Even Nina looks surprised by this. “Susanna… Alek wants Katya to look her best.”
“So I’m helping with that. This dress looked terrible on her anyway,” She grabs my other strap and rips it straight down, leaving behind a large tear in the dress.
“Stop,” I snap, jerking away from her. “You’re ruining the dress.”
“Good. It looked terrible on you. Anything else will just be an improvement.” She grabs the skirt of the dress and I jerk back but in the process, it makes a large chunk of it get ripped away. The skirt is torn. When I look at myself in the mirror again, I’mashamed to see how ugly the dress looks. This perfect dress that I chose. The one thing I could have in my life.
And Susanna just ruined it.
“There,” she says with a vindictive grin. “So much better.”
“Alek is not going to be happy about this,” Nina says.
“Do I look like I care what Alek thinks?” She throws me a wink. “Have fun out there.” Susanna skips from the room, looking positively pleased with herself.
Nina hesitates. “Uh… I didn’t know she was going to do that.” With no apology of her own, she saunters out of the room.
I collapse onto a chair and sob my entire eyes out. My perfect dress is ruined. The one good thing I had going for me.
And now, I have no choice but to pull myself together and go out there and face Alek with a torn dress.
After taking a few breaths, I head towards the main part of the church. The doors are open so I can see into the large room. It’s filled with people. So many people. I never expected Alek would be able to get this many people to show up for our wedding in the span of a day. There has to be at least fifty people here.
And I know why: he wants to rub this day in Dimitri’s face.
Alek is at the end of the aisle, waiting for me, looking handsome in a navy suit. Too handsome for his own good. It makes me hate him while it also makes me desire him.
His eyes notice and take me in as a smirk crosses his face… right before he sees my dress. Sees how torn it is and his smile slips from his face.
Before I can even take a step, Alek storms down the aisle to me. Everyone in the room notices and murmurs to themselves.
“What is the meaning of this?” he asks, grabbing my arm. “Why is your dress like… this?”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I whisper, fighting back my tears.
“No? So, this isn’t how the dress is supposed to look?”
“No.”
“So then why does it look like this?”
“Susanna ripped it.”
Alek sucks in a breath. “Susanna? I doubt she would do this.”
“Well, she did. I’m not lying to you. I wouldn’t ruin my own wedding dress. I don’t want you to hurt me. I have no incentive to do this. Yet, I have every incentive to make you happy.”
“You’re worried I’d hurt you?”
“Well, you did… spank me,” I whisper. “I thought you might do it again. I didn’t ruin my dress, Alek. It was Susanna. You can ask her and Nina. They were both there.”
“I will.” He storms back into the church and motions at Nina and Susanna to follow him. More and more murmurs fill the room as the guests look around, wondering what is happening.
Alek comes back into the foyer with Nina and Susanna. “Did you ruin Katya’s dress?”
Susanna blinks before she gives him a sweet smile. “No.”
“No?” He turns to Nina. “Katya claims that Susanna ruined her dress. Is that true?”
