On my wedding day, I was on cloud nine. Everything was perfect, the day I had dreamed of for so long. But then, something unexpected happened that almost ruined everything. My rival, Mary, who I had always seen as a thorn in my side, crashed the wedding.
The atmosphere in the hall shifted as she grabbed the microphone, her presence like a dark cloud over the celebration. “Hi, everyone. Nobody invited me, but I’m here to talk about something very important,” she announced, her voice cutting through the festive air. I froze, tension building in my chest.
Everything had been going smoothly until Mary, the self-proclaimed lover of my husband, Tom, walked in. My heart raced, and I could feel the anxiety creeping in. “Why is she here?” I snapped at Tom, my voice laced with frustration. “I told you a million times not to invite her!”
Tom turned to me with an awkward smile, trying to brush it off. “Calm down, darling,” he said, as if this was nothing. “It’s just a small thing. It won’t ruin our wedding.”
“But Tom, I asked you!” I was furious now. “Why did you let her come?”
Tom’s face twisted with confusion. “Jessica, I swear I didn’t invite her. I don’t know why she’s here!” he explained, his voice genuine.
I was about to respond, but before I could, the guests began chanting. “KISS! KISS! KISS! WE WANT YOU TO KISS EACH OTHER! NOW!” They were all shouting, and the pressure of the moment made me forget about Mary, just for a second. Tom and I, hands locked together, shared a passionate kiss. But before I could even catch my breath, the toastmaster interrupted us.
“It’s time for the bride to throw the bouquet! Let’s see who will be the next to get married!” he said cheerfully.
The girls all gathered around the festive table, forming a circle around me. I stood in the middle, trying to steady my nerves. The chatter of the guests and the girls behind me made me blush. They were all commenting on how stunning I looked in my snow-white dress, the one I had dreamt about for so long. It felt surreal. I had married Tom, a charming and wealthy businessman, and the day had finally come.
As I turned away to throw the bouquet, I could feel the girls shifting behind me, eager to catch it. They all raised their hands, their eyes sparkling with excitement. I tossed the bouquet high into the air, hoping one of them would catch it. When I turned back, though, I was shocked to see Mary holding it. She looked at me with that smug smile of hers, as if she had won something important.
Ignoring her, I walked away, not wanting to let her ruin my happiness.
The toastmaster, oblivious to the tension, continued with his speech. “The girl who caught the bouquet, please come up to the microphone.”
Mary stood up gracefully, lifting her purple gown as she made her way to the stage. When she took the microphone in her hand, my heart skipped a beat. I just knew she was about to ruin everything. I should’ve had her thrown out of the hall before it came to this.
The toastmaster turned to Mary. “What’s your name, young lady? Please introduce yourself!” he asked.
As I watched Mary step up to the microphone, my whole life flashed before my eyes.
I remembered the time when I was just a little girl, running along the river near my home. That’s when I met Micheal, my first love. He was older than me by five years and, that day, he was limping. I didn’t know how or why, but I noticed that he struggled to walk.
As I stood there by the river, watching him, I saw him slip and fall into the water. My heart raced in panic, and I screamed, hoping someone would hear me. A fisherman heard my cries and saved him just in time.
I ran up to Micheal, asking if he was okay. He took my hand gently and said, “Thank you for saving me. When I grow up, I’ll marry you.”
That was the moment I knew I would always be by his side. Even when Micheal went to the army, I waited for him. And one day, when I was eighteen, he came back.
“Oh, look, you haven’t forgotten me,” he said, taking my hand in his. “So, will you marry me?”
I said yes, especially since I was pregnant. We had a small wedding, and I moved in with Micheal’s parents while our house was being built. They were kind to me, but things took a turn when I was heavily pregnant and Micheal didn’t come home one night.
Worried, I went to the construction site, but there was no sign of him. I ran to his mother’s house, my heart pounding. “Michael’s not home yet. I’m so worried,” I told her.
She smiled softly, patting my head. “Oh, sweetie. That’s how it is. My husband cheated on me too, but he came to his senses. Don’t worry so much,” she said, trying to comfort me.
But soon, gossip spread like wildfire around town that Micheal was having an affair with Samantha. I couldn’t take it anymore. When my daughter, Helen, was born, I left and moved back in with my parents.
Micheal begged me to return twice, and each time, I did. But soon, things got worse. Micheal had multiple women in his life now, not just one or two. Samantha, Vicky, Melinda… it was always someone new. That was the last straw, and I decided to divorce him. I never looked back.
After everything, I swore I’d never fall in love again. I wanted to marry for convenience, nothing more. But that’s not how things turned out.
I contacted Aunt Catherine, who lived in the city, and she helped me find a job in Tom’s firm. Tom was the boss, and the secretary position was open because the previous one had gone on maternity leave. The other candidate for the job was Mary. She had worked as an assistant secretary before and was openly in love with Tom. Everyone knew it, but Tom didn’t seem to notice.
It wasn’t easy, but I eventually got the job, and now Tom and I were married. But there was one thing that worried me—I hadn’t told Tom about my past. I had a daughter, Helen, and a complicated history with Micheal.
I kept telling myself I would tell Tom when the time was right, but now, with Mary here, I was terrified she would expose everything. If she did, not only would it ruin my relationship with Tom, but I would also be humiliated in front of all our guests.
Mary had done her homework. She knew everything about my past, everything that happened back in my hometown. She never confronted me directly, but I found out through others that she knew all my secrets.
So when Mary stepped up to the microphone, my heart sank.
“Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Mary. I’ve worked for Tom for a long time. Nobody invited me, but I came. I came to say…” she began.
I held Tom’s hand tightly, my fingers trembling. He looked at me, a calm smile on his face.
“You don’t need to worry, Jess,” he said softly. “I know everything. I know about your past.”
I was stunned. “Wait, what? But how?”
“We’ll talk later, Jess,” he said, his voice reassuring. “I’ve already forgiven you.”
For the first time, I felt relief instead of fear. I squeezed his hand harder, this time out of love. “Go ahead,” he said to Mary.
Mary continued, “I just wanted to say a few words of congratulations to Tom and Jessica. I wish you both happiness! And this is a gift from all of us at the office.” She brought forward a big box and handed it to me.
I opened the gift, still a little nervous. As I looked at Mary, I whispered, “Did you really just come here to give us a gift?”
“Yes,” Mary replied. “I really liked Tom. But I know he loves you. And I hope you both stay happy forever.”
I smiled and hugged Mary. “You know, everyone said I married him out of convenience. But I really do love him!”
“I know, Jessica,” Mary said quietly.
And just like that, things took a turn for the better. I later learned that Tom had fallen in love with me at first sight. He had already looked into my past before we got married, and when Micheal tried to ruin things between us, Tom stood by me. He didn’t care about my past or the rumors surrounding me. He just wanted to be a loving husband and father.
Tom accepted my daughter, Helen, and loved all three of my children—Helen, Sam, and Aaron—as if they were his own.
What’s the lesson from all of this?
Sometimes, matches are made in heaven. Tom and I were meant to be together. True relationships are built on love and trust, not blood. Tom’s unconditional love for all my children is proof of that.
