Chapter 138: Chapter 138 Ceremony
Sarah’s POV
The bridal dressing room was bright.
Too bright.
Soft white lights surrounded the large mirror in front of , reflecting every little detail of my face. The room slled like hairspray, perfu, and fresh flowers.
It was a setting every happy bride would want to find herself in, just not .
Sowhere behind , the makeup artist adjusted the delicate lace on the back of my dress while Elena stood nearby watching carefully.
"You look beautiful," Elena said softly.
I forced a small smile at my reflection.
Beautiful.
The word felt strange.
The dress was elegant ivory silk with lace sleeves that hugged my arms and flowed into a long train behind ... Elena said the dress we picked out the other day didn’t fit their mother’s taste, so she changed it.
I haven’t seen her around since the wedding mantra started; it’s like Marcus built a pillar between us.
The makeup artist had spent nearly an hour perfecting my makeup, softening my features, and adding just enough color to make my eyes stand out.
Anyone looking at
would think I was the happiest bride in the world, but deep down, my heart was beating too fast.
My fingers tightened slightly around the fabric of my dress as I stared at myself in the mirror.
The last ti I wore a wedding dress...
The thought hit
suddenly.
Five years ago.
The mory ca rushing back before I could stop it.
I rembered how excited I had been while I tried on my dress, but if only I had known.
No matter how much I try to erase that mory and thought from my head, it just keeps replaying... reminding
every day that I’m not the kind that gets a happy ever after
A small tear slipped down my cheek before I even realized it.
The image of my stepsister and Damon was sothing that would forever haunt .
The image burned itself into my mind even after all these years.
The way my heart had completely broken in that mont.
My chest tightened painfully as the mory flooded back, and it was the sa night I decided to leave and never look back.
I lost my life, my family, and my fiancé, and now here I was again, standing in another wedding dress about to walk down another aisle and marrying another man, not just any man, but my ex-fiancé’s brother.
The thought made my stomach twist.
Another tear slipped down my cheek.
God, I felt so stupid.
I had promised myself I would never be in this situation again.
Never be the naive girl waiting at the altar for a man who didn’t really want her.
Yet here I was.
Doing it all over again.
My vision blurred slightly as more tears threatened to fall.
"Sarah?"
Elena’s voice suddenly cut through my thoughts.
I quickly blinked and wiped my cheek before turning slightly toward her.
She was watching
carefully, and her brows slightly furrowed.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
The makeup artist paused behind
as well.
I forced a small laugh.
"Yeah," I said quickly.
Elena didn’t look convinced.
"You’re crying."
I reached up and wiped the corner of my eye again.
"It’s nothing," I said softly.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Nothing?"
"It’s just..." I hesitated searching for an excuse. "It’s overwhelming, that’s all."
Elena’s expression softened imdiately.
"Well," she said gently, "that’s normal."
The makeup artist nodded in agreent.
"Most brides cry before the ceremony," she added. "It’s a big day."
I smiled weakly.
"Yeah."
Elena stepped closer and adjusted the veil resting on my shoulders.
"You’re nervous," she said.
"Maybe a little."
"That’s understandable," she replied. "But trust , you look stunning."
I glanced back at the mirror.
The woman staring back at
looked calm.
Composed.
Like she had everything under control.
If only they knew the truth.
Elena smiled again.
"My brother is going to lose his mind when he sees you."
The comnt made my stomach twist again.
Marcus.
I hadn’t seen him since that night.
Since the argunt.
Since the kiss, since the almost orgasm.
I bit on my lower lip, fighting back a groan.
God.
I felt stupid.
Completely stupid.
Why had I let that happen?
Why had I let myself react to him like that?
My cheeks heat up in embarrassnt, rembering his words.
There was a soft knock on the door, snapping
out of my train of thought.
Elena turned as one of the event coordinators stepped inside.
"It’s ti," the woman said with a polite smile.
My stomach imdiately dropped.
Ti.
The word echoed in my mind.
"The groom is waiting at the altar," she continued.
My heart skipped a beat, and for a mont the room felt too quiet.
Elena clapped her hands softly.
"Alright," she said excitedly. "It’s happening."
The makeup artist quickly made a few final adjustnts to my veil.
"There," she said. "Perfect."
I slowly stood up from the chair.
The dress felt heavier now.
Like the weight of it was pressing down on my shoulders.
My heart pounded loudly in my chest as Elena helped straighten the train behind .
"You’re ready," she said with a warm smile.
Ready.
I wasn’t sure if that was true.
I was walking toward a man I barely understood, a man I hadn’t even seen since the night he almost wrecked
to shut
up.
A man who reminded
constantly that this marriage was nothing more than a contract, and how he was going to make my life a living hell.
And sohow that made everything feel even more terrifying.
I took a slow breath.
Trying to calm the storm inside my chest.
God.
I felt so stupid.
But it was too late now.
The ceremony was about to begin.
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