Bittersweet Redemption

Chapter One

Chapter One

Elizabeth

This was it. It was the moment where all my dreams had finally come to fruition. Granted, they hadn't always been my dreams. These dreams were realized after I accepted that it was okay to bulldoze over all the previous life plans I mapped out to rebuild new ones. These dreams...They were new ones-better ones. They were no longer completely and utterly out of my reach anymore.

No.

They were right before my eyes in the form of a 2,000 square foot building squeezed right in between two of the most prominent department stores on Madison Avenue.

Elizabeth Daniels

I always liked to think that it sounded vintage, much like the wedding dresses that I designed. The area was small, but it was more than ideal. It was delicate and quaint perfection in my eyes. The huge arched window out front featured my latest design, my most notorious design. It embodied my idea of a fairytale gown. The bodice, fully encrusted with premium crystal, made the dress stand out for what seemed like a mile away. Complete with a strapless sweetheart neckline, I couldn't deny that it was the perfect dress for Angelina. Every single accent of the dress worked wonderfully for her. And there was no mistake-Jack loved it too. I was just thankful that she'd let me feature it in our grand opening a month ago.

Never in a million years did I think I'd be here. Never in my wildest dreams could I have fathomed that owning a wedding dress shop would ultimately be the one thing in this life that I cherished the most. But then, irony always was a bitch. And so, there I was, standing in front of the single thing that I worked my ass off to achieve in the past four years.

My whole life I searched for that one thing that made me tingle inside. Even though I thought I'd once found it, it was all a hoax--a fucking joke. It was morbid, really. After everything that happened, after every tear--the thought of being in love and having a family still jabbed at my heart. It still took my breath away, even though it would never happen. Pathetic. That life simply isn't in store for me. And while the universe is seemingly completely against me, I still can't help but unravel at the idea of being a part of a woman's life as they take a step closer to becoming one with the man of their dreams. Ugh. I groan, inwardly.

It was the only conceivable way of being part of a love story these days-from the outside looking in and by default, that's the way I liked it. Turns out, I had a niche in making other people happy. Women, specifically, on their wedding day.

The way I saw it--for every woman there is an ideal dress waiting to be created-one that will arouse new beginnings, inspire fascination and stir the rawest emotion in its presence. My only hope was to make dreams turn into realities. Just like in Cinderella, I wanted to be the fairy god mother. I wanted to see that happiness etched out on to every single woman's face that walked into my shop.

Maybe that's what made my work so...Whole-heartedly consuming and utter perfection, according to Vogue.

To be honest, what Vogue said about me in their May issue was astonishing. Against my better judgment, I was the model of my first design. The photographer seemed to think me in my own wedding dress would show the real Elizabeth Daniels. When I laid eyes on the centerfold and saw myself in my first design, I was speechless. My mind was blown away. Turns out, he was right. The woman in the photos was strong, independent and beautiful. Of course, it was an accomplishment but for me, when I looked at the photos, I saw much, much more than anyone else could possibly see.

A woman that was happy in her own skin.

A woman that had pushed past the demons haunting her and become one with herself.