LOGINAbby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby After letting Officer Martinez out the back door, the loneliness and fear begins to set in again. Even though there’s a police car keeping watch, I can’t help but feel on edge. The front of my house is a media frenzy, and I feel like a target in more ways than one. Finding myself unable to
Karl I watch the screen of my phone go dark as Abby abruptly hangs up. My worry for her is only intensifying as time goes on, but I know I can’t rush to the city right now. I have a meeting scheduled to hire my election manager in ten minutes, and as much as I want to be by Abby’s side, I ha
Abby I approach the door cautiously, my heart pounding in my chest. The events of the past few days have left me on edge, and every unexpected sound or visitor sends a jolt of anxiety through me. I peer through the peephole, and my eyes widen in surprise when I see Officer Martinez standing on t
I feel a bit more relaxed now after that stranger’s kind words; even though I don’t even know his name, he managed to uplift me. And that means a lot. Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I slip it out and quirk an eyebrow when I see it’s a call from Karl. I haven’t heard from him since he le







