I was absolutely ecstatic on my wedding day, feeling like I was floating on air, until the moment my fierce rival, Mary, crashed the celebration. She stormed into the wedding hall, grabbed the microphone, and began speaking. “Hi, everyone. Nobody invited me, but I’m here to talk about something very important,” she said, her voice echoing across the room. I felt my stomach drop and my muscles tense up.
It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but now, everything was turning upside down. The wedding was in full swing, with music, laughter, and love filling the air, when my husband’s self-proclaimed lover, Mary, showed up at the festival hall. Panic hit me like a wave. “Why did she come here?” I demanded, glaring at Tom. “I told you over and over not to invite her!”
Tom gave me a nervous smile, trying to calm me down. “Relax, darling. This little thing won’t ruin our wedding,” he said, but I could hear the unease in his voice.
“But Tom, I asked you not to!” I snapped back, feeling a mix of anger and frustration. “How could you let this happen?”
“Jessica, I swear I didn’t invite her! I don’t know why she’s here either,” Tom insisted, looking genuinely confused.
I was about to argue again when the guests suddenly interrupted us. “KISS! KISS! KISS! WE WANT YOU TO KISS EACH OTHER! NOW!” they shouted excitedly, their voices bouncing off the walls.
Tom and I shared a look, and without a word, we held hands and kissed, passionately, in front of everyone. Just as we pulled away, the toastmaster interrupted the moment. “Alright, now it’s time for our beautiful bride to throw the bouquet! Let’s see whose wedding will be next!” he announced with a grin.
The girls all gathered around the table, excited and eager to catch the bouquet. I stood in the center, feeling the excitement build up. As I prepared to toss it, I overheard some of the girls chatting about how beautiful I looked in my snow-white dress. It was the one I had dreamed of for so long. I blushed at their compliments. I still couldn’t believe it was finally happening—I had married Tom, my charming and successful boss.
Soon, the girls formed a circle around me, each one with their hands in the air, ready to grab the bouquet. I turned my back to them and threw the bouquet high into the air.
To my shock, when I turned around, I saw Mary holding the bouquet. She looked at me, a smug smile playing on her lips. I ignored her and walked away, feeling the anger boiling inside me.
The toastmaster, ever the showman, took the opportunity to call attention to the unexpected twist. “The girl who caught the bouquet, please come up to the microphone!” he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Mary stepped forward, lifting her purple gown with a deliberate grace. My heart skipped a beat as I watched her walk toward the stage. I could already feel that she was about to say something to ruin everything. I should have thrown her out of the hall the moment I saw her!
The toastmaster turned to Mary and asked, “What’s your name, young lady? Please introduce yourself!”
And that’s when it happened. As Mary opened her mouth to speak, memories from my past flooded my mind. I saw flashes of my childhood, the first time I met Micheal, the man I thought I would spend my life with.
I was just a little girl, running along the river, when I first saw him. He was five years older than me, and he was limping as he walked. I remember thinking that he must have hurt his leg somehow.
I stopped beside the river, watching him. Suddenly, he lost his footing and fell into the water. My heart raced in panic, and I screamed for help. Luckily, a fisherman was nearby and pulled him out, saving his life.
I ran up to him, worried. “Are you okay?” I asked, my voice trembling.
He took my hand in his and smiled weakly. “Thank you for saving me. When I grow up, I’ll marry you,” he said, and from that moment on, I believed him. I waited for him, never leaving his side, even when he went off to the army. And when he came back, I was eighteen.
“Look, you didn’t forget me,” he said, taking my hand. “So, will you marry me?”
I said yes, of course. We had a small, simple wedding, and soon after, I moved in with Micheal’s parents while our house was being built. They were kind to me, but things took a dark turn.
One night, when I was heavily pregnant, Micheal didn’t come home. I stayed up, restless and worried. I went to the construction site, but he wasn’t there. I ran to his mother’s house in a panic. “Micheal’s not home yet. I’m really worried,” I told her.
She patted me gently on the head. “Oh, sweetie. This is how life is. Do you think my husband didn’t cheat on me? But he came around eventually. Toughen up, dear,” she said, her voice calm, but it didn’t reassure me.
Soon, the whole town was talking about Micheal’s affair with Samantha, and I couldn’t take it anymore. When our daughter, Helen, was born, I moved back in with my parents. Micheal begged me to come back, twice, and each time I did, only to find more heartbreak. By then, Micheal had multiple affairs—Samantha, Vicky, Melinda—and I had enough. I couldn’t keep fighting for a marriage that was falling apart. So, I divorced him and left.
That experience led me to make a decision: I would get married again, but only out of convenience. I never expected to fall in love, but that’s exactly what happened.
I contacted Aunt Catherine, who lived in the city. She helped me get a job as a secretary at Tom’s company. The timing was perfect because the previous secretary had just gone on maternity leave. But there was one problem: Mary.
She had already worked as Tom’s assistant and was head over heels for him. Everyone knew it, but Tom was oblivious. It wasn’t easy to win against Mary, but somehow, I did. And now, here I was, married to Tom. The only thing that bothered me was that I hadn’t told him about my past—my daughter, my ex-husband, and everything that had happened.
I thought I would share it with him when we had children of our own. But if Mary revealed everything at the wedding, not only would it ruin our relationship, but I’d also be humiliated in front of all the guests.
Mary had done her homework. She knew everything about my past, including my marriage and divorce. She had investigated me after she found out about Tom and me. She didn’t confront me directly, but I knew she knew everything. And as she stepped up to the microphone, my heart sank.
“Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Mary. I’ve been working for Tom for a long time. Nobody invited me here, but I came to say something important,” she began.
I gripped Tom’s hand tightly, my anxiety rising. He looked at me, his eyes warm and reassuring. “Don’t worry, Jess. I know everything. I know about your past,” he said softly.
I froze. “What? How?” I asked, shocked.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Tom said with a smile. “And don’t worry, I’ve already forgiven you.”
I squeezed his hand again, this time out of love, not fear.
Tom nodded at Mary. “Go ahead,” he said.
Mary continued, “I just wanted to say… Congratulations, Tom and Jessica. Be happy! And this is a gift from our team.” She brought out a large box and handed it to me.
I opened the box, still in disbelief. Then, I whispered to Mary, “Did you come all the way here just to give us a gift?”
“Yes,” Mary answered with a gentle smile. “I loved Tom once, but I know he loves you. I hope you both stay happy forever.”
Touched by her words, I leaned forward and hugged Mary. “You know, people think I married out of convenience, but I love him. I really do,” I said.
“I know, Jessica,” Mary replied.
And with that, the storm passed. It ended on a peaceful note. Later, I learned that Tom had fallen in love with me the moment he laid eyes on me. He had done his own investigation into my past, and even when my ex-husband tried to ruin our relationship, Tom stood by me. He didn’t care about the rumors or the secrets I kept. He wanted to be a loving husband and father.
A year after we got married, we had twins, Sam and Aaron. Tom loved all my children—Helen, Sam, and Aaron—unconditionally.
So, what’s the lesson here?
Some matches are truly made in heaven. Tom and I were always meant to be together. Relationships are built on love, trust, and understanding, not just blood ties. Tom’s acceptance of Helen was proof of that. And in the end, our story was one of love conquering all.
