I wasn’t supposed to be at this wedding.
That much was obvious from the way people stared at me, their whispers floating through the air as I walked into the grand hall.
Everywhere I looked, the place screamed luxury. White roses and golden ribbons decorated the tables. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above us. Guests in designer gowns and sharp tuxedos laughed while sipping champagne. It was picture-perfect.
But no amount of beauty could hide the ugly truth underneath.
This wasn’t just any wedding.
This was her wedding.
Erica. My younger sister. My parents’ favorite. The golden child who always got everything handed to her while I worked tooth and nail for every success.
And now? She had stolen the one thing I thought was mine forever.
Stan.
My fiancé. My future. My love. Until the night I came home early from work and found him in my bed—with Erica.
I still see the scene like it’s burned into my brain. Stan froze, guilt twisting his face. But Erica? She just smirked at me, her voice sharp and smug.
“I won, Paige. Checkmate.”
Those words cut me open.
The wedding I had planned for over a year? Canceled. My deposits gone. My heart shattered. Meanwhile, Erica and Stan walked around proudly, no longer sneaking behind my back.
I disappeared for weeks after that. Stayed in hotels, worked remotely, tried to heal. When I finally came back, I adopted a kitten and told myself I was moving on.
But then—an invitation arrived.
One year later, Erica wanted me to sit in the audience while she married the man who once promised forever to me.
Of course, I knew why. Either my parents pressured her to invite me, or she wanted to rub it in my face. Knowing Erica, it was probably the second reason.
But what she didn’t know was that I wasn’t coming to cry. I wasn’t coming to lose again.
I was coming with a plan.
The ceremony itself was a blur. I stayed in the back, hardly listening as the officiant spoke about love and devotion—words that meant nothing now.
Stan looked at Erica with fake adoration, and she beamed at him like she had won the biggest prize in the world.
I almost laughed.
Enjoy it while you can, sweetheart, I thought, sipping my champagne.
By the time the reception started, the hall was buzzing with laughter. A giant screen played a slideshow of their engagement photos. To the guests, it looked like true love.
But I knew better.
And soon, everyone else would too.
I moved quietly to the corner where the projector was set up. My black dress hugged me perfectly. I didn’t feel like just a guest—I felt like justice walking into the room.
Slipping my flash drive into the laptop, I took a deep breath. Click.
Showtime.
At first, nobody noticed. Glasses clinked. Laughter filled the air. Erica and Stan mingled with guests, glowing in fake happiness.
And then—Stan’s voice echoed through the speakers.
“Please, don’t leave me!”
Heads turned toward the screen as grainy footage appeared. It was from my bedroom’s security camera. Stan was crying on the bed, begging me to forgive him.
“Erica means nothing to me, Paige! Nothing! She was a mistake! I love you! I made a huge mistake!”
Gasps rippled through the hall.
I glanced at Erica. Her smile was gone. Her face turned pale. Stan froze in place, his hands twitching.
But I wasn’t done.
The footage switched. Clip after clip of Erica and Stan sneaking into my house, timestamp after timestamp. Then the final blow: Erica lying in my bed, laughing.
“She’ll never know,” she whispered.
“Paige who?” Stan laughed with her.
The guests erupted in shock. Someone dropped a glass that shattered on the floor. My mother looked ready to faint, my father’s jaw clenched tight.
Erica’s voice cracked as she tried to speak.
“This… this isn’t real!” she stammered.
But the screen told the truth.
Stan’s face twisted in anger.
“Erica, you told me you deleted the footage from Paige’s computer!”
“Oh?” I said sweetly. “So you knew? You knew you were being recorded?”
Stan’s silence confirmed it.
The guests whispered louder now, disgust written all over their faces.
And then a voice rose above the noise.
“Paige.”
I turned.
It was Jack.
Dressed in a waiter’s uniform, he stepped out from the crowd, his blue eyes locking onto mine. My heart steadied instantly.
A month ago, when I showed him Erica’s invitation, he told me, “I’m not letting you face this alone. If I have to be a waiter to stand by you, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Now, here he was—my anchor in the storm.
Gasps filled the room as Jack walked toward me, setting his tray aside. Then, in front of everyone, he dropped to one knee.
The hall went silent.
He pulled out a velvet box, opening it to reveal the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen.
“I’ve waited long enough to ask you this, my love,” Jack said clearly, his voice steady. “Paige, will you marry me?”
The crowd gasped again.
Erica screeched, “Are you kidding me?! At my wedding?!” Her voice cracked like glass.
She stomped her foot, face twisted with rage. “This is MY day!”
I tilted my head, smiling sweetly.
“Oh, honey. You stole my man and my wedding. I just stole the show.”
The room erupted—some guests cheering, others whispering in shock. My mother wiped away tears, this time of joy.
I turned back to Jack, my chest swelling.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “Yes, Jack! I will marry you!”
The joy that lit up his face was all I needed.
Behind us, chaos consumed Erica and Stan. Stan tried to grab her hand, but she yanked it away. Their fairytale was crumbling before everyone’s eyes.
But that wasn’t my problem anymore.
Hand in hand, Jack and I walked out of that glittering hall, leaving Erica with nothing but her humiliation.
Later, we sat in a quiet 24-hour diner, still in our wedding clothes. I in my sleek black dress, him in his vest, sitting in a cracked booth with greasy fries and milkshakes in front of us.
And yet—I felt more at home here than I ever had at the grandest wedding.
Jack pushed the fries toward me.
“Eat,” he said with a grin. “You’ve had a long day.”
I laughed, picking one up. “That’s an understatement.”
For a while, we ate in silence, comfortable, easy.
Finally, I looked at him. “So… how long were you planning that proposal?”
He smirked. “For months. But I wanted you to heal first. Tonight just felt right.”
I smiled, tears stinging my eyes—but happy ones this time.
“I think you chose the perfect moment.”
And for the first time in a long, long time… I felt like I had truly won.