What am I doing here?

Vivian

She looked at me in the mirror and sighed. The dress that Jeimy made me buy last week, I have to admit it fits well, although it's not really my style. I prefer to wear something more discreet, but my friend insisted that I buy it for today, and since it's her birthday party, I can't help but refuse to wear it. Anyway, I turn around and see my backside. I have to be careful, if I bend over too much, everything will be visible, even though I'm wearing shorts underneath, so I suppose it won't be a problem. Still, I don't feel very comfortable wearing this piece of fabric.

"Honey, the taxi is here," announces my mother, entering the room as always without knocking. "Wow, you look very... different," she says, surprised to see me so daring.

I look at myself in the mirror for the umpteenth time and smooth out a nonexistent wrinkle in the tight black dress, with silver chain straps and sheer panels on the sides by my ribs. I decided to pair it with high black heels, a small black clutch with a silver chain flap, and I didn't wear a necklace, just some silver earrings, rings, and bracelets to match.

"Jeimy forced me to buy this dress and wear it today," I explain to Mom as I put some money in my purse, grab my phone and take Jeimy's gift.

"I knew it, that dress is definitely not your style," she comments and I glare at her, "Oh, daughter, don't look at me like that, I'm not saying it doesn't suit you."

"Forget it, Mom, I'm leaving now," I say, brushing past her.

"Well, take care and have a good time."

"Yeah, sure."

........

Half an hour later, I finally arrived at the Jhonson's house. I must say, the place is quite large, befitting a wealthy family. There are several luxury cars outside. I let out a nervous sigh, pay the taxi driver, and then get out of the car to walk towards the gate where some guards are standing.

"Good evening." I greet, they respond with a gesture and step aside as the door opens automatically, they already know me, so they don't ask for my name or identification. I walk inside and make my way to the living room where I know the guests are.

I take a deep breath and gather my courage before crossing the threshold, preparing myself to see all these people and, above all, him. I take a step and then another, just as I imagined, the place is quite crowded. I search with my eyes for my friend, the birthday girl, and quickly spot her. She sees me too and smiles, says something to her guests, and walks towards me.

"I knew that dress would look amazing on you." she comments.

"Yeah, whatever." I roll my eyes. "Here." I offer her my gift. "Happy birthday!" she smiles, accepts my present, and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Come on, my parents and Grandma Caroll are over there." she takes my hand and pulls me towards her family. We pass by people, asking for permission until we reach the Johnsons.

"Good evening, Mrs. Jennifer, Mr. Tom, and Mrs. Caroll." I greet my friend's parents and paternal grandmother.

"Hi, sweetheart, how are you?" Mrs. Caroll asks. "You look very different today." she says, making me blush.

"I'm good, thanks for asking. And you?" I reply and look at Jeimy.

"I made her buy it, doesn't she look divine?" she questions. The grandmother looks at her disapprovingly and she smiles nervously.

"I'm fine, sweetheart, thanks for asking, and you look very beautiful, but don't let my crazy granddaughter tell you what to wear." she says, smiling kindly, and I nod.

"Sweetheart, you shouldn't force your friend to dress as you like." Mrs. Jennifer finally speaks up.

"I didn't force her, Mom, I just wanted her to try something different." Jeimy excuses herself.

"Besides, it's her birthday and I wanted to please her." I intervene, so they don't say anything else. Her grandmother and mother smile, and the topic is dropped there.

"How are your studies going, Vivian?" Jeimy's father asks now.

"Fine, I'm already in my last semester. Next week, I have an interview at Salvatierra Industries." I reply, smiling. It's something that excites me a lot. Salvatierra Industries is one of the most successful foreign companies in the country, and being accepted to work as an assistant to the deputy manager for my internship is wonderful.

"What are you talking about?" someone asks behind me. Upon hearing that voice, my heart skips a beat.

"About Vivian's upcoming internship at Salvatierra Industries." Jeimy responds for me, knowing that for the next few seconds, I've lost the ability to speak.

"Really? Congratulations, Vivian!" Tomas says with his magnificent smile. "When do you start?" he asks.

"Um... It's not certain yet. I have an interview next Monday." I manage to say, he continues smiling, and I feel my legs trembling.

