Beneath the pristine white dress were polished men’s shoes. My breath hitched in my throat. I leaned in closer, my heart pounding, and saw dark suit pants peeking out from the gown’s hem. My gaze shot upward, and the face beneath the veil—hidden under a wig—made disbelief crash over me in waves.
This wasn’t Shanize.
A stunned silence fell over the room. Every eye turned toward the altar as I stood frozen, still gripping the fabric of the gown. Dave’s expression shifted from joy to utter confusion as he took in the sight.
“Janice?” His voice wavered, breaking the tense stillness. “What’s going on?”
Before I could answer, the figure in the wedding dress grinned, then slowly lifted the veil. With a flourish, they removed the wig, revealing the face of Dave’s best man. Gasps rippled through the church as the man stood tall, unapologetic, dressed as the bride.
“Surprise,” he said, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction.
Dave staggered back, his face a mask of shock. “What the hell is this? Where’s Shanize?”
The best man chuckled darkly. “She’s gone, Dave. Left days ago. But don’t worry—she knew about this. She’s the one who asked me to do it.”
Murmurs of confusion and disbelief erupted from the guests. I stood there, still rooted in place, my mind reeling. Shanize had asked for this? Why? What was happening?
Dave’s voice cracked as he grew frantic. “Where is she? What did you do to her?”
The best man raised a hand to silence the room. “Relax, Dave. She’s fine. She just wanted to teach you a lesson. She found out about you and Vanessa.”
The church fell dead quiet. Dave’s face drained of color. “What… what are you talking about?” he stammered.
“Oh, don’t play dumb,” the best man snapped. “She found out about your affair with Vanessa. You know, the bridesmaid? She wanted you to feel the same betrayal she did.”
All eyes turned to Vanessa, who sat a few rows back, pale and trembling. She couldn’t look anyone in the eye, her hands nervously clutching the fabric of her dress.
Dave’s voice broke as he tried to defend himself. “That’s not true! It’s not what you think—”
“Save it, Dave,” the best man cut him off. “Shanize knew everything. She could’ve just left, but she wanted this moment. She wanted everyone to see who you really are.”
The room erupted in chaos. Guests whispered, shouted, and shifted in their seats. Dave’s eyes widened in desperation as he turned toward me. “Janice, you have to believe me! This isn’t what it looks like!”
But I couldn’t bring myself to respond. I simply stared at him, my heart heavy with disappointment. “Dave… what have you done?”
The best man turned toward Dave, his expression cold and unforgiving. “This is your punishment, Dave. You threw away the best thing in your life for a cheap fling. Now, everyone knows.”
With that, he dropped the veil and wig at Dave’s feet and walked out, leaving the groom standing alone—exposed, humiliated, and broken. The weight of his betrayal hung in the air like a dark cloud, the stark contrast to the joy this day was meant to bring.