“That disgusting, two-faced bastard laughed about it! The necklace isn’t a gift. It’s to hide your scar because he’s ashamed of it.‘ Emily’s voice trembled with rage. ’That’s not all. He gloated about marrying into our family, about the connections my father can give him, despite your “flaw”. His words.”
The room spun around me as I sank into a chair by the window.
Suddenly, I understood what I had been feeling in my gut, and all the little moments with Lawrence made sense — how he subtly guided my wardrobe choices, his keen interest in my father’s business connections, and how he always discouraged me from wearing low-cut dresses that revealed my scar.
‘Are you absolutely sure that’s what he said?’ I asked quietly.
‘Kat, I wouldn’t make this up. Not today.’ Emily’s eyes filled with tears. ‘He doesn’t love you. He loves what you can give him. What our family can give him.’
I slowly stood up and looked out the window: the weight of the necklace suddenly became unbearable.
Through the glass, I could see the garden, where rows of white chairs awaited our guests. The flower arrangements that had taken me months to arrange. The altar where I was supposed to devote my life to the man who had been lying to me all this time.
‘What are you going to do?’ Emily asked.
When I took a deep breath, a calm clarity settled within me. Not the kind that comes from naivety, but the kind that comes from knowing who you are and what you deserve.
‘I’m going to marry him,’ I said, turning to face my sister.
‘What? Did you hear what I just said?’ Emily’s voice rose in disbelief.
‘I’m going to walk down the aisle,’ I continued, ‘wearing this necklace. And then I’m going to make sure everyone knows who Lawrence really is.’
Emily’s face slowly changed from shock to understanding. A small, fierce smile spread across her lips. ‘I always said you were the smartest of us all.’
An hour later, I walked down the aisle. The music began, the guests stood, and Lawrence waited at the altar, a triumphant smile spreading across his face when he noticed the sparkling necklace around my neck.
When I approached him, the master of ceremonies began his traditional speech. ‘My dear friends, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Catherine and Lawrence in holy matrimony…’
Lawrence took my hands in his, his thumbs tracing circles on my palms. A few hours ago, I would have found this a comforting, loving gesture. Now I knew it was all part of his manipulation.
‘Marriage is a sacred bond,’ the priest continued, ‘a commitment made in honesty and love.’
I looked into Lawrence’s eyes. Did he even see me? Or only the doors I could open for him?
‘Do you, Catherine, take Lawrence to be your lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, till death do you part?’ asked the priest.
Silence fell over the hall. Lawrence squeezed my hands lightly, his smile confident.
Instead of answering, I let go of his hands and reached up to unfasten my necklace. It fell to the floor with a clatter that echoed in the sudden silence.
‘I can’t do this,’ I said loudly, turning to the assembled guests. ‘I refuse to marry a man who is ashamed of me, the real me. A man who sees me as a prize to be won.’
Lawrence’s face drained of colour. ‘Catherine, what are you talking about?’
‘Ask him why he really gave me this necklace,’ I said to my family and friends, pointing to the ground. ‘Ask him what he wanted to hide, and then ask him what he hoped to gain from marrying into my family.’
Lawrence tried to take my hand. ‘Darling, please. You’re just nervous. Let’s talk about this in private.’
I stepped back. “You don’t love me. You like the idea of me, the doors my family can open for you, the access my family provides. But not me, with all the beauty and flaws that make me who I am.”
‘That’s not true,’ Lawrence protested, but his eyes darted nervously to my father in the front row.
‘Is that so? Then why were you and your best man laughing about how I “took the bait” and how now “no one will see that ugly scar”?’ I touched the mark on my collarbone. ‘Weren’t those your words?’
Lawrence’s best man shifted uncomfortably, and a murmur rippled through the crowd.
‘I… I didn’t mean…’ Lawrence stammered before clearing his throat. ‘We can talk about it… I… I can make it up to you!’
‘No, you can’t,’ I replied, shaking my head. ‘I don’t want you to.’
So I gathered up my dress and walked back to the altar, feeling my insides unclench for the first time since Lily had said that Lawrence had something special for me.
Emily quickly joined me, slipping her arm through mine.
‘That was cool,’ she whispered as we left the church.
‘It was real,’ I replied, smiling despite my nervousness.
Outside the church, the sun was bright and warm on my face.
My father caught up with us, his face showing concern. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.
‘I am now,’ I replied, and I meant it.
‘What can I do?’ he asked.
“Help me explain and apologise to everyone we invited. And then maybe you can call Mum and have ice cream with me and Emily?” I suggested.
My father smiled. ‘We will.’
A few hours later, my mother, father, sister and I were sitting in a shabby ice cream parlour, dressed to the nines. I was still in my wedding dress, and everyone was looking at us strangely.
But we laughed happily.
Looking at them as we shared the largest banana split in history, I realised how lucky I was, not only because we were privileged, but because I had their unconditional love.
No one who truly cared about me would ever ask me to cover up.
And although I had never consciously hidden my scar before, I decided then that I would put it on display for all to see. I also knew that I had to trust my instincts.
Never ignore red flags!
I think we’ll see who loves me for all that I have to offer… flaws and all.