Emily with longing looked at the rows of dresses and jackets. Was she born for this? To select models for boring customers and to please visitors? Was it for this that she finished a prestigious university? No, fate was clearly mocking her, throwing her from a great height to the very bottom. From sad thoughts distracted a ringing voice.
A young colleague, barely a little older than her herself, was cheerfully chatting with a plump elderly woman. Sophie was convincing her that pink does not make one look fuller as it seems, it’s all about the shade. Emily sighed and returned to work.
It was hard to switch, but life turned out to be harsh. Reality was little like the fairy tale that she had invented for herself. Although just six months ago, the girl was only concerned about which swimsuit to buy to emphasize her own irresistibility.
And how to plan a vacation. Everything changed dramatically on the day of her wedding. The very one that ended just as it began.
The celebration that day did not take place, although the guests demanded a rematch. But she herself was not in the mood for a holiday. And how to celebrate without a groom.
Emily still recalled the events of that sunny day with horror. After all, everything was ready, and nothing foreshadowed trouble. There was very little left before the start of the ceremony, and Dylan was late.
Usually brides allow themselves to keep guests waiting, but here the groom kept a hundred invited guests in anticipation, including the future wife. Emily did not know what to think when, finally, a car honked, notifying all those present that everything was fine. Although the order was relative.
As if in some nightmare dream, Emily watched as the family of the one whom she considered wealthy and well-off yesterday got out of the most ordinary old Chevy. No, her parents were not ordinary workers, they also had a small business, and they tried to ensure that their only daughter knew no refusal in anything. But this, of course, was not that.
Dylan assured that his dad and mom, if not millionaires, then certainly not poor, promised a honeymoon and a carefree life. Although the girl loved him not for that, she liked him himself, cheerful, sincere, somehow real. But having money significantly made life easier.
Emily never hid her attitude towards money. As they say, it’s much easier to be happy or cry with a full unlimited in your wallet. And here such a thing.
A modest bouquet of the most ordinary flowers, a cheap car and clothes, more like a farce. Meanwhile, Dylan, as if nothing had happened, hurried to his future wife. Sorry, darling, crazy traffic jams barely made it.
Dylan, explain, please, what does this mean? This car? Your appearance? What kind of clownery did you arrange? For what? Dylan got embarrassed, but not for long. Emily, I was afraid to confess to you earlier. I slightly embellished our status.
In fact, I am an ordinary working guy, not a wealthy groom. I was just afraid that you would refuse. But you spoke so sincerely about love that I finally decided.
It was as if a bucket of ice water was poured on the girl. In the sense not wealthy. And what does ordinary working guy mean? That is, all the time while they were dating, he lied to her? A nice start to a relationship, nothing to say.
She really loved him very much, but to get married just because of feelings, to get by from paycheck to paycheck? And how is that? Does she need to look for a job now? And what about the trip to warm beaches? What about a carefree life like a holiday? Emily felt tears bursting out, risking ruining all her makeup. As in another reality, guests crowded behind, not understanding what was happening. Emily’s own parents hurried.
And the bride, sharply throwing the bouquet at the feet of her beloved, rushed away. More than six months have passed since then. It was a lot from the point of view of those events that did not keep themselves waiting.
At that ceremony, which was not destined to happen, Dylan’s mom managed to spoil everything even more. With a swaggering gait, she approached her parents and said a bunch of nasty things. If very briefly, the future mother-in-law told that the girl turned out to have a rotten core, claimed money, but did not feel love for their son.
Helen, the groom’s mother, personally saw and heard how Emily said that she was getting married only because the chosen one was rich. And she loves someone completely different. The woman, like any mother, was stunned and did not hide what she learned from her son.
And yes, it was her idea to check the bride. And here is the result. The check was not passed.
Dylan’s father confirmed every word of his wife. They were together in the cafe where Emily met with another. He also heard every word.
So they are even glad that the truth came out before the start of the celebration. And your daughter is a cheater and the like. Emily was horrified.
