The day had finally come. Leo and Carly's wedding day. The day couldn't have started on a positive note. It's a wedding, and everyone had to be up and early. The bride and the rest of her party had to be at the church, as they had already booked a few dressing rooms to get ready from there. So those heading to the church had to be there on time.
Leo and his groomsmen were to get ready at an apartment of a friend of Leo's, who also happened to be one of the groomsmen. They also had to be early and get to church on time. A sense of excitement and nervousness could be felt around the room as they got ready. Eric had to check up on Leo as he was being helped into his attire. Leo had to assure him time and again that he was alright.
"Are you sure you're okay, though?" Eric asked as he stood behind Leo, who stood in front of a full-length dressing mirror. He was being assisted by some helpers to fit into his attire.
Leo sighed. "If you're worried that I'm going to get cold feet, then you're mistaken," said Leo as he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was neatly combed, and his blue eyes glowed like jewels under the sunlight that came into the room through the window.
"Just checking." Eric smiled at Leo. "The last time I checked, you didn't even reach the altar."
"Funny. This time, without a doubt, I'm sure of my decision."
Meanwhile, in one of the dressing rooms at the cathedral, Angel and the two bridesmaids were having their makeup done as they sat on chairs. The makeup artists worked on them, branding their skills like artwork. The bridesmaids' hair had already been nicely curled and pinned in the right places. Carly was in the other dressing room since she deserved to have her own room so as to have no distractions. Angel looked at herself in the mirror in front of her as the makeup artist finished her work. Her hair was nicely pinned up with pearl hairpins. A few strands of her red hair fell on the sides of her face in curls. Moreover, the brown neutral eye shadow blended well with her skin tone. The mascara defined her eyes, making her look like a goddess. The person working on her makeup couldn't help but compliment how amazing Angel looked. Everyone else in the room, including the other bridesmaids, couldn't help but turn to see what the woman meant.
The door to the dressing room flew open, and Diana, who walked in with a white robe, couldn't help but stop herself short upon seeing Angel's reflection in the mirror.
"My, oh my, Angel," said Diana as she closed the door behind her and approached Angel from behind. "You look stunning. If anyone were to see you, they would think you're the bride."
"Thank you," said Angel, as she turned to look at Diana. "Thank goodness, I'm not the one wearing the wedding dress. You look stunning too."
"Thank you, sweetie. You should see Carly, though. She looks like a princess."
Angel beamed with a smile. "I can only imagine."
"If the others are done, we can go and do so now. I want us to take a photo with her in our bridal robes."
"Sounds like a plan," said Julie, who was one of the bridesmaids. She also looked stunning with her brown hair also styled in a similar style to Angel's. "I think we're all done. Let's go see the bride."
Diana led the way out of the dressing room, and the three bridesmaids followed to the room just opposite theirs. When they got in, they found Carly seated on a chair in a white silk robe. The make-up artist was adding blush to Carly's cheeks. Diana and the other bridesmaids couldn't help but squeal in delight when they looked at Carly through the mirror. Carly turned around upon hearing them, and a smile came over her face.
"Oh, Carly, you look so beautiful," said Julie as she approached Carly first. "You're definitely the most beautiful bride I have ever seen."
"Thank you so much, Julie," said Carly with a smile on her face. "You look amazing too."
"We should call the photographer and let him take a picture of us still in our robes," said Denise, the other bridesmaid. She's also a close relative to the McDonells.
"Great idea," said Diana as she opened the door. "He must be down the hall. Let me go and fetch him." Diana quickly left the room.
"So, how does it feel that in just a few hours, you're going to be Mrs. McDonell?" Julie asked. "Oh my goodness! This is just so exciting!"
"I'm so nervous," said Carly as she heavily breathed out. "Does it always get this scary at weddings?"
Angel stood behind Carly and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Carly, breathe," she said. "It's normal to get nervous. But you don't want to pass out in front of the crowd."
"Yeah, you're right. It's just that I don't think I've ever felt this nervous before. But I really can't wait to see Leo at the altar."
"Trust me, it will be alright. Just relax a little."
Diana soon came by with the photographer, and she, along with the bridesmaids, posed to take pictures with the bride. They took many pictures, centering the bride, of course, as it was her big day. Soon enough, the wedding organizer, Helen, came to inform them of the arrival of the guests. That meant it was time for the bride and the others to have their finishing touches on their makeup and get dressed. Diana, Denise, and Julie left the room. Carly asked for Angel to stay behind for a while.
