WEDDING BELLS
Getting into a taxi back home.
Looking at the familiar number of her
bestie, she had long blocked just to safe
guard so called family ties, unblocking the number she
dailed the number, her fist curled up
nervously in anticipation.
"Ring Ring Ring, the ringtone soon died
down, dialing it again.
"Ring Ring, the call is received, hello who
is this, a sweet voice sounded with noise at
the background, bursting out in tears, how
long has is been since listening to her voice,
"Hello Hello, who is this, Hello if you don't
say anything I will hang up right now".
Choking up on her tears
"Claire is me".
Is as though the world stood still
"Claire is me, I stood frozen, this same voice I thought I won't listen to again.
how many years have i been waiting for
this day, although I hated her for breaking
our decades of friendship,I still couldn't stop my
self from looking into news of her even after
giving myself countless lectures on how any of it wasn't my business.
" Claire how stupid are you, you still can't
break things off with her completely, what a
waste of your sincere heart, does she
appreciate it? has she ever come to look for
you since then?.
My inner voice giving me so many reason to
hang up but I just couldn't bear to do so.
"Claire please can we meet I want to apologise to you personally.
"There is nothing to speak about, we are
over, so please miss Amelia don't contact me anymore.
Wait wai
Beep.
«In a restaurant»
Leaning against the wall to calm myself
down
Claire wake up you can't be follish to believe
her lies anymore. Splashing water on my
face to clear my mind and reputing on
lipgloss she return back to the private room..
«
Tears fell down unable to hold them
anymore I feel so sad realizing how I
treated the only person who cared about
me apart from mom. Clutching my aching
heart reminiscing of our childhood memories.
"Miss we are here, wiping my tears and redoing my makeup, paid the fare and walked home.
What a pitiful young lady, the driver shook his head and sped off.
It been a month since I last talked to Claire
she hasn't responded to any of my call since then.
For the past month the internet has been
abuzz with the news of the wedding of
Summer and Richard the joining of the two
richest family in city A, country D is one the
most abundant in minerals, technology and
agriculture holding part of the country
economy. The most popular cities been city
B, C and A. With the most popular and well
developed and richest been city B filled with crouching lions and tigers
The D day of the wedding
The comments wouldn't stop scrolling.
They poured down the side of the screen
like a waterfall of glittering judgment—
hearts, fire emojis, words like perfect,
fairytale, goals. Names she didn't recognize
celebrated a love she used to believe belonged to her.
Amelia sat motionless, her laptop casting a
pale glow across her face. The room was
dark except for that single light, as if the
world itself had dimmed to let this moment take center stage.
Her stepsister, Summer stood at the altar in
a beautiful white gown it's length trailing
down the walkway, countless beautiful
diamonds and pearls adorn the dress. Every
detail was immaculate, every camera angle
curated. Even the way she held her bouquet
seemed practiced, delicate, intentional.
And beside her—
Roland
Her fiancé.
No. Not anymore.
The livestream title read: "The Wedding of
the Year – Summer & Roland.
The talk of the town.
She almost laughed. The sound came out hollow instead.
Amelia felt so calm, there wasn't a single
ripple in her heart, she had dreaded this
day since the announcement of the
marriage a month ago after their
engagement party in Paris, but now she felt
nothing. Those heartwretching ache all gone.
Three months ago, Amelia had imagined
herself in that place. Not just imagined—
planned it. The venue, the music, the color
palette. Roland had been part of all of it. He
used to look at her like she was his
sunshine, the only woman in hijs world.
Now he looked at Summerthat way, that
endearing gaze that could always make her
blush but now she felt nothing but disgust.
The officiant spoke, but Amelia barely heard
the words. She knew what came next
anyway. Promises. Rings. Applause.
A numb kind of clarity.
As if something inside her had finally
snapped into place.
The chat exploded as Summer said her
vows, her voice trembling just enough to seem sincere.
"I've waited my whole life for this moment,"
Summer said, smiling up at Daniel. She had
always feigned a weak and gentle personnel
seeing her all smiles leaning on Roland all the more captivating.
Amelia leaned back in her chair, folding her arms.
That wasn't true. Summer hadn't waited. She had taken.
The realization didn't sting anymore. It settled in her chest like a fact.
Roland spoke next, and this time Amelia listened.
"I didn't know what love really was," he said, "until I found you."
That did it.
Amelia reached forward and closed the laptop.
The silence that followed was louder than the livestream.
For a moment, she just sat there, staring at
her reflection in the dark screen. She looked different somehow. Sharper. More awake.
"Okay," she said softly.
No one answered.
Of course not. There was no one there.
But for the first time in months that didn't
feel like loneliness. It felt like space.
Space to decide what came next.