"And do you, Ciara Smith, take this man, Abraham West, to be your lovely wedded husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in rich and in poor, in good and in bad, until death do you part?" the officiating priest asked, his voice steady, but he received no response from the veiled bride.
After a few seconds, he cleared his throat and started again, slightly hesitant. "Miss Smith, do you take Abraham West as your husband? To have and to—"
"I heard you the first time, Father," Ciara whispered, her tone calm but firm.
"Oh." The priest nodded, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
The garden was filled with friends and family, all gathered to celebrate the union. They had received the groom's response with applause, and now, they waited for the bride.
But two minutes passed, and still, Ciara hadn't spoken a word.
Abraham West, standing before her, began to feel the weight of the silence. The guests' confusion grew with every passing second, and he leaned in, his voice low and urgent.
"Baby, you know… everyone is waiting for you," he whispered through gritted teeth, trying to maintain his composure.
A smile slowly bloomed on Ciara's face as she nodded. She handed her bouquet to Camila, who stood behind her, before reaching up to lift her veil.
Gasp!
The garden was instantly filled with the shocked gasps of the guests.
A bride wasn't supposed to lift her own veil!
Unfazed, Ciara turned to the officiating priest and, in a clear, resolute voice, declared, "No, I don't."
Abraham: "...?!"
Priest: "...?!"
Family and guests: "...?!"
A heavy silence fell over the garden as everyone stared, wide-eyed, at the bride and groom standing at the makeshift altar.
The smile on Abraham's face slowly twisted into a look of horror. He was too stunned to react, and he subconsciously blurted out, "What?"
Ciara stepped forward, her gaze locked on him as she took the microphone from the assistant's hand. She spelled it out, her voice cold and deliberate.
"I. Will. Not. Marry. You, Abraham."
"What?!" The guests cried out in unison, the shock of the moment rippling through the crowd.
Mrs. Smith jumped to her feet, her voice panicked as she called out, "Ciara, what are you doing?! Are you trying to humiliate us?"
"I'm not doing anything, Mum," Ciara half-yelled, her voice breaking slightly. Her eyes reddened as she fought back tears, biting her tongue to keep them at bay. "I will not marry this cheating bastard!"
"What?!"
Ciara's words echoed through the speakers, sending a fresh wave of shock through the garden. Guests began whispering furiously among themselves.
Up front, Abraham's face had gone pale. He stared at Ciara, struggling to comprehend what was happening.
How did she know?
Abraham never imagined that Ciara would find out. But somehow, she knew everything!
How?
Before he could gather his thoughts, his mother, Mrs. West rushed forward, grabbing Ciara by the shoulders.
"What?! How dare you call my son a cheating bastard? What kind of accusation is this?" The middle-aged woman's voice shook with anger.
"Because he is a cheating bastard," Ciara responded, her gaze unwavering as she met Mrs. West's eyes.
After a tense moment, Ciara turned to the crowd, her eyes finding her beloved cousin.
"It would surprise everyone to know that, while we were waiting for the groom, Abraham here was getting his thing sucked in a hotel room by Reyna," she announced, her tone almost casual.
Gasp!
"Re… Reyna?" Abraham finally found his voice. "How did you… how did you know?"
Ciara turned back to Abraham, laughing bitterly. She pulled out her phone and played the video she had received, holding it up for Mrs. West, Abraham, and the priest to see.
Mrs. West's eyes widened in disbelief before she fainted on the spot.
Without another glance at Abraham, Ciara faced the crowd. "Thank you all for coming. However, this wedding is called off," she declared.
The guests were frozen in place, too stunned to move.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith stood rooted to the spot, their faces ashen, unable to process the shock.
Meanwhile, Reyna, who had been standing at the back, quietly slipped away. When she sent that video to Ciara, she never imagined it would lead to this.
Before anyone would notice her absence, she hurried to her car and sped away.
At that moment, a loud voice suddenly cut through the air.
"Not yet!"
A grey-haired man who was occupying one of the front seats stood up. The man was old and walked with the help of a cane. With weak steps, he reached the makeshift altar.
"Mr. West, is this how your son will repay my granddaughter?!" the old man yelled, pointing his cane at Mr. West who was kneeling next to his unconscious wife.
"Forgive him, Elder Smith, but Abraham is just a child. Besides, this is a minor accusation. I think Ciara just made a big deal out of it without consul—" Mr. West began but was cut of by the older man.
"Minor accusation, you say?! Your son betrayed my daughter and you call it a minor accusation?" the old man bellowed.
Mr. West frowned. He could not understand why the Elder Smith was angry.
Wasn't this a usual thing?
"Elder Smith, with all due respect, my son did not do anything wrong to your daughter. He simply made a mistake! It could even happen to anyone!"
When he heard this, Elder Smith was so furious that he forgot to breathe well. He broke into a cough. "You… you bastard! How dare you speak to me in that tone?!"
Mr. Smith ran to the older man and tried to pacify him but the elder was too angry to even look at him. He lifted his cane and was about to bring it down on Mr. West when a soft and fair hand landed on the back of his hand.
"Grandpa, let it go," Ciara whispered, placing her head on the old man's shoulder. "Don't take it to heart. Aren't you happy I found out before marriage?" she asked in a soft voice.
As if a bucket of cold water had been downed on him, the old man instantly went calm.
He turned his head to the side and was met by his granddaughter's lovely face.
The old man could not bear to lose his temper again after seeing her smile. Yet, he was not happy.
"Let me deal with—"
Ciara clicked her tongue and hissed. "They're not worth it, grandpa. Abraham isn't the only man in the world," she replied, looking at the man who had betrayed her hide behind his father like a chicken.
Elder Smith looked at his granddaughter and felt his heart aching for her. "Child, how can you still choose forgiveness?" he asked, looking very sad.
"Don't be sorry, grandpa." Ciara smiled and hugged her grandfather's arm tightly. "Don't you want me to be happy?"
"But you've always wanted to marry Abraham."
Ciara chuckled. "So what? If I can't marry him, I can always marry someone else in the future, as long as you approve him!"
"In that case, will you marry me?"