"Hey," said Angel as she held Carly's hands. "I know you're nervous, but this wedding will pass. You'll be surprised how quick it will be. The next thing you know, you're on a plane going to Italy for your honeymoon."
"Honestly, that's not what I'm really worried about," said Carly. "What if… what if Leo changes his mind or something?"
"Carly, don't think like that." Angel gently placed a hand on Carly's cheek so as not to ruin her makeup. "If he does, I'll make sure to knock his teeth out." Carly nervously chuckled. "But seriously, though. I don't think he would want to marry you if he wasn't sure. What happened with Kim is different. You, on the other hand, is who he wants. Don't forget that."
Carly smiled. "Thanks. I really needed to hear that."
"It's your big day. The last thing we need is for you to think like that."
Helen came towards the two sisters and said, "We really need to get a move on if we're to be ready in time. Angel, I'll need you to get dressed, pronto."
"Okay." Angel turned to look at her sister. "You've got this, okay? I'll be near if you need anything."
Carly nodded her head. Angel squeezed her sister's hand tightly, assuring her that everything was going to be alright. Before Angel turned around to leave, she heard a phone vibrate behind her. She turned towards the dressing table and saw Carly's phone ringing. She wondered who could be calling at this time. Wasn't Carly supposed to have given her phone to someone for the day? The phone could be really distracting sometimes.
"I thought you already gave your phone away," said Angel as she looked at Carly.
"Yes, I'm still waiting on Fleur to get here," said Carly. Fleur also happened to be a friend from their old neighborhood.
"Oh, that's right. I better get going. And remember, just breathe, okay?"
Carly smiled at Angel as Angel rushed out of the room. The organizer, Helen, was standing by the door and leaving it wide open for Angel. As soon as Angel left, Carly went over to the dressing table. Her phone had stopped ringing immediately she reached it. Before she could grab it, the woman who was to dress her up in her wedding dress soon appeared in the room with a moving dressing hanger. It was finally time for Carly to put on her dress.
Mr. McDonell and Amanda found themselves at the doorsteps of the cathedral. It surprised Amanda how a few reporters stood outside, taking pictures of the guests that had slowly started to arrive. Amanda had always hated reporters. Since the McDonells were a big family, such events attracted the media like flies to honey. As much as she put up a smile for them as Mr. McDonell pushed her along in her wheelchair, she really wished for the reporters and cameramen to just disappear. It was already annoying that this wedding still hadn't sat well with her, and to top it off, the media was here, adding on to it. As soon as she entered the church, whose front doors were decorated with beautiful white flowers and greenery, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
A few family members were hanging about in the large church porch of the church's main entrance, properly and appropriately dressed. They were all smiles when they saw Mr. McDonell in a black suit, helping his mother in her wheelchair. Amanda wore a pretty cream-white-colored jacket with a rose gold dress studded with pearls at the bottom. She wore a rose gold flower fascinator on her head. Wherever she passed with her son, everyone greeted them. It was hard for her to smile through it all when she was dying inside. She hadn't told anyone this, but she didn't want to be here. Not when deep down, she knew Leo was throwing his life away yet again.
"Would you like it if I could take you to your seat?" Fred asked as they reached the entrance of the sanctuary.
Amanda shook her head. "Not yet," she said. "I want to be here when Leo arrives."
Frank looked down at his mother, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You seem nervous. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Weddings make me nervous."
"Well, you weren't like this when Leo was getting married to Kim. If anything, you were lively and busy talking about how Leo shouldn't even be marrying Kim. What's changed this time? Is it because Leo has made the right decision in marrying Carly?"
"Not even in the slightest." Amanda raised her nose in the air and looked the other way. "We're in the house of God, and it's best to behave ourselves. I'm just doing so appropriately."
Frank couldn't help but chuckle. "If you say so. But it seems to me you're a little distracted."
Amanda didn't say anything as Oliver came up to them. Oliver looked handsome in a white shirt, a black suit vest, and black trousers. He came over to hug his grandmother first before greeting his uncle. Amanda couldn't help but comment on how handsome he looked. A few of Oliver's cousins came to join him. Looking at them, Amanda even forgot about how uneasy she felt as the children around her talked about a game they were playing that she couldn't understand, but she listened anyway.
