When Paige’s sister steals her fiancé, betrayal isn’t enough. She wants to flaunt her small victory. A year later, an invitation arrives. Erica is getting married to the man she stole, and she wants Paige to attend the ceremony. But what Erica doesn’t know is that Paige has a plan. And before the night is over, the bride’s perfect day will be in ruins.
I wasn’t supposed to attend this wedding.
This was evident from the sidelong glances and whispers that trailed behind me as I crossed the great hall.
A smiling woman at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
I’ll admit, the wedding planning was magnificent. Erica had taken the time to set the scene in shades of gold and ivory. The guests arrived in their expensive gowns and tuxedos. Everything was… magnificent.
But no amount of elegance could mask the rot beneath the surface.
It wasn’t just any wedding. It was her wedding.
Erica.
People at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
My little sister. My parents’ darling. The one who was given everything on a silver platter, while I had to fight for even the slightest success.
And now ?
She had taken the only thing that was supposed to be mine.
Stan.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
Stan had been my fiancé. He had been my future. He was the man I loved and trusted, until I came home early from work one night and found them both in our bed.
I still remember how he froze, his face twisted with guilt. As for my sister? She only smiled, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction.
“I win, Paige,” she said simply. “Checkmate.”
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
A month later, the wedding I’d spent over a year planning was canceled, with every vendor trying to keep my deposits. And what about Erica and Stan? They didn’t have to hide anymore. They were finally an official couple.
After that, I left the city for a few weeks, moving from hotel to hotel while working remotely. I tried to put it all behind me, and I eventually did. When I was ready, I moved back in and got myself a kitten.
A ginger kitten | Source: Midjourney
Then the invitation arrived.
And now, a year after this whole fiasco, there I was, in the middle of their celebration, invited as nothing more than a spectator to their so-called victory.
I bet my parents forced her to invite me. If Erica had her way, she never would have invited me. Or maybe she would have… just to cheer herself up. She was as mean as they come.
A wedding invitation | Source: Midjourney
But what Erica didn’t know, what no one knew, was that tonight, I wasn’t there to mourn my loss.
I had come to make sure Erica would never forget what she had done to me. And with that, she would never forget the surprise I had prepared for her wedding reception.
The ceremony was a blur. I stood in the back, barely listening to the officiant talk about love and devotion. Honestly, they were just words that meant nothing.
A woman standing at a wedding venue | Source: Midjourney
Stan, dressed in a crisp black tuxedo, stared at Erica with an adoring look I knew was fake. She, in turn, looked at him as if she’d won the greatest prize.
I almost laughed.
Enjoy it while you can, darling , I thought, sipping my champagne.
A smiling couple | Source: Midjourney
By the time the reception began, the room was buzzing with laughter and clinking glasses. A massive screen behind the dance floor was playing a slideshow of their engagement photos, Stan lifting Erica into the air, their foreheads touching as they smiled at each other.
Honestly, if you didn’t know the story of how they met, you’d think they were genuinely happy.
And maybe they were. Maybe that’s how things were meant to be.
Champagne glasses on a table | Source: Midjourney
But I wasn’t going to give in that easily. I wasn’t going to let this go.
Why should Erica be happy, especially after all the pain and betrayal I had felt?
No. No chance.
Soon, their perfect little fairy tale would take a turn.
I walked through the crowd unnoticed, my elegant black dress hugging my body perfectly. I wasn’t dressed like a guest. I was dressed like a rookie, and I felt confident, more confident than I had in a long time.
A woman walking into a wedding reception | Source: Midjourney
I walked over to the laptop connected to the projector and slid my USB drive inside. A few clicks, a deep breath, and then…
It’s showtime.
The first few seconds flew by. Guests continued to sip champagne and nibble, lost in conversation. The bride and groom made their way through the crowd, stopping to talk and hug people as they passed.
That’s when Stan’s voice filled the room.
“Please don’t leave me!”
A man sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney
The video played on the giant screen, grainy images from the camera installed in my room. Stan was on the bed, his face streaked with tears. I stood on the other end of the line, listening to him try to “explain” what had happened between him and my sister.
