"I said STOP!" Catherine, "Cat," Richmond shouted. She was one-half of the Richmond twins. Standing in the middle of the aisle, panting, she stretched her palm out to show her seriousness.
Samantha sighed in relief. Help was here. How was Cat going to help her? She didn't know, and she didn't care. All she knew was that Cat had stopped all of this.
"I... em... So, I, what I am trying to say is-"
Samantha's eyes grew wide in fear as she watched Catherine stammer. Wait, her friend couldn't have just stopped the wedding without a plan in front of all these cameras and people, right... right?
The young, beautiful intruder's eyes darted around nervously. She was the center of attention, and all eyes were on her. She laughed nervously, tapping her hands on her green gown, looking ready to bolt at the slightest provocation.
For the second time, Samantha hoped Catherine was not acting like her usual self. Normally, Catherine acted first and thought about the consequences later. She was the risk-taker, while Natalie, her older twin, was the logical decision-maker.
"What are you doing, Catherine? Are you trying to sabotage my daughter's wedding?" Frederick bellowed. He moved forward toward the intruder, wagging his finger in anger.
"I really... I was... I—" Catherine whimpered.
Dressed in a beautiful, floor-length green silk gown, her long red hair falling over her shoulders, Catherine looked breathtaking. But she also appeared frail under the flashing lights of the cameras.
I will trust Cat. She must have thought of something. "Cat?" Samantha's voice was a mere whisper, but it held all of her hope.
"What is all this?" Frederick's voice thundered. "Are you seriously playing jokes at your best friend's wedding?"
"No, no, you misunderstand me," Cat waved her hands quickly, denying his accusations.
"Cat?"
"How could you, Catherine? Can't you see how frightened Samantha is?"
"I didn't mean that, Uncle Fred," Catherine continued, waving her hands. "Sam, I am sorry. I swear I didn't mean to scare you."
"Then what is all this?" Frederick bellowed.
Please save me. Cat?
"See what you have done?" Frederick lashed out, waving a finger at Samantha. "She is crying."
Samantha quickly wiped away the single tear that had fallen down her face.
"Uncle Fred... I... I..." Catherine waved her hands. She looked perplexed and scared. "I am sorry. I didn't mean for this to-"
"The flower girls!" The woman, who must be Natalie, rushed to Catherine's side, held one of her sister's hands in support, and glared at Frederick, her dislike for him evident. "The flower girls," she repeated, this time addressing the onlooking crowd.
Everyone gasped in shock. This was interesting.
"Flower girls?" Frederick stared at Natalie as if she were speaking ancient Greek.
Samantha was also surprised. What did flower girls have to do with stopping this fiasco? She clasped her bouquet tightly and prayed fervently.
"What are you saying, Natalie? Your sister made my daughter cry when she tried to sabotage this wedding, and you are here shouting something that doesn't make any sense either," Frederick whispered fiercely, his voice raw with anger.
"If anyone is making Sam cry, it isn't my sister," Natalie smiled through clenched teeth, "and we both know who that person is."
Frederick's eyes flashed with anger. "Then what is going on? If Catherine wasn't trying to sabotage my daughter's wedding, then what is this about?"
"That is the right question." Natalie smiled and walked in front of the guests with dramatic flair, waving her hands. "You all want to know why the Richmond sisters are doing this, right?"
"—Yes?" The crowd hesitated. "Yes!"
Natalie was the show. All eyes were on her. Samantha couldn't tear her gaze away. Her presence commanded attention.
She raised a finger. "There has been an injustice here today."
The guests stare at Natalie in anticipation. Silence.
Samantha held her breath, biting her lip in anticipation. Natalie was going to do it now. She was going to save her...
"You are all supposed to ask, what is the injustice?" Natalie slapped her palm against her forehead in exaggerated disappointment.
"What is the injustice!" the crowd bellowed, laughing in excitement.
She will do it now. Any moment now...
"Natalie, what the hell are you doing?" Frederick looked as pale as a ghost. "Security!" he commanded, dashing toward her.
Two hefty, tall men wearing all black, with SECURITY written in bold letters on their shirts, rushed toward Natalie.
"Dad, you are going to hurt her. Stop this-"
Natalie was unfazed. "Do you all want to see the injustice?" she shouted, riling up the crowd.
"Yes!!!"
