Weddings should be filled with joy, but as I watched Shanice walk down the aisle, I felt a knot in my stomach. Something wasn’t right, and I couldn’t ignore it. When I finally stepped forward to lift her dress, the truth I discovered left me frozen in shock.
I’ve known Dave for over 30 years. We grew up together, shared secrets, and laughed through awkward teenage years. So when he told me he was marrying Shanice, this stunning, graceful woman he met a year ago, I was thrilled for him.
To be honest, I didn’t think anyone could tie him down, but here we were on his wedding day.
The ceremony was perfect — almost too perfect. Shaniz looked like she had stepped out of a wedding magazine, her long white dress gliding down the aisle. I should have been lost in the beauty of it all, but something was wrong.
At first, I thought it was just nerves. Weddings are nerve-wracking, right? But as Shani took one step, then another, I noticed that she was walking strangely. It wasn’t the confident gait of a bride you’d expect. Her steps were small and uncertain, as if she were stumbling.
I leaned over to whisper to Dave’s sister, Heather.
‘Do you see that?’ I murmured, trying to keep my voice down.
Heather frowned and looked down the aisle. ‘What do you see?’ she asked, not paying attention.
‘Shanz,’ I said, nodding my chin slightly. ‘She’s walking strangely. As if… as if something’s wrong.’
Heather narrowed her eyes, then shrugged. ‘You’re overthinking it. She’s just nervous, Janice. It’s a big day.’ She gave me an encouraging smile, but it didn’t calm the uneasy feeling bubbling inside me.
Maybe. But something about the way Shayniz’s dress moved bothered me. Maybe the dress was too tight? Maybe something had happened before the ceremony? I tried to push those thoughts away, but when she approached the altar, I couldn’t help but notice. Her steps weren’t just slow, they were almost sluggish.
I leaned towards her again, unable to resist. ‘Heather, I swear something’s wrong.’
‘Janice, stop it,’ Heather whispered, her tone sharp. ‘You’re ruining the moment. Don’t make a scene.’
I looked back at the altar. Dave was standing there, his eyes shining with love. When our eyes met, he gave me a thumbs up and said, ‘Can you believe it?’
I forced myself to smile and nod, but something inside me felt wrong.
The closer Shanice got to the altar, the more uncomfortable I felt. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
‘She’s slipping!’ whispered someone behind me, a male voice tinged with amusement. Something about that remark chilled me to the bone. I leaned over to Heather again, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘Did you hear that? The sliding? That’s it. She’s not walking right.’
‘Janice, for God’s sake,’ Heather hissed, her patience wearing thin. ‘You’re embarrassing Dave. Stop acting like this!’
But I couldn’t stop. As Shanice approached, I squinted, trying to see her feet. The flow of her dress was unnatural. I couldn’t take it anymore. My body moved before my mind could catch up.
‘I have to check,’ I muttered, stepping forward. I heard Heather gasp as I walked past her, and my gaze fell on the bride.
‘Janice!’ Heather hissed behind me, her voice tense with panic. But it was too late. I was already there.
My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking as I reached out. The world seemed to slow down as I bent down and lifted the hem of Shanice’s dress a few inches. I wasn’t even sure what I expected to see — perhaps some kind of malfunction with her shoes or a wardrobe malfunction. But what I saw defied all logic.
The entire church fell into stunned silence.
Underneath the beautiful white dress was something so inappropriate and shocking that my mind went blank for a second. Men’s shoes. Large, polished men’s shoes.
I blinked, half-convinced I was hallucinating. I looked up, but no one moved. No one was breathing. Shayne—no, this person—didn’t react, but I did. I knelt down and looked closer. My stomach churned when I noticed the fabric of suit trousers, slightly hidden by the dress. And then my gaze darted to the face.
And then I realised.
It wasn’t Shani.
