Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty Three

Everyone’s eyes snapped towards Jessica. I frowned at her and felt Trevor’s hand tremble only a tiny bit in mine. Sending him a confused face before turning back to Jessica who stared at me apologetically as her eyes continued to water, I began to feel frustrated.

“What is it?” I hissed, glaring at her for interrupting my wedding. Of course I had been having second thoughts a moment ago, however everyone did and so I had no intention to act on them.

“I---I --“ Jessica choked as tears poured out of her small, ashamed eyes.

“She’s obviously not okay Melanie. Someone take her out of her. Ahead with the ceremony please priest,” Trevor insisted, gently tugging on my hand so that I could face the priest again.

“No, she deliberately stopped my wedding at that part that the priest always says and so I want to know why she thinks we shouldn’t get married,” I protested, glaring into his ocean blue eyes.

“But she’s just wasting our time. I mean look at her, she can’t even speak. Just ask her after the wedding,” Trevor argued. What the hell was his problem?! Someone interrupted our wedding and he wants to find out why after the wedding. What if there was something we didn’t know and after promising ourselves in front of God, we couldn’t take it back?

Apologising quickly to everyone and lifting up my dress, I headed over to where everyone was hunched over a sobbing Jessica.

“Come on Jess, let’s talk so that you can calm down,” I cooed, softly taking her arm and leading her to where I had once been waiting, at the back of the church. She continued to cry, attempting to wipe away the tears that continued to flow like a waterfall down her thin cheeks. Closing the door behind us and ignoring the eruption of noise behind it, I ignored the memory of me and Stephen’s inappropriate kiss and focused on my bridesmaid.

“What’s wrong? I don’t want to rush you or anything, but I think that I have to, since, if you didn’t realise I’m getting married and your my bridesmaid. ” I joked with a small reassuring smile, trying to ease the air.

“Do you remember me saying that I was in love with someone else at the same time that I got married?” Jessica reminded me after a couple minutes silence, still sniffling as she made an effort to control herself.

“Yeah,” I replied, waiting for her to elaborate.

“I don’t want you to end up regretting it like I do,” Jessica frowned.

“What? You regret it? Jessica you didn’t tell me this before,” I scowled. She was only making my decision even harder, just when I believed that I had made the right one. Yet, we were different people and so maybe I would not regret it.

“Especially when the one your with is cheating on you,” she whispered almost inaudibly, before breaking down, covering her face which now ran with makeup.

“Aww, Jessica!” I sighed, pulling her into a hug.

“If he cheated on you, I am so sorry Jess. He obviously doesn’t deserve someone as wonderful as you.” I tried to assure her, stroking her back as I hugged her softly, at the same time making sure not to let her makeup get on my wedding dress.

“I’m not talking about me...” I almost missed her say which baffled me. She was talking about me? ‘Especially when the one you’re with is cheating on you’...

“He’s cheating on me?” I murmured, moving away from her and gently pulling her hands away from her face, so that I could see her eyes.

“What are you talking about Jessica? You’re making no sense.” I complained beginning to feel annoyed. Trying to pull her hands back over her face, I held her hands firmer, not in the mood to have my feelings played around with.

“Tell me.” I almost growled causing her to wince backwards a bit.

“The other guy I was in love with was Trevor,” Jessica continued to weep. This took me some time to wrap my head around. Jessica was making me more and more anxious and I did not like it one bit.

Trying to make sense of what she was saying, I let go of her and placed a hand on my forehead, spinning around to think whilst she fell to her knees. Closing my eyes and breathing deeply, I replayed everything she had said.

Jessica regretted getting married since she was still in love with the other man.

Trevor had cheated on me.

Jessica was in love with the other man who was called Trevor. My Trevor.

Trevor cheated on me and she’s still in love with him.

“What does Trevor cheating on me have anything to do with you still being in love with my fiancé?” I questioned, narrowing my eyes at her as I absentmindedly held on to my stomach.

“I slept with Trevor... Melanie I am so so---,” Jessica confessed, crying even more when the words finally slipped out of her lips. Jessica, one of my friends had slept with my fiancé, Trevor, who had said nothing.

