but her relief was short-lived as she noticed a dozen missed call alerts.
Before she could identify the callers, her phone vibrated violently.
"Mabel! Where the hell have you been? Don't you know it's your wedding day?" Her cousin Lauren Lambert's voice blared from the speaker. "God, all the reporters and our friends and family are waiting!"
Mabel's head pounded, and she awkwardly responded, "I'll be there soon."
Heaven, her waist was still sore. Even when sitting down, she could still feel a fiery, foreign sensation, not to mention the marks on her chest and shoulders!
Was she really about to show up in front of countless cameras with traces of last night's lust all over her?
"Uh, Lauren, can you please arrange a shawl to go with my wedding dress?" Mabel thought, hoping to cover up as much as possible. "I took a nasty fall last night while drunk and hurt my shoulder. I don't want it to show on camera."
"Your shoulder got hurt?"
Mabel was overwhelmed by anxiety, so she missed the odd tone in Lauren's voice.
The next second, Lauren became uncharacteristically sweet and gentle, a stark contrast to her earlier irritation. "Oh dear, of course, I'll prepare a shawl for you, as long as you... show up on time for your own wedding."
When Mabel arrived at the venue in her wedding dress, Lauren was waiting at the door.
Dressed in an elegant gown, Lauren greeted Mabel with an overly bright smile when she saw her disheveled appearance.
"My dear, I'm so glad you finally made it." Lauren handed her the prepared shawl. "Quick, everyone is waiting."
Feeling slightly reassured, Mabel quickly draped the shawl over herself, covering the marks. She tried to maintain her composure and forced a smile. "Thank you. I've been in such a rush."
Just then, Yusuf appeared. Dressed in a black suit with a crisp white shirt, his stunning features were marred slightly by an undertone of impatience.
"You finally made it." Yusuf approached quickly, and his harsh voice barely contained any concern. "Go get dressed. Everyone's waiting for us."
Mabel took a deep breath, nodded, and forced herself to stay composed. "I know. Let's go."
Even as she stood before the priest and recited her vows, Mabel still felt rather flustered.
The events of the previous night weighed heavily on her, making everything around her feel surreal at the wedding. She was terribly afraid that the man from last night would appear and ruin everything.
"Ms. Lambert?" the priest called her name, snapping her out of her reverie.
Mabel realized it was time for the "special segment" that Yusuf had requested.
"Mabel, we've shared four years together, creating many beautiful memories. I've prepared a video as a gift for you. I hope you like it." Yusuf's voice trembled strangely.
'Oh, Yusuf is so thoughtful! I shouldn't have doubted his feelings for me,' Mabel chided herself internally.
"Of course, I'd love it!" she responded.
Yusuf caressed her veil and nodded to the staff to start the video.
The entire hall fell silent, all eyes turning expectantly to the big screen behind the couple.
Suddenly, a surge of extreme unease rose in Mabel's heart!
She turned around abruptly and saw that the video didn't feature Yusuf at all, but herself and a man whose face was unclear.
There she was, disheveled and clinging to the man as they entered a hotel.
He was... the man in the silver suit!
- Writer
