Chapter 1

  I spent extra time applying my makeup. I wished I didn’t care about my looks but I did. Most people from my high school were going to be there and even though years had passed, I didn’t want to be the same person they used to know.

I picked out a green dress with a low neckline.

  “Honey, you look perfect,” Nathan gasped as he walked into the room

  “You seem nervous, you don’t have to be. It’s just a wedding.”

I sighed and offered him a small smile. Nathan was supportive, he knew I was bullied in school and reuniting with my bullies was something I didn’t want to do. 

 Mama made me promise to attend. With papa being sick, she needed my help in catering for Zac’s and Olivia’s wedding. Our family’s restaurant was being paid handsomely to handle the event and it was going to open more opportunities for us in the future, it was too important to pass up.

My plan was simple, make sure everything ran smoothly and leave as quickly as possible. I had no intention of lingering in a place where old memories and faces could find me.

  This wasn’t just any wedding, it was a grand affair, one of the biggest weddings in town. 

Zac and Olivia’s wedding was so beautiful, the garden was transformed into something out of a fairytale. Nathan and I were going to get married next year in the local church where my parents had wed. I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that my wedding wasn’t going to be anything like Zac and Olivia’s. I swallowed hard, trying not to compare. 

As expected, mama's catering was flawless and everything was going smoothly. What could go wrong?

The music swelled as Olivia and her father walked down the aisle. Everyone gasped at how beautiful she looked, from her dress with beaded pearls to her veil that floated around her.

Guests leaned closer, some whispering in admiration, others dabbing their teary eyes. Even though Olivia was the person that made others bully me in highschool, I couldn’t help but marvel at how much of a beautiful bride she made.

Zac stood at the alter, his black tuxedo, a perfect fit 

I haven't seen him in years but he was way more handsome than the last time I saw him. He had grown a beard and his once boyish features were now carved into the kind of handsomeness that made girls drool. 

My stomach twisted. 

 Back in highschool, I had the biggest crush on him and I used to write his name with little hearts  on the margin of my book, dreaming of the day he’d notice me. Olivia found out about my crush and in true Olivia fashion, she made sure the entire school knew. The teasing that followed was merciless. They called me to plain Jane. I wore thick glasses that slid down my nose and a mouth full of shiny braces. To make it all worse, I was still in a training bra when most of the other girls were blossoming into womanhood. 

  The school was filled with rich kids who wore designer clothes and had European summers. I didn’t belong there. I was only there on a scholarship, a reminder to everyone that I wasn’t one of them. I was the awkward nerdy girl who never fit in.

 Over the years, life had been good to me. I met Nathan, the love of my life in college, I landed a job with a big shot tech company, one that gave me stability and assurance that my future children would live a better life than I did. 

Standing there in my green dress with Nathan’s presence by my side, I knew I had built a life I could be proud of and nothing was ever going to jeopardize it. 

  The pastor lifted his bible.

 “Dear beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the Union of Zac and Olivia in holy matrimony”

Every pair of eyes were fixed on the altar. 

Olivia stood radiant beside Zac, the perfect couple. 

As the pastor's words filled the air, I noticed the subtle change in Zac’s expression. His jaw tightened. It was small, barely noticeable but I knew Zac. From all those years of watching him from across my seat in class, I could tell when something was wrong. 

Nathan squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile. In a couple of months, we’d be the ones exchanging vows. My heart softened at the thought but my attention was dragged back to the altar where Zac’s Adam's apple bobbed.

  The pastor turned to Zac, his voice solemn now.

  “Zac, do you take Olivia to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as you both shall live?”

 Everyone went silent as they waited for the inevitable yes. Olivia’s smile didn’t waver as she waited for his answer.

Seconds stretched into minutes. A few awkward coughs scattered through the crowd and Olivia’s smile quickly morphed into panic. 

  “I can’t marry you,”

Zac's words sliced through the garden like a sharp knife. The whispers turned into a low murmur, everyone sharing their disbelief. The cameras that had been recording the fairytale wedding quietly, zoomed in, ensuring they captured the moment from every angle.

 The pastor froze, his bible still open, the wedding rings glistening.

  “Zac, what do you mean?” Olivia asked, her voice trembling

 Never in a million guesses would I have thought this was how the wedding was going to go. Even though Olivia was one of my least favorite people, my heart broke for her. No one deserved to be humiliated like this in front of the whole world on her wedding day.

   “I can’t marry you, Olivia. I’m in love with someone else.”