“Wayne Wright’s son has just arrived. Almost everyone on the list is here.”
Hearing that, the woman sipped her tea and pursed her lips to enjoy the flavor. “Wayne’s son is truly remarkable. That kid might be better than his father in a few years.”
“But, he cannot compete with your son.”
“No, we don’t have to be so arrogant. The Wrights are very good at educating children,” The woman said modestly before getting up and walking to the window.
Seeing that, her assistant quickly lifted a corner of the curtain and handed her a pair of binoculars. The binoculars were encrusted with sapphires and covered in diamonds, making them look quite luxurious.
The woman smiled indifferently as she looked at the group of people on the beach, saying, “They seem so happy. How’s that project to the south coming along, by the way?”
Then she handed the binoculars to her assistant. She drew the curtain and stood in front of the window, staring into the distance.
“They’ve already started acting,” the assistant said respectfully.
“Perfect! The show is about to begin.”
***
The next day was bright and sunny.
Isabella’s bedroom was decorated with balloons and blooming flowers. The scent of red roses and white lilies lingered in the air. Dressed in a white wedding dress, Isabella sat on a rose-petal-covered bed. A makeup artist stood next to her, applying her makeup.
Sitting among the flowers, Isabella looked as lovely as a dew-covered rose. Her wedding dress was custom-made, so it fit her body perfectly. Her neck was as long and slender as a swan’s, and her pearl necklace made her collarbone even sexier. Her white veil fell behind her head and fluttered gently in the breeze, giving her the appearance of a fairy.
“He’s here! The groom is here!” Peace exclaimed as she dashed in from the living room. She then sat down beside Isabella and helped her straighten her wedding dress, saying, “Wow! You are stunning! Jasper is such a lucky guy!”
Noticing that Isabella blushed in shyness, Peace teased, “Are you shy? Do you remember what happened when you thought you had AIDS? You said goodbye to Jasper like you two were Romeo and Juliet. “
Then Anna glared at Peace and cut in, “Today is a big day! Don’t bring that up again, please.”
“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said that!”
At the same time, Jasper was dressed in a white suit that perfectly matched the bride’s wedding dress. He appeared spirited as he had a cheerful smile on his handsome face. He usually smiled a lot, but he smiled extremely happy that day.
The guests then got ready for the next part. As Jasper looked at the living room decor, he heard a loud bang. And the guests all exclaimed in surprise as well.
All the balloons floating in the living room broke simultaneously, and the confetti fell like snowflakes. The place looked like heaven, thanks to a white mist made of dry ice.
Later, the wonderful violin music began, then someone opened the bedroom door. Isabella walked out, followed by Anna and Peace.
The fog quickly dissipated, but the confetti remained in the air. Jasper froze when he saw his beautiful, shy bride through the feather fan. Everyone gathered around them and sent their sincere wishes.
Isabella walked slowly down the aisle toward her husband. Although their parents were absent, their friends were there to send them their best wishes.
People couldn’t see Isabella’s face because of her white veil, but they could see her happy smile. She wore white gauze gloves. And Jasper gripped her fingertips as they walked to the stage hand in hand.
Karl served as a testimonial. He smiled at the happy couple and asked Jasper, “Jasper, do you take Isabella to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Jasper said fondly.
Then Karl turned to Isabella and asked, “Isabella, do you take Jasper to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? And keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Isabella replied.
This sacred ceremony was profoundly moving. Except for Martin, who wiggled in his seat, everyone was focused on the couple. Peace snatched him by the collar and ordered him not to move.
Martin asked, “Why don’t you make me the flower boy? Are you worried Uncle Jasper will be jealous of my handsome face?”
Everyone around him laughed after hearing his words.
Tammy, who was playing a mobile game, found Martin annoying. “If you say one more nonsense,” she said impatiently, “I’ll throw you into the sea.”
Martin shut up and became unusually quiet. He sat up straight in his chair. Then Peace looked enviously at Anna and thought, Anna, how did you manage to raise such wonderful children? I’m envious of you. I’d even like to swap children with you.
Karl had no idea that his wife and son were arguing. He had already finished his speech when he announced that the couple could exchange rings.
The wedding ceremony ended when the groom kissed the bride. A dinner party was to be held in the evening following that, so the guests all went to their rooms to rest.
Leisurely, Anna and Peace walked along the beach while the men played beach soccer.
Peace grinned as she said, “They rented half an island here, so I expected the wedding to be luxurious. This ceremony is much simpler than I thought.”
Anna said, “Jasper indeed wanted to have a lavish wedding. But Isabella didn’t want to spend too much money on this, so she held a simple ceremony and invited a few family and friends. I think it also allowed us to get together.”
“That’s right. I haven’t seen her in quite some time.” Peace abruptly took both of Anna’s hands in hers and said, “Speaking of which, hasn’t it been a long time since the two of us have seen each other? We live in the same city, but we rarely see each other.”
“Yes, we’ve both been preoccupied.”
“I’m not busy with work, but you are. You always work late at the hospital and rarely return home.”
“Did Wayne tell you that?”
Peace removed her shoes and walked on the wet sand. She said, “Obviously not. How could he possibly say that to me? I once had a fight with Karl, and he moved to your house for a few days.”
“Really?” Anna asked in shock.
“You see, you had no idea Karl stayed at your house for so long, right? During that time, you didn’t even return home. By the way, have you told Wayne about your plans to volunteer in the rural area?”
“Actually, I’ve decided not to go there,” Anna said, shaking her head.
Peace froze and then asked in surprise, “Huh? Really? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you’ve been planning for it for a long time. I’ve heard that you’ll be promoted to vice president after staying for a year there.”
“That isn’t going to happen, but it would undoubtedly benefit my career. Anyway, I’ve decided to give it up because I wanted to spend more time with my family.”
After listening to Anna’s words, Peace had a sad expression.
“Don’t comfort me. It will make me sad,” Anna said right away.
Hearing Anna’s words, Peace stood still in the water for a while. She suddenly bent down and scooped up a handful of water, splashing it toward Anna. Then she chuckled and said, “I’m not going to comfort you! I’ll be happy if you don’t go because you’ll have time for me.”
“Peace! You ruined my dress!”
Peace then sprayed her with water once more.
“You’re screwed, Peace!” Anna immediately took off her shoes and dashed into the water, chasing Peace. Together, they were fighting and laughing together.
***
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.