I sat in front of the mirror, my fingers brushing against the lace of my bridal gown, tracing the exquisite floral designs sewn into the fabric.
Today was the day.
I was marrying Sam.
The love of my life.
A tear tickled the corner of my eye, and I chuckled at myself, wiping it away before it fell.
“Careful,” my maid of honor, Lauren, teased from the doorway, holding out a flute of champagne. “We spent way too long on your makeup for you to ruin it now.”
“I just…” My voice wavered. “I can’t believe this is real.”
And in just thirty minutes, I’d be heading down the aisle toward the man I’d loved for what seemed like an eternity.
I stood at the altar, my pulse hammering, my fingers curled around my bouquet, and locked eyes with Sam, my five-year fiancé.
Then the door creaked open.
A woman walked in.
She looked amazing. She had long, dark hair cascading over one shoulder and lips painted a vivid, vibrant red.
But it wasn’t her attractiveness that gave me a cold.
It was how she looked at Sam.
“Aren’t you going to tell them?” she asked, her voice smooth and confident.
“Tell us what?” I swallowed.
“That you’re already married, Sam,” she said.
I glanced at Sam, expecting him to chuckle, shake his head, or just do anything… anything!
But he did not.
Instead, he moved forward.
And then, right in the middle of our wedding, he walked to her.
God help me, he wrapped his arms around her.
Sam moved his lips, whispering something into her ear. Something only she could hear.
She gave a gentle laugh.
“I…” He exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. “Hazel, I need to explain this.”
I turned to her, my voice trembling.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Anna,” she said simply.
She was his childhood best buddy. Someone he had been close to for many years. But he never discussed marriage.
“Sam,” I said, forcing the words to come out. “Tell me the truth. Right now. In front of all our family and friends.”
“When we were kids, we had a pretend wedding,” he admitted. “Candy ring pops, a few scribbled vows, and Anna trying to play a song on her ukulele. We thought it was the real deal at the time. We were twelve.”
“But Anna is my best friend, that’s all.”
“Then why did you hold her like that? Why did she just walk in here and say that?”
“A few years ago,” he said, “Anna was in a terrible car accident.”
“The doctors said that she might never walk again.”
“Anna spent years in rehab, fighting to get her life back,” Sam continued. “I invited her to the wedding because how could I not have her here? But she told me that she wouldn’t be able to come.”
“I wanted to walk through those doors by myself,” Anna said just as softly.
“I’ve been practicing with heels for a long time now. I’ve literally been teaching myself how to walk in them for your day.”
“I’m so sorry for the drama, Hazel,” she said, her voice laced with something between guilt and amusement. “Sam and I have always pranked each other, and I thought… why not one last time?”
Tears flowed from the back of my eyes. I couldn’t believe it. This woman clawed her way back up, determined to regain her foothold.
I smiled at Sam.
“And I am so happy for you both. Truly,” Anna said.
The room was still. Then there was laughter.
The tension in the room subsided, and the vibe shifted as the visitors murmured and chuckled gently.
My wedding had been a dream.
The love. The joy. The warmth of it all.
At 53, Kelly Ripa’s black gown on Oscars red carpet ignites reactions from fans
It was a predictably eventful evening in LA this past Sunday at the 96th Academy Awards, hosted at the Dolby Theater.
Among the stand-out moments were John Cena’s naked walk across the stage to present the award for Best Costume Design and Al Pacino’s decision to skip over the nominations for Best Film altogether, instead going straight to announcing the winner.
There were also plenty of talking points to be gleaned from the red carpet, not least relating to the plethora of eye-catching outfits on show. As per reports, actress Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos were among those to steal the show, with the former causing a particular stir on social media.
Celebrities dominating headlines for their choice of garment for any particular awards ceremony is nothing new.
Yet in the age of social media, where live photos from the red carpet can be shared around the world at the click of a button, it’s become arguably more popular than ever to discuss and debate outfits in real time.
As such, it’s only natural to expect that an event of the magnitude of the Oscars, and those fortunate enough to be in attendance, is always going to be heavily scrutinized.
Among those who found their fashion choices dissected online this year was Kelly Ripa, who uploaded her outfit – a dazzling black, see-through gown – to Instagram along with the caption: “Mom and dad storming the red carpet.”
There, it was met with a wave of appreciation from her legion of fans.
“You both look amazing. BUT that dress is stunning ❤❤❤,” one person wrote.
“Beautiful gown. Beautiful couple,” another added.
“Kelly, your hair, the dress… you look gorgeous,” a third said.
Of course, it wasn’t all compliments. There were those who questioned Ripa’s decision to don the dress.
“I love you Kelly but not this dress,” one detractor wrote.
Another added: “Unlike Mark not to have a perfectly tailored suit or tux on. His clothes are usually impeccable.“
A third wrote: “Kelly wear some bike shorts. You are lowering your self in the see through dress. You’re better than that!“
“She doesn’t even look like the same person anymore ?♀️” a fourth opined.
I don’t know about you, but I think Kelly and Mark looked fantastic at the Oscars! Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Meanwhile, if you like reading celebrity news and would like to see more, check out the article below:
Leave a Reply