Tomas Johnson, my crush and my best friend's brother. I've been madly in love with him since Jeimy introduced us in our first year of university. We both study the same thing, business administration, and that time I came to the Johnsons' house to work on a group project, with Tomas helping us. It was love at first sight. His wavy, slightly rebellious blond hair, his gray eyes, and god-like features won me over from the very beginning. It was love at first sight. Unfortunately for me, that love was never and will never be reciprocated. Tomas' heart belongs to his girlfriend, Kendall Donovan, a stunning and conceited blonde with green eyes who believes she owns the world and that the rest of us are just tenants. Well, that's what Jeimy and I think of her because, to Tomas, she's the best woman in the world. Love is blind, they say.

"I hope you do well," she says. "By the way, you look different today," she says, looking me up and down. "You look good," she comments, and that's enough to make me blush.

"T-thank you," I manage to respond.

"Of course she'll do well! Vivian is a very intelligent, hardworking, capable, and charming girl. I'm sure her bosses will be amazed by her abilities," my friend assures, and I can't help but feel embarrassed. I know why she's doing this. Jeimy hates Kendall. They went to the same high school, and according to what she told me back then, Jeimy was a little overweight and suffered from bullying because of it. Kendall was the one who encouraged those acts. When Kendall and Tomas started dating, Jeimy told Tomas about all of that, but the girl assured him that she had changed, that she was sorry for what she had done, and even apologized to Jeimy. But we both know that it was all just an act and that Kendall is still the same bad person deep down. But Tomas doesn't see this. As they say, there is none so blind as those who will not see. Anyway, Jeimy believes that one day he will realize this and notice me. I, on the other hand, have already resigned myself to the fact that it will never happen. After all, I've been in love alone for five years. I highly doubt something like that will happen.

"Be careful, sister. You're flattering her too much. Don't let it be that you're in love with your friend," he says, and Jeimy widens her eyes and then hits him on the shoulder.

"Idiot!" she exclaims quietly.

"Guys, please," Mr. Tom scolds. "Tomas, don't say such nonsense. It can lead to misunderstandings."

"It was just a joke, don't exaggerate, Dad," he complains, smiling at me, and I return the smile, feeling my cheeks burning.

"Well, I don't want to spend the whole night here talking to you all! Let's go, Vivian. Since you didn't let me celebrate my birthday in a club, at least let this DJ play some good music," she says, pulling me towards where the DJ was. After asking him to play an upbeat song, she pulls me back to the improvised dance floor.

...........

A while later, well into the midnight, I find myself sitting on a pouf while she massages my feet. The heels are killing me, I've been dancing a lot today.

"Are you tired already?" Jeimy asks beside me.

"Yes, we haven't stopped dancing today," I reply.

"It's my birthday, I have to enjoy it and make sure you enjoy it too, because you didn't do anything for yours," she says, and I nod.

"You know I'm not much of a party person," I comment. She nods and looks ahead.

"Look at that fool, bored because stupid Kendall isn't here," she mutters, looking at her brother.

"The strange one," I comment with a touch of sadness.

"He's an idiot. I'm sure that b... is fooling around with someone else right now, and he's here like an idiot missing her," she asserts. I furrow my brows.

"Jeimy, you can't say that for sure. Sure, the girl is unbearable and two-faced, but we don't know if she's like that," I comment.

"I'm sure she is," I roll my eyes and just smile. Jeimy's contempt for Kendall is huge. Suddenly, she stands up and smiles. "I'll be right back, getting some drinks," she comments. I nod and put my heels back on.

Minutes later, she comes back with three glasses of different colors. I furrow my brows but don't say anything.

"Here," she says, offering me the red glass. "Drink it all," she demands, and I roll my eyes but do as she says. Then she takes the yellow glass. "Take care of this here," she comments, handing me her glass, then she goes to where Tomas is and gives him the blue glass. He takes a sip from it, and then Jeimy smiles, returning to me and taking her glass. "Bottoms up, friend," she says. Her behavior is strange, but I don't pay much attention to it, and I drink the contents of the glass.

Several minutes later, I start feeling strange. I'm feeling really hot, and my breathing is erratic.