“Erica means nothing to me, Paige! Absolutely nothing!” he sobbed. “She was a mistake! I love you, Paige! I made a huge mistake!”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
I turned to Erica.
His face had lost all color.
A shocked bride | Source: Midjourney
Stan, too, remained frozen, his eyes wide. His hands clenched at his sides.
But I wasn’t finished yet.
The video was cut to show other footage. I lived in a quiet neighborhood that was often the target of burglaries, which is why I had security cameras installed everywhere and in every room.
Today, the footage showed Erica and Stan sneaking into my house together, slipping into my bedroom when they thought I was working late. Timestamp after timestamp, betrayal after betrayal.
A security camera on a porch | Source: Midjourney
Then, the final nail in the coffin.
Erica, lying in my bed, laughing.
“She’ll never know…” she whispered, her voice light and breathy.
“Paige who?” Stan said, laughing with her.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Someone dropped a glass of champagne.
A broken champagne glass | Source: Midjourney
“Oh my God,” one woman whispered.
My mother looked like she was going to faint. My father’s jaw clenched so hard I swore I heard his teeth grinding.
And then it’s total chaos.
Erica stumbled back, her hands shaking.
“This…this isn’t real!” she stammered.
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
But the proof was there, shining brightly in the glare of the screen.
“Dinner will be served now!” she exclaimed, waving her hands in the air. “Everyone sit down and enjoy!”
Stan turned to her, his expression turning into pure rage.
An Angry Bride | Source: Midjourney
“Erica, you told me you went on Paige’s computer and deleted the pictures.”
“Oh?” I mused, my voice dripping with mocking innocence. “You mean you knew? You knew the security cameras were going to catch you in the act?”
His face turned pale, he gave himself away.
The guests murmured louder, judgment and disgust evident on their faces.
A shocked groom | Source: Midjourney
And then, before Erica could reply, a voice cut through the tension.
“Paige.”
I turned around.
Jack stepped forward into the crowd, his crisp white shirt visible beneath the black vest of his waiter’s uniform.
A smiling man holding a tray | Source: Midjourney
A month ago, when I talked to Jack about what I wanted to do, he insisted he needed to be with me. He had just stopped by after work, and the first thing he saw was my sister’s wedding invitation on the table.
“I want to go to the wedding,” I told him. “I just don’t want to be… I don’t know. Jack, Erica is trouble. She’s used to everything being about her. I want to teach her a lesson.”
Jack moved around the kitchen, chopping whatever I asked him to.
“Then I’m coming with you, Paige,” he said.
“But I don’t want you to draw attention,” I said, handing her a bowl of ramen. “I don’t want Erica to ruin my moment before I even get there. And if she sees you, that’s exactly what she’ll do.”
“Then I’ll come as a waiter, if that’s what it takes!” he said. “But I want to be there. That way, if you need me, I’ll be there.”
Finally, I gave in. I was estranged from my parents, and it had been a long time since I’d been close to my family, so knowing Jack was there made me feel better.
A bowl of ramen | Source: Midjourney
Jack placed his tray of champagne glasses on a table and smiled at me.
His bright blue eyes met mine. They were steady and unwavering… and reassuring.
I’d never been so grateful to see someone in my life. Even though I was surrounded by family, Jack’s presence was the only thing that kept me grounded throughout the ceremony. I despised Erica and Stan, but seeing them get married warmed my heart.
But now? Seeing Jack?
I felt comforted.
“Shall we go?” I asked.
Jack shook his head and walked over to me.
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
Gasps rippled through the crowd as he advanced toward me, each step measured and determined. Then, without hesitation, he knelt.
The room, already shaken by the on-screen scandal, fell into a stunned silence.
Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it, revealing the most breathtaking ring I had ever seen.
“I’ve waited long enough to ask you this, my love,” he said, his voice strong, clear, and certain. “Paige, will you marry me?”
A beautiful engagement ring | Source: Midjourney
A sharp intake of breath swept through the crowd.
Erica let out a strangled sound.
