The air was filled with joy, the warm laughter of the guests sounded in the hall.
Everything around took after a scene from a good fairy tale: the sun’s rays sparkled
through the colored stained glass windows, and the delicate aroma of lilies enfolded the space. The smiles of the guests shone no less than the faces of the newlyweds, which showed love and excitement.
The groom stood at the altar – tall, stately, with a charm that could defeat anyone. His gaze, full of boundless love, was directed at the bride. She is a real princess: a snow-white dress, a shining smile, eyes full of tears of happiness.
Then, the newlyweds started to read their vows – quiet, sincere words, spoken in front of their family and friends, binding their hearts with strong bonds.
But immediately the silence was smashed by the sound of children’s footsteps. A small boy, the groom’s nephew, ran out of the aisle. His face was shining with delight. He stumbled, instinctively reached out with his hand and caught the hem of the wedding dress. A barely audible grasp of surprise was heard in the church.
The bride turned around abruptly. For a split second her face was deformed by a grimace of irritation, but what occured next was frozen in the memory of all present forever.
The groom raised his hand significantly.
A loud slap sounded through the hall. The boy fell, his face deformed with pain and bewilderment.
The guests froze.
The bride stood fossilized. The bouquet fell from her hands. Her gaze flashed between the sobbing child and the face of the man to whom she had just made her vows.
“What have you done?” she said.
A feeling of hopelessness pierced her soul. Nausea rose in her throat. The wedding she had dreamed, all of it collapsed in an instant.
Who was he? Why did he do it? Could the man she knew be so terrible?
The boy lay on the floor, curled up in a ball. His body shaken with bitter sobs. His cheek was burning. Tears blurred his vision. He seeked his mother, for protection, for an answer to the question: why did his beloved uncle, the groom, hi:t him? After all, he just dreamed to hug his beautiful aunt, the bride…
The joyful atmosphere vanished in an instant. T
The silence was collapsed by noise: the guests looked for the child. Their voices sounded sharp, full of indignation and condemnation of the groom’s actions.
“Do you even understand what you’ve done?!” he muttered through his teeth.
The groom, pale and stammering, tried to explain:
– He scared her… he could have scared her… or even dropped her!
How can you ignore hitting a child – especially on a day when kindness and love should reign?
This moment surprised both families. The groom’s relatives, burning with shame, apologized to everyone. The bride’s family, on the contrary, was frantic, demanding an answer: how could they allow their daughter to live with such a man?
The boy’s mother, her face coiled with anger and pain, carefully picked up her son.
The wedding, which was considered to be a symbol of connection between two families, instead became a reason of discord between them. What was intended as a celebration transformed into a deep bond between relatives.
The banquet hall was vacant.
The guests muttered, trying to hide their surprise and condemnation.
The bride sat alone, wearing a white dress that now reminded her not of joy, but of treachery. The man she loved had become a stranger to her.
The party was over before it had even started. Would she be able to forgive? And would she be able to forget?
The boy stopped crying. His trust was broken and his childhood innocence was lost forever. The groom’s actions were a terrible reminder: even the brightest moments can exist a darkness that can alter destinies forever.
