June\u2019s wedding was a dream until two police officers broke the news about her fianc\u00e9. Heartbreak becomes an unexpected journey as the truth emerges. June finds fortitude to start over, love, and a future beyond her wildest dreams among the rubble of a broken promise.<\/p>\n
I recall that day like yesterday.<\/p>\n
My wedding day was supposed to be the happiest of my life. Instead of marching down the aisle toward my beloved, I was frozen in a large wedding hall, staring at two police officers holding up a photo of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know this man, madam?\u201d Someone asked.<\/p>\n
Return to the beginning.<\/p>\n
Elias and I met at a local art museum seven months ago. Callie, my best friend, dragged me there on a rainy Thursday night when I would have preferred pizza and a blanket.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, June,\u201d she said. Some art won\u2019t kill you. You may meet someone who can explain this weirdness.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI doubt it,\u201d I said. But fine. Thai food after?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDeal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grumbling, I expected pricey wine and hazy interpretations of abstract art. I saw him.<\/p>\n
Elias.<\/p>\n
Tall, unshaven, paint on his knuckles, relaxed charisma that made you forget to breathe. The surrealist paintings he displayed were luscious dreamscapes that seemed to live and breathe. I paused in front of one, captivated, when a voice came from beside me.<\/p>\n
Whatcha think?<\/p>\n
I turned. I never knew I had this recollection. It\u2019s\u2026beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
He grinned. \u201cThat\u2019s the nicest thing anyone said all night.\u201d<\/p>\n
After that, we talked for hours.<\/p>\n
Elias didn\u2019t like status or flash. His small workspace was filled of canvases and smelled like turpentine half the time. He had no car. Street tacos, late-night walks, and napkin sketches were our dates.<\/p>\n
But he was kind. He saw me differently.<\/p>\n
He muttered, \u201cDon\u2019t move,\u201d one afternoon. \u201cPerfect light.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was painting me, and I was trying not to move. I couldn\u2019t shake the restlessness buzzing inside. Like something was coming.<\/p>\n
I had no idea how right I was.<\/p>\n
In four months, he proposed. We were on a hill at sunset, the breeze carrying his selected wildflowers. A ring with an antique turquoise stone and quivering hands\u2014no speech or crowd.<\/p>\n
I murmured \u201cYes\u201d before he finished the inquiry.<\/p>\n
Heart responded me.<\/p>\n
I told my parents, especially my father, and things unraveled swiftly.<\/p>\n
Wedding a man you\u2019ve known for six months? Vincent, my father, exploded at dinner. He paced with whiskey sloshing in his glass. June, he has nothing. Few paintings and fantasies. Don\u2019t be silly. You have a heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad, Elias cares about me, not money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly. That worries me.\u201d<\/p>\n
My mother Nadine was quiet, but her eyes showed uneasiness. Still, I persisted.<\/p>\n
I knew Elias. Loved him. It was enough.<\/p>\n
My wedding morning nerves were tense. Callie and my bridesmaids prepared me in the hall\u2019s upper bridal suite. Lace, pearls, and a racing heart made me feel royal.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think dad will behave today?\u201d While curling my hair, Callie asked.<\/p>\n
I responded, grasping my chair edge, \u201cHe said he would try.\u201d As close as he\u2019ll get to a benediction.<\/p>\n
Ceremony time was 2 p.m. No texts on my phone at 1:30. Still nothing at 2:15.<\/p>\n
At 2:40, whispers began.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s the groom?\u201d<\/p>\n
Has anyone heard from him?\u201d<\/p>\n
I checked my phone again. No call, no text. Elias was tried twice more. Voicemail.<\/p>\n
The big oak hall doors burst open as I reached for my phone again.<\/p>\n
Two uniformed police entered.<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am?\u201d one asked, purposefully approaching me. \u201cKnow this man?\u201d<\/p>\n
They displayed a photo.<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d I inhaled. That\u2019s Elias. My fiance. What\u2019s happening? Is he okay?<\/p>\n
Officers glanced loadedly.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re sorry, but your fianc\u00e9 was arrested. He was arrested today trying to break into your family\u2019s estate.\u201d<\/p>\n
I heard gasps behind me. Someone dropped their drink. I barely noticed.<\/p>\n
My knees buckled. \u201cWhat? That\u2019s wrong. Elias would never\u2026<\/p>\n
