You Can't Have It All

Chapter 14

“Do you take Amanda Michelle Auburn as your lawfully wedded wife?” the clergy asked to the tall man standing beside me, as I waited in bated breath for his answer. There was a moment of silence, but no answer from him. I wanted to turn and look at him, but I was afraid. I could feel a thousand pairs of eyes behind me, watching – waiting for the same thing that I am waiting for, but all I could hear was his breathing and not a sound from him. I took a deep breath and turned slowly to look at him – saying in my mind, why aren’t you saying ‘I do’?

            He was staring at me with his piercing hazel eyes devoid of any emotions. I gasped as he opened his mouth and grinned at me, as if to say, you’re a liar and who’d want to marry someone like you, when just then a tall and beautiful woman came from the crowd and stood beside him, taking his hand in hers while I stare open-mouthed at them.

            “You will never get my Sean,” she told me with a snarl.

            “I will never love you like I love Sri,” the man told me as he pulled the woman and walked away, leaving me standing on the aisle like a fool.

            “She’s a liar!” he cried out to the crowd, “All she wanted was to get married to me for her own convenience. Mandy is a fraud – a liar and a criminal!”

            “Mandy! Mandy!” the crowd started chanting in tune with Mr. Sean as I looked at them in horror.

            “How could you do this Mandy?” I turned to my left to see the clergy standing beside me.

            “How could you lie to me Mandy?” I turned to my right to see my mother sobbing on the ground, while Alexandra looked at me viciously.

            “Mandy!” Siti called out from the crowd, “You are so evil to break apart a couple!”

            “Yeah Mandy!” Diana called out to me too, “How could you do such a thing!”

            I started to cry as everyone got off from their chairs and advanced towards me. I looked at Mr. Sean and Sri who was standing side-by-side laughing at me, while my friends advanced closer with murderous looks on their faces. My mother wailed on the ground, while Alexandra and Andrew looked at me with hatred. I walked backwards away from the advancing crowd and tripped on my wedding gown and fell hard to the ground.

            “Mandy!” someone shook me, as my eyes fluttered open. I was on the floor of my bedroom still in my pajamas as my mother looked at me in concern. It was just a dream, I thought in relief, as I sat up.

            “I was calling you from just now, but you were trashing in bed and all of a sudden you fell off the bed,” she said as I stood up, “Were you having a nightmare?”

            “I guess so,” I said, holding my back that hurt from the fall, “I’m okay now.”

            “Come on, you’ve got to get ready,” my mother said as I showered and changed into my wedding dress. There were people to help me with my hair and make-up. After I was done, I stood in front of the mirror, looking at my unfamiliar face. I sighed as I knew this was all a façade. I smiled cynically to myself, remembering just a few months ago, I was freshly out of college looking for a job, and who’d know that I would be ending my single hood now. In just a few hours time I will be known as Mrs. Christopher, and I’m not sure that I’m even ready for it.

            “Where’s the bride?” I heard Siti’s voice, and I quickly wiped off a tear that was about to fall. I turned to look at my friends and smiled at their appearance. They were all wearing almost identical pink colored dress to match my pale pink one. Even Diana was wearing some make-up today.