"Are you feeling okay, Vivian?" Jeimy asks.

"No, honestly, I'm feeling strange," I reply.

"It must be that you're already drunk, friend, you've never had much tolerance," she comments.

"Yes, I think that's it, I've had quite a bit today," I agree with her.

"Do you want me to take you to the guest room so you can rest for a while?" she asks, concerned.

"Yes, I think that's best."

We get up with her help and navigate through the crowd with some difficulty. We leave the hall, climb the stairs, and reach the second floor where, with great difficulty, I walk to the guest room. When we arrive, Jeimy opens the door and helps me lie down on the bed. She takes off my shoes and I slide toward the center of the bed.

"Do you want anything?" she asks.

"Water."

"Alright, I'll go get it from the kitchen. Stay here lying down, don't go out, Vivian. It can be dangerous in your state, alright?"

"Yes, don't worry."

She walks towards the door and turns off the light. Why did she turn off the light? I don't pay much attention to it and listen as she closes the door. I turn around in bed, feeling desperate. I'm really hot, I've never felt like this before. What's happening to me? Will taking a bath make it go away? I think that's best. I get up from bed and start to take off my dress. Just as it falls to the floor, the door to the room opens and I see the silhouette of a man in the doorway. My heart skips a beat and I try to cover myself with my hands, but then remember that the light is off and maybe he hasn't seen me. The door closes and the man walks towards the bed, right in my direction. I want to move, but my feet don't respond. The man takes a few steps and then I can distinguish him thanks to the moonlight seeping through the curtains.

It's Tomas!

He approaches me and before I can do or say anything, he takes me by the waist, presses me against his body, and kisses me. The next thing I feel is both of us falling onto the bed and he starts caressing my whole body. For some reason, that heat I felt earlier is no longer bothersome, but quite the opposite. My mind feels clouded and I just let myself go and enjoy that moment.

.........

I slowly open my eyes and blink several times, getting used to the sunlight streaming through the window. I feel a slight headache and furrow my brow. I move a little and open my eyes in fright as I feel someone embracing me. I look down and realize two things: first, a man is hugging me, and second, I'm naked.

Oh my God, what have I done!

I exclaim inwardly and quickly get out of bed. The man stirs due to my movements and wakes up. He looks up and furrows his brow, then looks at himself.

"Shit," he whispers.

"Yeah, shit, what am I doing here?"

Vivian Smith, 23 years old

Tomas Johnson, 25 years old.

was a typical young adult. She lived in a small town and worked as a waitress at a local diner. Jeimy was known for her friendly personality and cheerful demeanor. Despite facing various challenges in her life, she was determined to pursue her dreams. Jeimy had always been passionate about writing and hoped to become a successful novelist someday. She spent her free time reading books and honing her writing skills. Jeimy believed that writing was a form of expression that allowed her to create her own world. She was inspired by the works of famous authors and admired their ability to transport readers to different places and time periods. Jeimy's dream was to write a novel that would have a similar impact on people. She wanted her words to touch hearts and leave a lasting impression. Jeimy knew that becoming a successful novelist was not an easy task, but she was determined to work hard and make her dream a reality. She continued to write tirelessly, pouring her heart and soul into every sentence. Jeimy was confident that with perseverance and dedication, she would achieve her goal. She believed in herself and her ability to make a difference through her writing. Jeimy's journey as a novelist had just begun, and she was excited for what the future held. She was ready to face the challenges ahead and overcome any hurdles that came her way. Jeimy knew that being a professional novel writer in English required not only talent but also a deep understanding of the language and its nuances. She was committed to improving her skills and expanding her knowledge in order to become the best writer she could be. Jeimy was determined to make her mark in the literary world and leave a legacy through her words.

What have you done to me?

They lived.

Oh shit, what am I doing here?

How did I end up in this place? What happened? Well, you don't have to be a genius to imagine what happened in this room. Last night, I had sex with Tomas.

Oh dear, I lost my virginity to the man I've loved for years, and I don't remember anything!

How did this happen? Why can't I remember anything? Did I drink too much? The last thing I remember is dancing on the dance floor with Jeimy, and then I started feeling tired.

"What the hell does this mean?" Tomas questions, looking annoyed.

