A professional harpist started playing music and enchanted everyone present with her beautiful tune, followed by the rest of the small orchestra behind her.
All the guests were mesmerized when they heard the Wedding March was playing in the air, making the atmosphere instantly turn serene and romantic at the same time.
The garden at the Osbart family mansion was already amazing before it was turned into a wedding venue, and now it looked much more beautiful than usual.
The spacious garden had really soft green grass and it was decorated with 50 Tiffany chairs wrapped in white fabric arranged to overlook a beautiful wooden gazebo in the middle of the garden.
The gazebo was strewn with white flowers and green vines. The roof was decorated with thousands of white and blue roses. In front of this gazebo, there was a circle filled with flower petals, prepared for the bride and groom to utter their wedding vows.
Green grass sprinkled with white rose petals paved the way for Elena to approach the wedding altar. Everything looked so perfect!
Elena looked out the dressing-room window and suddenly her anxiety almost overwhelmed her again. The sound of this music signaled that she had to go out and meet the guests and her future husband. The wedding was about to start.
"Ahhh…" Elena closed her eyes and counted one to ten. This time she was in control of the situation. Elena inhaled and exhaled, chanting her numbers over and over again until she was completely calm.
Uncle Luca stood beside Elena giving her his elbow to hold.
"Are you ready?" his warm voice made Elena feel touched. She had lost her father a long time ago. Now, on her happy day, she felt that the figure of Uncle Luca had somehow managed to take her father's place, to give her away to her husband. She no longer felt like a poor orphan.
Elena nodded in response to Uncle Luca's question earlier. She tried to smile even though her expression still looked very nervous. Her right hand started to hold on to Uncle Luca's arm while her left hand held a bouquet of white flowers.
Amelia and Hanna opened the door to the garden and stood on the right and left. After Elena and their father walked toward the gazebo, the two walked to their chairs to sit and watch the wedding procession.
Meanwhile, Xavier pushed Elleard's wheelchair toward the front of the gazebo, ready to receive Elena's arrival. Then he stood beside his brother and looked towards the door to see the bride.
The large double doors were opened and the host immediately called for the presence of the bride to make the guests automatically look in the direction where the bride would come out.
The music playing in the air made the atmosphere become even more magical, and every tune seemed to accompany Elena's steps toward her husband.
As soon as the bride appeared, all eyes immediately turned to her. Several family members who knew Elleard very well immediately held their breath and then exchanged glances.
They felt like they were seeing the figure of Elleard's former fiancee who was walking towards the wedding altar. Unknowingly they stole glances at a beautiful woman in a red dress in the back row who was observing Elena's arrival with a surprised expression.
The beautiful woman had brown hair and blue eyes. And at first glance, she looked very similar to Elena. It was Lisa, Elleard's former fiancée who was now married to a minister's son.
When Elleard's wedding invitation came to her house, Lisa decided to attend because she felt bad for her husband if she refused the invitation. Her husband would think she still had feelings for Elleard.
That's why today Lisa came as a guest at the wedding that should have been a moment of sacred union between herself and Elleard. However, the bride was not her. She never got to marry Elleard.
At this event, Lisa met so many people she knew very well, Elleard's cousins, and also Xavier, Elleard's younger brother. Because Lisa was in a relationship with Elleard for two years before he fell into a coma, and the fact that she accompanied Elleard in the hospital for over three years, the Osbarts had considered Lisa a part of them.
Their faces looked embarrassed and sad to see Lisa's presence at Elleard's wedding. The awkwardness became even more pronounced when the bride walked out of the mansion to the garden where all the guests were waiting.
They could immediately see why Elleard decided to get married all of a sudden. The bride's face and appearance were very similar to Lisa's. When Elena walked gracefully accompanied by Uncle Luca, Lisa also stood with the other guests to welcome the bride and groom.
"Ahh…" Unable to hold back, Lisa pursed her lips in surprise when she saw the wedding dress Elleard's bride was wearing.
Lisa would never forget the design of the wedding dress she and Elleard had chosen for their wedding. The beautiful dress that she loved so much…
Was now worn by another woman… whose appearance was similar to hers.
Instantly, Lisa was disappointed.
Right there and then, she realized why Elleard had deliberately invited her to his wedding. It was not because he had forgiven her for leaving… but because he wanted to punish her.
A handsome man wearing glasses who was standing next to Lisa turned to her. He could feel her body stiffen and realized something must be bothering her.
"What happened to you?" Edward asked his wife. Lisa shook her head slowly and forced a smile.
"I'm just not feeling well. Maybe it's the weather," the girl lied. "I want to go home soon."
"But the wedding isn't over," Edward said firmly. "Don't embarrass yourself by going home now. People will think you still love your ex and can't bear to see him get married."
Lisa bit her lip. She probably still loved Elleard. She had loved him for five years before she finally had to kill her feelings and marry her now husband.
She had great respect for Elleard and wished him well. Although she must have felt pain when she saw Elleard marry another woman, Lisa knew her place. It was she who left Elleard. She was the one who married another man and hurt Elleard.
So she had no right to be jealous.
Lisa lowered her face to hide her sadness.
She also did not have the right to demand that the wedding dress she and Elleard had previously chosen should not be worn by another woman who certainly deserved that more than her.
It was Elena who would now marry Elleard, of course, she had to be the one to wear the dress of Elleard's choice. Lisa had no right to complain or be angry.