Greenwoods in October had a sharp chill that bit through the thin fabric of my gown, the wind prickling my bare shoulders. My feet were bare, the cold pavement stinging my skin and I barely noticed the sharp pebble that cut into my heel as I stumbled down the boutique's stone steps. I heard a few gasps from people nearby as I passed, their concerned glances doing little to break the ache inside me. Every footfall seemed to echo with the thoughts that Leon didn't care, he never did.
"Emily! What are you doing? Stop running!" Leon's voice cut through the noise of the street, his tone a mixture of exasperation and frustration.
For a second, I froze, heart pounding, a foolish hope rising that he might wrap me in his arms and assure me this was all a mistake. I turned to face him, only to see that annoyed scowl—the one he wore every time I'd asked for a little more attention, a little more of his time. And then he spoke, in the same tone he'd use when his favorite sports team lost a match.
"Emily, why are you always so reckless? Do you know how expensive that dress is? It cost me a month's salary. What if you ruin it?"
I felt the world around me fall silent. My foot throbbed, my shoulders trembled in the cold, but Leon didn't even notice. He hadn't cared about me running out into the street or the fact that I was barefoot and bleeding. No, all he saw was a dress that he'd paid for.
The crowd around us whispered, their comments reaching my ears in fragments.
"That poor girl... look at her, running after a man who doesn't deserve her."
"I bet he's the reason she looks so devastated."
Leon reached for my hand, gripping it tightly as he tried to steer me back toward the boutique, his expression one of irritation mixed with impatience. "Emily, what more do you want? You wanted to get married—I agreed. You wanted to take wedding photos—I agreed to that too. What more could you possibly want?"
Large teardrops rolled down my cheeks, falling onto the wedding dress like tiny, silent cries. The lace absorbed some of them, but a few slipped down, landing on Leon's hand where he gripped mine. Each droplet seemed to drain what little strength I had left, until every second standing there felt unbearable. My whole body trembled and a wave of nausea twisted my stomach. I used every ounce of strength to wrench my hand free from his grasp, backing away as he stared, bewildered.