Love and Lies: Falling Again

02

Chapter- 02

The bride and her Love

The maroon lipstick glided over Jennifer's lips, a stark contrast to the pale reflection that stared back at her from the mirror.  The room was filled with the soft rustle of her bridal gown and the scent of jasmine from her hair. The maroon gown and the seamless makeup made her look elegant, just like any bride would love to look on the big day of her life. 

Her brother's voice, a familiar anchor in the storm of emotions, reached her ears. "Jennifer, Rosy D'Silva is looking for you," he said, his tone carrying the weight of the day's significance.

"Tell her I'll be there in five minutes," Jennifer replied, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions brewing inside her. She turned to face John, her protector, her confidant, her best friend, the one person who had always been reliable in the chaos of her life.  

John's eyes were filled with a concern that mirrored the worry etching her heart. "Jenny," he whispered, his voice a soft caress against the tension that filled the room. "I will be there for you, always. You know that, right?" His words were a promise, a vow that transcended the bond of siblings.

"Even at your worst, i had always been there and i will always be there, even if the whole world was against you, i will stnad by you against all odds," he promised, his words a clear assuance to her that he will not judge her decisions but stand by her. 

Jennifer's smile was a silent acknowledgment of his pledge. "This life, when it becomes too much, when you feel suffocated, just call, and I'll be there to take you away," he said, wrapping her in a hug that spoke volumes of his love and fear for her.

As she finished her makeup, Jennifer's gaze lingered on her reflection. The woman staring back at her was beautiful, yet her eyes lacked the spark of life that should have been present on what many would consider the happiest day of her life.

Unconsciously, she caressed her nuptial chain, a symbol of her undying love for her husband. A mocking smile left her lips. 'What have you done to yourself Jennifer?' she wondered. She made the biggest decision of her life just like that and now her foreseeable future remained unclear. She practiced a smile, and to her surprise, it looked genuine. She appeared to be a woman on cloud nine, a bride who finally got married to the love of her life.

But the reality was far from it. 'Love of her life,' her mind mocked the phrase, and she quickly silenced the cynicism. She knew the path she had chosen was fraught with challenges, but she was determined to walk it. she had no other way, nonetheless. 

As she walked out of that room John's words from earlier that day echoed in her mind. Just an hour before her weddind, he had conforted her, hoping to get a hint that would allow him to halt this wedding and let his sister walk away without any pain. 

isolating her from everyone, he asked her "Is this what you really want, Jenny?" He had seen through her facade, recognized the hesitation she had tried to mask. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he had asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Do you believe Derik would make a good life partner for you? Remember, he has changed," he emphasized, wanting to ensure she understood the depth of the ocean she was so determined to swim across

John's concerns were valid. Derik, the man she was about to marry, was not the same person she had fallen for in college. Life had reshaped him, hardened him, and the relationship they once shared had withered in the face of reality. Yet, Jennifer was adamant, her resolve to marry him unshaken.

"Jennifer, the Derek you knew and loved Madly in college is not the same man anymore. His life has changed, his life has changed, and he harbors no feelings for you. So why are you so adamant on entering into this so-called marriage?" John is aware of Derek's past that Jennifer is oblivious to and he feared that Jennifer is walking straight  into some doom.