CHAPTER EIGHTY–FOUR- What Remains After the Fall?
Vivian’s lips thinned. “I understand, but we do have other appointments today. Perhaps Ms. Florent would like to reschedule when she has a clearer idea of what she wants?
Before Laura could respond, a cry came from behind the changing screen.
“This zipper is stuck! How am I supposed to get married in a dress I can’t even put on properly?”
Laura rushed over, helping Julia out of the troublesome gown. As she did, she noticed tears in the bride–to–be’s eyes.
“Hey,” Laura said softly, “what’s really going on here?”
Julia sniffled. “I just… I want everything to be perfect. Ryan deserves perfect.”
Laura felt a pang in her chest but pushed it aside. “Julia, Ryan loves you. You could wear a potato sack and he’d still think you’re the most beautiful bride in the world.”
Julia let out a watery laugh. “You’re right. I’m being ridiculous, aren’t I?”
“Not ridiculous,” Laura assured her. “Just a little… intense.”
They shared a smile, and for a moment, Laura could see why Ryan had fallen for this woman.
“Okay,” Julia said, taking a deep breath. “One more dress. And this time, I promise to keep an open mind.”
The final dress turned out to be a compromise between Julia’s original choice and her new ideas. It wasn’t perfect, but as she stood in front of the mirror, a genuine smile spread across her face.
“This… this could be it,” she said softly.
Laura nodded, relief washing over her. “It’s beautiful, Julia. You look amazing ”
As they left the boutique, Julla turned to Laura. “Thank you for coming today. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Laura smiled, ignoring the twinge in her heart. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
The weeks that followed were a whirlwind of wedding preparations. Somehow, Laura found herself being pulled into more and more of the planning process. She accompanied Julia to florists, sampling delicate arrangements of roses and peonies. They visited catering companies, tasting endless variations of hors d’oeuvres and cake flavors. Laura even sat through Julia’s hair and makeup trials, offering opinions on updos and eyeshadow palettes.
Throughout it all, Julia’s demanding nature continued to cause friction. At the florist, she insisted on out–of–season blooms that sent the cost skyrocketing. During the catering tastings, she changed her mind multiple times, leaving the chef visibly frustrated. And at the hair salon, she reduced a young stylist to tears with her harsh criticisms,
Each time, Laura found herself playing diplomat, soothing ruffled feathers and trying to find compromises. It was exhausting, and it was starting to affect her work at Sivarra Tech.
One afternoon, Laura was so engrossed in reviewing Invitation designs with Julia over lunch that she completely lost track of time. She rushed back to the office, only to find she had missed an important team meeting
Bo Chen was waiting at her desk, her expression stern. “Laura, can I see you in my office?”
Laura’s stomach sank as she followed her supervisor. Once the door was closed, Bo turned to face her.
“Laura, I’m concerned. You’ve been distracted lately, missing deadlines, showing up late to meetings. This isn’t like you.”
Laura felt her cheeks burn with shame. “I’m sorry, Bo. I’ve just been helping with some wedding preparations and-”
Bo held up a hand. “I understand you’re in a unique position with Ryan’s wedding. But you can’t let it interfere with your work here. You’re a valuable member of this team, Laura. We need you focused.”
Laura nodded, feeling thoroughly chastised. “It won’t happen again, I promise. I’ll refocus on my work commitments.”
Bo’s expression softened slightly. “Good. I know you can handle this, Laura. just… remember to set some boundaries, okay?”
As Laura left Bo’s office, she felt a mixture of guilt and frustration. She knew she had to do something about the situation with Julia, but she wasn’t sure how to approach it.
That evening, her phone buzzed with a text from Ryan: “Hey, got time for a quick coffee? Need to discuss something.”
Laura’s heart skipped a beat. She texted back a quick affirmative and headed to their usual café.
CHAFTER EIGHTY–FOUR W Remam After the Fall?
Ryan was already there when she arrived, two steaming cups on the table in front of him. Has she approached, giving her a
warm smile that made her knees weak.
“Laura, thanks for coming,” he said, pulling out her chair.
She sat down, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. “Of course. Is everything okay?”
Ryan’s brow furrowed slightly. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask you. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Julia lately, helping with the wedding stuff. How’s it going?”
Laura hesitated, unsure how to respond. She didn’t want to badmouth Julia, but she also felt like she was reaching her breaking point.
Ryan seemed to sense her reluctance. “Laura, please. Be honest with me. If something’s wrong, I want to know.”
She took a deep breath. “It’s just… Julia can be a bit… demanding sometimes. And I’m happy to help, really I am, but it’s starting to affect my work. I missed a team meeting today because I lost track of time during a lunch with her.”
Ryan’s frown deepened. “I had no idea it had gotten so intense. Why didn’t you say something sooner?
Laura shrugged, looking down at her coffee. “I didn’t want to cause any problems. be perfect.”
Both my friends, and I want your wedding to
“Laura, look at me,” Ryan said softly. When she met his gaze, his eyes were filled with concern. “You’re important to me, to both of us. We never meant for this to become such a burden on you.”
“It’s not a burden,” Laura protested weakly.
Ryan shook his head. “It is if it’s affecting your job and stressing you out. I’ll talk to Julia, okay? We’ll figure out a way to dial things back”
Laura felt a wave of relief wash over her, followed quickly by a pang of guilt. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t want to cause any problems between you two.”
Ryan reached across the table, placing his hand over hers. The touch sent a jolt through her. “You’re not causing problems, Laura. You’re being a great friend, and we’ve been taking advantage of that. Let me fix this, okay?”
Laura nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Ryan’s hand was warm on hers, and for a moment, she allowed herself to imagine what it would be like if things were different, if she were the one he was marrying.
CHAPTER EIGHTY FIVE A Battle of Wills
