In Elise Vargas's life, nothing had made her feel more "blissful" than today.
The graceful notes of the piano and violin harmonized into a melody, blessing the couple as they walked down the red carpet toward a beautiful future in marriage.
From a glance, the wedding cake on the table, the rose arch at the end of the red carpet, the priest on stage, and the guests below had all gathered to celebrate the birth of this union, taking time to attend the wedding.
Elise held her bouquet, dressed in a white gown. Today should have been the most romantic and beautiful day of her life, but her beloved had betrayed her, and love had left her life.
On the eve of their wedding, her soon-to-be husband, Graham Vargas, had fallen for her close friend Aleena and even had a child with her, forcing him to take responsibility.
The invitations had been sent, the venue was set, but Elise had been forced to accept this bloody reality the day before, as if it were a scene straight out of a daytime drama.
"Relax a little." Braden gently patted the hand Elise had hooked around his arm. "The hair's already washed, so you might as well wash it thoroughly." "Relax a little." Braden gently patted the hand Elise had hooked around his arm. "The hair's already washed, so you might as well wash it thoroughly."
"I'm already suffering so much, and you're still joking..." Elise's lips trembled. "My mind is such a mess right now."
"Hey, you called me to play the groom, didn't you? So here I am." Braden said with a hint of frustration. "So, pull yourself together."
Elise stomped on Baden's foot in anger, looking at him as if he were the one suffering.
Braden didn't pull his foot away, as if the stomp didn't hurt at all. He remained calm, continuing to walk the red carpet with her.
Elise knew Braden was trying to comfort her, but in truth, she just wanted to take her anger out on him...
So, Elise walked down the red carpet with someone who wasn't her groom, just her childhood friend, Braden, pretending that he was the one she was going to marry.
No matter what, she wouldn't let anyone know the truth that she had been abandoned. If anything, it had to be her who had left Graham, not the other way around!
Only, their families were unaware of the fallout between her and Graham. So when they saw that the man beside her wasn't Graham but Braden, they were utterly shocked.
The wedding venue couldn't be canceled, nor could the banquet. Money was hard to come by, so why waste such a large sum?
"Graham, do you take Elise as your wife, to love her faithfully, through aging and storm, never abandoning her, loving only her for life?" the priest read from his script.
Braden responded earnestly, "I do."
The priest nodded, looked at Elise, and continued, "Elise, do you take Graham as your husband, to love him faithfully, through aging and storm, never abandoning him, loving only him for life?"
Forcing a smile, she said, "I do."
"I now pronounce you bound by this vow before God. Let neither life nor death separate you." The priest instructed the bridesmaid and groomsman, "You may now exchange rings."
Gaven Merritt, the best man, and ZZayne Manfen, the maid of honor, each held out a red velvet box to Elise and Braden, signaling them to exchange rings.
Elise hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should go through with this, but Braden had already slipped the ring onto her finger.
It seemed there was no way out for her now, so she followed suit and slid the ring onto Baden's finger.
"Very well, the groom may now..." The next words the priest was about to say were cut off by a firm look from Elise.
But Braden clearly didn't share her thoughts, as he leaned in and kissed her cheek, sealing their walk down the aisle.
Amid the applause, Elise and Braden completed the wedding ceremony, wrapping up this absurd act.
------
The wedding ceremony was over. In the bridal room, Elise changed out of her wedding dress and back into her usual outfit. As she walked out of the room, the first person she saw was Braden.
"Aren't you going to explain why you kissed me just now?" Elise asked, her voice edged with irritation. That wasn't part of the script.
Braden cleared his throat. "Well... it just felt more sincere this way."
If it weren't for their years of friendship, and the fact that his help had spared her from a miserable day, she'd have likely hit him hard enough to send him to the hospital by now.
"But about the reception..." Braden hesitated, unsure if he should go on.
"I plan to pack up the food and send it to the kids at the orphanage."
"Let me know if you plan to go; I can help," he offered.
Elise looked at him, puzzled.
Braden gave a reasonable explanation. "There's going to be a lot of stuff. You might not be able to carry it all by yourself."
"Not might—definitely," Elise replied with a forced smile, though only she knew how strained it really was.
However, what must come will come, and when it's time to face it, you can't just think of running away.
As soon as she got home, her usually compassionate mother and doting Aunt Vargas were both sent to their rooms by her father, who needed to know why his daughter had pulled such an absurd stunt today!
"Elise, explain to me why the person walking down the aisle with you today wasn't the Vargas family's son!" Her father's face was flushed with anger, his right hand raised, ready to slap her.
Elise squeezed her eyes shut in fear, bracing herself for the slap that never came.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that it was Braden who had taken the hit for her.
"Braden, are you crazy?" Elise stared at him in bewilderment. She didn't understand why he'd let himself be slapped.
"Well, Elise, what happened between you and Graham? Why did you betray him?" Mr. Vargas also questioned Elise, as if she were the one who had committed an unforgivable sin.
Her eyes stung, and tears slowly began to well up under the pressure of their questions.
She wondered, should she say it and humiliate herself, or could she really keep it all inside...?
"It was my interference, not Elise's fault." Braden didn't bother to explain himself, nor did he reveal the truth.
Elise's surprised gaze met his. She understood that he cared about her feelings, so he would rather be misunderstood himself.
Finally, Elise took a deep breath. Even if it was humiliating to say, she thought she shouldn't stay so cowardly and let Braden become the scapegoat for her.
"Dad, Mr. Vargas, you should be asking Graham about this, not me." Elise tried to remain calm, explaining word by word as she wiped away the last tears on her face, "It was him who called me last night and told me he had fallen in love with my best friend, Aleena. They already have a child together!"
At these words, dad's fury exploded, while Mr. Vargas almost collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, Braden caught him in time, as the old man might not have survived such a fall.
"Elise, Uncle is sorry... I didn't raise my son well..." Mr. Vargas was devastated, overwhelmed with shame.
Elise didn't know what to say. Although it wasn't Mr. Vargas's fault, her unsettled emotions made her not want to speak at all.
At this point, saying anything more felt meaningless. The love she had given would never return, but the wounds it left would remain with her, perhaps for a moment, perhaps for a lifetime.
"Where is Graham now? Tell him to get out here!" Dad roared in anger, lashing out at Mr. Vargas.
Mr. Vargas kept apologizing repeatedly, seemingly unaware of Graham's whereabouts.
"Dad, that's enough... I'm tired. I don't want to pursue this anymore." Elise stormed out. If she stayed here any longer, she feared she wouldn't be able to face it all calmly.
Without a word, Braden followed her out, leaving behind Mr. Vargas, who felt like he had failed as a father, and my dad, furious for having trusted Graham with his daughter.