In one moment, too much fell upon her. Confusion was replaced by anger. How could they? And how could Dylan believe such a thing? She really met with a guy, and it was her first order by profession.
And she did not say that she was getting married for calculation, everything was completely different. Money mattered to her, but it was about the lie of the one she trusted, and not that he turned out to be poor as a church mouse. Depression piled up such that sometimes she didn’t even want to talk.
There was no point in making excuses. Why, if they all decided that they know the truth? With difficulty finishing the university, where she studied in her last year, the girl plunged into suffering. Friends quickly dropped out, no one wanted to calm the endlessly crying Emily.
Mom tried to shake up her daughter, but it turned out badly. Dad took everything that happened too close. The excitement came out sideways.
One day, his heart started acting up. The arriving ambulance took him to the clinic. A stroke almost deprived him of the ability to speak and move.
The condition was serious. Emily sympathized with her mother, but she was not used to helping somehow. So they lived.
Mom was torn between the hospital and the store, and the daughter was increasingly plunging into depression. Until, finally, Lydia could not stand it. Daughter, don’t you think it’s time to start returning to normal life? Doesn’t it bother you that I’m alone here trying to pull both you and dad? I need your help now, and you are not going to do it at all.
The argument was long, but the mother was right. They paid too much attention to her, and as a result, the daughter grew up a bit selfish, believing that everything appears by itself. So it happened that for the first time in her life she got into her parents’ store.
Surprisingly, she was never interested in how everything was arranged there. Sales are definitely not her thing. She is a designer, not some errand girl.
But reality was harsh. Either she starts helping, or very soon they simply will not have anything to live on. Rehabilitation and treatment of her father took almost all the savings.
The store was barely staying afloat. Two sellers moved to another city, it was difficult to find good ones. Mom could not yet pay employees good salaries, as before.
Emily went to work in her parents’ store. And then everything spun. Who would have thought that selling clothes is so interesting? Essentially, it’s also design, only on the scale of an individual person who came for a new thing.
And all because of Sophie. Emily met her a couple of days after she started working. At first, she was just surprised by her approach to work, and then she was carried away by her energy.
Sophie perceived the sale of ordinary things as a modeling business. And with such enthusiasm she talked about styles and fabrics that Emily involuntarily got carried away herself. Now she hurried to work not to check the box.
She liked more and more what her parents had created. The customers were almost all regular. It was a world in which everyone knew each other.
Newbies rarely dropped in, but then it was even more interesting. It was necessary to find an approach to a person, to find his style. But how great it was to watch how the personality of a completely unfamiliar person a couple of minutes ago unfolds.
And this elderly lady Emily saw in the store for the first time. So it’s not a regular customer. Sophie was already asking her about what and where the new outfit was needed for.
It turned out that a grandson’s wedding was planned. Emily, who was already beginning to gradually forget her own failed marriage, became sad again. Memory helpfully delivered pictures of the past, which the girl so diligently tried to send to the archive.
Dylan is my only grandson, I can’t go in whatever. And Helen won’t forgive me if I appear not in parade. Helen, Dylan, in coincidence, in their mid-sized city.
Emily froze in place, hearing familiar names. Excuse me for being intrusive, but aren’t you talking about the Harrisons right now? The customer turned to Emily.
About them. And are you familiar with my grandson or daughter-in-law? Emily turned pale and went outside. A couple of minutes later, Dylan’s grandmother caught up with her.
Girl, I see you need to talk to someone. And we, though indirectly, have common acquaintances, so I’m ready to listen to you. Keep in mind, I am a person who worked all my life in the police, so maybe I can help.
Later, Emily learned that Patricia was a law enforcement officer, but had been retired for a long time, but still fond of detectives and series about the work of investigators. The grandmother came from the other end of the country, because Dylan is her only grandson. Not understanding why herself, the girl laid out to a stranger suddenly everything that happened that day and everything that was before and after.
Apparently, the accumulated tension simply could no longer accumulate inside and splashed out. And about the cafe, and about the accusations of what was not, and about the offense, injustice, about how Dylan lied to her. And most importantly, why? Patricia listened without interrupting.
