I was over the moon on my wedding day. Everything was perfect—until my fiercest rival crashed the celebration and grabbed the microphone. “Hi, everyone. Nobody invited me, but I’m here to talk about something very important,” she announced, a smug smile on her face as she started her speech. I could feel my body tense up immediately.
It was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. The wedding was in full swing when she showed up. Mary, my husband’s self-proclaimed lover, appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the festival hall. My heart dropped, and anxiety surged through me. “Why is she here? I’ve told you a thousand times not to invite her!” I snapped at Tom, my new husband, unable to hide my anger.
Tom turned to me with an awkward smile, trying to calm me down. “Darling, relax. This little thing won’t ruin our wedding,” he said, his voice soothing but dismissive.
I didn’t buy it. “But Tom, I asked you!” I replied, frustrated.
“See, Jessica, I really didn’t invite her! I don’t know how she got here,” Tom explained, trying to make it sound like he had no part in it.
I was furious. “Don’t lie, Tom. I know—”
Before I could finish my sentence, the guests started chanting, interrupting us. “KISS! KISS! KISS! WE WANT YOU TO KISS EACH OTHER! NOW!”
Caught off guard, we both just smiled at each other and leaned in for a kiss. We kissed passionately, the crowd cheering as we did. But just as things were starting to feel a little more like the dream wedding I’d imagined, the toastmaster spoke up.
“Alright, folks! It’s time for the bride to throw the bouquet! Let’s see whose wedding will be next!” he announced, and the excitement in the room reached a new height.
The girls all got up from their seats and formed a circle around me, eager for the toss. I stood at the center of the circle, preparing myself. I could hear the whispers from some of the girls around me, talking about how gorgeous I looked in my snow-white dress—the one I’d dreamed about for so long. My cheeks flushed with pride. I still couldn’t believe it had all come true: I was married to Tom, a charming and wealthy businessman.
The girls parted, their eyes fixed on the bouquet. Everyone raised their hands, ready to catch it, hoping to be the next bride. With a deep breath, I turned my back to them and threw the bouquet high into the air.
But when I turned around, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The bouquet was in Mary’s hands. She stood there, grinning smugly, clearly delighted by the outcome. Our eyes met for a brief moment, but I turned away, walking past her and trying my best to ignore her.
The toastmaster didn’t seem to notice the tension in the air and cheerfully announced, “The girl who caught the bouquet, please come up to the microphone!”
With a dramatic flick of her purple gown, Mary stepped forward and approached the stage, microphone in hand. My stomach churned. I was sure she was about to say something that would ruin our day. I should have thrown her out of the hall the moment I saw her!
The toastmaster, oblivious to the tension, asked, “What’s your name, young lady? Please introduce yourself!”
As Mary began her speech, my mind raced. Suddenly, everything from my past flashed before my eyes. I remembered my childhood, the first love I had ever known, the one that had shaped so much of my life. It was hard to think about, but I couldn’t stop the memories from flooding in.
I was just a little girl, running along the river, when I met him—Michael. He was five years older than me, and I’d seen him limping by the water that day. Maybe he had hurt himself. Without thinking, I ran over to him, but before I could say anything, he slipped and fell into the river. I screamed as loud as I could, and thankfully, a fisherman nearby heard me and pulled Michael out of the water, saving his life.
Once he was safe, I ran up to him, my heart racing. “Are you okay?” I asked, worry in my voice. He took my hand and smiled weakly. “Thank you for saving me,” he said. “When I grow up, I’ll marry you.”
From that moment, I couldn’t let go of him. Even when Michael went off to the army, I waited. And when he finally returned, I was eighteen. “Oh, look, you haven’t forgotten me,” Michael said, taking my hand once again. “So, will you marry me?”
It was a rush of emotions, and soon, I realized I was pregnant. We had a quiet wedding, and I moved in with Michael’s parents while we waited for our house to be ready. At first, everything was fine. They were kind to me, but things started to change. One night, when I was heavily pregnant, Michael didn’t come home. I waited up for hours, but he was nowhere to be found. Panicked, I went to his mother.
“Michael’s still not home. I’m worried,” I told her, my voice shaking.
She patted me on the head as if it were no big deal. “Oh, sweetie. That’s how life is. Do you think my husband didn’t cheat on me? But he came around eventually. You’ll be fine,” she said.
But it wasn’t fine. The gossip started spreading, and soon, everyone in town knew about Michael’s affair with Samantha. I couldn’t take it anymore. When my daughter, Helen, was born, I left and moved in with my parents.
Michael begged me to come back twice, and both times, I did. But things only got worse. Michael had more women in his life than I could count—Samantha, Vicky, Melinda… each time, it was a new woman. I couldn’t keep trying, so I finally divorced him.
That experience made me hesitant to believe in love again. So when I decided to marry Tom, it was out of convenience. Little did I know, I would actually fall in love.
I reached out to Aunt Catherine, who lived in the city, and she helped me get a job as a secretary at Tom’s firm. It was perfect timing because the former secretary was on maternity leave. However, there was competition. Mary, who had been working as Tom’s assistant, was also vying for the same job. Everyone knew she had feelings for Tom, but he didn’t seem to notice.
At first, it wasn’t easy to beat Mary, but eventually, I did. And now, Tom and I were married. But I still hadn’t told him about my daughter, Helen, or my past with Michael. I thought I would bring it up once we had children, but now, Mary knew everything. She’d investigated me and learned about my history. I was afraid she’d use this against me and ruin everything.
And now, as Mary stood at the microphone, I felt a wave of dread wash over me.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” Mary began, her voice dripping with sweetness. “My name is Mary. I’ve been working for Tom for a long time. Nobody invited me here, but I came to say…” She paused, and my heart pounded. “I came to say… well, congratulations to Tom and Jessica. I wish you both all the best and many years of happiness together.”
I squeezed Tom’s hand tightly in a panic. “What is she doing?” I whispered.
Tom, ever the calm one, looked at me with affection and whispered back, “Don’t worry, Jess. I know everything. I know about your past.”
I froze. “Wait, what? How do you know?” I asked, stunned.
Tom smiled and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll talk later, Jess. Don’t worry. I’ve already forgiven you.”
My heart fluttered. I couldn’t believe it. “You know everything?” I asked, a little breathless.
He nodded, his expression full of love. “And I still want to be with you. You’re my wife.”
Mary, hearing our exchange, didn’t seem to mind. “And this,” she said, “is a gift from our team.” She brought out a large box and handed it to us.
I opened the box slowly, still trying to process everything. “Did you really come just to give us a gift?” I asked, my voice soft.
Mary nodded. “Yes. I liked Tom a lot, but I know he loves you. I really hope you both stay happy forever.”
I leaned forward and hugged her tightly. “You know, everyone says I married Tom out of convenience. But I really do love him,” I whispered.
“I know, Jessica,” Mary replied.
It was an unexpected moment of peace, and soon, everything felt right again.
Later, Tom told me that he had fallen in love with me at first sight. He had also done his research into my past and knew everything. He even spoke with Michael when he tried to disrupt our relationship. But Tom fought for me, ignoring all the rumors and accepting my past. He wanted to be the loving husband and father of my children. And that’s exactly what he became.
A year after our wedding, we had twins—Sam and Aaron. Tom loved them as much as he loved Helen, his stepdaughter. It didn’t matter to him that they weren’t his biological children. He loved them all unconditionally.
And that’s the lesson we can take from this story:
Matches are made in heaven. Tom and I were meant to be together. True love isn’t about blood—it’s about trust, acceptance, and commitment. Tom proved that every day with the way he embraced my children and my past, showing me that family isn’t always made by blood, but by love.
