Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
I still remember the feeling of the silk against my skin.
My stomach fluttered with nervous excitement.
Mom carefully adjusted my veil, her eyes shining with tears.
"You look beautiful, Sarah," she whispered.
I beamed, my heart swelling with pure joy.
Mark, my fiancé, was waiting for me at the beautiful vineyard venue.
We had planned every single detail of this day for over a year.
Every moment was meticulously perfect.
Our love story felt like a fairytale come true.
The limo arrived, a sleek, black stretch vehicle.
My bridesmaids, buzzing with energy, helped me in.
They were all smiles, sharing in my happiness.
I took a deep breath, clutching my bouquet tightly.
This was it.
My forever was about to begin.
The ride was smooth, the conversation lighthearted.
We passed rolling hills and quaint little shops.
The sun was warm on my cheek through the tinted window.
Suddenly, a loud, screeching sound ripped through the air.
My body lurched violently forward.
A deafening crash followed, the world spinning.
Glass shattered everywhere around me.
I felt a sharp pain, then darkness.
Consciousness returned slowly, a throbbing ache behind my eyes.
The air was thick with the smell of smoke and gasoline.
Disoriented, I tried to move, but my arm was pinned.
My wedding dress was torn, stained with dirt and something dark.
Panic began to rise in my throat.
"Hello?" I rasped, my voice weak.
Someone was groaning nearby.
I could hear distant sirens, growing louder.
With a surge of adrenaline, I fought against the twisted metal.
Finally, I managed to free myself.
The limo was a mangled wreck, smoke billowing from the engine.
My bridesmaids were being pulled out by frantic bystanders.
They looked pale, some with cuts and bruises.
My eyes scanned for Mark, for my love.
He wasn't in my immediate sight.
A cold dread seeped into my bones.
I stumbled out of the wreckage, my head spinning.
The scene was pure chaos.
Emergency personnel were already swarming the area.
Then I saw him.
Mark.
He was kneeling beside someone on the ground.
My heart leaped with relief, then froze solid.
The person he was attending to was a woman.
And she was wearing a white wedding dress.
My breath hitched in my throat.
It was almost identical to mine.
A wave of nausea washed over me.
No, this couldn't be happening.
This had to be some kind of terrible, twisted dream.
My gaze traveled to her face.
It was Jessica.
Jessica, my college roommate, my supposed friend.
My world tilted on its axis.
She was conscious, her eyes fixed on Mark with a look of desperate fear.
Mark was whispering to her, stroking her hair.
He didn't even notice me standing there.
His face was etched with a different kind of concern, a tenderness I thought was reserved only for me.
The ambulance lights flashed crimson and blue.
The sirens screamed in my ears, but all I could hear was the pounding of my own blood.
My perfect day.
My beautiful wedding.
Shattered into a million pieces before my eyes.
Jessica was my fiancé’s other bride.
