That’s when the whispering started. Sofia and I come from traditional families, so bridesmaids in black were a big problem. Several heads turned towards each other and frowned in confusion.
‘This is so inappropriate, Max!’ I could almost hear my mother shouting.
‘Oh, that’s a bad omen,’ I imagined my grandmother saying.
Without looking away, I watched as my sister, Elena, took her place at the entrance. She met my gaze and, so subtly that no one noticed, winked.
I exhaled slowly.
Yes.
Everything was going according to plan.
Then the doors at the back of the hall opened.
Sofia stepped forward, beaming. I have to admit, she looked stunning. A vision in white.
She took one step into the hall and then froze.
For a moment, she didn’t understand. The smile froze on her lips as she scanned the crowd, expecting to see joy, excitement, and the warmth of celebration.
But instead, she saw black dresses.
And her expression changed.
Her eyes darted from one bridesmaid to another, taking in the dark silhouettes, the sombre energy, and the whispers of the guests.
The colour drained from her face.
Her lips parted slightly, as if to ask a question, but no words came. Her hand tightened around the bouquet. She knew something was wrong.
There was hesitation in her movements as she continued walking. The usual confidence in her gait was gone. Every step down the aisle seemed uncertain.
When she reached me, her hands were trembling slightly, and she took mine.
Her fingers were cold.
‘What’s going on, Max? Why did they change the dresses? What the hell? They ruined the whole aesthetic!’
I smiled at her. But there was no warmth in her. I no longer felt any affection for this woman.
‘Wait. You don’t know?’ I asked, my voice loud enough for her to hear.
The room fell silent.
Sophia scanned the room. From me to the bridesmaids, to my sister standing next to them.
I turned slightly, gesturing towards the line of women dressed in mourning.
‘This isn’t a wedding, Sofia,’ I said, my voice calm.
Too calm. But I was calm. I had had several days to get my feelings under control.
‘It’s a funeral,’ I smiled.
A collective gasp swept through the room. Our guests looked horrified. My mother looked as if she was about to faint.
Sophia’s fingers clenched desperately around mine.
‘What are you talking about?’ she gasped.
I let out a small, humourless laugh.
‘We’re here to bury what’s left of our love. Or, more accurately,’ I said, watching her begin to get nervous, ‘what you killed.’
The silence was suffocating. Then there was a murmur. Someone in the second row covered their mouth with their hand.
Someone else turned to the person sitting next to them and whispered something urgently.
Sophia’s face flushed.
The panic in her eyes turned into something else. Anger.
And then, finally, it dawned on her.
She wrenched her hands from mine and turned, her rage finding a new target.
‘You told him?!’ she hissed, her voice cutting through the air.
Now Sophia was looking directly at the bridesmaids.
No. She was accusing them.
Her face was contorted with rage.
“How could you do that?! You’re my closest people! My closest friends! And it’s none of your business. Absolutely not. What the hell?”
‘At first, we didn’t want to believe Elena,’ said Maddie, Sofia’s best friend. ‘But after she showed us the evidence… we all realised that Max deserved better.’
Elena took a small step forward. I knew that look on my sister’s face. She was trying her best to keep her composure. But when she spoke, her voice was flat, cold and final.
‘Sofia, this became our business the moment we found out what kind of person you really are.’
She lifted her chin slightly.
‘It became our business the moment we found out who my brother was going to spend his life with.’
Sofia clenched her fists.
‘You had no right!’ she cried, her voice rising hysterically.
I bowed my head.
‘No right? Really? To know the truth about the woman I was going to marry?’
She turned back to me, despair breaking through her anger.
‘I can explain… Max!’
I shook my head. I couldn’t bear to listen to her explanations. Or lack thereof. On the one hand, I wanted to know everything. On the other, I just wanted Sophie out of my life forever.
‘No, Sophie,’ I said after a moment. My voice was quiet. Controlled. Deadly.
‘You just don’t like being caught.’
A stifled sound escaped her lips. A mixture of rage, humiliation, and something close to fear. Her eyes darted around the room again, looking for someone to take her side.
But no one moved. No one dared make a sound. No one came to her aid.
The guests froze in their seats, too stunned to react.
Sophia’s bridesmaids stood silently, their black dresses making them look more like rowers than wedding guests.
She had never felt so alone. I could see it in her face.