The afternoon from hell was finally wrapping up and crashing into night. Today was supposed to have been her day. The best day of her life. Except “best” had been completely skipped and she had been given “crappiest.”
He wanted the outdoor wedding. He wanted the vows to be exchanged at dusk. He wanted her dress to be dark red instead of a white one.
He also wanted her maid of honor, her sister, and his co-worker Lauren.
He wanted so much.
Her dress now represented the blood she wished she could spill.
She thanked the stars that they’d never actually spoken the “I do’s.”
What kind of life would she have had with that kind of man? The thought gave her chills. She snorted, appreciating the sudden irony: just yesterday, she couldn’t have envisioned her life without him.
The remaining guests were getting drunk and she was right there with them.
He, on the other hand, was gone. He’d been outed as the controlling bully he was, and embarrassed in front of his family, but his embarrassment was nothing compared to hers. She’d been treated like a possession – a mindless doll – humiliated, and made to feel like a fool.
Open bottle of wine clutched in her hand, she let her wandering feet carry her to the place where he’d wanted their vows to be exchanged. Under the candles, which were hanging from trees. Under the candles with their sickly, glowing light that was already attracting bugs.
She stood under the candles a free woman instead of a married one.
She stood under them, and she smiled. Then she lifted the bottle in a toast to herself and turned to go.
At the edge of the candlelight, where the waxy warmth merged with the cool night air, she raised her free hand and gave the candles the bird.
About the author, Selena Taylor
Selena Taylor is a wife, a mother, and a woman who strives to tell the many stories that occupy her mind. She is active in the Rhett & Link fandom and appreciates dark humor. She and her family live in Illinois, where she takes every opportunity to lose herself under the stars and let her imagination run wild. For more from Selena, check her out on Facebook.
I loved this. Thank you for writing it. ❤️❤️❤️