Weddings are supposed to be full of joy, but as I watched Shanize approach the altar, a knot formed in my stomach. Something was wrong and I couldn’t ignore it. When I finally approached to lift her dress, the truth I found left me frozen in amazement.
I’ve known Dave for over 30 years. We grew up together, shared secrets and laughed through the awkwardness of adolescence. So when he told me he was marrying Shanize, that stunning, elegant woman he met a year ago, I was thrilled for him.
Honestly, I didn’t think anyone could ever tie him down, but here we were on his wedding day.
The ceremony was perfect, almost too perfect. Shanize looked like she’d stepped out of a bridal magazine, her long white dress flowing down the aisle. I should have been lost in the beauty of it all, but something wasn’t right.
At first I thought it was nerves. Weddings are nerve-wracking, aren’t they? But as Shanize took one step and then another, I noticed that she was walking strangely. It wasn’t the confident, sure-footed bridal walk you’d expect. Her steps were small, unsteady, almost as if she were stumbling.
I leaned over to whisper to Dave’s sister Heather.
“See that?“ I whispered, trying to keep my voice down.
Heather frowned and looked down the aisle. ‘See what?’ she asked, oblivious.
“Shanize,” I said, making a subtle gesture with my chin. “She’s walking strangely. Like… like something’s wrong.”
Heather narrowed her eyes and then shrugged. “You’re reading too much into it. She’s just nervous, Janice. It’s a big day.” She gave me a reassuring smile, but it didn’t calm the feeling of unease bubbling up inside me.
Maybe. But something about the way Shanize’s dress moved was eating away at me. Was her dress too tight? Had something happened before the ceremony? I tried to push the thoughts away, but as she approached the altar, I could no longer ignore it. Her steps were not only slow, but almost forced.
I leaned towards her again, unable to resist. “Heather, I swear something’s wrong.”
“Janice, stop it,” Heather whispered sharply. ”You’ll ruin the moment. Don’t make a scene.”
I turned to face the altar. Dave was standing there, his eyes shining with love. When our eyes met, he gave me a thumbs up and said, “Can you believe it?”
I forced a smile back at him, nodding, but inside something wasn’t right.
The closer Shanize got to the altar, the more anxious I felt. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“She’s slipping!” whispered someone behind me, a man’s voice mixed with amusement. Something in that comment chilled me to the core. I leaned back towards Heather, my voice barely above a whisper. ”Did you hear that? Slipping? That’s exactly what it is. She’s not walking properly.”
“Janice, for God’s sake,” Heather hissed. Her patience was wearing thin. ‘You’re going to embarrass Dave. Stop behaving like this.’
But I couldn’t stop. As Shanize approached, I narrowed my eyes at her feet, trying to make sense of it. The fluidity of her dress was unnatural. I couldn’t bear it any longer. My body moved before my mind could catch up.
“I have to check it out,“ I muttered, taking a step forward. I heard Heather’s sharp intake of breath as I passed her with my eyes fixed on the bride.
“Janice!” Heather hissed behind me, her voice tense with panic. But it was too late. I was already there.
My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking as I reached out. The world seemed to slow down as I bent down and lifted the hem of Shanize’s dress a few inches. I wasn’t even sure what I expected to see: maybe a shoe malfunction or a wardrobe mishap. But what I found defied logic.
The whole church fell silent in astonishment.
Beneath the beautiful white dress was something so out of place and shocking that my mind went blank for a second. Men’s shoes. Big, polished men’s shoes.
I blinked, half convinced that I was hallucinating. I looked up, but no one was moving. Nobody was breathing. Shanize – no, that person – didn’t react, but I did. I knelt closer and looked more closely. My stomach churned as I noticed the fabric of the suit trousers, slightly hidden by the dress. And then my eyes drifted upwards, towards the face.
That’s when I realized.
It wasn’t Shanize.
It was a man. A man wearing a wig, a veil covering most of his features, but now that I was up close, I could see the truth. My throat went dry. I stood up, hands trembling at my sides, and met Dave’s eyes.
“Janice…?” Dave’s voice faltered and his happiness turned to confusion as he looked at me. “What’s going on?”
I didn’t know what to say.
For a moment, no one moved. The whole church was frozen, mouths open and eyes fixed on the man standing at the altar, dressed as the bride. The weight of what I had discovered hung in the air like a bomb about to explode.
Dave’s face was pale and his eyes were wide, looking between me, the man dressed as a bride and the confused guests. He staggered backwards, almost tripping over his own feet.
“What the hell is this?” His voice cracked, thick with disbelief.
The guests began to whisper, their voices like a swarm of bees filling the room.
The man in the dress – the fake Shanize – stood up, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face. Slowly and deliberately, he raised his hand and removed the veil from his head, letting it fall to the floor. He then removed his wig with a flourish, revealing short, dark hair. The transformation was complete and the church erupted in a confused hubbub.
“Surprise,“ he said, his voice full of satisfaction. ‘You didn’t even realize it, did you?”
Dave blinked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. ’Where’s Shanize?” he asked, his voice barely contained. “Where is she?”
The man – Dave’s godfather – laughed, shaking his head. “She’s gone, Dave. She left days ago. But don’t worry, she knew about this. She was the one who asked me to do it.”
The murmurs from the church grew louder and I heard people shift uncomfortably in their seats. I stood there, numb, unable to process what I was hearing. Dave’s best friend – the one standing there in Shanize’s wedding dress – had been in on this?
Dave’s face twisted in confusion and rage. “What the hell are you talking about? What have you done to her?” His voice rose in panic as he took a step forward, fists clenched. “Where is she?”
The best man raised a hand in a gesture of calm, although his eyes gleamed with triumph. “Oh, she’s safe. Don’t worry. But she wanted you to feel this moment, Dave. She wanted you to know what it feels like to be cheated on.”
Dave’s confusion increased. ”What are you talking about?”
The best man smiled a cold, sharp smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “She found out, Dave. About you and Vanessa.” His voice dropped to a near whisper, the words dripping with malice. “The bridesmaid you’ve been sneaking around with? Shanize found out.”
The air left the room. Dave’s face drained of color and his eyes widened in horror. “No… no, that’s not… That’s not true.”
“Oh, but it is,” the best man interrupted, his tone merciless. “She found out a few days ago. She could have called off the wedding, but where’s the fun in that? No, she wanted to make sure everyone saw you for who you really are.”
My knees felt weak and I grabbed the back of a pew for support. My mind raced. Dave? Cheating on Shanize with one of the bridesmaids? I looked at Vanessa, sitting a few rows away. Her face was pale and her hands were shaking as she stared at the floor, unable to look anyone in the eye.
Dave shook his head frantically. “No, no, this isn’t happening.”
But the best man stepped forward, raising his voice with each word. ”This is happening, Dave! You betrayed her! You threw away your chance at happiness for a cheap fling, and now you’re paying the price.”
The room erupted into chaos. Guests talked over each other, shouted questions, tried to make sense of what had just happened. Some got up, ready to leave, while others stared in disbelief at the man dressed as a bride, who was still standing proudly at the altar.
Dave’s eyes were wide with panic as he looked at me as if somehow I could save him from this nightmare. “Janice,” he exclaimed, reaching out his hand to me. “Please, you have to believe me. This is not what it looks like.”
I looked back at him, heartbroken. “Dave… what have you done?”
The church fell silent once more and the cold voice of the best man cut through the air like a knife. ”This is your punishment, Dave. For what you did to her.”
And with that, he turned on his heel, leaving Dave there alone, shattered, exposed and completely broken.