When Lawrence presented me with an extravagant diamond necklace on our wedding day, I thought it was simply an excessive gift. But I didn’t know that his ‘symbol of love’ actually hid a cruel secret…
I woke up in the honeymoon suite with butterflies in my stomach. At 35, I was no longer a young bride with starry eyes, but today was different. My wedding dress hung by the window, catching the morning light.
I smiled, got up and walked straight towards it, running my fingers over the delicate fabric and pausing to catch my breath before the chaos began.
Just then, the door burst open. The bridesmaids rushed into the room, followed by my mother and sister Emily.
‘The hairdresser will be here in 20 minutes,’ my mother announced, checking her watch.
Emily gently put her hand on my shoulder. ‘How are you feeling, Kat?’
‘Nervous. Happy. Ready,’ I replied, although I wasn’t sure about the last word.
The room quickly filled with chatter as everyone got ready.
A few hours later, amid the commotion, one of my bridesmaids, Lily, timidly approached me.
‘Catherine…’ she said, her voice soft and quick. ‘Lawrence is asking to see you. He said it’s very important…’
I frowned. ‘Before the ceremony? Doesn’t he know that’s bad luck?’
‘He was strangely insistent about it,’ Lily said, twisting her hands. ‘He said he has something special for you.’
Emily caught my eye across the room and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Something tightened inside me, and although I couldn’t yet understand why, at my age I had learned to trust that feeling.
‘Mum, guys, could you leave us alone for a minute?’ I asked.
Mum led the bridesmaids out of the room, but Emily stayed.
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‘Do you want me to stay?’ she asked.
‘I’ll be fine,’ I assured her. ‘Could you bring me some tea? Chamomile might calm my nerves.’
Emily hesitated before quickly hugging me. ‘Get him out of here as soon as possible. It’s definitely a bad omen,’ she said, half-jokingly, half-seriously.
Then she slipped out, closing the door behind her.
Lawrence entered almost immediately. I immediately noticed his eyes, which had a strange intensity that made me uncomfortable.
‘You look beautiful,’ he said.
‘You shouldn’t see me yet,’ I replied.
‘I know, I know. It’ll only take a minute,’ he said, pulling a red velvet box from behind his back. ‘I wanted to give you this. Open it.’
I took the box, smiling, and slowly lifted the lid. Inside was a diamond necklace, so large and striking that I gasped. The stones sparkled in the light and scattered rainbows across the walls.
It was beautiful… but it wasn’t me.
‘Lawrence, this is…’ I struggled to find the words, trying to keep smiling. ‘This is too much.’
‘Nonsense. You’ll look stunning in it, and you deserve something grand today. It’s a symbol of my love,’ he insisted, taking the necklace out of the box. ‘Do you promise you’ll wear it during the ceremony?’
He fell silent, and that same instinctive feeling I had felt before came back to me. This necklace was not my style at all. I preferred simple, elegant things. Lawrence knew that. Or so I thought he knew.
‘I appreciate the gesture, dear, I really do. But this necklace… it’s not me,’ I admitted hesitantly.
For a split second, his face hardened, then softened into a pleading smile. ‘Please, Catherine. It would mean everything to me to show your family that I will treat you the way you deserve to be treated. That I can afford it. Just this once, I swear.’
I hesitated, but nodded. ‘Of course, my love.’
Relief spread across his face as he fastened the heavy necklace around my neck. The diamonds felt cold and heavy against my skin. I hated it, but he looked pleased.
‘Perfect,’ he whispered, kissing me on the cheek. ‘See you at the altar.’
When he left, I stood in front of the mirror. The necklace was too conspicuous, and I felt uncomfortable.
Why?
My fingers automatically reached under the diamonds to the burn scar on my collarbone. I got it after a terrible accident in the kitchen when I was a child, and I couldn’t help but notice that these large diamonds completely covered it.
This realisation made my stomach churn again, but I couldn’t understand why. A few minutes later, Emily burst into the room, breathless and wild-eyed.
‘You can’t marry him!’ she gasped, her face pale. Her finger rose and pointed at my neck. ‘That necklace isn’t just a gift. I know everything.’
‘What are you talking about?’ I asked quietly, looking at her in horror.
‘I was coming back with your tea when I heard Lawrence talking to his best man in the hallway right outside the groom’s room. They didn’t notice me.’ Emily’s hands trembled as the words came out. “He said, and I quote, ‘She took the bait. Now no one will see that ugly scar.
The air left my lungs. ‘What?’