Marry Me Stranger

My world was crumbling. “You’re nothing but a bad omen, Ivy. Always have been, always will be,” my stepmother’s words sliced through me. I stood frozen in my wedding gown, her words pressing down on me like a heavyweight. But today was supposed to be different, wasn’t it? My wedding day. My chance for a fresh start. So why did it feel like everything was falling apart? Oscar. He was supposed to be my escape, my future. But as I walked down the aisle toward him, ready to start a life filled with love, everything changed. Just as the pastor asked the question I’d dreamed of hearing, the doors slammed open. A woman in white walked down the aisle—no, not just white, but the same dress as me. Lily. She was carrying Oscar’s secret. The one he kept from me. “She’s pregnant,” he said, the words cutting me like a knife. The air went cold. My legs buckled. How could this be happening? But then, a stranger stepped forward. Tall, confident, and looking straight at me. “If he won’t marry you, then marry me.” What? Who was he? Why was he offering me an escape when everything I knew was falling apart? I didn’t know what to think, but one thing was clear—my life was no longer my own. Would I say yes to this stranger? Or would I let Oscar’s betrayal destroy me?