#ShortStoryNight!! Engaged to the Wrong Man -The End

If you missed the Saturday episode (4) click HERE

story written by Igbokweuche Chidinma

 September 13^th 2014

I looked at my wristwatch, it was already 10am, and I was already very late for my final wedding dress fitting at the bridal shop, thanks to Cindy. I brought out my phone to call her for the sixth time, I would have left but she was my driver for the day and I had a lot of places to go to, using public transportation would have been hectic, so I was very happy when she offered to drive me around. 

“Hello, Cindy please where are you, we are already 30 minutes late”

“Sorry dear, traffic was heavy, I’m outside now, come out lets go”

“Ok, thank God”

“Please bring a bottle of water for me”

“Alright, I will.”

I took the bottle of water and locked  the door

“Hey, smile jor,sorry I wasted so much time, I was making breakfast for hubby and I was also caught in the traffic jam.”

I smiled, “no problem, thanks for helping”

“It’s nothing; I rather drive around than sit at home doing nothing.”

We got to the place 15minutes late; this was the last wedding fitting. The wedding was fixed for 27^th September.

“Good morning Jenny, I have been waiting for you” the designer said

“Sorry I am late, hope you can still attend to me?”

“Of course! come into the fitting room.”

I wore the wedding gown and looked in the mirror, I was stunned, and it looked too perfect.

“OMG! Jenny you look so beautiful”

“Yeah right! Like that’s not what you tell all your customers”

“No, Jenny look at the mirror, you look amazing!”

I was looking at the mirror and honestly, I looked amazing.

He did the final alterations and we left. We went to the cake testing next and also to the beauty salon to book an appointment.

By mid day we were done and decided to chill in a restaurant. I ordered for snacks and soft drinks.

“So Jenny, I want to ask you something” Cindy said

“Ok, what is it?”

“I don’t know the best way to put this, so I will just ask”

“Ok, I am listening”

“Are you happy?”

“Yes, I am”

“Are you sure Jen?”

“Yes, why are you asking?”

“Because I know you very well and you don’t look happy for someone getting married in two weeks”

“I am just stressed”

“Really, Jen?”

“Yeah!”

“Ok, if you insist"

We finished our drinks and decided to spend a little more time there before we left. Cindy began to gistme about her second honeymoon in Las Vegas. I could see how happy she was; she married the love of her life and was glowing. Then I remembered her question.

“Cindy, I lied, I am not happy” I blurted

She stopped talking and looked at me “Why?”

“I think I love Daniel more than I love Justin”

 

“You think?” She asked 

I knew she wanted me to be really honest

“I love Daniel more than I love Justin"

“Then why are you engaged to Justin?”

“Because i….” I cleared my throat “because I know Justin more, I have been with him for a year and we have hardly had any misunderstanding. I know with Daniel it will be different, so I decided to go for the safe choice.” 

“Jenny, that’s not how marriage works, or rather, that’s not how I believe marriage works. Marriage should be about your happiness, you should be with someone you love the most, someone you will be willing to sacrifice everything for. Someone you want to be with forever because marriage is a forever thing and not a ‘safe choice’ thing”

“But I can’t just leave Justin like that; he has done a lot for me. Leaving him will be heartless.”

“Yeah, leaving him will hurt him so bad but he will get over it. Consider your happiness above everything. Right now, that’s what matters the most. This is not the time for you to sacrifice your happiness for someone else. For once Jen, consider yourself first.”

“I don’t think I can”

“Whatever you decide Jen, I will be by your side. But please think real hard about it. Remember a broken engagement is better than a broken marriage.”

“Thank you so much Cindy”

“Anytime, let’s go I need to stop at the hospital” Cindy said as she stood up and dragged me up

“Hope you are alright” I asked

“Yeah, I want to run a pregnancy test” she winked

“Hmm! Las Vegas nights huh?”

“Oh, it was Las Vegas’s morning, afternoon and night.”  She replied and rolled her eyes laughing.

She finally dropped me at my place around 4pm. I spent the rest of the evening and night thinking about my life and the hard decision I had to make.

I couldn’t decide on what to do, out of frustration I screamed to the empty room.

How did I get to this point in my life? I only see this in movies. Gosh! I am tired. I tried sleeping but that didn’t work. So I took the novel, all I could see were ‘Daniel’ and ‘Justin’ so I closed the book and stared at the ceiling until I slept off.