Mrs. McDonell, who wore a lovely off-shoulder soft gold dress like Amanda, had just appeared from the other side of the porch, as she had gone to the changing rooms. The whole place was busy, but she could see there was a tremendous amount of progress. The bridesmaids were ready, and Mrs. McDonell couldn't help but feel they all looked gorgeous. Angel stood out from amongst them, as the lovely soft pink dress brought out her beauty. She had also gone to check up on Diana and the bride. Carly really did look like the bride, as she looked like a princess right out of a fairy tale.
As the mother of the groom, she couldn't help but receive greetings and salutations from the guests in the hall. She was all smiles, and when she saw Fred and Amanda talking to the children, she couldn't help but make her way over there.
"Hello, darling," said Mr. McDonell as she came closer and he went over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Everything alright at the other end?"
"Yes, everything is splendid," said Mrs. McDonell. "Helen has really worked her magic. Making Carly do everything from the church was a good idea. It saves us a huge amount of time."
"Well, let's pray Leo keeps time himself and gets here."
Amanda, listening to the conversation, couldn't help but snicker. "Let's hope he comes to his senses and blows this whole thing over," she muttered. Luckily, no one heard her.
Meanwhile, the black Mercedes-Benz bringing Leo and Eric to the church was only a few minutes away, as they had already entered the city. A similar car bringing in the other two groomsmen followed behind them. Leo looked out of the window as he felt his heart in his chest beat faster than ever. Eric was on his phone at first, but then he turned to look at Leo beside him. He leaned forward to wave his hand across Leo's face. Leo turned to face Eric with an annoyed look on his face. Eric put up a nervous smile.
"Was only checking to see if you're alright," said Eric.
"Of course, I'm fine," said Leo. "Are you still worried that I'm going to bail?"
"Not at all." Eric grinned. "If you wanted to bail, you would've had to go through a whole lot of us. Angel included."
Leo shook his head. "That's the last person I should be disappointing today. She'll no doubt knock my teeth out if I even think of not showing up."
Eric laughed out loud. "It's funny how you still fear her to this day. It's classic."
"I don't, and I have never feared Angel."
"Yeah, you have. Remember when the two of you back then would fight each other? Now here we are, and she's about to become your sister-in-law. How times have changed. We've really come a long way, huh?"
Now that Eric said it, Leo gave it a lot of thought. They really had come so far that it felt like Leo had forgotten where all of this had begun. From that night of his bachelor party till the journey to the wedding altar. So much had gone on between now and then. Many ups and downs, especially with Angel. But Leo couldn't help but admit that there were plenty of fun times too. Memories kept flooding his mind. Without realizing it, a smile came across his face. They were good times, he thought as he looked up at the car ceiling. Eric, who sat next to him, noticed the smile on his face.
"Thinking of the good times, I see?" Eric asked as he smiled at Leo. "Enjoy them because as a married man, that's all they are ever going to be. Memories."
Eric was right. All these were nothing but memories, and all Leo could do was reminisce. Otherwise, this new chapter of his life required new memories, even when he knew that some people wouldn't be around him so often. The thought gripped at him for a moment, and soon the smile on his face slowly fell away. A lot of things were going to change from here on out.
The cars soon arrived at the church, and the flashes from cameras outside the car blinded Leo for a moment. Of course, the press just has to be here, Leo thought to himself. Luckily enough, there was enough security to keep them at bay. He wished he could have a peaceful wedding without them around. Leo turned to look at Eric, and they both gave each other a nod. The driver came out of the car and opened the door on Leo's side. Leo stepped out of the car in his stunning black and white suit. His jacket was white with the black collar fitted him so well. A white and gold brooch sat atop the side of his chest. He looked like any girl's ideal man that came straight out of a romance novel. Cameras flashed more than ever, taking as many pictures as they could. Eric, who was dressed in a fabulous black suit like the rest of the other groomsmen, came to stand beside Leo. The two of them went up to the cathedral, with the other two groomsmen behind them.
Mrs. McDonell, who stood at the entrance of the church, watched her son as he came out of the car. A wide smile appeared across her face, as she had never seen him looking this handsome. Diana, who wore a beautiful pink dress, appeared beside her as they both watched Leo and Eric make their way towards them. Diana couldn't help but giggle.