“Are… are you kidding me right now?” she shouted. “Paige! Paige! What the hell is this? Now? At my wedding?!”
She looked like a deer in headlights, but she also looked like a cannon about to burst into the room, taking everything with her. For a moment, I felt bad. But overall… I felt vindicated.
A screaming bride | Source: Midjourney
I smiled, the weight of the past year lifted off my shoulders.
She had stolen from the wrong man. Stan was nothing compared to Jack. Jack was everything Stan hadn’t been. He was trustworthy and certain of life and his love for me.
Stan? Stan just wanted to have fun.
But when I looked at him now, he looked heartbroken. It was as if everything bad had happened to him and the weight of it all was suffocating him. He looked at Erica, who was still angry. He even tried to reach out to her, but she pulled it away with such force that he looked shocked.
I would have liked to go see him. But that wasn’t my problem.
Side view of a groom | Source: Midjourney
Instead, I turned back to Jack, my chest tight with emotion.
“Yes!” I said, my voice unwavering. “Yes, Jack! I will!”
The room erupted. Some guests, still reeling from the scandal, were now applauding. My mother wiped away tears, not of shame this time, but of joy.
An emotional woman sitting at a table | Source: Midjourney
Erica’s face twisted with pure, unfiltered rage. There was something unusual about her rage. I’d never seen her so upset in my life. Erica was used to getting everything she wanted, but now, on the most important day of her life, she had lost control. There was no joy in her actions. There was no victory over me anymore.
There was just… anger and hurt. And disappointment. I should have felt bad, right?
But I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“It’s my day!” she shouted, stamping her foot and knocking over her chair.
An upset bride holding her head | Source: Midjourney
I turned to her, tilting my head.
“Oh, honey,” I said, my voice dripping with sweetness. “You stole that jerk and my wedding from me. I just returned the favor and stole your thunder.”
Then, with Jack’s hand firmly in mine, I walked out of the room, leaving my sister standing at her wedding reception, humiliated, betrayed, and hurt.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
The wedding was long behind us, but my heart was still pounding. The echoes of Erica’s gasps, whispers, and screams still clung to the periphery of my mind.
Now it was just Jack and me.
We were sitting across from each other in a tiny 24-hour diner, both absurdly overdressed for a place that served greasy fries and milkshakes in chipped glasses. My sleek black dress looked out of place against the cracked leather booth, and Jack looked like he’d stepped out of a movie scene.
The interior of a restaurant | Source: Midjourney
And yet, I had never felt so comfortable all evening.
Jack slid a plate of fries towards me.
“Eat,” he ordered. “You’ve had a long day.
“That’s an understatement,” I say, laughing, but I take a fry anyway.
A plate of fries | Source: Midjourney
For a while we sat there, the hum of the restaurant filling the silence. It wasn’t awkward, it was easy. But that was life since I’d met Jack.
Finally, I put down my glass and met his gaze.
“So… how long have you been planning this?”
“The marriage proposal?” he smiled.
He exhaled, leaned back against the booth.
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
“I’ve been wanting to propose to you for months, Paige. But I knew you weren’t ready. Not just for marriage, but for this whole commitment thing? You needed time to heal. I wasn’t going to rush things.”
Her fingers traced patterns on the table, then picked up her milkshake again.
“But when I found out she invited you? That was the final straw. I wasn’t going to let you stay alone while she showed it off in front of you.”
A lime milkshake on a restaurant table | Source: Midjourney
“And did you find a job in catering, or did you sneak in?”
“I asked for a favor, darling,” he smiled. “Apparently, I’m fine holding a tray.”
I laughed, really laughed, for the first time in a long time.
Jack leaned forward, his expression much softer now.
A woman sitting in a restaurant and laughing | Source: Midjourney
“I meant every word, Paige. I love you. And I’ll wait as long as you need me to. But tonight seemed like the right time to finally ask you.”
“I think,” I said after a while, “that you’ve chosen the perfect moment.”
And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I had won.
A smiling woman sitting outdoors | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
Read also: My girlfriend invited me to our wedding without waiting for me to propose to her
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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