The bride that never was Novel – Jilted on the first night IMOGEN “You look beautiful,” my mum told me as she covered my face with my wedding veil. “Thank you,” I returned, staring at my reflection just as the veil covered my face. I did look beautiful. It was my wedding. So it was only warranted. I was happy but my mother was happier. It was every mother’s dream for her child to be greater than her and I had hit the jackpot.
I was about to become a daughter-in-law to the Rossi household. The Rossi were a conglomerate family. They practically ruled the city of Portland and friends of my family. Many would bat my eye that of all the women who have thrown themselves at the feet of the Rossi family, that I was the one who was chosen. My family didn’t really have much to give. The Stones weren’t affluent. We weren’t charismatic either. But somehow my mother had become friends with Lana Rossi, my soon to be mother in law while she worked as a nail technician in a salon the woman frequented.
No one really knew how it happened but they soon became inseparable. It was how I got to know Elijah Rossi. The man I would be marrying. We met as children and became friends. I even changed schools because his mother wanted us to be close. It was during college that it became clear that both my mom and Elijah’s mom had a plan for us. They didn’t have to try so hard though. We had fallen in love then and when a proposal was made, I was more than happy to accept it. “You should play the piano at the after-party,” my mother mused as she guided me out of the seat I was in and led me outside. “Mr. Rossi loves it when you play it.” Of course, he did. I had acclimated to the art solely for the purpose of impressing my new family. “Of course,” I smiled at her. We stopped at a door.
I could hear the cathedral’s hymn from where I stood and it made me nervous. There were going to be cameras and reporters. There were also going to be other affluent families coming to congratulate, not me, but Mr Rossi for getting a daughter-in-law. I had practised my speech for the after-party should there be any need for it but I couldn’t help but feel terrified at the prospect of putting myself out there. The papers had been ruthless when it came to the public eye that I was the one that Elijah would be marrying.
There would still be people out there who agreed. “Are you alright?” My father who had been standing close to the giant shut door asked me. I straightened my back and nodded. “Just jitters.” “You will be fine,” he said, taking my hands. The hymns got louder and the shut door finally creaked open. I focused on the pristine white carpet that led all the way up to the altar where my groom stood. The gentle hum of the organ filled the air as I took my first step onto the white carpet, guided by my father’s supportive presence. The gaze of the attendees felt like a sea of judgments, but I refused to let it waver my resolve.
Elijah stood at the altar, his eyes fixed forward. As I approached, I couldn’t help but notice the subtle tension in his demeanour. The whispers of the guests faded into a distant hum, drowned out by the rhythm of my own heartbeat. Reaching the altar, my father gave my hand to Elijah. I took a moment to exchange a brief, scrutinizing glance with him. The vows echoed in my mind as we faced each other, and I couldn’t shake that something was wrong. The proposal was made four years ago before we both went to college. I had stayed in Portland and Elijah had traveled to some big University where his father was a legacy. He had only returned a few weeks ago.
I figured it must be the jitters. I was going through it too. “Are you alright?” I whispered. He gave me a smile that reminded me of how dashing he could be. “I can’t wait to make you my wife.” The priest began the ceremony, and Elijah’s eyes met mine. “I can’t believe we’re finally here,” he whispered, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, it’s surreal,” I replied, trying to match his enthusiasm. But his gaze seemed distant, and my attempts to engage him were met with fleeting glances.