"I... I don't know. I don't remember anything, but it's obvious that you and I... that you and I..." I can't say what I want out loud, and my cheeks feel hot.

"Damn it! I don't remember anything either," he says, standing up. I instinctively turn my face, embarrassed. He's completely naked. Wait... so am I. Oh God, how embarrassing! Without looking at him, I grab the bedsheet and wrap myself in it.

"I guess we drank too much," he says, satisfied, with his gaze lowered due to embarrassment.

"I've never experienced something like this before. I'm very careful with alcohol," he comments with an irritated tone. Suddenly, I feel him grab my arm tightly. "Look at me," he demands, and I do as he asks. In his eyes, I see an anger that sends shivers down my spine. "What have you done to me?" he asks, his teeth clenched in anger.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," I nervously reply to his changed attitude.

"Don't play dumb. I know you're in love with me, you're not very subtle about it," he says, and my eyes widen in surprise. Had he realized my feelings? Since when?

"I thought you were reasonable and understood that nothing would ever happen between us, as I love Kendall. But now it seems you're a scheming woman. What have you done to me? Did you drug me?" he asks, and I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"How can you accuse me of such a thing?" I say, my voice trembling. "I would never do something like that." I assure him, "I don't know how this happened. I'm just as confused as you are."

"Don't think you're going to convince me of your innocence with that 'I didn't do it' face and tears," he spits with hatred. Each word that comes out of his mouth makes my heart shrink. "Listen carefully, you won't tell anyone what happened here, do you understand? If you do, you'll regret it, and I'll make sure..."

"What will you do, Tomas?"

We both look surprised at the woman who interrupts us, who looks at Tomas reproachfully.

"Grandma," he mutters.

"What are you doing to Vivian, Tomas?" Jeimy questions, also being with the grandmother.

"Shit!" he exclaims, releasing my arm, grabbing a sheet, and covering himself with it. Then he moves away from me. Jeimy runs towards me, and when she sees my teary eyes, she hugs me.

"How can you say such horrible things to Vivian? Aren't you man enough to take responsibility for your actions?" Jeimy asks, angry.

"Tomas, what happened here? Why were you talking to Vivian like that? Is this the kind of education this family has given you?" the older woman calmly asks, but it's evident that she's upset. "I thought you were deeply in love with that girlfriend of yours. What are you doing in this room with Vivian?"

He looks at me angrily, and I lower my gaze.

"I don't know, I don't remember what happened, although it's obvious," he replies, irritated.

Mrs. Carroll now looks at me.

"And... I don't remember what happened either."

She nods.

"Obviously, both of you had too much to drink and made a mistake," she comments.

"Yes, but why were you treating Vivian so badly?" Jeimy questions now, and he looks at her angrily.

"I don't remember drinking too much," he replies. "She's always been after me, and it's obvious that she did something to make this happen," he says, and I feel like a dagger has been plunged into my chest. I can't believe that the person I love thinks that of me.

"Vivian would never do something like that!" Jeimy exclaims angrily. "She's a good woman, unlike that stupid girlfriend of yours. Besides, she doesn't remember anything either. Do you think a woman wants to forget her first time?"

Oh my God, Jeimy, why did you say that!

"Vivian, were you a virgin?" Grandma Caroll asks, I can't look her in the eyes and neither can Tomas, they didn't need to know that. "Vivian, answer me honestly, please." the lady asks with a gentle tone.

"Y-Yes." I respond softly.

"Damn it!" Tomas exclaims under his breath.

"Tomas, Vivian's honor and our family's honor are at stake." the lady speaks. "You will have to take responsibility for this."

What does she mean by that?

"You and Vivian will have to get married."

What?

"Grandma, that's absurd." Tomas refutes. "We're not living in the past century, I have a girlfriend, and if I ever get married, it will be to her."

"That won't be possible, dear grandson. As I said before, you must take responsibility for your actions, not hide like a coward and intimidate a young girl who is just as confused as you are about what happened here." she says, shifting her gaze from him to me.

"I won't do it." Tomas affirms, annoyed.

"Mrs. Caroll, I don't think that's necessary. It's true that I had never... Well, that I was a virgin, but I believe what you're proposing is very serious and drastic." I comment. "I don't see the need for it and..."