"Leo is going to have the girls swooning, wishing that they could have had him," said Diana. "Those two are just perfect for each other."
"Yeah, they are picture-perfect if you ask me," said Mrs. McDonell. "I just pray that they would both be happy with each other."
Diana held Mrs. McDonell's hand. "Of course, they will."
As Eric and Leo came towards the doors of the entrance, Mrs. McDonell couldn't help but hug him. Leo hugged her back. Eric hugged his mother. Afterwards, Diana went over to hug Leo. Most of the other guests had already gone inside the sanctuary to settle down.
"Oh, you made it!" Diana said. "Thank goodness you didn't change your mind."
"Seriously, Aunt? Did you really think I was going to bail again?" Leo asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought that way," said Eric. Leo looked at him, unimpressed.
"And so did I," said Amanda.
Leo looked behind his mother and aunt, and there was Amanda in her wheelchair with his father pushing it behind her. Leo went over to her and hugged her.
"Hi, Grandma," said Leo as he looked at her. "And no, I didn't bail this time because now more than ever, I'm sure of what I want."
Amanda held Leo's cheek. "Well, I've never seen you look this handsome before. Today must be very special indeed."
"There's always something special about a groom when he's getting to marry the woman he truly loves," said Mr. McDonell as he smiled at his son. "This wedding just happens to be that special one."
Leo smiled at his father. "Thanks, Dad. Thank you everyone, for being here."
"We're way ahead of schedule," said Mrs. McDonell. "Father will be impressed with how we've kept our time."
Helen and Mrs. McAlister, who wore a stunning navy blue dress, appeared from the sanctuary. The both of them couldn't help but beam with joy upon seeing Leo and the other three groomsmen.
"I swear, you guys are the most handsome men on earth," said Helen. "But the groom tops off all of you."
"Oh, Leo, it's so good to see you," said Mrs. McAlister as she came to hug him and kissed him on both cheeks. "And you guys all look stunning."
"Thank you, Mrs. McAlister," said Leo.
"Okay, so the altar is ready; just some finishing touches are going on," said Helen. "I'll go and check up on Father to see if he's ready. At most we have close to thirty minutes before the wedding begins."
"If we're going to wait for that long, shouldn't we have a place to settle down, at least?" said Eric.
Before Helen could answer that, two girls squealed on the other side of the hall. Everyone turned to see Julie and Denise in their stunning soft pink dresses, holding their small bouquets of flowers. They rushed over to Leo, careful enough not to trip themselves with the silver high heels they wore.
"Oh, my gosh, Leo," said Julie as she couldn't help but cover her mouth as she squealed again. "You look so handsome. If you weren't my cousin, I would have asked for your phone number."
"I wouldn't even mind having to date him," said Denise. All those present couldn't help but laugh.
Angel appeared from the hall Denise and Julie had come from, also holding a bouquet of white flowers. Unlike the other two bridesmaids, Angel didn't want to rush. She stopped at the door as she watched what was going on in front of her. Everyone was laughing happily while Denise and Julie continued to shower Leo with compliments. Angel looked at everyone present. Mr. and Mrs. McDonell were smiling as they stood next to Leo. The groomsmen were all looking stunning. She couldn't help but notice how distinguished Eric looked, though. Amanda looked at Leo like he was a prince, and Diana seemed to be laughing the loudest. Helen and Mrs. McAlister were also laughing. Angel smiled at the picture in front of her. Today really was a joyous occasion, and it was because of Leo.
Her eyes flew to Leo, and she felt her heart skip a beat upon seeing him. Indeed, he looked handsome, and the suit he wore fitted him well. He had a wide smile on his face, and his blue eyes shone like the clear blue sky. His facial features were more defined. No wonder Julie and Denise were all over him. If they weren't his cousins, Carly wouldn't be pleased seeing them swooning over Leo. A smile appeared on Angel's face, yet a small pang of guilt ate at her. She shook her head, telling herself that now wasn't the time to think of it. It's a wedding, and only happy thoughts and actions should fill up this day.
Angel was just about to make her way to join them when she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind. Angel turned to see one of Helen's helpers.
"Is anything the matter?" Angel asked.
"No," said the young woman. "Your sister is asking for you in the changing room."
