“Are you sure no one will come down here?” he asked. It was Jerry. My Jerry. But his tone wasn’t as gentle as it usually was with me. It was urgent, harsh.
“Relax, love. Everyone’s upstairs finding their seats. The ‘princess’ is probably touching up her makeup in the bridal suite,” a female voice replied. A voice that sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t a stranger. It was clear, unmistakable. It was Vanessa, my best friend, my maid of honor, the woman who had helped me choose the dress I was wearing.
My heart stopped for a second, then started pounding with a force that hurt. What were those two doing here, in the basement women’s restroom, minutes before the ceremony? A naive part of my brain wanted to believe I was surprising her, giving her a gift, or maybe rehearsing a speech. But the tone of their voices, the electricity in the air I could almost feel through the wooden door, screamed something very different.
“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Jerry said, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a kiss. Not a chaste kiss, but a wet, desperate one.
“Shh… just hang in there a little longer,” Vanessa whispered between stifled laughs. “As soon as you say ‘I do,’ everything will be easier. Think about the money, Jerry. Think about his father’s position in the company. Once you’re officially part of the family, no one can kick you out. And we… we’ll keep having fun just like we always have.”
“I know, I know,” he replied, and I could picture him running his hand through his hair, that gesture I used to adore but which now seemed sinister. “But it’s hard to pretend, Vanessa. She’s so… intense. So in love. Sometimes I feel sorry for her. She looks at me like I’m a god. If she only knew I’m marrying her because I’m broke and need the backing of her name…”
I felt like the ground was opening up beneath my feet. Every word was a precise stab, straight to the center of my soul. It wasn’t just infidelity; it was a complete emotional scam. My entire life, the last three years, had been a lie. The man waiting for me at the altar didn’t love me. He saw me as an ATM, a social stepping stone. And my best friend… my soul sister, was mocking me while she slept with him.