He was found on property. He escaped, but we caught him near the warehouses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad\u2019s voice roared throughout the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you!\u201d he roared. He\u2019s a fraud. Thief of gold! I predicted his betrayal. Now look!\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned to the officers with tears. \u201cCan we visit him? I must speak to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d said one. You and your parents, if desired.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vincent immediately grabbed his coat, his face triumphant and furious. My mother followed silently. As I grabbed my skirt and followed the cops outside, I barely noticed my companions\u2019 whispers or inquisitive glances.<\/p>\n
Suffocating ride. White satin on my outfit felt like a noose. My father muttered insults, but I just heard my heart thumping.<\/p>\n
I frowned as we drove up to an abandoned warehouse on the city\u2019s fringe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t the police station,\u201d I exclaimed, puzzled.<\/p>\n
The officer cryptically said, \u201cThis is part of the investigation,\u201d opening the car door.<\/p>\n
Standing in the wind, I held my gown.<\/p>\n
Warehouse doors creaked.<\/p>\n
Oh, I gasped.<\/p>\n
Inside, industrial walls were painted in bright colors. A floor-to-ceiling mural dominated the middle. I immediately recognized it.<\/p>\n
It was I. My wedding dress. My grin, curls, eyes. Holding hands with Elias in golden sunshine and beautiful wildflowers. Fantasy realized in spray paint and brushstrokes.<\/p>\n
Writing in a familiar, jumbled script was in the corner:<\/p>\n
Always yours, Elias.<\/p>\n
It was a familiar voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurprise?\u201d<\/p>\n
He was there when I turned.<\/p>\n
Elias emerged from a wooden easel, apprehensive and smiling, paint smudged on his palms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2026what is this?\u201d Shocked, I whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wedding gift to you,\u201d he whispered. \u201cI wanted to make you something forever. Something real. Your family would never accept me, but I wanted the world to know how much I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The police made an arrest. That was what? I requested.<\/p>\n
Winced. \u201cOk, so\u2026 Maybe I hired two actor friends. I wanted a memorable day. Even dramatic. Like an emotional art installation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018You staged your arrest?\u2019 My angry father snapped. \u201cAre you crazy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m passionate,\u201d Elias remarked, eyeing me. I was scared. I didn\u2019t want to warn your father again. Was trying to prove something.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one spoke for a while. Incredulous, my mother put her palm to her lips. Father had a stormy face.<\/p>\n
And I?<\/p>\n
I cried. Laughing. All-out collapse into Elias\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou idiot,\u201d I cried into his shirt. I thought you left. I thought\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d never leave you,\u201d he said. \u201cNot even paint.\u201d<\/p>\n
Late and scandalous, we returned to the venue.<\/p>\n
Elias described everything to our surprised guests. People weren\u2019t sure whether to laugh or yell, but the complete narrative changed the dynamic.<\/p>\n
My father reluctantly stood and raised a glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got guts, Elias,\u201d he added. I still consider you reckless. I think love is too.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at my new spouse in a hotel suite with chocolate-covered strawberries and bare feet later that night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have something for you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raised eyebrow. \u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we get home,\u201d I grinned, \u201cI want you to pack up your studio.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJune, if this is about me messing\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no,\u201d I said. Got you a new one. A actual place. Naturally lit. Plus a gallery downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes grew. \u201cDid you buy me an art studio?\u201d<\/p>\n
I want the world to see your paintings. To make it happen, you need your own space.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not speaking for a moment. He said, \u201cYou\u2019re the real masterpiece, June.\u201d<\/p>\n
We celebrated anarchy, art, and love no canvas could hold.<\/p>\n
My wedding day didn\u2019t go as planned, but it was better than expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
June\u2019s wedding was a dream until two police officers broke the news about her fianc\u00e9. Heartbreak becomes an unexpected journey as the truth emerges. June finds fortitude to start over, love, and a future beyond her wildest dreams among the rubble of a broken promise. I recall that day like yesterday. My wedding day was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32378"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32379,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32378\/revisions\/32379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}