As soon as the words left my mouth, Shawn let out a mocking laugh. “Do you think I’d be here if it weren’t for Leta? She begged me to come and stand by you for this stupid wedding, threatening to hurt herself if I didn’t.”
In a fit of rage, he yanked a glass from the bottom of champagne tower. As the entire structure collapsed, the sound of breaking glass filled the air. He grabbed a bottle of champagne, holding it over my head, letting the sparkling liquid pour all over me until I was drenched, a sodden mess.
When the bottle was empty, he smashed it against the floor, crouching down to my level, his face twisted with fury. “This is what you want, right? A wedding toast ceremony. Here’s my toast for you,” he said, pouring the remnants of the champagne over my face.
The exploding glass pieces pierced my skin. The icy liquid seeped down from my hair to my face, stinging as it dripped down, mingling with blood and tears on my dress. I couldn’t even tell anymore if it was champagne or blood staining my gown.
He stood up tall, looking down at me, his expression victorious. “There… the ceremony is finished. Are you happy now, Mrs. Donovan?”
And there was Nial, hands still shoved in his pockets, watching the whole thing as if it were some kind of show. The crowd around us started to murmur in shock. Just when I thought I couldn’t feel any worse, I saw my parents making their way over. I thought they were coming to stand up for me. But my mother barely glanced my way. Her face was drawn tight with worry, her voice frantic as she spoke.
“Where’s Leta? She’s unstable now. How could you leave her alone? If anything happens to her, I’d rather die!”
My father took the microphone, his face tight with tension as he addressed the guests.
“I’m terribly sorry, everyone. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ll be canceling the wedding. All gifts will be returned and we offer our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.”
He set down the microphone and turned to Shawn with a serious expression. “Lead the way. Let’s go find Leta.”
Just then, a heart-wrenching cry echoed from outside the grand entrance.
“Mom! Dad!”