"Vivian." she interrupts me, and I look into her eyes. "I am not proposing this, I am giving an order, and my grandchildren know that what I order, gets done. If not, there will be serious consequences. You also need to learn that, since you're going to be a part of this family." she says firmly, reminding me that this woman is the matriarch of the family. "Tomas, you get married, period. If not, forget about the presidency of the company and your inheritance." she finishes before turning around. "Jeimy, organize everything for two weeks from now."

"Yes, grandma." Jeimy responds, and I look at my friend in surprise. The matriarch of the Johnson family leaves the room, leaving a profound silence behind. Seconds later, Tomas is the next to leave, slamming the door without uttering a word.

"Oh my God, Jeimy! Please, tell me that Grandma Caroll is joking." I ask, terrified.

"No, grandma is very serious."

"But that's absurd! He and I can't get married, it's... it's unheard of."

"Why not?"

"Just because, because he loves Kendall, and... now I think he hates me, blames me for what happened here. I don't even remember how I ended up in this room." I whisper, sitting on the bed.

"I brought you here." You said you weren't feeling well, that you had too much to drink. "she says."

"Really?" I question.

"Yes." she confirms again.

"You fell asleep, and I turned off the lights, then I left and continued enjoying the party. I saw Tomas leaving about half an hour later, but I thought he had gone to his room, not that he had sneaked into your room, and you two..."

I feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment and avert my gaze.

"I don't remember anything." I murmur, lost in thought and with my head down.

"Oh, don't dwell on it, friend! What happened, happened, there's no way around it." Jeimy exclaims very relaxed. I look at her quizzically, and an idea crosses my mind. However, I can't believe Jeimy would do such a thing. It's true that she hates Kendall, that her greatest wish is for her and Tomas to break up, but I don't think she's capable of doing something so vile to her brother and her best friend, right?

"How can I not dwell on it! Your grandmother wants us to get married." I remind her. "Jeimy, talk to her, tell her I don't want this, that I have no problem leaving things as they are."

"I can't do that, Vivian. Grandma Caroll is stubborn, things always have to be done her way, once she sets her mind on something, no human power can change her opinion." she says, and I sigh, feeling defeated. "Besides, you don't have to feel so distressed, try to see the bright side of all this." she comments, excitedly. "You're going to marry Tomas, the man you love. This could be an opportunity for you." she says, and I must admit her theory doesn't seem so absurd.

"Do you think so?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes." he replied firmly.

I fall silent and start thinking. Will it be possible for Tomas to love me if I agree to marry him?

You will never be loved.

Vivian.

"Very well, Miss Smith, we have finished the interview," Mr. Gomez says, standing up and extending his hand. He smiles at me, and I do the same. "Thank you very much for coming. We will be calling you during the course of the week to inform you if we accept you or not," he says, and I nod, shaking his hand.

"Thank you for interviewing me, and I hope to be able to work with you," I say. The man smiles, causing the wrinkles around his eyes to deepen.

"To tell you the truth, you have very good recommendations. I would hire you without a doubt, but the boss is the one who decides," he says, and I nod.

"I understand. Very well, then, until soon, at least I hope so," I say nervously, smiling.

"Until soon, Miss Smith," I turn around and leave the office. I breathe a sigh of relief and begin to walk towards the elevator. I stop in front of it and press the button to call it. At that moment, my phone rings, and I search for it in my purse. Since I have too many things in it, I can't find it. I hear the elevator doors open and take a step to enter while still searching for my phone. Suddenly, I bump into someone and look up apologetically.

"Oh, I'm so sor-" my words stop as I see who I have bumped into. It's a man, and I have to say that he's very handsome. From his features, I would swear that he's a foreigner. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize," I apologize.

He looks at me in silence for several seconds, I don't know if he's analyzing me or if he's attentive to the call he's answering since he has his phone in his ear.

"Give me a minute," he says, and I hear an assent. Spanish? He covers the mouthpiece of the phone and gives me a kind smile. "Don't worry, Miss," he comments, stepping aside.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry again," I say, getting into the elevator. He continues on his way, and the doors of the elevator start to close, but I notice when he turns his head back to look at me. I give him a friendly smile, and then the doors close completely. Just at that moment, the phone rings again, and having it in my hand, I see that it's Jeimy. I sigh and swipe my finger on the screen.

