Love Me Again

FREYA

It’s been twenty minutes since I walked down the aisle hoping to see my husband-to-be standing by the altar waiting for me but I was shocked to see he wasn't there. I've been waiting for five years. I guess a few minutes more wouldn't hurt.

But now as I stood and looked around the wedding hall that was supposed to be quiet it was filled with noise.

“What’s happening?!” I yelled out, trying to get their attention.

“You have to see this, Freya,” one of my bridesmaid said to me.

“It was posted in the wedding group chat a few minutes ago,” the bridesmaids said to me.

I stared at the phone she handed to me and my breathing seized. It was a message accompanied by various pictures that Raina had posted on the wedding group chat.

‘I’m sorry guys, I had an accident while arriving from the airport. Roy is with me at the hospital since I have no living relatives.’

Followed with the message were a series of pictures of Roy with Raina. It felt like my heart was ripping out of my chest as I stared at the pictures and I felt jealousy spreading through my veins like a disease.

Raina! It’s always about her!!

I felt my hand clench the phone as I stared at the way Roy was looking at her in those pictures. Why would he take pictures and post with another woman on the day of his wedding?

Raina was Roy’s ex-girlfriend from five years ago. When Roy wanted to marry her, Raina’s father refused and sent her abroad.

I met Roy two weeks after Raina left and I helped him heal. Shortly after that, we started dating and he asked me to marry him five years later, hence a wedding date was fixed.

Roy has always respected me and treated me right. But a few days before the wedding he started acting up. When I confronted him he told me about Raina.

Her father was dead and she wanted to return to New York and get married to him. My heart was broken at that moment because I was certain he’d leave her for me.

But he told me he had turned her down and she proposed for them to be friends instead. She even accepted the wedding invite he sent to her.

I knew Raina was flying in today to be at the wedding reception but I didn't know Roy would leave our wedding and go to save her from the ‘accident’ she claimed she had.

As far as I've known Raina she's always been manipulative and she had Roy wrapped around her little finger. I've always loved Roy from a distance so when Raina left I thought the hold she had on him had disappeared but I guess I was wrong.

“Freya?” the bridesmaid called and I blinked, “So what’s going to happen now?”

My phone beeped and I stared at it. It was a message from Roy.

‘Hey, Freya, Raina was involved in an accident and I have to be here for her. She doesn't have any family except me. We have to reschedule the wedding. I'm sure you understand.’

That was all the message he sent. Without another word, I ran out of the church with tears streaming down my eyes. I had no idea how I got to the apartment I shared with Roy but when I did I couldn't stop crying.

How could he do this to me? Embarrass me before everyone. He couldn't even call me to know how I was doing.

The tears kept flowing down my cheeks as a knock on my door interrupted my pity party.

“Come in,” I croaked out.

The door opened and Roy’s grandmother, Sarah, stepped inside.

“Oh, you poor thing. Come here,” she sighed.

I ran into her outstretched arms and started sobbing. She's always treated me like her granddaughter and she made me feel special.

“I’m sorry, Roy is such a fool who can't see that Raina is using him and he's so lucky to have you,” the woman said.

I felt relieved to know I wasn't the only one who was thinking the same thing.

“How can't he know Raina is faking it?” I asked, still teary.

“Because he's an idiot. You're strong, my child, you don't deserve this and I'm sure you'll figure out what to do.”

With those words, she left me. My phone rang immediately and I saw it was Ivan, Roy’s brother. I picked it up.

“I’m sorry, Freya, how are you feeling?” he asked me.

“What do you think?” I snapped at him.

Ivan sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever,” I sighed.

“Don’t take it out on Roy, you know how he and Raina have always been,” Ivan stressed.

“Yeah, I know!” I hissed and hung up.

My phone beeped and I saw it was a notification. The next minute messages and pictures flooded the group chat. It was from Raina.

‘I’m so sorry for causing trouble today, everyone, please forgive me. Don't be too upset with me, Freya, you know I have no one except Roy and he's making sure I'm alright.’

The pictures made me furious as I stared at them. Then people in the group reacted with love emojis and made comments about how good they looked together, it made my stomach churn.

I texted Roy and asked him to call me. After waiting for a while I dozed off only to be woken up by the buzzing of my phone.

“What is it, Freya?” he asked, his voice laced with irritation.

My heart broke at his words, “Is that all you have to say?”

He sighed, “I’m sorry, Freya, Raina is hurt and my brain is all scrambled.”

I scoffed, “Yeah, of course. You’re all she's got.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked me.

“It means we’re done!” I snapped and hung up before he could respond.