There is a chance that it will. “No

There is a chance that it will.
 
“Now… since I seem to always be the bearer of bad news, I won’t make this any easier for you.  You have to know, Ash.  The sooner the better.”
 
I looked at him like he just grew an extra head.  I didn’t get what he was trying to say. 
 
He was staring at me wearily. I can tell that he was measuring me, weighing what my reaction is going to be for something that he said… or worse… something that he is just about to say.
 
I raised a brow at him in challenge.  This gave him encouragement to continue.  He sighed and took an envelope from the table beside him.  He handed it to me.
 
“Breathe, Astrid.”  He whispered.
 
I stared at the elegant magenta envelope in my hand. The edges were trimmed neatly and at the center, are the engraved characters “B & G”.
 
I recognized the envelope pretty well.  I had seen it before, when I approved the sample of what would have been the invitation for mine and Bryan’s wedding.  Exact same color.  Exact same style.
 
My hands were shaking when I opened the envelope and pulled out the card inside.  My breath caught in my throat as I recognized the paper material used, the fonts on the front and the elegant style of the card.  I admired the card company for getting the last minute modifications I asked them.  There were flowers and hearts embossed around the card.  At the center, the letters B and G were engraved in the font of my choice, Vivaldi.
 
Bryan and Geena
Bound by love forever…
 
Even the words were chosen by me… but my name has been replaced.
 
The date was… the same date as my own wedding would have been had I not caught Bryan cheating on me. The ceremony will be in the same church where my parents were married.  The reception will be at King’s Lagoon Resort, where my reception would have been.
 
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I crumpled the invitation in my hand.
 
“Easy, Ash.”  Adam said, reaching out for my hand and taking the invitation away from me.
 
I stared at him helplessly.
 
“Everything’s the same…”  I croaked.
 
Adam shook his head, trying to smile at me ruefully.  “Not really.  As you can see, I am no longer part of the entourage.  And… well, you are no longer… the bride.”
 
“They stole my wedding, Adam!  Bryan was supposed to cancel the arrangements!” 
 
“Well, apparently, marriage is Bryan’s solution to everything.”  Adam said, rolling his eyes.

“How could he?”  I sobbed.  “How could they do this to me?  Don’t they have… decency?  Or conscience?  How could they?”
 
I was going out of control.  I was shaking and raging with anger.  I knew I would be hyperventilating any minute now.  I was losing it. 
 
I grabbed Adam on both his forearms and tried to shake him.
 
“They cannot do this to me!”  I cried.  “You have to stop them, Adam!  They cannot do this!”
 
Adam took both my arms and tried to pull me to him into a tight hug.

“Sshhh…”  He said.  “Breathe, Ash.  You need to take deep breaths!”
 
I shook my head and struggled to be free of him.
 
“I need to talk to him.  I need to talk to her!  To both of them!  They should still feel some sort of affection for me!”
 
Adam shook me gently.  “Astrid!”  He raised his voice.  “Get a grip of yourself!  They’re not going to change their minds about it!  Do you think they didn’t know you’d be hurt by all these?  More than you’ve already been?”  He shook his head.  “They do!  And still they chose to do it!  They still chose to hurt you!  They’re not going to suddenly grow a conscience for you just because you found out about it!  You were meant to find out about it, Ash!  That invitation was yours!  Not mine!”
 
I stared back at him for a while, unable to believe what he was trying to tell me.
 
“Pull yourself together, Astrid!  You’re a strong, independent woman!  It’s killing me to see you torn up like this.”  Adam pleaded.
 
“How…” My lips were shaking.  Tears continued to stream down my face.  “How…  how…” I kept on sobbing, unable to let a comprehensible sentence out.
 
Adam shook his head.  “How could Bryan do this to you?”  He shrugged.  “Only goes to show the type of man you were about to marry.  How can Geena do this to you?”  He raised a brow.  “Oh, you might be surprised just how much Geena envied you since we were kids, Ash.”
 
I stared back at him.  “What?”
 
“Geena is a spoiled brat.  She was not contented with what she has.  Always wanted what the girl at the next table ordered.  And that girl is you.  She didn’t like it that you were happy with your career while she didn’t have a job.  You were great at what you do and you were doing something you loved. Dad would always tell her to be more like you.  Focused.  Goal-oriented.  When she was jumping from one boyfriend to another, Dad would always say how much he admired you for sticking it out with one guy.  She was dating dropouts and spoiled rich kids… you were having a relationship with an orthodontist.  She hated that.  She never showed you… or you were just too naïve to notice.”