"Okay."
The woman went ahead of Angel. Angel stopped to see the other people laughing aloud. She went on ahead down the hall, heading to the changing rooms. Leo looked across the room and thought he had seen Angel standing there. He could only wonder where she had gone to. The thought of seeing Angel made him a little anxious. He could only wonder how she looked if his cousins were already looking this pretty.
"Okay, so the bridegroom and the others can wait in one of the rooms on this side," said Helen. Helen went on ahead to show the room everyone could wait in until it was time for the Nuptial Mass to begin.
Thirty minutes later, the rest of the McDonells had come to settle down at the front of the pew. The priest and his altar boys entered the hall afterwards, where the place was beautifully decorated with white flowers. The groom and his groomsmen entered after the priest reached the altar. All those who sat on the pews couldn't help but murmur amongst themselves about how Leo looked so handsome.
Leo walked up confidently to the altar. As he approached, he couldn't help but notice his family, especially his mother, who looked on nervously at him. Mr. McDonell, who sat beside her, held her hand tightly. Amanda looked on at Leo with a somewhat sad smile on her face. As Leo reached the altar and took his place in front of the communion table, the bridegrooms went on to stand on the other side of the altar. Leo looked calm and composed, yet deep down, his heart beat so fast that he had to put his hands together in front of him to look like he was in control.
As soon as the wide doors to the church flew open, the three beautiful bridesmaids walked in first, their beauty dawning on the whole place as all eyes fell on them. Leo looked at the bridesmaid who led the line, and a small smile appeared across his face as the bridesmaid gave him a kind smile. As soon as the bridesmaids reached the altar and took their place on the other side, the piano player started to play the "Bridal Chorus." Everyone stood, and at the entrance of the church stood the bride in her beautiful white ball gown wedding dress, holding a bouquet of lovely flowers. The bride slowly made her way into the church, walking down the red carpet with all eyes on her. Leo, who stood at the altar, looked as his bride made her way up to him. His heart couldn't help but beat even faster. He was starting to get really nervous.
The bride wore a long-sleeved wedding dress decorated in pearls and flowers. The bodice of her dress closely fitted her torso, creating an elegant hourglass shape. The voluminous skirt below flared out, giving the bride a fairytale princess vibe. A white veil covered her face, adding to the mystery and suspense of how beautiful she looked underneath. Those who watched on couldn't help but smile as she passed. Others already had their phones, taking pictures and videos of the whole thing.
As the bride neared the altar, Diana, who had stayed there, took the bride by the arm. Slowly, the two of them walked up the short stairs to the altar. The closer the two of them came, the more Leo had to tell himself to take deep breaths. Eric, who stood behind him, looked at Leo intently, studying the situation. He also felt nervous for Leo. He didn't think all this could be hard to handle.
Soon enough the maid of honor and the bride reached the groom. Diana couldn't help but smile at Leo as she left the bride beside him. She slowly took her descent down the altar and went to take her place at the front pew. Leo couldn't help but smile nervously at his bride. Though he couldn't see her face, he could tell that her eyes were looking straight at him. They both turned to face the priest in front of the altar, and the wedding ceremony began.
As per tradition in the Catholic church, the Nuptial Mass started with an opening prayer from the priest. Next, the readings chosen for this Mass from the family members were read. After the priest read the Gospel, the priest delivered his homily based on the readings and their meaning for the couple's lives and their commitment to one another in this blessed sacrament of marriage.
After the homily, the most important part of the ceremony was to begin. The Rite of Marriage. Everyone had been waiting for this moment, the bride and the groom included. As the two of them stood, the priest came to stand before them. Before the vows, the priest asked the couple to consent if they were entering this marriage freely with the intention of a lifelong union. Both the bride and the groom agreed.
"If that is what you wish, then I would love it if the both of you faced each other to say your vows," said the priest.
The bride and the groom turned to face each other. Leo couldn't help but breathe out nervously. He had been trying to keep himself calm and composed, but he didn't know for how long he could keep this up. This was it, he thought to himself.
The priest told Leo that he would be the one to say his vows first. The priest started to read out the vows to Leo, who was to repeat after him.
"I, Leo McDonell…," said the priest.
"I, Leo McDonell…" repeated Leo.
"…take you, Carly Barclay…"
"…take you, Carly Barclay…"
"…to be my wife."
