I wasn’t supposed to be at this wedding.
That much was obvious the moment I stepped through the grand hall and felt all the eyes turn to me. The whispers were subtle, but I could hear them. It was hard not to. People were talking about me—just loud enough for me to catch bits and pieces.
“She’s here?”
“She’s really here?”
The wedding itself was stunning, I’ll give Erica that. The decorations were carefully chosen, with gold and ivory draping every corner, making everything look as glamorous as it could be. The guests, all dressed in their designer gowns and tuxedos, looked like they belonged at a royal event. Everything was picture-perfect.
But no amount of elegance could hide the ugly truth beneath it all.
This wasn’t just any wedding. This was her wedding.
Erica.
My younger sister. The one who had always been the golden child, the one who got everything handed to her while I had to work for every bit of success I had.
And now?
She had taken the one thing that was supposed to be mine.
Stan.
Stan was my fiancé. The man I thought I would marry. The one I loved with all my heart. That is, until one night, when I came home early from work and found them—Erica and Stan—wrapped around each other in our bed.
I can still remember the shock I felt when I walked in. Stan froze, his face twisting in guilt. And Erica? She just smirked, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
“I won, Paige,” she said. Her voice was dripping with satisfaction. “Checkmate.”
A month later, my wedding was called off, and the vendors refused to give me my deposits back. Erica and Stan, though? They no longer had to sneak around. They were finally an official couple.
I ran away for a while, leaving town and staying in different hotels as I worked remotely. I needed space. I needed time to forget. And eventually, I did. When I came back, I adopted a kitten and thought I was moving on.
Then the invitation came.
A year had passed since everything had fallen apart, and here I was, standing in the middle of their perfect celebration. The invitation had been clear: Erica was getting married to Stan, and I had to be there.
I couldn’t help but think my parents had forced her to invite me. Erica would never have done it willingly. Or maybe she had. Maybe this was just another way for her to rub her victory in my face. She had always been that cruel.
But what Erica didn’t know—what no one knew—was that I wasn’t here to mourn.
No, I was here to make sure Erica would never forget what she had done to me. And before the night ended, her perfect day would be ruined.
The ceremony passed in a blur. I stood at the back of the hall, barely listening to the officiant as he talked about love and commitment. To me, it was all just empty words.
Stan stood at the altar in a sharp black tuxedo, his gaze locked on Erica with a look of adoration I knew wasn’t real. She beamed up at him, her face glowing as though she had won the biggest prize of her life.
I almost laughed.
Enjoy it while you can, sweetheart, I thought, sipping my champagne.
When the reception started, the room was filled with laughter and clinking glasses. Behind the dance floor, a massive screen played a slideshow of Erica and Stan’s engagement photos. They looked so happy—Stan lifting Erica into the air, their foreheads touching, their smiles genuine.
If you didn’t know how they got together, you’d believe it was a love story for the ages.
But I wasn’t fooled. I wasn’t about to let this fairy tale end happily for her.
No way.
Soon, their perfect world was going to fall apart.
I moved through the crowd, unnoticed. My black dress hugged my body just right. I didn’t look like a guest. I looked like the storm that was about to hit, and I felt more confident than I had in a long time.
I made my way to the laptop connected to the projector, slipping in my flash drive. A few clicks, a deep breath… and then…
Showtime.
The first few seconds of the video went unnoticed. The guests were busy, chatting and laughing, while Erica and Stan made their rounds, greeting people. But then, Stan’s voice broke through the noise.
“Please, don’t leave me!”
The video played on the large screen, grainy footage from my bedroom’s security camera. There was Stan, lying on the bed, tears streaming down his face. And me—standing across from him, listening as he tried to explain everything.
“Erica means nothing to me, Paige! Absolutely nothing!” Stan was crying now. “She was a mistake! I love you, Paige! I made a huge mistake!”
A heavy silence descended on the room.
I turned to look at Erica. Her face had drained of all color.
Stan froze, his eyes wide with shock. His hands trembled by his sides.
But I wasn’t done.
The video cut to more footage. My house had security cameras in every room. And now, on the screen, I watched as Erica and Stan snuck into my home, slipping into my bedroom when they thought I was working late. Timestamp after timestamp showed their betrayal.
And then, the final blow.
The video showed Erica lying in my bed, laughing.
“She’ll never know…” Erica whispered, her voice light and full of mischief.
“Paige who?” Stan chuckled.
The gasp from the crowd was almost deafening. A champagne glass shattered on the floor.
“Oh my God,” a woman whispered.
My mother looked like she might faint. My father’s jaw was clenched so tightly, I thought it might break.
