Side Characters in a Nutshell

a not-your-usual wedding

A moment later, they all entered the restaurant, and it was only her, the bride and the mysterious woman left on the sidewalk.

"You came."

Anne's whole demeanor softened, her eyes swimming in fondness and regret.

"I said I would. I thought your wedding wasn't supposed to happen in years."

For a long moment they looked at each other with dejection and pure, encompassing love.

Oh.

Suddenly, feeling like a third wheel, Marley broke the tangible, sexual, tension, and coughed in urgency. "I will distract them."

She turned away, not looking back.

                    _________________

On the day of the wedding, she was tying the stupidly complicated dress on Eve, in a silence where both of them were deep in their thoughts.

Usually, the bride's mother and sister were the ones to prepare her for the ceremony. Eve had no sister and no mother, only a power-hungry father and a younger brother who seemed to despise everyone except Eve here.

Well, that was a mood.

However, Marley couldn't get the other woman, Anna, out of her head. After years of this job, she finally recognized the spark, but not where she was supposed to find it. She was sure the two loved each other, but the woman disappeared for a longer period of time and Eve was stuck in an engagement that would probably ruin her whole life.

The demon in-laws, as Marley started to call them in her head, were the worst it can get. Everything Marley did for preparation here had to be changed at least three times before it appeased the groom's mother, but it was Marley's job, so they were free to correct her mistakes.

Eve, however, they weren't allowed to pressure. At least that's what Marley thought.

Even though it was Eve's wedding, the mother-in-law constantly tried to change her opinions, criticised her choices, looks and mannerisms and was overall an absolute nuisance. The worst thing was that the groom was there to hear it all, but didn't do anything. Mama's boy, Marley thought in disdain.

Back to the mysterious woman, right. Well, the bride and her were in love, and everything was made spicy with romantic drama elements shaping their lives. Arranged marriage, forbidden love, long-lost friends, rising from being poor to being rich at the point no one even recognized you... all in all, Marley seriously thought about writing a book about her experiences.

What was missing, though, was the classic but effective running away and eloping.

That's where Marley comes in.

"You will have to excuse my impertinence, miss Lair, but do you love him?"

There was a startled silence for a moment and their eyes locked in the mirror. Whatever Eve saw in her eyes, she relaxed a tiniest bit.

"No."

Marley nodded in understanding. "You love that woman, Anna, don't you?"

Her eyes suddenly became vulnerable and Marley hated it with her whole being, but couldn't let herself bend on this one.

"I..."

"Yes or no?"

A moment of silence, then, "Yes."

She hummed in acknowledgement, getting back to her task at hand with the dress.

"You don't seem surprised."

"Because I'm not, really. It was pretty obvious with how you two looked at each other."

Eve let her head fall down. "Why are you asking if you know, then? It's not like it's important."

Marley stopped in her tracks. "Of course it's important. Why are you marrying that mama's boy, then?"

That earned her a very little, but nevertheless beautiful, smile from Eve. "It's my duty. It may not look like it, but father's company is falling apart, has been for years. My role from the beginning was to marry Damien, nothing else."

"What about that woman, then? She seems pretty rich to me."

Eve's smile grew, getting a little more melancholic and proud. "She wasn't always like that. We didn't see each other for five years, and suddenly she comes two days before my wedding looking like that. That didn't change, though. Her loving to surprise people, I mean. I just... I just don't know why now, when she didn't answer my messages for two years."

Marley frowned. "What do you mean?"

Eve buried her face in her hands. "When she left after finishing college, we kept contact and suddenly she didn't answer me anymore."

Marley had a sinking feeling about what was happening. "Give me your phone."

Eve was confused. "Why?"

"Just do it, please."

She handed Marley her phone, not asking any questions even if it was obvious that she was curious. Marley's dream was to become a wedding planner, and she was a successful one at that, but before doing her dream job she got herself a degree in computer science as well. She was immensely thankful for it right now.

After further probing, her assumptions were confirmed. "You're hacked."

There was a horrified silence. Marley pulled her own phone out of her pocket and gave it to Eve.

"Call her. I don't think she changed her number."

Eve took the phone shakily and, after a few moments, pressed it against her ear. Just moments later, there was an answer.

She gave them a few minutes to themselves, but when the conversation accompanied with tears was over, she took the phone and put it on speaker.

"Listen miss, we don't have much time, but I came prepared. There's a car waiting outside of the house, ready to take Eve to you. We only have five minutes left until the real car that's about to take Eve to the ceremony is here. It's your decision."

Gasps echoed on both sides of the line, and Marley smiled.

There was nothing to decide, after all.