"…to be my wife."
"I promise to be faithful to you, in good and in bad times…"
"I promise to be faithful to you, in good and in bad times…"
"…in sickness and in health…"
"…in sickness and in health…"
"…to love and to honor you all the days of my life."
"…to love and to honor you all the days of my life."
Those that watched couldn't help but smile, and others muttered cheerfully. The priest turned to look at the bride and told her to repeat the words after him.
"I, Carly Barclay…"
"I, Carly—"
The bride suddenly paused. Everyone watching on waited for her to continue, but nothing. She remained silent. Leo and the priest looked at each other first before looking back at the bride, who continued to look at Leo through her veil.
"Carly? Is everything alright?" the priest asked.
Now everyone looking on couldn't help but look worried. Those in the front row looked on nervously at the bride and groom before some of them looked nervously at each other.
"I'm sorry, but this wedding can't go on," said the bride, gripping the flowers tightly in her hands.
A huge gasp echoed in the sanctuary, and those watching looked on in awe and surprise at what was going on. The bridesmaids and the groomsmen had horrified looks on their faces upon hearing those words. Leo's face suddenly turned white.
"What are you saying?" Leo asked, his voice catching at his throat that had gone so dry all of a sudden. "Don't you want to marry me?"
"It could only be possible if you knew the truth about the person you're about to get married to, Leo," said the bride. She brought up her hand over the lower end of her veil and lifted it upwards in the air with one huge swing.
Leo's face grew wide with horror. Those looking on couldn't help but share the same expression, as underneath that veil was Angel.
Amanda's mouth dropped wide open, as the rest of the McDonell family stood up from their seats along with a few others. Angel looked on nervously at Leo, but for some reason, she didn't seem shaken. Eric, who looked on, couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wanted to say something, but he just couldn't. He was tongue-tied.
Leo backed away as he shook his head, his face full of disbelief. "What is all this, Angel? What—where is Carly?"
Angel took a deep breath in and out. "I didn't want this to happen, Leo," she said. "But you should know, Carly isn't here."
A murmur came from the crowd, as was to be expected. Mrs. McDonell looked on with her eyes wide open as a mixture of emotions came flooding over her. Some of which she had buried long ago but was now raising to the surface.
"Did she bail on me?" Leo asked. He still looked surprised. "This must be some sick joke. Where is she?"
"Probably far away from here now as we speak," Angel answered. Even she was finding it hard to talk, but she went on. "This was harder for me than it was for her."
"What are you saying?" came Mrs. McDonell. Everyone, including Angel, turned to look at her as she came to stand in front of the altar. "You aren't making any sense, Angel. It's clear to see that you and your sister have brought nothing but shame to us on this day. This was supposed to be an important day for my son and all of us present here, yet you treat it like it's some kind of show."
"No, it's not." Angel turned her body to look at Mrs. McDonell. "I wish I could've done all of this differently, but there's no way of taking it back now."
"I swear, you and your sister have been nothing but a problem to us all!" Mrs. McDonell's voice boomed all around the hall.
"Bertha, calm down," said Mr. McDonell as he came to stand beside her and held her shoulder.
"No! It's the truth. Look at what they've done, conniving with each other just to make Leo and the rest of us look bad. They clearly have no respect for us."
"That's not true," said Angel. Her eyes were starting to get teary. She breathed out deeply again, trying to calm herself. "I never wanted to do this, and that's the truth. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness for what has happened today."
Mrs. McDonell's eyes also started to fill up with tears. "Why? Why have you done this? I thought—" she sniffed, trying to keep it together. "I thought Carly was happy with Leo."
Angel sighed deeply as she looked at the people in front of her. All those that had attended the wedding couldn't help but look at her with anger, disbelief, and confusion. She looked beside her to see Leo had taken a seat on the chair he had been sitting on during Mass. She looked to see Eric looking at her like he barely knew her at all. Angel swallowed. It was time to end this once and for all. She also couldn't take it.
"Carly does love you, Leo," said Angel as she turned and slowly approached him. "She didn't want you to bear the pain of her past. That's why she left."
Leo looked up at Angel. Before he could speak, Angel had surprisingly gone down on her knees. This shocked everyone, including Mr. and Mrs. McDonell. The priest watched on with such awe on his face.