“Melanie! We need to get married now, loads of people are starting to---,” Trevor barged into the room, his eyes not even glancing at Jessica. Staring at my ‘husband to be,’ I kept my eyes on his whilst his puzzled eyes continued to stare into mine.

“Melanie?” Trevor began, walking towards me.

“I’m alright,” I lied, smiling convincingly, walking past him to the church.

“I’m really sorry everybody for the wait, but the wedding is over!” I yelled, walking down the aisle, to apologise deeply to the priest who out of everyone had definitely wasted his time.

“What are you doing Melanie?!” Trevor shouted after me, causing a scene.

“Do not cause a scene Trevor,” I commanded.

“Let everybody leave and get back to their lives.” I insisted, finally reaching the priest.

“I’m very sorry, Father Dod, but this marriage will no longer happen. I am deeply sorry --,” I started to apologise ignoring Trevor’s chants in the background.

“Father wait! Just let me speak to her!” Trevor interrupted beside me as he continued to try and hold my hand which I snatched back endlessly.

“--- but I will still continue to put money towards the church repairs, don’t you forget!” I smiled kindly as he gaped at us perplexed, moving his eyes back and forth.

“Melanie stop it!” Trevor screamed over everyone’s whispers, pulling me harshly to face him. I instantly saw both my brother and Stephen stand up, ready to fight Trevor for laying his hands on me in such a way. I stared blankly into his sea blue eyes that I had once loved and watching them search my face, as though trying to find the reason for my abrupt outburst.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting me like this? What the hell have I done wrong?!” Trevor quizzed.

“I don’t think you want to do this in front of everyone,” I warned, raising an eyebrow as I tried to contain my emotions.

“I do! Do it! Say everything in front of everyone since this is our family and friends,” Trevor urged and seeing the determination in his eyes, I turned to the crowd of people, half standing getting ready to leave and the rest still sitting down examining us with weary eyes.

“Melanie, calm down and do this somewhere else,” my mother stated, suddenly appearing beside me.

“No mummy, he wants me to expose him in front of everyone so I will.” I shrugged just as Jessica exited the room and came into view.

“Actually, why don’t you tell everyone why there will be no wedding Jessica, or would you rather Trevor said it?” I wondered, recognising Trevor’s expression to be one of realisation.

“Melanie, don’t say it actually.” Trevor panicked beside me.

“Whatever she said was a lie!” Trevor claimed.

“Trevor who is standing beside me, wearing the broom attire and my ‘was’ fiancé here, cheated on me with Jessica, who is already married and couldn’t keep her paws off my fiancé.” I announced, not at all surprised when there was an echo of gasps and Gerald, Jessica’s husband, stood up and turned to face his unfaithful wife.

“Melanie she’s lying. Why would I do this? She’s just jealous of us. She always has been! Please don’t do this!” Trevor lied, pulling me back as I tried to walk away.

“Get your hands off my sister!” Robert roared, pushing him away from me as my heart began to break as the words finally sunk in when I said them aloud. My body began to tremble as I started to cry and held onto my stomach which was hurting, probably due to my overwhelming emotions.

“Please let us get married! Melanie I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Trevor begged, behind my brother who would not let him pass.

“Melanie forgive me! Forgive us!” Jessica blubbered on her knees, at my feet.

“There is no us Jessica! There will never be an us!” Trevor screamed at her, making her cry even more.

“You lied! Both of you! Trevor you didn’t even try to tell me! What? Were you gonna just let us get married and live happily ever after whilst sleeping with my friend behind my back?! You guys belong together!” I sobbed as my mother and sister tried to comfort me and the girls’ attempted to shoo everyone out of the church. I heard a punch being thrown and saw Trevor crouched over, holding his stomach as I was.

“Robert stop it! Stop it please!” I pleaded as my mother left me, her and Debbie trying to stop my brother from killing Trevor.

The shouting was unbearable. The pain was overpowering . I couldn’t breathe. My head was pounding and my heart felt empty. Suddenly I felt something leave my body as I felt an excruciating pain in my stomach. Looking down, my eyes set on my blood covered wedding dress.

“Melanie!” Stephen called, storming towards me. Glancing at him, I instantly stopped crying as I gasped for air and wondered what was happening to me, just before my world went black.