Chapter 1

"Just a minute!!!" I replied with excitement.

I took my towel and flunk it before drying my body then wrapped it on my body.

As I rushed out of the bathroom, I was faced with an angry look by my makeup artist, Jessie.

I've only known for like 28hrs and we've become such good friends. She's was very helpful and kind to me, even calming me whenever I'm worried or over excited about my wedding. I just couldn't tell or get the slightest idea on the whereabouts of my best friend, JADE, but hopefully she's somewhere planning something nice for my wedding or my honeymoon. And Jessie here is just the right person to take her place for now.

"Maybe its when the priest gets tired of waiting and your fiancée finds another woman to put the ring on, you'll realise the importance of being punctual," she said with a serious face. Then smirked at me after seeing the worried look on my face.

"Come on, let's get you ready for your big day, we're gonna make you the most gorgeous bride on planet that your fiancée won't be able to resist you when he sees you," she said with a sweet smile the we giggled our way to the dressing room.

Jessie quickly focused on my face while others, my nails, fingers and my hair. Within 45mins, they were done and it was left for me to put on my wedding gown.

"You look so stunning. You'll surely be the talk of the town." Jessie said with a warm smile.

"Thanks so much Jessie, you're so amazing, for the past few hours, you've been nothing but an angel sent from above. I just didn't know what I could've done without you." I thanked her with a broad smile.

After everything that had happened last night with my fiancée, I had a feeling of uncertainty and this fear that I just couldn't explain. It was as if he was having second thoughts or that he was just nervous, I just couldn't tell what was going on this mind of his.

FLASHBACK.

"I can't wait for tomorrow to come," I said with ecstasy.

He put his hand forward and caressed my face. Then he started to move closer to me and with a soft and tender kiss he gave me.

"You're my world. You know something that is very true? is that I am nothing with you.

You're the greatest gift God has given me and I'm so grateful for it.

I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he said so warmly and almost sounding hurt like someone who was about to burst out in tears.

Then he closed his eyes, took a heavy breath and out with a sigh.

"Do you love me?" He asked anxiously.

"Of course, how can you even ask that," I said naively and with an assuring smile.

"Then promise me one thing," he said with a serious voice.

"What is that, come on already we've made all possible promises. What again could it be now," I said sounding a bit worried.

"Okay, just promise me that....that you'll never stop loving me, or hate me. I'm sorry, please forgive me.

Is just that I...I...just promise you'll never stay mad at me for anything or hate me if I do mess up, that you'll forgive me," he begged as he held my two hands tightly in between his.

"Come on babe, you're scaring me. Why would you even think of something like this. If there's something bordering you, you know you can talk to me. We'll talk about it and solve the problem together like we've always done," I assured him to make it easy for him to speak his mind.

"Just forget it okay, and let's enjoy this moment like it were our last," he said caressing my body till he reached my cheeks and then began to kiss me.

After some minutes of passionate kisses and romances, it turned into something more.

He did truly made love to me as if it were our last.

And now my mind was filled with thoughts, doubts and confusion.

And questions I could not get answers to ran endlessly through my mind.

I could only hope and pray that God bless our marriage, our love and our life together.

*************

"Come on, don't talk like that. I'm just doing my job. And what are friends for," she said smiling happily.

"No, you don't understand. I meant what I said. Just look around the people around me, they were all paid to be here. I got no parents or relatives to be here for me and witness the best moment of my life with me. And she's no where to be found. I just... I just don't know what I'm doing or what to do next, I'm just so confused," I said sadly and began to sob.

"Oh come on, don't tell me we're going through this again. Look at you, just look at yourself..." She said taking me to the standing mirror to look at myself.

"You're beautiful and successful, you're an amazing person both in and out. You've accomplished a lot of things without anybody's help, and most importantly, the best future husband any woman would die to have in her life.

Be grateful okay," she said so sweetly and I could see she was also feeling a bit sympathetic for me.

"You better pull yourself together or you're gonna ruin your makeup, unless you wanna look like a masquerade," she said with a giggle, making a little joke to help with my emotions. And I had no choice to giggle along with her.

After all the emotional trauma, we went ahead to get me into my wedding gown.

"You can yell at me all you want, but this the 4th time you're saying this, that he'll be here. But look around you, he's almost 4hrs late and you're guest are getting impatient and some are even leaving the premises. I'm sorry this had to happen to you ma'am," he said sympathetically and with a little fear on his face before moving back to sit down.

