From Blind Love to Self Love

Mariska was standing in front of the mirror, pose flirtatiously in the wedding dress my mother had designed for me.

She asked, "Gary, do I look good in this wedding dress?"

Gary replied, "Of course you do. My Mariska, wearing this gown, is the most beautiful bride in the world."

My mother was once an internationally renowned fashion designer.

Before she passed, seriously ill, she pushed through her pain to sketch the design and sew this wedding dress by hand. Just so I would have the most beautiful gown for my wedding.

After her death, this dress became my one and only keepsake.

Back when Gary and I first got together, he would hold me and say gently, "Rose, you wearing this dress, is the most beautiful bride in the world."

Now it felt like I'd just been slapped hard across the face. My ears rang.

I shouted, "Who gave you permission to touch my things? Take that dress off!"

Gary's face darkened immediately, "Rose, you bullied Mariska and took her ring, let her have the wedding dress as an apology."

My expression turned icy, my tone firmed and unyielded, "I said, take it off!"

Gary, humiliated by my attitude, roared in anger, "That's enough, Rose! If you keep this up, even if you crawl to me on your knees, I won't attend your birthday banquet. You'll be the one embarrassed."

He threatened, "I'm warning you, know your place, or you'll regret it."

Mariska stepped in delicately, "Forget it, Gary. Since Miss Parker doesn't want to, I'll return it to her."

She ran into the changing room, but came out holding a pile of torn fabric and said, "Oh no, Miss Parker, I'm really sorry. I didn't know the dress was such poor quality. I barely tugged on it and it ripped to pieces. Good thing I didn't wear it to the wedding, how humiliating would that have been?"

I stared at the shreds of my mother's dress in my hands, every thread stabbed like a knife.

Gary, seeing my devastated expression, acted magnanimous, "Well, it's ruined now. Doesn't matter, it wasn't worth much anyway. Just be ready in a week. Transfer all your father's assets to me. Not a single penny left behind. After Mariska and I finish our wedding, you can officially be my mistress. I'll give you 300 pound a month as compensation."

I watched them walk away, they laughed and chatted …

I lowered my eyes, colder than ever. One week later, we'll see if you're still laugh.

My father threw me a grand birthday banquet. Besides the other three major families in North England, many business partners also attended.

When Gary arrived, everyone rushed to flattered him, "Gary has the look of great fortune! He and Miss Parker are a match made in heaven."

"After today, Gary will be the top man in North England! Please, remember us little companies when you feast."

Gary, basked in their praise, looked smug and superior.

When I appeared in a stunning gown, his face instantly turned sour. He leaned over and said, "You're dressed way too flashy, how are you supposed to hide? Go find a maid outfit, stay in the bathroom and don't come out all day."

I didn't even glance at him. His face darkened with fury. "Rose, if you ruin my wedding with Mariska, don't expect me to ever look at you again."

At that moment, my father and the lawyer emerged from the study. He smiled at me. "My dear daughter, since you chose your husband yourself, go ahead and make the announcement."

Gary watched me walk toward him and smirked smugly.

But the next second, I walked past him and linked arms with the man stood behind him.

I said, "Dad, the one I chose to marry … is Frank Gilmore."

In that moment, the entire hall fell silent, you could hear a pin drop. Even the air itself seemed to freeze.

Bang! A sudden loud crash echoed through the room.

Gary roared in a frenzy, "No! That's impossible! There must be some mistake!"

"No ... how can this be ... You love me! You said you'd only marry me in this life. How can you marry someone like Frank, that pretentious creep?"