Serene’s wedding takes a shocking turn when two police officers arrive with news about her fiancé. But as the truth unfolds, Serene discovers a gift—and a love—beyond her wildest dreams.
I remember that day like it was yesterday.
It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Our wedding day. But instead of saying “I do,” I found myself frozen in the middle of the room as two police officers walked straight toward me with a picture of my fiancé.
A surprise bride | Source: Midjourney
“Madam? Do you know this man?” one of them asked.
Let’s go back.
I met Andrew six months ago at an art gallery my friend had dragged me to. I went reluctantly, expecting to spend the evening sipping expensive wine and nodding my head at abstract paintings I didn’t understand.
“Come on, Serene,” Mimi said. “Let’s throw ourselves into a life of cultural escapades. First an art gallery, then the theater. Please!”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“Fine,” I said, giving in. “Anyway, I wasn’t planning on doing anything else for the night. But if I don’t like it…”
“Then I’ll take you out for Thai food before I go home. I promise,” Mimi said.
So I got dressed and we went out.
And there he was.
Andrew.
A woman standing in an art gallery | Source: Midjourney
Tall, with messy black hair, paint stains on his hands, and the kind of smile that makes you forget your own name.
He was exhibiting some of his works that evening, a series of dreamlike, surreal landscapes that immediately caught my attention. As I walked toward one of his paintings, he appeared next to me.
“What do you think?” he asks me.
“Honestly? It’s beautiful. Breathtaking,” I replied, looking at him instead of the painting.
A man in an art gallery | Source: Midjourney
From that moment on, we became inseparable. Andrew was unlike anyone I’d ever dated before. He didn’t care about money or social status. He didn’t even own a car.
He was content with meetings that included food from vendors and long walks. And he lived in a tiny studio apartment with canvases stacked to the ceiling.
But he was kind, passionate and extremely talented.
A food truck | Source: Midjourney
“Don’t move, the light is perfect,” he said softly.
Andrew was painting me, or trying to, but I kept wanting to move. I was restless, and I felt unsettled. Like something was happening, but I didn’t know what.
And I was right. Except I had no reason to feel so nervous.
A man painting | Source: Midjourney
Andrew proposed that night, even though we’d only been officially together for four months. My heart said yes before my brain could catch up. How could I have said anything but “yes”? The man I loved was down on one knee, holding a bouquet of wildflowers, and the most beautiful, unusual ring on my finger.
It was meant to last.
My father, for his part, was furious.
“You’re marrying a man you’ve only known for six months,” he said, pacing the living room, a glass of whiskey in his hands.
A woman’s engagement ring | Source: Midjourney
I was having dinner with my parents, eager to tell them the news. Andrew was supposed to come with me, but at the last moment, inspiration struck, and he had to get out his paints.
“A man with nothing to his name but a few paintbrushes and a dream,” my father shouted. “Do you really think he loves you for who you are, Most Serene? Or does he resent the money you bring? Our family fortune!”
“Andrew isn’t like that!” I argued. “He doesn’t care about money. He loves me for me. It’s not all about you, Dad. It’s not all about money.”
A frustrated man | Source: Midjourney
My father wasn’t at all convinced. He refused to give us his blessing, and although my mother tried to remain neutral, I could see she wasn’t thrilled either.
Yet, I believed in Andrew.
The morning of the wedding was chaotic but exciting.
A woman standing in a nightgown | Source: Midjourney
My parents were there early, handling last-minute details while I got ready upstairs with my bridesmaids.
“Do you think your dad will be good today?” my maid of honor, Lisa, asked me as she curled my hair.
“I hope so,” I replied, fingering my engagement ring. “He’s been feeling better lately. I think he’s starting to get his act together.”
The rear view of a woman | Source: Midjourney
But as the time for the ceremony approached, I felt something was wrong. Andrew was nowhere to be seen.
“Have you heard from him?” Mimi asks, her voice tight with worry.
I shake my head.
I had already called him three times, but there was no answer. The ceremony was supposed to begin at 2:00 PM, and now, forty-five minutes later, the whispers among the guests were intensifying.
A bride holding her phone | Source: Midjourney
Just as I was about to call him again, the doors of the room burst open and two men in police uniforms entered.
The room fell silent.
“Madam,” one of them said, striding toward me. “Do you know this man?”
My knees nearly buckled when he held up a picture of Andrew.
Two police officers at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
“Yes,” I said, my voice trembling. “He’s my fiancé. It’s Andrew! What’s going on? Is he okay? Was there an accident?”
The officer exchanges a look with his partner before continuing.
“We’re sorry to inform you, but your fiancé has been apprehended. He broke into your family’s property earlier today, while everyone was there, and attempted to burglarize the house.”
A police officer at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
The room erupted into chaos.
“What?!” I jumped, shaking my head. “That’s impossible. Andrew could never…”
“I warned you!” my father’s voice boomed from the hallway, cutting through the noise. He was already walking toward me, his face red with a mixture of anger and justification.