September 27^th2014 {WEDDING DAY}

Today should have been my happiest day but it felt like the worst. I am supposed to be at the hotel by now where I should be dressing up but I can’t. Last night was hell, staring at the ceiling didn’t even help this time; Daniel had given me almost 20 missed calls until he finally texted.

I know tomorrow is your wedding day but I have not lost hope, Jen please do not do this, I love you. I really hope you call me tomorrow.

After I got the text I called Cindy and she brought her car for me to drive around and clear my head; she was the only one that knew where I was.  I put off my phone, I really needed to make a decision and I didn’t want anyone calling. I knew it was wrong, my mum will be worried sick but I really had to think of myself.

I remembered the night I went to go see a movie with Daniel; we had so much fun that day, we joked and laughed about the simplest things, we never lacked what to talk about, that day was one of my best days. I have gone out with Justin lots of times, it was always to a formal restaurant, talking about his work and once in a while asking me about school. We really didn’t know how to have fun together but he cared for me, he did things for me without even asking or me requesting. He never complained or even got angry. Honestly, Justin is kind of boring but he is a good man

Marriage is a forever thing not safe thing, jenny

 

Then I remembered how Daniel’s kiss felt the morning after I got engaged. I had never been kissed like that, Justin was a good kisser but it wasn’t the same.

I just knew I couldn’t marry Justin, I was just scared of telling him but there was nothing I could do.

I have to call it off! There will be hell to pay for and I’m ready. Because I actually do not love Justin, I have been lying to myself for too long.

EPILOGUE    

 

I looked at my watch, four hours had passed since I started my story, now comes the hard part- MAKING THE CALL! I picked up my phone, switched it on and immediately got dozens of messages from my family and Justin. I dialed his number and my heart skipped several beats when it began to ring. 

“Hello, Jen, where are you? Hope you are safe?” His voice was so calm.

“Yes, Justin I am safe, I have something to say”

“Yeah, I know, you want to call off the wedding right?”

“Justin…. I am so sorry i…”

“No need, jenny, I was scared this will happen, I knew you didn’t really love me but I thought you would learn to love me.” 

“I am sorry” tears were dropping down my eyes

“Why did you wait till today Jen?” His voice was so deep with hurt 

“Because I couldn’t bring myself to do it, I was lying to myself. Thought I could make it work”

“Goodbye Jen, call your parents.”

“Goodbye, Justin, please forgive me.”

“I hope I can”

I called my parents and Cindy and some other people, my mum wasn’t as angry as I thought she would be. She offered to take care of things until I was ready to come back. Cindy brought few of my clothes to me and took her car; I had already decided I was going to spend a few days in the hotel I drove to.

Finally I had to call Daniel; I needed to talk to him.

“Hello Jen”

“I called off my wedding” I said without replying to his greeting.

“Jen..”  

            

‘Can you meet me at Queen’s Hotel?”

“Yeah, I am on my way.”

Daniel arrived 3hours later, by then I had taken my bath, managed to eat a little. He had to come up to my room, I couldn’t talk with him in the hotel’s lobby.

“How are you?” he asked immediately he entered the room.

“I am messed up” I replied; there was no point lying

“I am sorry about that”

“Yeah, thanks”

“So I called off my wedding because I didn’t love Justin. I love you Daniel, but I can’t go out with you. Not yet, I need to sort out my life first. I need to also cancel some plans I made for my wedding. But I had to tell you how I feel about you.”

He just stood up from where he was and hugged me so tight. “let it out jenny” he whispered in my ears.

I knew what he meant

“Don’t hold it back, let it all out, I am here for you”

“And the tears began to drop, slowly at first until I couldn’t control it again, he hugged me even tighter, not letting me go until I stopped crying.

“I am sorry I ruined your polo.” I said as I cleaned my face.

“It doesn’t matter”

We sat there talking about our lives and how things could work out until it was time for him go.

“Jen, are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”

“Yes, I am sure I need to be alone tonight.”

“Ok I will see you in the morning, I will lodge here too, hope that is fine by you?”

“Alright”

“I love you Jennifer”

“I love you too Daniel”

“Quick question Jen- why weren’t you in Cindy’s bridal train?”

Oh! He remembered, he said I was going to tell him one day the embarrassing reason “the bridesmaids’ dress colour was yellow”

“So?”

“I had my August visitor”

“I guessed that!”

I smiled, I knew he wanted me to smile before he left, and it worked. He has his way of making me smile all the time.

…….THE END….

  edited by Ibokette Ebong