Chapter 3
Averie took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and push away the pain in her heart. As she got up to leave, a pair of strong hands stopped her.
"Averie, why didn't you wait for me? Are you feeling down today? How about we try on your wedding dress? The custom one has arrived. Let's see if you like it. If not, I'll have them fix it." Darren signed, wrapping her in his arms and playfully ruffling her hair.
"I don't want to go. You can pick the dress," Averie replied.
By the time the wedding came around, she wouldn't be there anyway, so the dress didn't matter to her.
Honestly, she didn't care what the dress looked like at all.
Darren seemed to pick up on her lack of enthusiasm. He sighed cautiously. "Averie, why do I feel like you're not excited about our wedding at all? Do you not want to marry me anymore?"
Seeing the worry in Darren's eyes made Averie want to say, "Yeah, I don't want to marry you.
"You cheated on me first. You ruined what we had. You're the reason I've lost faith in this marriage.
"Now you have the nerve to ask me why?"
But she wasn't about to lay everything out yet.
*****
At the wedding dress shop, as soon as Averie and Darren walked in, the staff pulled back the curtain to reveal the wedding dress that had been specially made for her.
"Ms. Levine, the custom wedding dress Mr. Harper ordered from Flandra has arrived. Take a look and let us know if you'd like any changes," one of the staff members said.
As the staff spoke, a sign language interpreter stepped forward to communicate the message to Averie.
The other staff members exchanged whispers, clearly envious.
"Mr. Harper is so considerate. He even arranged for a sign language interpreter for her," one said.
"That's only part of it. Check out this dress. The main diamond was bought by Mr. Harper at Sotheby's, and he asked the designer to incorporate it into the dress," another added.
"Mr. Harper even hired the designer for a whole year so they could focus solely on making this dress," a third chimed in.
Listening to their jealous remarks, Darren smiled as he stepped closer and wrapped his arm around Averie's waist.
He signed to ask, "Do you like it, babe?"
Right in the middle of the dress was a pink diamond, the size of a pigeon egg. The train flowed out for 15 feet, adorned with tiny diamonds that sparkled brilliantly under the lights.
Averie let her hand glide over the dress.
She couldn't deny that the dress was everything she had ever wanted.
When they were together, she had mentioned time and again how much she loved pink and long, dramatic dresses.
Darren remembered every detail, which was why this dress turned out to be so perfect.
But no matter how stunning the dress was, or how sparkling the diamonds, nothing could eliminate the pain in her heart.
Darren signed again. "Averie, take a closer look at the center of the diamond. Do you see Averie & Darren Forever?
"Diamonds last forever, and so does my love for you. I had our names engraved on it to show that my love for you will never fade."
Averie instinctively glanced at the diamond and, sure enough, right at the center, a line of letters caught her eye.
She turned to meet Darren's gaze, which was filled with affection. Her heart fluttered as she softly asked, "Is your love for me really forever?"
Darren quickly began to sign, eager to reassure her and dispel any doubts before they could take hold. "I will love you forever, Averie. I will never let you down. If I break this promise, I will die a horrible death."
Yet, no matter how genuine his words sounded, they couldn't thaw the coldness that had settled in her heart.
She thought, 'He had already broken his promise. Yet, he's still acting like a devoted partner. Won't all this pretending wear him out?'
Averie turned away, not wanting to look at his insincere face for another moment.
Before Darren could sign anything else, his phone rang.
His expression changed instantly, and he stepped aside to take the call.
When he returned, he looked apologetic.
"Averie, something urgent came up. I need to get back to the office. You can try on the dress. Let the staff know if you want any changes. When you're finished, I'll have the driver take you home." He signed to her, not even giving her a usual hug. He hurried out to his car, leaving only his fading figure behind.
*****
As soon as he left, the staff couldn't hold back their excitement.
"Oh, my gosh. Did you see Mr. Harper's confession? That was so romantic that I almost cried!" one of them exclaimed.
"Even when he's running for work, he still makes sure Ms. Levine is taken care of. He's the perfect guy," another added.
Averie found it all quite ironic.
Darren had never, not once, left her alone for work.
Besides, after that call, there was a clear trace of desire in his eyes.
There was no way he was going back to work.
He was probably off to meet his lover, Lucy Perez.
Averie forced a bitter smile and turned to walk away.
The staff hurried to stop her. "Ms. Levine, you haven't even tried on the dress yet."
Averie shook her head calmly. "No need to try it on."
After all, on the wedding day, all that would remain would be the bride's lifeless body. She wouldn't need a dress anymore.