LOGINThat night, long after the last of the guests had left for their rooms, Andrew and I returned to the presidential suite to find that the staff had decorated it in preparation for our stay. All the décor, right down to the bed sheets, had been switched out for matching red and gold pieces. The light
Andrew’s eyes met mine as I approached the altar. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He looked so handsome in his classic black tuxedo that I could hardly wait for after the reception to be with him. As I took my place across from Andrew, I handed my bouquet to Lily. The priestess bega
One month later, I stood in a suite at a private beachside resort, admiring my wedding dress. It hugged my curves in all the right places while still gently brushing against the ground like a low-hanging cloud. Crystals glistened in the room’s fluorescent lights, and the train flowed behind me effor
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom,” I said, breathless. Andrew nodded his agreement. I pulled Andrew to his feet as he stuck the ring box back in his pocket. Then I dragged him back to the bedroom, leading him by the tie. Not that he needed to be dragged; he would have followed me anywhere by th
Andrew texted me and said his flight was delayed by a few errands he had to run, so I waited. And waited. I waited for an entire day, and even began to worry that Andrew had changed his mind. Then I heard a knock at my door. I leapt off the couch and rushed to answer it. Stopping just short of the
Noah left the next day. I took him to the airport, we exchanged a hug and a brief farewell, and then I watched him walk through the gate. That was the last time I ever saw him. With a heavy heart, I returned to an empty apartment. All our furniture and my belongings—what little I still had—were the
Three days after picking King Frederick and Princess Aurora up from the airport, Andrew found himself once more on the Victorian-style floor where Lisa’s wedding was held. It had been transformed again, this time with one enormous oval table surrounded by several smaller round tables. Each table had
The day after the banquet, Andrew sat at the head of the mansion’s dining table, Princess Aurora to his left and King Frederick to his right. He had decided that since he was going to be spending so much one-on-one time with Princess Aurora that it would be a good idea for him to get to know the pri
The next day, I drove to the mansion to talk to Andrew. As I ascended the stairs to the entrance, each step felt as though I were walking through quicksand. My heart thumped painfully against my chest, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. With a deep breath in and out through my nose, I knocke
After Lisa’s departure, everyone in the ballroom stared at me. I did not lose my composure. I knew I had done what was right, even if Lisa could not see it at that moment. Then chaos broke. The guests departed en masse. A wave of them headed for the open bar to try and catch one last cocktail be







