Chapter 6

The minister’s voice resounded in her like thunder. It vibrated to her core, shaking her. Her shoulders shook as her quiet sobs stopped being quiet. She was catching her breath with every sob she made. The people in front of her looked back and threw glances in her direction. Some of them curious, some of them contemptuous, others irritated. 

“This is a wedding, not a funeral, why is she crying so much?” she heard from one guest.

She just steeled herself, took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes with her hand. From out of the blue, somebody extended a white handkerchief to her. Serene took it without looking at the person who offered it or even saying thanks. She just wiped her eyes with it, turned around and left the venue.

As she was leaving, she could hear people’s cheers as the newlyweds stepped out of the venue. Their union thrilled them. Everyone was in a festive mood but her.

She knew it was a bad idea to come to this wedding. Everyone she knew advised her against it. But she did not listen. She said that she wanted closure and what better closure there was than witnessing the wedding of the man you loved. She knew ‌it was going to be painful, but she never imagined that it would be this painful. Her chest felt like being ripped apart and her heart being squeezed dry. All the memories they had flashed before her like a montage — the good, the bad, the sweet, the bitter, the painful and the ugly. 

She felt that life has been unfair to her. How can their story end this way? They loved each other so much. He cared for her and she cared for him. They nurtured their love from its infancy to maturity. They shared many firsts together. How can they spend their futures apart?

Serene did not know how she reached the parking lot and found her car. She just robotically opened the door and buckled her seat belt. However, instead of starting her car and driving away, she just sat there looking at her windshield as if it were a television screen. 

Once again, she walked down memory lane. It was a year ago, and she just finished her job interview. She was ecstatic to share with Bryan that she got hired for the job she applied for. 

She went straight to his apartment. She wanted to surprise him. Since they both have duplicate keys of each other’s apartment, she can get in his apartment whenever she wants. Upon opening the door, she saw his shoes by the shoe rack. He’s here, he’s probably sleeping in his room, she thought.

Quietly she walked towards his bedroom. The door was not closed properly. The sound coming from the room stopped her from her track. She stood frozen in her place, listening to the titillating moans that came from his bedroom. Her heart was in her throat, and her hands felt cold. She did not know where she took the courage to lift her foot and take a step closer. 

Her soul left her body looking at the scene before her. Bryan naked from his waist up and was kneeling at the foot of his bed. As her eyes moved up. She saw a man, sitting at the edge of the bed, completely naked, eyes closed, and head tilted back. He was obviously enjoying what Bryan was doing to him. Surprised was an understatement. She let out a loud gasp as soon as she processed what was before her.