And then the chaos began.
Erica stumbled back, shaking.
“This… this isn’t real!” she stammered, her voice cracking.
But the evidence was clear, glaring on the screen for everyone to see.
“Dinner will be served now!” Erica shouted, waving her arms as though she could erase the scandal in one breath. “Everyone just take your seats and enjoy!”
Stan turned to Erica, his face twisted with anger.
“Erica, you told me you went onto Paige’s computer and deleted the footage!”
I couldn’t help myself. I stepped forward, my voice dripping with mock innocence.
“Oh?” I said. “You mean you knew about it? You knew the cameras were going to catch you in the act?”
Stan’s face turned pale, and the truth was out.
The murmurs of judgment grew louder now. Disgust flickered on their faces.
And before Erica could retaliate, a voice cut through the tension.
“Paige.”
I turned to see Jack, stepping forward from the crowd, his white shirt peeking out from beneath his black waiter’s vest.
A month ago, when I told Jack about my plan, he had insisted on being with me.
“I want to go to the wedding,” I had told him. “I just don’t want to be… I don’t know. Jack, Erica is a problem. She’s used to everything being about her. I want to teach her a lesson.”
Jack had been in the kitchen when I brought it up. He’d chopped vegetables and listened.
“Then I’ll come with, Paige,” he had said.
“But I don’t want you to get caught in all of this,” I had warned him. “Erica will make sure to spoil my moment before it even happens.”
“Then I’ll come as a waiter,” Jack had grinned. “But I’ll be there when you need me.”
So here he was, my rock.
Jack set his tray down, a smile forming on his face as he walked over to me.
His blue eyes locked onto mine, steady and reassuring.
And I felt relief flood over me.
“Shall we go?” I asked.
Jack shook his head. He walked right up to me, causing gasps to ripple through the crowd. Every eye in the room was on him as he dropped to one knee.
The silence was almost suffocating.
Jack pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.
“I’ve waited long enough to ask you this, my love,” he said, his voice firm. “Paige, will you marry me?”
A sharp inhale swept through the crowd.
Erica’s face twisted in disbelief. “Are you… are you kidding me right now?” she screeched. “Paige! Why? What the hell? Now? At my wedding?!”
She looked like a wild animal, ready to tear everything apart. For a moment, I felt a flicker of guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
I turned to Jack, my heart bursting with emotion.
“Yes!” I said, my voice strong and unwavering. “Yes, Jack! I will!”
The room erupted in applause. Some guests cheered. My mother wiped her tears—this time, not of shame, but of happiness.
And Erica?
Her face twisted with pure, unfiltered rage.
She was no longer the center of attention. She was no longer the one in control.
“This is my day!” she shrieked, knocking over her chair in her fury.
I turned to her, my voice dripping with sweetness.
“Oh, honey,” I said, smiling. “You stole that fool from me and my wedding. I just returned the favor and stole the show.”
Then, hand in hand with Jack, I walked out of the hall, leaving my sister standing at her wedding reception, humiliated, betrayed, and broken.
We didn’t need the wedding. We didn’t need the celebration.
Instead, Jack and I sat across from each other in a 24-hour diner, both of us still in our formal clothes, absurdly overdressed for the greasy fries and milkshakes in front of us. The cracked leather booth and the chipped glasses felt like the most comfortable place I could be.
Jack slid a plate of fries toward me.
“Eat,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “It’s been a long day.”
“That’s an understatement,” I laughed, picking up a fry.
For a while, we sat in silence, the hum of the diner filling the space between us. It wasn’t awkward. It was easy.
Finally, I met his gaze.
“So… how long were you planning that?” I asked, a smile tugging at my lips.
“The proposal?” Jack smirked, leaning back in the booth.
“I’ve wanted to ask you for months, Paige. But I knew you weren’t ready. Not for marriage… not for that level of commitment. You needed time to heal.”
Jack traced circles on the table with his finger.
“But when I found out she invited you? That was the final straw. I wasn’t going to let you stand there alone while she flaunted him in front of you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, the weight of everything finally lifting.
“And the catering job? Did you sneak in?”
“I called in a favor, honey.” Jack grinned. “Apparently, I look good holding a tray.”
For the first time in a long time, I really laughed.
Jack’s face softened.
“I meant every word, Paige. I love you. I’ll wait as long as you need. But this evening felt like the perfect time to ask.”
I smiled, feeling more certain of everything than ever before.
“I think,” I said, my voice soft with emotion, “you chose the perfect moment.”
And for the first time in a long while, I felt like I had won.