It was a man. A man in a wig, a veil covering almost all of his features, but now that I was close, I could see the truth. My throat went dry. I stood up, my trembling hands on my hips, and met Dave’s gaze.
‘Janice…?’ Dave’s voice faltered, his happiness crumbling into confusion as he looked at me. ‘What’s going on?’
I didn’t know how to answer him.
For a moment, no one moved. The whole church froze, mouths agape, staring at the man dressed as a bride standing at the altar. The weight of what I had revealed hung in the air like a bomb ready to explode.
Dave’s face was pale, his eyes wide, darting between me, the man in the wedding dress, and the bewildered guests. He stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet.
‘What… What the hell is this?’ His voice cracked, filled with disbelief.
The guests began to whisper, their voices filling the room like a swarm of bees.
The man in the dress — the fake Shayne — stood up straight, a smirk spreading across his face. Slowly, deliberately slowly, he reached up and pulled the veil from his head, letting it fall to the floor. Then he removed his wig, revealing short dark hair. The transformation was complete, and the church erupted in confused exclamations.
‘Surprise,’ he said, his voice full of smug satisfaction. ‘You didn’t even notice, did you?’
Dave blinked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish in water. ‘Where’s Shanice?’ he demanded, his voice barely under control. ‘Where is she?!’
The man—Dave’s best man—smiled and shook his head. ‘She left, Dave. She left a few days ago. But don’t worry, she knew about this. She asked me to do it.’
The murmurs in the church grew louder, and I heard people shifting uncomfortably in their seats. I stood frozen, unable to comprehend what I had heard. Dave’s best friend—the one standing there in Shaniz’s wedding dress—was involved in this?
Dave’s face contorted with embarrassment and anger. ‘What the hell are you talking about? What did you do to her?’ His voice rose with panic, and he stepped forward, clenching his fists. ‘Where is she?!’
The best man raised his hand, urging calm, though his eyes sparkled with triumph. ‘Oh, she’s safe. Don’t worry. But she wanted you to feel this moment, Dave. She wanted you to understand what it’s like to be blinded.’
Dave’s confusion deepened. ‘What are you talking about?’
Shafer smiled a cold, sharp smile that didn’t reach his eyes. ‘She found out, Dave. About you and Vanessa.’ His voice dropped to almost a whisper, his words tinged with malice. ‘The bride’s friend you were secretly seeing? Shayne knew.’
The air left the room. Dave’s face drained of colour, his eyes widening in horror. ‘No… no, that’s not… That’s not true.’
‘Oh, but it’s true,’ interrupted the best man, his tone malicious. ‘She found out a few days ago. She could have called off the wedding, but what would be the point? No, she wanted everyone to see what you’re really like.’
My knees buckled, and I grabbed the back of the bench to support myself. My thoughts raced. Dave? Cheating on Shanice with one of the bridesmaids? I glanced at Vanessa, sitting a few rows away from me. Her face was pale, her hands were shaking, and she was staring at the floor, unable to meet anyone’s gaze.
Dave shook his head frantically. ‘No, no, it can’t be.’
But the best man stepped forward, his voice rising with every word. ‘It is happening, Dave! You betrayed her! You threw away your chance at happiness for a cheap fling, and now you’re paying for it.’
Chaos reigned in the room. Guests talked amongst themselves, asking questions, trying to understand what had just happened. Some stood ready to leave, while others stared in bewilderment at the man in the wedding dress, still standing proudly at the altar.
Dave’s eyes were wild with panic, and he looked at me as if I could somehow save him from this nightmare. ‘Janice,’ he gasped, reaching out to me. ‘Please, you have to believe me. It’s not what it looks like!’
I looked at him, my heart breaking. ‘Dave… what have you done?’
Silence fell over the church again, and the cold voice of the officiant cut through the air like a knife. ‘This is your punishment, Dave. For what you did to her.’
With that, he turned on his heel, leaving Dave standing alone — broken, exposed, and utterly devastated.