"Are you done yet?" she quickly asks.

"Yes, I'm leaving the company," I reply.

"Well, hurry up, I'm already downstairs," she says and hangs up. I sigh and put the phone back in my bag. When I leave the company, I notice Jeimy's car right in front. When she sees me, she honks the horn. I walk towards her and get into the car right by her side.

"We need to hurry. The seamstress has an appointment in half an hour," she explains, and I nod.

Today is the final dress fitting for the wedding dress. It's been twelve days since the incident. Incredibly, Jeimy has almost everything ready. Only the rings and my final fitting are missing. Everything has been kept a secret. The Johnsons want to avoid a scandal. After all, the bride everyone knows for Tomas is Kendall, not me. After several minutes of driving, Jeimy parks the car right in front of the boutique. We get out and enter the place where, a few meters from the entrance, Mrs. Caroll is sitting on a sofa. I already imagined that she would be here, just like the last time we came. I smile and remember the conversation we had that time.

Flashback.

I quickly get out of the taxi, I was running late for the appointment with the seamstress. I had to choose the dress I was going to wear for the wedding. I enter the boutique quickly and am surprised to see not only my friend but also her grandmother.

"You finally made it!" Jeimy exclaims, getting up from the sofa.

"I'm sorry, I was running late. I was busy with some university matters," I explain.

"Don't worry, dear. The important thing is that you're here now," Mrs. Caroll says. I smile at her, and she does the same. "Vivian, let me introduce you to Angelica Roger. She's the best wedding dress designer in the city," she introduces. The woman is middle-aged, very slim and slender, also tall. She has tanned skin and wavy black hair. She's dressed very elegantly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Vivian Smith," I greet and introduce myself.

"The pleasure is mine, dear. Let me tell you that you have beautiful skin and a fantastic figure. I hope it stays that way after the babies." He comments and I feel my cheeks burn. "Tell me, how do you want your dress?" he asks.

"W-well, it's a civil wedding, so something simple would be appropriate..."

"Something simple? No, it's your wedding, it should be spectacular!" Jeimy exclaims, and I look at her somewhat annoyed with her idea, and she furrows her brow.

"Jeimy, it's her wedding, not yours. She gets to choose what to wear. When you're the bride, you can choose the most extravagant dress you want." Her grandmother scolds her.

"Fine." She says reluctantly.

"Alright, I have some dresses displayed here, but if you don't like any of these, I also have these magazines." He says, handing me four magazines that were on the table. "These have several designs that I think can be adjusted to what you want." He comments, and I nod.

"Let's first see the ones that are already ready." I suggest, and she smiles and nods.

After seeing the ready-made dresses and not liking any of them, I decide to look at the magazine. I flip through the pages, without any of them convincing me, while I think that maybe the problem is not the dresses, but me, or rather, this whole marriage thing.

Although I love Tomas, and this could be a great opportunity for me, I don't feel like this is a good idea. What if the only thing I achieve with this is for him to hate me? Thinking about that weighs on my chest. God, why does this have to happen! I had already resigned myself. After so many years loving him, I had come to understand that he wasn't meant for me. But now, this opportunity presents itself, and even though I'm happy and want to hold on to it, I'm afraid of what might happen. In fact, it still seems strange to me that everything is so calm. I haven't been able to talk to Tomas, I don't even know if he still thinks I'm to blame for what happened. And even stranger, Kendall hasn't expressed her opposition to the matter. Everything is so strange and...

I am pulled out of my thoughts when I feel someone touch my shoulder. I look at the culprit and smile at Mrs. Caroll.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Caroll, I was distracted. What were you saying?"

She smiles sweetly at me and takes my hands. - I can sense that you're worried. What's wrong? - she asks, and I decide to be honest.

"It's just that... sometimes I think that this whole marriage thing is not a good idea."

"I see, you're scared." she comments.

"More than that, I feel like it's not right."

"Why? Don't you love my grandson anymore?" I open my eyes in surprise at her question. Does she also know? She smiles. "Yes, I do know. I realized that a long time ago, by the way you look at him." she answers my unspoken question.

