001 Wedding Troubles with a JustNoMIL
The veil covered my face, concealing in a misty tone the mask of my bridal makeup. I gripped my bouquet of décor matching flowers as I listened to the wailing coming from the front of the aisle. I put on my best smile, trying to ignore the headache from the wild bachelorette party last night.
“Ugh, I knew I should’ve taken more vitamin M this morning,” my sister and maid of honor complained as she winced from the noise.
“Just pretend they aren’t there,” my father suggested. “This moment is about you and your almost husband, not those harpies.”
“More like banshees,” my sister corrected.
“It’s time,” the wedding coordinator started the music, and the bridal party began its procession.
I waited, silently agreeing with my sister that I should have take more painkillers. Who the hell acts like a funeral at a wedding?
“And go,” the wedding coordinator timed my entrance with my dad.
Both sides stood up to their feet, the music changing and swelling to my chosen song.
“My dearest friend, if you don’t mind, I’d like to join you by your side…” the ending reprise to Nightmare Before Christmas played.
The two women sitting in the front row on my fiancé’s side became unbearably loud, drowning out the melody and words.
I sighed, the smile fading slightly on my lips.
“We can leave, if you want to,” my dad reminded me in a whisper out the side of my mouth. “I’ll eat the costs, if it comes down to it.”
I shook my head, barely a movement under the veil. He’ll stop them, right? I glared at the two women, one in a black gown and veil, the other in a white dress similar to mine.
They just howled with fake tears and pleas.
Dad patted my arm as we reached the end of the aisle, where my fiancé stood tall.
Why isn’t he saying anything to them? I handed the bouquet to my sister.
His eyes filled with tears as he took my hands from my father’s. “You look beautiful,” he said in a low voice.
The woman in black, his mother, must have heard him, because, somehow, she became more hysterical.
I narrowed my eyes and motioned towards her with them.
He did not say anything, but the slight opening of his mouth told me he understood what I wanted. He turned us towards the officiant, my best friend from high school.
The officiant cleared his throat, using his theater voice to talk louder than the weeping willows in the first row. “We are gathered here today…”
My mind wandered as I listened to the almost-shrieking of the woman in white, my fiancé’s ex. Is this how it’s going to be? He promised how he would step in when his mother, sister, and ex tried to stir up trouble. I doubt anyone can even hear our vows with how loud they’re being.
I thought about the wedding planning process and how much I gave his mother control over everything. Online people said that if I gave in now, then it would only get worse. I should’ve believed them.
His mother chose the venue, the food, the colors, the flowers, the cake, even my dress.
He swore that after the wedding he would put his foot down and grow a spine.
I glanced at him as he stared ahead at the officiant to better hear the speech. How can he stand so straight with a wet noodle for a spine? I wondered.
“I’ve never seen two people as in love with each other than these two,” my friend announced to the crowd.
But is love all that we need? Can it survive without confidence, without understanding, without boundaries? Is this what the rest of our lives will look like? Is this what I want?
“Lawfully wedded husband?” the officiant asked.
“No,” I mumbled, not paying attention to the words he was saying.
The crowd of family and friends gasped, even the two women stopped screeching.
“What happened?” the ex asked someone around them.
“What?” My fiancé’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping.
My friend cleared his throat. “Are you sure? I can repeat the question, if you want.”
I shook my head. “That’s not necessary.” I grabbed the bouquet back from my maid of honor and threw it at his ex. “Let’s be honest, this is your wedding. I’m just the stand-in.”
“What are you saying?” my fiancé finally realized that I was serious.
“The only thing I wanted out of this wedding was for us to say our vows in front of our friends and family. Instead, everyone only gets to listen to these two wailing like you’re dead in a casket. I gave her everything under the guise of it’ll get better, like you promised. You couldn’t even say anything when I needed you to stop them. So, the answer is ‘no.’ I will not take you as my lawfully wedded husband.” I grabbed my dress, and my sister helped me carry the train back down the aisle.
