I had been waiting for my wedding day for so long. A week before the wedding, Luke and I went to my parents’ place to finalize the preparations. We were sitting in the kitchen, discussing the plans.
“Nina,” my mom said, looking up from the guest list. “I noticed Emma’s name isn’t on here.”
I stiffened. Emma, my twin sister, and I hadn’t spoken in years. I didn’t want her at my wedding. “Mom, you know how I feel about Emma. She’s envious and arrogant. I don’t want her there.”
My mom’s face softened. “Honey, she’s still your sister. It wouldn’t feel right without her.”
My dad nodded in agreement. “Family is important, Nina. Give her a chance.”
I sighed. “Fine. I’ll invite her.” Inside, I dreaded it. But I wanted to keep the peace.
The wedding day finally came, and it was beautiful. We celebrated at a lovely countryside hotel we rented for three days. Everything was perfect. The sun was shining, the flowers were gorgeous, and everyone seemed happy.
To my surprise, Emma and I managed to bond. She seemed different, kinder even. “Nina,” she said, her eyes softening. “I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks, Emma. I appreciate that.” Maybe she had changed, I thought.
As the evening went on, the older guests began to leave, while the younger ones stayed to party. The real celebration started with lots of dancing and drinking. The atmosphere was vibrant and joyful.
Emma approached me with a mischievous smile, holding two identical dresses. “Remember these?” she asked. “Let’s dress the same, just like when we were kids!”
I laughed. “Why not? For old times’ sake.” We put on the matching dresses and styled our hair the same way. It felt nostalgic and fun.
As the night wore on, I realized I hadn’t seen Luke for a while. I looked around the crowded room but couldn’t find him. A sense of unease settled in my stomach. “Have you seen Luke?” I asked a few friends, but no one had.
I started searching all throughout the hotel. My heart pounded in my chest. I checked the bar, the dance floor, and even outside by the pool. Finally, I headed to the bathroom area. As I approached, I heard muffled voices. My heart sank.
Pushing open the door, I found Luke with Emma. They were in a compromising position, their clothes disheveled. My world shattered in an instant.
“Luke?” I whispered, my voice trembling. They didn’t hear me. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I turned and ran out of the hotel, my vision blurred by tears.
Outside, I found a secluded spot and collapsed onto the grass. The cool night air did nothing to calm me. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed uncontrollably. How could they do this to me?
I didn’t know how long I sat there, crying and feeling utterly broken. I was too ashamed to tell anyone what had happened. My perfect day had turned into a nightmare, and I had no idea what to do next.
Suddenly, Luke came up to me and said, “Why are you crying? I was just with you a minute ago, and you were smiling!”
I looked at him, confusion and hurt etched on my face. “Luke, that wasn’t me. That was Emma pretending to be me.”
His eyes widened in shock. “What? Emma? Are you serious?”
“Yes,” I replied, wiping away my tears. “She tricked you. But we can’t let anyone know. Not yet.”
Luke nodded slowly, trying to process everything. “Okay, what do we do?”
“We keep quiet,” I said, determination replacing my sorrow. “And I’ll figure out a way to make her pay.”
The next day, while everyone was resting, I told Luke I needed to go to town for a few hours. He agreed, trusting me. I drove to the city, my mind racing with plans for revenge. I saw a homeless man on the street, and an idea began to form.
“Hi,” I said to him, offering a smile. “Would you like a haircut and some new clothes?”
He looked at me, surprised but grateful. “Sure, ma’am.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Edward,” he replied, looking at me with amazement.
“Edward, I need you to help me with something,” I said. “I’ll explain on the way.”
I took him to a barber shop, where they gave him a stylish haircut and cleaned him up. He looked like a different person. Then we went to a store and rented a fancy, expensive suit for him.
While talking to him, we found out his business partner tricked him into losing his part of the business, and having lost all hope, he found himself on the streets.
“So, Edward, what happened?” I asked gently as we sat in the lobby.
Edward sighed, looking down at his hands. “I used to own a part of a successful company. My business partner… he betrayed me. Tricked me into signing away my shares.”
“That’s terrible,” I said, feeling a pang of sympathy.
“Yeah,” Edward continued, his voice heavy with regret. “I didn’t realize what I had signed until it was too late. I lost everything. My home, my savings… everything. I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. I ended up on the streets.”
Luke shook his head, his face serious. “That’s rough, man. I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”
Edward nodded. “It was hard. But I survived. I never lost hope.”
We returned to the hotel, and I introduced Edward to everyone as an old friend. “This is Edward,” I said, smiling. “He’s a very wealthy and successful businessman.”
Emma’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw him. She started flirting with him, hanging on his every word. “So, Edward, what do you do?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
“I own a chain of hotels across America and the world,” he replied smoothly.
Emma was hooked. She was willing to do anything to be with him. They spent the day together, and eventually, they slept together in Emma’s hotel room. She thought she had landed a rich and powerful man.
Later, I asked Edward to propose to her in front of all the guests. He agreed, and in front of everyone, he got down on one knee. “Emma,” he said, holding out a ring. “Will you marry me?”
Emma’s eyes sparkled with greed and excitement. “Yes!” she exclaimed.
The guests clapped and cheered, but then Edward stood up and looked at Emma seriously. “I need to tell you something,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “I’m not a wealthy businessman. I’m just a regular homeless guy.”
The color drained from Emma’s face. She looked around, panic setting in. “What? No, this can’t be true!”
“It is,” he said simply.
Emma’s face twisted with rage and humiliation. She turned and stormed out of the hotel, leaving everyone in stunned silence.
Afterward, Edward spoke to Luke. “Thank you for everything,” he said. “If there’s anything I can do to repay you…”
Luke smiled. “Actually, there is. How about a job at my company?”
Edward’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That would be amazing!”
Luke nodded. “We could use someone with your resilience and determination.”
Edward agreed, and just like that, he was hired as a small manager in Luke’s company.
Emma was gone, and I felt a sense of justice. She had tried to ruin my happiness, but in the end, she only ruined herself. As for Luke and me, we had a new beginning, stronger and closer than before.
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