My possession

The hall glittered with ribbons, roses, and shimmering lights. Everything looked so perfect at least on the outside. Inside a small dressing room, Arianna paced restlessly, her hands trembling as she adjusted the edge of her gown.

Her phone buzzed. She grabbed it quickly.

“Hello, babe, where are you?” she asked anxiously. “I’ve been waiting for two hours now and…”

“Let’s cancel the wedding,” Dennis’s voice cut her off sharply like a piercing knife. “I have something important to do.”

Arianna froze, her breath catching. “What? You’re joking, right?”

“Do I sound like I’m joking?” His tone was harsh and dismissive. “Dismiss everyone. I’ll pay you for compensation later.”

The line went dead.

Her fingers slipped from the phone, and it almost clattered to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered into the silence, “Wait… Dennis, please don’t do this to me…”

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Arianna’s POV

Dennis had been my closest friend since childhood. We went to the same school, laughed at the same silly things, and eventually, we dated. His mother hated me though. She never forgave the fact that I was an orphan raised by an aunt who barely tolerated me.

When we finished college, life separated us. Dennis left for Cambridge University, while I without the privilege of wealth, settled for a small teaching job.

Five years later, he returned. One month after reuniting, he proposed, and though my feelings had faded slightly, I still cared. I just wanted to be his wife, to prove my aunt wrong, and maybe… maybe to finally belong somewhere.

But now? He had left me standing in a gown, abandoned like I meant nothing.

I dialed his number again. Switched off.

My chest ached with shame. What would people say? My aunt would curse me again. Maybe if I called her, she could beg Dennis not to call it off, even if she never truly supported me…

The door creaked open.

“How many times will I tell you that my son no longer has interest in you?” Mrs. Octavia’s sharp voice sliced into the air.

“Good morning, Mrs. Octavia, I…”

“Keep quiet, you wretch!” She slapped me across the face. The sting burned instantly, it hurts.

“Ahh! Mrs. Octavia, what have I done to you?” I clutched my cheek, trembling. “I love your son. He proposed to me. We decided to marry…”

“After you lured him to your bed, right?”

“I didn’t…”

“Shut up!” Her eyes blazed with disdain. “Dennis already has a wedding coming up in two weeks. Stay the hell away from him. And now, go out there and call off this foolish wedding yourself… wretched bitch!”

She turned sharply and stormed out.

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I stood there shaking like a leaf, her words exploding in my head like thunder. My knees buckled and I sank to the floor, sobbing until my gown was stained with tears.

“Oh God… what do I do now? It’s over. Everything is over.”

I couldn't hold back my tears.

After thirty minutes of weeping, I dragged myself up, wiped my face, and walked toward the back door of the church. From there, I could see people already leaving. Whispers and confused murmurs filled the air.

“What’s happening?” I whispered, scanning the crowd desperately for my aunt. She was nowhere to be found.

Tears pricked my eyes again.

“Are you the forbidden bride?”

A deep voice startled me from behind.

I turned and my breath caught. Standing there was a man, tall and breathtakingly handsome, his features so sharp and refined he almost didn’t look real. For a moment, I forgot my pain, lost in the intensity of his presence.

“Hello? I’m talking to you. Are you okay?” he asked, his tone firm but kind.

My tongue was stuck. I was too busy staring. He was the kind of man who could ruin a woman with just a glance. He could undress her with those gorgeous eyes of his…

“Young lady, are you okay?” He tapped my shoulder gently, snapping me back to reality.

“Uh… oh, sorry. I… I was just lost for a moment. What did you say?”

“You look devastated. Why don’t you go and rest? Your wedding has been called off.”

My heart clenched at his bluntness. “Oh… yeah. I will. But… who are you?”

He smirked. “Is that really what you should be asking? Shouldn’t you be thinking of what to do with your life now that your groom has abandoned you?” His voice carried a sharp edge, almost mocking.

I blinked, stunned. “Wait, what? I thought you were a reasonable person, but you’re here throwing insults in my face?”

“Deal with it yourself.”

And just like that, he walked away, leaving me gaping.

“What the heck… He’s handsome but absolutely arrogant. No sympathy at all…”

Anger and confusion swirled inside me. I returned to the dressing room, tore off my wedding gown, changed into my normal clothes, and walked out of the church through the back door Alone to avoid annoying words.