"Natalie, I said stop!"
"There they are. The injustice!"
For the first time, everyone's gaze panned to the two little girls hiding behind Catherine, dressed in white satin. The two men held Natalie on both sides, but she looked unbothered.
"They are flower girls," a young boy chimed from the crowd.
"Exactly. Someone gets it," Natalie agreed. "All this confusion is because of those two little angels. Someone forgot that they were supposed to walk first before the bride."
That was Jesse. He had intentionally left out the flower girls. They weren't classy enough for the theme he was going for.
"What do you mean?" Samantha asked, her hope sinking.
"Uncle Fred, tell your security to get their hands off me." She smiled, but her tone was harsh.
Frederick waves his hands at the security. "Let her go."
"Oh, that feels so much better." Natalie stretches and turns back to the guests. "So, where did we stop?"
"The flower girls!" The same boy chimed in again.
The crowd starts laughing hard.
"Yes. I remember." Natalie walks over to the girls and stands behind them. "Isn't this an injustice? They have worn their best clothes, practiced for days, and now they can't be flower girls? Imagine that?"
Samantha saw Jesse behind the guests. He looked like he was about to faint, and why wouldn't he? Nothing was going as planned.
"See, they won't stop crying when they find out that the bride was already walking down the aisle."
Aww. The crowd cooed.
"It would be a shame if they didn't do this," Natalie continued quickly, pouting.
"Let them do it... It's not like it would take more time...they are so beautiful...cute..." The crowd murmured together.
"There, we have it. Let's do this properly," Natalie said, and she curtsied to the crowd like a performer.
[|]
Like a pro, the two flower girls walked down the aisle, and time seemed to slow down. Samantha felt the blood leave her face.
Everything was a distraction. No one was coming for her. She had allowed herself to have hope even though she knew it was impossible.
Back at the beginning of the aisle, she stood with her father and friends, waiting for the girls to finish their turn. Natalie squeezed her hands tight.
Samantha turned to her friend.
"I am sorry, Sam."
Samantha nodded. She couldn't talk. Her throat was tight with emotion. "Hmm, hmm."
"There was nothing I could do," Natalie continued apologetically. "Catherine didn't think it through as usual. You know... Cat?"
Samantha nodded. She knew Cat very well.
"Aren't they the cutest?" The guests swooned, watching the children.
Samantha turned back and watched the two flower girls. A tear fell down her face. She wiped it and cleaned her hand on her dress.
She looked at her dress and chuckled.
She had just cleaned her hand on a Demonthes's gown. One of its kind in the world. Rafael Demonthes had designed it exclusively for her. Vogue had put her wedding photo on the front page before she had even laid eyes on the dress...and she had just wiped her hands on it.
I am wearing a wedding dress people would die for, but I feel trapped.
You know who will suffer if this wedding doesn't happen, Samantha. That is why you are doing this.
Her gaze flickered toward her father, standing beside her.
Find the positives in all of this.
Dave Rice, her fiancé, was human, not the devil. Sure, the media painted him as an irresponsible playboy with no sense of accountability, but he wasn't the devil. He was THE TROUBLEMAKER.
I should find the positives....
She found none.
Her gaze fell on the flower girls...
Her breath hitched. They were already at the end of the aisle.
It was her turn to walk. Her father put his arm around her and started walking down the aisle.
Hell no. I don't care. I can't do this.
Samantha removed her hand from Frederick's. His eyes widened in shock.
"What are you doing?" he whispered. His voice filled with fear.
She ignored him. Turned away from the aisle, took a step, and STOPPED.
She froze. Silence. Everyone was in shock.
A realization hit her like a lightning bolt. Dave Rice hadn't moved. Not an inch.
Since the moment this ceremony started, he had stood at the end of the aisle, in his black tuxedo, unmoving.
"Samantha, what are you doing?"
Her father's voice barely registered as her mind raced.
Was Dave hoping she'd sabotage herself?
So if she left...if she... Oh, no.
She shuddered breathlessly at the thought.
Turning to smile at the guests, she points at her heel.
"My shoe got caught in my gown." She smiled playfully at the guests and tucked her arm under her father's arm again.
There was an obvious sign of relief from the guest.
Her gaze locked on the end of the aisle.
"Let's do this, Dad."
"Yes, my dear," Frederick replied, his voice relieved.