I woke up in my bridal suite with butterflies in my stomach. At 35, I wasn't some starry-eyed young bride, but today felt different. My wedding dress hung by the window, catching the morning light.

I smiled as I stood and went straight to it, running my fingers along the delicate fabric and taking a moment to breathe before the chaos began.

Right on cue, the door burst open. My bridesmaids poured in with my mother and my sister, Emily, close behind.

"The hair stylist will be here in 20 minutes," my mother announced, checking her watch.

Emily placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "How are you feeling, Kath?"

"Nervous. Happy. Ready," I replied, though I wasn't entirely sure about the last part.

The room quickly filled with chatter as everyone busied themselves with preparations.

Hours later, amid the commotion, one of my bridesmaids, Lily, approached me timidly.

"Umm, Kathryn..." she said, her voice soft and quick. "Lawrence is asking to see you. He said it is really important..."

I frowned. "Before the ceremony? Doesn't he know that's bad luck?"

"He was weirdly intense about it," Lily said, twisting her hands. "He said he's got something special for you."

Emily caught my eye across the room, her eyebrow raised in question. Something in my gut tightened, and although I couldn't understand why yet, at my age, I'd learned to trust that feeling.

"Mom, guys, could you give us a minute?" I still asked.

My mother herded the bridesmaids out of the room, but Emily lingered.

"Want me to stay?" she asked.

"I'll be fine," I assured her. "Could you grab me some tea? Some chamomile might calm my nerves."

Emily hesitated before giving me a quick hug. "Get him out of here quickly. It's definitely bad luck," she said, half-teasing, half-serious.

Then, she slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Lawrence entered almost immediately. I immediately noticed his eyes, which held a strange intensity that made me uneasy.

"You look beautiful," he said.

"You're not supposed to see me yet," I replied.

"I know, I know. This will take just a minute," he said and produced a red velvet box from behind his back. "I wanted to give you this. Open it."

I took the box, smiling, and slowly lifted the lid. Inside sat a diamond necklace so large and flashy that I gasped. The stones caught the light and threw rainbows across the walls.

It was beautiful… but it was not me.

"Lawrence, this is..." I struggled to find the right words while trying to maintain my smile. "It's too much."