Chapter 4 - The Walk Down the Aisle
Trinity Chapel was a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, filled with stained glass, vaulted ceilings, and four hundred of the city's wealthiest elites.
The air smelled of lilies, expensive perfume, and old money.
I stood in the vestibule, the heavy oak doors closed in front of me. Through the thick wood, I could hear the string quartet playing a soft, elegant melody.
Tessa stood beside me, nervously adjusting my veil, which was the only piece of my outfit Vivian hadn't managed to destroy.
"Are you ready for this?" Tessa whispered.
"I've never been more ready for anything in my life," I replied.
Inside the chapel, Vivian Mercer sat in the front row.
I didn't need to see her to know exactly how she looked. She would be wearing an impeccably tailored designer suit, her posture rigid, her chin tilted up.
She was probably waiting for the doors to open to an empty aisle. She was waiting for the announcement that the bride had fled in tears. She was waiting for her ultimate victory.
The music shifted. The heavy, dramatic chords of the bridal march began to echo through the stone walls.
"Open them," I signaled to the ushers.
The heavy oak doors swung open.
The light from the chapel poured over me.
For a fraction of a second, there was absolute silence. Then, a collective, audible gasp rippled through the four hundred guests.
I stepped forward.
My entrance wasn't a glide; it was a march.
With every step I took, the frayed ribbons of my ruined train dragged across the marble floor.
Heads turned. Whispers erupted like a sudden storm.
"Look at her dress..." "Is it a joke?" "What happened to her?" "Good heavens, it's torn to shreds."
I kept my head held high, my posture perfectly straight. I didn't look at the whispering guests. I didn't look at the confused faces of Ethan's extended family.
I looked straight down the aisle.
At the altar, Ethan stood waiting.
When he saw me, his eyes filled with a fierce, burning pride. He didn't look embarrassed. He looked like a man who was watching a queen claim her throne.
Then, my eyes shifted to the front row.
Vivian Mercer’s face was a portrait of shock.
Her smug, anticipated victory shattered instantly. She stared at the slashed silk, the safety pins, the absolute defiance of my presence.
Her jaw dropped. Her carefully applied makeup suddenly looked like a mask slipping off.
She leaned over to her brother, whispering furiously, her face turning pale.
She had tried to break me, and instead, I was wearing her cruelty for the entire world to see.
I didn't rush. I walked slowly, letting every guest get a good look at the violence inflicted upon my gown. I let them see the undeniable evidence of malice.
As I passed Vivian's pew, I paused for half a second.
I turned my head. I looked down at her.
May you like
And I gave her that same, terrifying smile.
Then I stepped up to the altar and took Ethan's hands.