"Nothing will ever be enough for what you've done for her all this time," said Angel as she brought out a sad smile. She dropped the bouquet of flowers beside her. "You knew about her past but loved her anyway. It's sad for me to do this, but it's what Carly wanted. She truly loves you, Leo. But she realized that you deserve someone better, and that someone wasn't her."
Angel took Leo's hand on his lap and faced his palm upwards. Leo wanted to pull away, but her soft and gentle touch felt like a touching embrace that he couldn't turn away from. Angel placed something in his hand: his engagement ring to Carly. Leo looked at the ring, then at Angel.
"Give it to someone who would never lie to you like I have and who would love you all the rest of your days," said Angel. "Those are the words she told me to say to you."
Angel slowly closed Leo's palms with his fingers and drew her hands away. She slowly got up from her knees and looked down at him. A single tear fell from her eye. She did her best to clear it away with her hand without smudging her makeup. She took another deep breath as she looked up at the cross behind the altar, praying to God to give her one last push.
"I'm sorry, Leo," she said as she looked at him. "This isn't what you deserve. I understand if you'll never forgive me for what has happened today, and I will never hold that against you. I clearly deserve what's coming to me." She turned to the priest. "Forgive me, Father. This was unexpected, but it couldn't be helped."
Angel turned to look at the McDonell family in front of her and the rest of the guests. She noticed a few people with their phones recording the whole thing, and a few cameramen invited for the event taking their pictures. No doubt, this was going to tarnish her for a lifetime, but she was ready for it: all the slander, all the criticism… everything. She was ready to take it all.
"I'm sorry for what has transpired today," said Angel. She sounded calm, yet inside, she felt like falling to her knees in despair. "We all came here to witness a joyous occasion to bring together in holy matrimony my sister and Leo. Sadly, it was never meant to be." Angel paused as she turned her hands into fists. "Carly could never bring herself here to face you all to explain why she couldn't go on with this marriage. A cowardly move, I must say, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She was afraid that once the truth of her past got out, no one would ever treat her the same; better yet, she knew how all this would affect Leo." Angel paused for a bit as she swallowed. "That's why she isn't here. I hate to inform you that Carly was once a call girl." A huge murmuring came from the crowd. "Leo knew of her past but loved her anyway. For that I'll be forever grateful, for not everyone could have had a heart of gold like his. Right now, as I stand before you, I apologize deeply. Me showing up here like this should've been avoided, but… there was no any other way to do so. My sister and I have ruined this occasion for you all, the McDonells, and most especially, Leo. If anything, I ask of you not to blame it all on my sister but to blame me as well."
A mutter came from among the crowd before her, surprised at that statement. Angel continued regardless.
"Yes, I deserve it. I knew what was coming and didn't do anything to stop it. For that, I take full responsibility. So if you're looking for someone to blame, then blame me." Angel breathed out deeply. "For that, in front of you all and in front of God, I rest my case."
Angel slowly started to make her way down the altar. She felt the ground beneath her spin out of control after all that has happened. She dared not to look at anyone as she reached the bottom of the steps. She couldn't even come to look at Mr. and Mrs. McDonell as she bowed her head.
Before she could take a step forward, she felt a strong hand grip hers. That caught her by surprise. She turned around, and there was Leo. For some reason, he didn't look confused and disoriented like he did earlier. He surprisingly looked calm.
"Leo, what are you—?" Angel tried to ask.
"I'm not going to end things like this, Angel," said Leo.
"What do you mean? Carly isn't here. The wedding is over."
"It isn't to me."
Everyone in the hall couldn't understand what was going on. Angel raised an eyebrow, looking confused. Mrs. McDonell turned to look at her husband, who was also confused. Only one person in the room understood what he meant, and that brought a huge smile to their face.
"What's the point of a wedding when there's no bride?" Angel asked.
Leo smirked. "There already is one. And she's standing right in front of me."
The whole room grew still and quiet after he spoke those words, as they all understood what he meant. Angel couldn't breathe as she looked at Leo with wide eyes. Eric, who stood at the altar with the rest of the groomsmen, couldn't believe this was happening right now.
"Angel Barclay," said Leo. A smile played across his lips. "Will you marry me?"
THE END
(LOL 😁. I meant to say, watch out for Book 2! Plus, there's a bonus chapter after this, so make sure to stick around.)