"Well, even though I love him, he loves Kendall, and that's what worries me and makes me feel like this is not right."

"My grandson is a very intelligent man in some things" she says "For example, in business, but unfortunately, he lacks common sense when it comes to women. His first girlfriend was a strange girl with piercings on her face who liked to dress in black. Then he had another one who liked to show too much and was too flirtatious. He didn't tell me because I had warned him, but the girl cheated on him. He had two others, each one worse than the other, and now he is with this girl who, although she seems like a good woman, I know what she truly is. She can deceive my grandson, even my foolish son and daughter-in-law, but not me. I know she is a harpy in love with our name and money. I know everything she did to Jeimy and that her apologies were just empty words" the woman speaks with resentment and looks at me "I will not allow my grandson to make the grave mistake of combining his life with a woman like her" she says, and now softens her expression "On the other hand, you, you are the perfect woman for him. I know your love is sincere and that you are a good, decent, intelligent, noble, and sweet woman. That's why I want you to be the wife of my grandson, the mother of my great-grandchildren. He doesn't love you now, but I'm sure he will, because he will realize how wonderful you are. So change that expression, remember, you are choosing the dress for your wedding."

Her words calmed me down a bit and in the end, helped me make up my mind completely to do this.

End flashback

And now here I am at the final dress fitting because I am getting married in two days.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Caroll, Mrs. Angelica, sorry for being late, I was at a job interview" I explain.

"Don't worry, dear, Jeimy hadn't mentioned it yet" Mrs. Caroll says.

"Well, come this way, the dress is ready, try it on and we'll see if it needs any alterations or if it's already perfect" she comments, guiding me to the fitting room.

When I enter and see the outfit hanging, I smile. It is beautiful and I can't believe I'm going to wear it to marry Tomas. I put it on and leave the fitting room. My friend, Mrs. Caroll, and the seamstress smile at me.

"It fits you perfectly" Jeimy comments.

"You look beautiful, dear" Mrs. Caroll says.

"Magnificent, spectacular!" the seamstress exclaims excitedly and approaches "It seems everything is perfect."

"Yes, it seems so" I comment and smile.

I will be Tomas's wife.

And the day of my wedding has arrived. Right now, I am in the guest room of the Johnson Mansion, fully ready, waiting for my mother, who will give me away at the altar, to come for me and announce that it's time to begin. I look at myself in the mirror and smile a little, happy and scared to see myself dressed as a bride.

In the end, I chose a dress that is neither too simple nor too flashy. It is a creamy white color, with a V-neck and short sleeves that cinches at the waist, and the skirt is flared with different layers that make it look voluminous. I decided it should be a bit shorter, just below the knees. I am wearing white heels. My makeup is very simple and natural as I didn't want anything heavy. It consists of a little light-colored eyeshadow on the eyelids, eyeliner on the waterline, mascara, I didn't apply eyeliner, and pink lips. I did have a hairstylist do my hair. She made braids on each side and at the bottom of my head, she gathered the hair and placed small white flower-shaped clips, leaving some strands out to accentuate my face.

"I'm getting married," I mutter, still unable to believe it. It feels like a dream.

My phone receives a call and I pick it up from the table. I furrow my brow upon seeing an unknown number, but thinking that it might be about my internship, I decide to answer it.

"Hello, good morning," I greet politely.

"Don't think you've gotten away with it, you stupid girl," a woman's voice comes through, and instantly I know who it is. "Don't even for a second think that just because you're marrying Tomas, you've taken him from me or that you'll make him love you," she says, laughing. "Oh, silly girl! He loves me madly and neither you, nor your stupid friend, nor that arrogant old lady will make him stop. If I wanted to, I could ruin your stupid wedding right now, but I'll let you believe in the fairy tale you've built in your head just so you can realize that you mean nothing to Tomas." Her words pierce my chest like a dagger. "I hope you enjoyed having him between your legs that night, because it will be the one and only time it happens. Remember that even though he's marrying you, you'll never have his love, and I'll have him in my arms and in my bed whenever I want. Congratulations on your wedding!" she finishes, and hangs up.