An angry man | Source: Midjourney
“This is exactly what I said would happen. Andrew is a con man! And now he’s made fun of you in front of everyone. In front of your own family and friends, Serene!”
My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear the officers explaining that Andrew had been caught on the outskirts of town, trying to escape.
They invited my parents and me to accompany them to the place.
A police officer at a wedding | Source: Midjourney
“Sure, I’m coming too,” my father said, grabbing his coat. “Let’s see what this crook has to say in his defense.”
The walk to the stage was unbearable, my wedding dress felt heavy and uncomfortable.
My dad kept muttering under his breath that he knew this would happen, and that I should have listened to him from the start.
A bride sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney
“You were too naive for your own good, Serene,” he spat.
I sat silently, staring out the window, my engagement ring growing heavier and heavier.
When we arrived, the officers didn’t take us to a police station. Instead, they stopped in front of an old warehouse on the outskirts of town.
“What is it?” my father asks, narrowing his eyes.
The exterior of an abandoned warehouse | Source: Midjourney
“This is… an unusual case,” one of the agents replied enigmatically, opening the warehouse door.
The moment I stepped inside, I froze.
There were paint cans everywhere. Old brushes littered the floor. It felt like Andrew’s studio.
There, on a massive wall that stretched across the entire warehouse, was a mural.
Paint cans in an abandoned warehouse | Source: Midjourney
A breathtaking, larger-than-life graffiti depicting a bride and groom. The bride was unmistakably me, with my dark curls and white wedding dress, and the groom, Andrew, was holding my hand, smiling like the happiest man in the world.
In the corner of the fresco, one could read the following words:
Yours forever, Andrew.
A shocked bride | Source: Midjourney
Before I could fully process what I was seeing, Andrew stepped out from behind a canvas, wiping his hands on his jeans.
“Surprise!” he said, smiling nervously.
“What?” I answered to the eyes.
A man standing in an abandoned warehouse | Source: Midjourney
“This is my wedding gift to you, Serene, my love,” he said, gesturing toward the mural. “I wanted to give you something that would last forever, something that shows how much I love you. The police officers are actors; I hired them to act the part. I know it’s a little dramatic, but I wanted this day to be unforgettable.”
My father, who had remained in stunned silence, finally spoke.
“You mean this whole thing was… a joke?”
Andrew nods.
A smiling groom | Source: Midjourney
“Yes, sir,” he said. “I’m sorry for the scare, but I wanted to show everyone else that I’m serious.”
For a moment, my father stared at him. Then, to my surprise, he started laughing.
“Well, I’ll give you that,” he said, crossing his arms. “You’ve got talent. And guts. I still don’t fully trust you… but you’ve earned my respect today.”
Andrew smiled.
A man who laughs | Source: Midjourney
What the hell is this?
“No! This isn’t okay!” I shouted. “Andrew! We’re supposed to be getting married now! What the hell was wrong with you? Did I call you! Seriously?”
Andrew’s eyes widen.
“I know, I know,” he said. “But it was the muse who called me. When I started the fresco, I had to finish it. You understand, don’t you? You know how it is, my love.”
A bride with hands on hips | Source: Midjourney
I wanted to be angry. I wanted to stay upset and scream until I felt better. But I didn’t know how to be angry with Andrew. I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
I ran to my fiancé and threw my arms around him, laughing and crying at the same time.
“This is the best wedding present I could have imagined,” I whispered.
“Good,” he said, hugging me.
A couple kissing | Source: Midjourney
We all returned to the ceremony venue together, where Andrew explained everything to our bewildered guests. My father even proposed a toast to Andrew during the reception, admitting that he might have misjudged him.
It turns out that sometimes love isn’t about perfect timing or logic. It’s about trust, creativity, and a little risk.
And Andrew?
My God, he didn’t just become my husband. He was the masterpiece I never saw coming.
A man making a toast | Source: Midjourney
After our wedding, we lazed around in a hotel room eating chocolate-covered strawberries.
“I was scared,” I admitted. “When you didn’t answer my calls or show up at the wedding, I was… scared. I thought my dad had finally run you out of town.”
“Oh, Serene,” he said, smiling. “Nothing will keep me away from you.”
A tray of chocolate-covered strawberries | Source: Midjourney
“I have a wedding present for you too,” I said.
“What is this?” he asked, grabbing a bottle of champagne.
“When we get home, I want you to pack up your studio. I bought you a space, just for your art. Your own studio. It’s bigger, the lighting is beautiful… and there’s a gallery attached to it. So you can display your work whenever you want.”
Andrew was silent for a moment, and I wondered if I’d crossed a line.
“It’s… all about me, Serene. You’re my muse, you know that, right?”
An art studio | Source: Midjourney
Read also: My mother-in-law excluded my children and me from a family photo shoot because we weren’t wearing the same Christmas pajamas
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 all opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the opinions of the author or publisher.
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