Chapter 12 The Weddings
The scent of fresh flowers filled the air, and the soft glow of lanterns lit up the
pathways, creating an almost fairytale–like atmosphere.
Our guests were a mix of mutual friends, business partners, his old schoolmates, and his large, boisterous family, who had flown in from all over the country to be with us. I couldn’t have asked for a better crowd–everyone was so supportive and genuinely happy for us.
The ceremony itself was perfect. I walked down the aisle in a sleek, off–the–shoulder gown that I had fallen in love with at first sight. As I reached the altar, Andrew‘ s eyes locked with mine, and I could see the emotion welling up in him.
His suit was sharp–charcoal grey with a subtle pattern that only added to his charm. The vows we exchanged were heartfelt and intimate, full of promises we
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both knew we would keep. Andrew‘ s hands shook slightly as he slipped the ring on my finger, and it reminded me of how much this meant to him, to us.
During the reception, our best men and bridesmaids surprised us with an
unexpected gift–a video compilation of our relationship from the very beginning to the present day.
They had secretly gathered old clips and photos from friends and family, showing everything from awkward first encounters. to the night Andrew proposed. It was cute, and it hit me right in the heart.
Andrew squeezed my hand as we watched, both of us deeply touched by the effort they put into it. It was one of those moments where we felt incredibly lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives.
The speeches that followed were just as heartwarming. Andrew’s best friend shared a hilarious story about how Andrew
used to swear he would never settle down,
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only for that to change when he met me.
I could see Andrew blushing in embarrassment, but his grin never faltered. My maid of honor talked about how much I’d grown since we first met, and how proud she was to see me happy after everything I had been through.
We both teared up a little during her speech, and for a moment, I felt the weight of everything that had happened before lift completely
The night ended with everyone on the dance floor, swaying to our favorite songs under the stars. Andrew twirled me
around, and for those few hours, it felt like time had stopped, like the universe had created that night just for us.
After the wedding, we didn’t dive straight back into real life. Instead, we took a short honeymoon to a quiet island nearby, a hidden gem off the beaten path.
For two weeks, it was just the two of us,
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lounging on pristine beaches, sipping cocktails under palm trees, and exploring the local culture. It was the perfect escape after all the hustle of wedding planning.
We spent our days snorkeling in crystal- clear waters, going on long walks, and, most of all, talking about our future–our plans, dreams, and everything we wanted to build together.
But the bliss didn’t last too long, as we knew that the second wedding reception in Casouth was just around the corner.
It would be a more intimate affair, focused on my family and old friends who couldn’t make it to Evercrest. Although part of me was nervous to return to a place where so much pain had occurred, I was ready to face it with Andrew by my side.
This time, everything was different. This time, I was stronger, happier, and completely in love.
We quickly headed to Casouth to finalize
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the preparations for our second wedding reception. The moment we arrived, my family and friends greeted us with open
arms.
Everyone was thrilled to meet Andrew, and he was just as excited to finally get to know them. There was an instant connection-
his warmth and charm won them over
almost immediately.
My closest friends even surprised me by organizing a small bridal party. Since many of us had been classmates in high school, they came up with the adorable idea of reliving those memories.
We all wore our old school uniforms and in spent the day walking around the city just
like we used to. It felt nostalgic, bringing back moments we hadn‘ t revisited in
years.
er
We made sure to take plenty of photos in a retro photobooth–laughing so hard that we had to retake some shots. Later that night, we stayed in a hotel, gathering in one room.
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for our steenagers, watching our favorite omentwies from back in the day.
ds greeted
recreated some silly videos and
tures we had taken during high school, rilled to he room was filled with the sound of cited to friggles. Even though we hadn’t all ; an insta each other in over a year, it felt like charmwang had changed.
tely.tely
closeness was still there, and their
ds even surement about the wedding was
all bridalpine. They knew the whole story about lassmates had happened with Paul, how
ith the ad tated I had been after our
emoriesmanship ended, and how hard it was
e to heal.
old schold schl
alking antall, Paul and I had been together for It felt nis fela decade–we started dating in high we hadive so they had witnessed the rise and
our relationship.
o takep takely, a man I had known for only a th–lath–law showed more responsibility and
me shume shn Paul had ever shown me in those hotel, hotelye were together.
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Finally, the wedding day in Casouth arrived.
It was a smaller compared to the first reception in Evercrest, but there was something so personal about it. I felt the love of my family and closest friends. surrounding us.
Despite the low–key nature of the event, I couldn’t help but feel a little on edge. To be honest, I had hired extra security for the day. There was a part of me that couldn’t shake the paranoia that Paul might show
up.
Though we had kept everything under wraps, there was always a chance that he could find out about the wedding and make an appearance. My past with him had left me with deep scars, and the thought of him disrupting the day filled me with dread.
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