A Christian Romance Fiction
Zarah Bennett thought her life couldn't get more complicated-trapped in a relationship, where apologies are cheap and blame is always placed on the devil. But a single decision made without her knowledge sets off a chain...
I opened my mouth to answer, but the words wouldn’t come. Liam and I have been together for what feels like forever. If anyone knows what's best for me, it's him. “It doesn’t matter,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “I just want him to be happy and I don't think I look beautiful in it, so he's right."
Ella sighed, the sound heavy with unspoken thoughts. “Zarah,” she began, her tone careful, “you can’t keep doing this. You can’t keep shrinking yourself just to make him happy. It’s not—”
“I’m not shrinking myself,” I interrupted, too quickly, my voice defensive. “I just… I want things to go smoothly. This weekend is important to him, and if I have to change a dress to make that happen, it’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal,” she repeated flatly, the disbelief evident in her tone. “Zarah, this isn’t about a dress, and you know it.”
I closed my eyes, gripping the phone tighter. “Ella, please. I just need your help picking out something new. Can we talk about this later?”
She was quiet for a moment, and I thought I’d lost her. But then she sighed again, softer this time. “Alright,” she said reluctantly. “I’ll go with you tomorrow. But, Zarah…”
“Yeah?” I whispered, bracing myself for her words.
“You deserve someone who sees how beautiful you are. God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made in whatever you wear. And please you’re dressing to meet his parents, not the Queen of England. You don’t have to strip away every ounce of personality just to impress them.”
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. She doesn’t understand—Liam means everything to me. He appeared in my dream, clear as day, like a sign from God that he was meant to be in my life. I can’t bear the thought of losing what I believe God has blessed me with. “You don’t understand. This weekend has to be perfect. If it’s not, he’ll… I’ll disappoint him.”
“Zarah,” she said softly, her tone cutting through my defenses, “when was the last time you chose something for you?”
Her words hit me harder than I expected, but I brushed them off with a small, forced laugh. “Thanks, Ella. I’ll text you the details.”
Liam sees me. He cared about me—he wanted me to meet his parents, to be part of his life. Wasn’t that enough?
I hung up before Ella could press further, gripping my phone tightly. Her words lingered, though, like an unwelcome guest refusing to leave. When was the last time I chose something for myself? I don't have to be selfish. Our love is about giving, about compromise, about making sacrifices for him.
I pushed it aside, focusing on the weekend ahead. I couldn’t afford to mess it up. This was my chance to prove to them—and maybe even to myself—that we belong together.
The soft hum of Liam’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. He was on a call in the next room, his tone calm, collected, the complete opposite of the way he’d spoken to me earlier. It was like he had two versions of himself.
"Zarah," Liam called, stepping into the room, his phone in hand and an unreadable expression on his face.
"Yes?" I turned to him, smoothing the fabric of my dress nervously.
He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck—a rare display of uncertainty. "About earlier," he began, his tone softer now, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Oh… it's okay," I replied quickly, though the memory of his raised voice still lingered.
"No, it’s not," he said, taking a step closer. "I’ve been stressed lately. You know it's not my fault right."
His words brought a small flicker of relief, but it was overshadowed by the unease still gnawing at me. "Yeah, I do." I murmured, unsure of what else to say.
He glanced at the dress again, his brows furrowing slightly. "When are you going to do what we discussed about?"
"What's that?" I asked, trying to recall.
"The hospital checkup," he reminded me, his tone sharp, echoing the conversation we had last night about a hysteroscopy.
"I said we should go together."
"And I said I'm fine!" He snapped, frustration creeping into his voice. "Wait, do you think there's something wrong with me?"
"And there's nothing wrong with me, Liam," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Are you raising your voice at me?!" he barked.
"No. I'm sorry," I said quickly, my heart racing at the sudden shift in his mood.
"You better be. You'll go to the hospital for a full checkup, and that's final." His words cut through the air, sharp and final, as he stormed out of the room, leaving me standing there, stunned and uncertain.
I stood frozen for a moment, the weight of his words pressing down on me again, as the door slammed behind him. The silence that followed was suffocating, and I couldn't help but feel the sting of his anger lingering, even as I tried to shake it off.
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