You know, dear, I think you let the situation go adrift in vain. I’ve known my daughter-in-law for more than a year, so I think it wasn’t without her. Give me a couple of days, I’ll clarify something.
And for now, let’s go over it again and by facts. A week later, Patricia invited the family to a cafe. There was a reason, she was too rarely in their city and it was unknown when she would come next.
The wedding is, of course, wonderful, but I want to talk in a calm atmosphere. The family was surprised, but did not refuse the former law enforcement worker. And so in the evening they sat in a small establishment all together at a table laden with snacks, leisurely talking and sharing plans.
And then two people approached their table, Emily and an unfamiliar guy. Dylan froze, without taking a sip from the glass. Lately, he has been out of sorts at all.
And the grandmother, who cannot be deceived, stirred up the wound. After the breakup with Emily, the guy didn’t care about everything. He loved her too much, and after the betrayal came out, he could not find a place for himself.
That’s why he agreed to this marriage. Mom chose the daughter of an influential person. She assured that she was good and educated.
In fact, it turned out not so, but, honestly, Dylan didn’t care. What difference does it make if it’s not Emily. And here she stands before him, and all emotions slow down, and the world stops.
The unfamiliar guy who came with the former bride was the first to speak. In two words, he explained that he was ashamed, but at that moment he really needed money. And this woman, and he pointed to Helen, asked for a mere trifle and paid very well.
The farce was played out like clockwork. Accidentally ended up in this cafe, accidentally Emily was there, accidentally not alone. And certainly just like that, the guy led her to a conversation about the groom.
Words taken out of context could be interpreted in different ways, but Helen tried very hard so that her husband heard what she needed. It was much easier to convince her son that she could not be wrong, because they were with her father together. Everything would have remained an unsolved mystery if the mother-in-law had not arrived.
How it happened that out of all the shopping centers, the former law enforcement officer chose exactly the one where Emily worked, cannot be called anything other than intuition. Patricia herself claimed that she never liked noisy department stores and elite boutiques, there are no trusting relationships in them, only business, and this cute little store not only turned out to be on her way, but also opened early. Helen made excuses, I wanted the best for my son, what do her parents have besides that store, and Brooke’s dad is a person who will be useful to us, I just cared about Dylan’s future.
Not soon, but the passions subsided, the parents were still sorting out the relationship, dad was making noise about the fact that his wife involved him in an adventure without even informing him and almost ruined the life of their only son. Patricia silently watched the battle and did not interfere, reconciling spouses is an ungrateful task. And Dylan and Emily did not see or hear any of this.
A couple of minutes after the guy finished the story, they left the cafe. Only the grandmother noticed their disappearance, but said nothing. Young people have something to talk about, she knows that.
And they will still be able to fix what the parents have done, they just needed a little time. Dylan held Emily by the hand so tightly, as if afraid that she would disappear. «Forgive me, please, I so blindly believed mom, I didn’t even think that the only native person could arrange everything like that.
I could have tried to find out everything, but at that moment it was so painful. After all, I love you very much, more than anything in the world, do you hear? And you forgive. I should have explained earlier, but it hurt me too that you thought so.
Although I did think a little more about money than now. And I love you, Dylan. Do you think it’s still possible to fix everything? The most important thing is that we both want it, which means everything is fixable.
We just need to give each other our word, never to hush up problems again. To talk about everything honestly and openly, and then draw conclusions. Well, young people, with such a right attitude, you will really succeed.
Emily looked around. Mom? Dad, and how are you here? Are you better, dad? Yes, everything is fine. Dylan’s parents called us here, said we need to come for a minute.
Well, now it’s clear why. And what? Have you already set a new date. Emily and Dylan looked at each other.
We don’t know for sure yet, only you know what, let’s do without any events this time. We’ll just get married, quietly celebrate in the family circle and quietly go to the sea. How about that? The future promised to be bright.
Relationships are sorted out, apologies are accepted. Only one thing remained — to live and love to the fullest, never forgetting how important it is not to be silent.