"Whatever," I said with a frown, not letting my voice to be heard.

But he was right though.

I looked around and saw furious, doubtful and sympathetic faces on everyone. Some were already leaving their sits and murmuring their way out and there was a lot of noise on the building.

Some gisting, some pointing and laughing at me shamefully and some with folded arms with disappointed looks on their faces.

I didn't want to admit it, but I had also lost hope. I just couldn't tell why, why he would do something like this to me after all I've done for him, after all we've been through.

I couldn't hold it back anymore. I finally burst out with hot tears and ran out of the alter straight into my car (bride's car) and I saw Jessie run after me.

"Calm down. Stop crying okay," it was Jessie. She said with care, hugging and patting me on the back.

"How can you say that. Why shouldn't I cry. Tell me Jessie, what did I do wrong, or ain't I pretty enough for him. Tell me is there something wrong with me," I said with a cracked voice, and continued to sob.

"Don't you say that honey, you're amazing. And there is nothing wrong with you at all," she said trying to console me.

"Then why such hateful rejection, Why didn't he say something earlier?" I sobbed, leaning on her shoulder.

"I can feel what you're going through sweetheart, but..." I interrupted.

"Really?" I asked looking up to see her face.

"Yes and I..." I interrupted her again.

"So you've been left standing at the alter before by someone you thought was your soulmate?" I asked anxiously with tears still dripping on my face.

"No...not really, but," she stammered and didn't know what to say next.

"And where the hell is Jade, she was supposed to be the one here for me during this awful moment," I said sadly with a little fury. Then I got the idea of calling her.

I picked up my phone at instant and dialed her number the first time, it rang but there was no answer.

I dialed it the second and third time, but she busied her line.

And in all her history, anytime she ever busies her line, means she's with a guy and didn't want to be disturbed.

"What the hell. This is just what I needed, on her best friends special day and she's out making out with some tout," I said throwing the phone furiously on the car floor.

"And what about your fiancé, why don't you call him and see what delayed him. You never might know,maybe it was goes low, accident or maybe he lost your ring or something like that," she said with a warm smile. And I welcomed the smile because I knew she was trying to renew my hope and it was surely working.

"You're right. Why didn't I think of this earlier," I said and hurriedly searched for my phone. Immediately I found it, I dialed his number which was in speed dial.

"Why are you so stubborn. Why can't you get things into this tick brain of yours, he doesn't want you and that is that. So get lost," the words sprang through my head like as if someone was hitting nails through my head.

"Jade?" She hung up. I my mind I could have sworn that was Jade, but how was it possible.

I sat motionless for some minutes.

"Rose, Rose, Rose!" Jessie called. But my mind was far far from here.

"Drive," I said to the driver.

"To where ma'am," he asked innocently.

"I said drive... just drive!" I yelled at him and immediately he started the car engine and drove.

********after some minutes of driving.

"Why did you stop? Do you not understand what I meant when I said JUST DRIVE?" I yelled out of control at the driver and I could see the fear in his face.

"Ma'am, I can't move forward any longer. The traffic is really bad." he grumbled.

I couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Already tears were rushing out of my eyes as if it can never dry up.

So I came down out of the car slamming it furiously and held my gown on my two hands.

"Wait, what are you doing? Where do you think you're going?... Come back!" Jessie tried to stop me but I ran with all the strength left in my body. I didn't care and I didn't want to stop.

"Rose!" I looked back and saw her come out of the car. But her efforts were of no use.

Through all the distance, I didn't want to look back, nothing else mattered to me, I felt empty, broken and incomplete. All that went through my mind were memories, memories of our time together.

Me with Jade and with him,(Roderigo).

"Look where you're going you crazy lady!" A woman yelled peeping out from her class. I hit myself on few obstacles and cars, making some passengers and drivers to yell at me, but I didn't care. To me, it was as if the whole world was mute and went void.

Faster and faster I ran, and cried my way straight to our meant to be matrimonial home.

"Why didn't he just call it off earlier? Why did he have to embarrass me like this?" The thought kept ringing in my head.

"Even if he caught a cold feet at the last moment, still doesn't justify this!" I sobbed more.

I barged through the door to our room with all the stamina left in me,

where I saw the unimaginable.

It was as if my whole world just flashed before my eyes.

Now everything I had, is lost.

"ROSE?" Roderigo called out with fear, surprised.

"Rose," Jade with a smirk.

"Traitors!!!" I sobbed.