His Redeemed Love

Kaya’s POV “I am sorry, Kaya. I can’t do this.” Seven words that changed my whole life. I was standing in my room when I received this text. Tristan was late by a whole two hours, the person who is usually never late was two hours late for his own wedding. My world came crumbling down; I wished for the ground to open and swallow me whole. My knees suddenly went weak, and I fell down, clutching the phone’s screen, reading the same text message continuously. Silent tears rolled down my eyes, turning into sobs. The room around me, filled with wedding decorations and reminders of the day that was supposed to be perfect, now felt like a cruel joke. Everything from the flowers to the gown I wore seemed to mock me. I couldn’t believe this was happening. There was a knock on the door, and my best friend, Frey, came in with an anxious expression, but as soon as she saw me in the state I was, the anxiety turned to worry. She came over and took the phone from my hand, which was already soaked in my tears. She read the message, understanding everything. She caressed my hair and hugged me tightly, making me cry harder. “Hush, Kaya. I know I shouldn’t be saying this, but the guests are waiting. You need to get yourself together and announce it,” she said. I was aware, but I just couldn’t. I wanted to cry, I wanted to shout, I wanted to confront Tristan. Tristan, right! I need to call him. With trembling hands, I dialed his number, trying to haphazardly wipe my tears, only for new ones to begin. “Hello, this is Tristan Montgomery. I am currently out of town. Please leave a voice or text message, and I will get back to you!” the call said. I kept calling him in panic until Frey snatched the phone from me. “Kaya, get up! He won’t take your calls, the bastard doesn’t care...” She couldn’t complete her sentence because my mom suddenly barged into the room saying, “Kaya, what the hell? Look at the mess you have created, and why the hell are you in this state? Where’s Tristan?” “Mom, the wedding is off,” I whispered, taking deep breaths. I needed to get myself together. I could lick my wounds in a corner later on; for now, I needed to call off the wedding and get as far away as possible from here. “WHAT? We told you, he is not the right guy for you, but you still went ahead with him, and now we are going to be so embarrassed in front of all our guests, the business partners, the media! Do you even know what will happen?” my mom shrieked suddenly. I got up, dusted my dress, and tried to smooth out the wrinkles, while my mom kept shrieking about this and that… “How unlucky I am to give birth to you! How am I supposed to face the world now? Oh God, the embarrassment! And how could you be like this, Kaya?” she gestured while looking me up and down. I knew exactly what she was saying, but I still asked, “How?” She was very quick in her reply. “Your wedding is being called off, and you are here getting ready again? What are we going to do now? Anyway, it’s the mess you have created, and it’s you who is going to sort it out!” she literally screamed at me. I knew how my mom was, but the last sentence she said still hurt. “That’s all you’ve got to say, Mom?” I asked her calmly. I was very calm now. I had already sorted out my feelings, where I stand now, and what needed to be done. But behind that calmness, a storm of emotions was brewing, which could burst anytime if I didn’t control it. I was used to using this façade, as a girl born in a business empire where feelings never mattered, not even to her parents, where respect and name were more important than anything. “What more do you want me to say?” I smiled at her coldly. “Nothing, Mom. Frey, come on, let’s go. I need to sort out the mess that I have created.” With that, I left my mom there and walked towards the venue, our garden, where an altar was set. The aisle was beautifully decorated with flowers and golden ribbons, and the stage that would be the altar was also beautifully decorated. I had personally designed this dream venue for my wedding. I walked down the aisle, where I should have been walking with my dad, who would lead me to the altar and hand me to my groom. But now I was walking on it alone to call off my wedding. I kept a small smile on my lips, my face portraying the perfect picture of the daughter of a business tycoon. As I reached the stage, I helped myself onto it, taking the mic from the MC. I watched the guests—they were all a variety, my friends, some relatives, and all important business partners. I took a deep breath and smiled at everyone before starting my speech. “Good afternoon, everyone. First, I want to thank you all for being here today. Your presence means the world to me, and I’m so grateful for each and every one of you. Today was supposed to be the day Tristan and I started our new life together. But as you can see, Tristan isn’t here. He’s made the choice not to come, and while I don’t know the reasons behind his decision, I have to accept it. As painful as it is to say, there won’t be a wedding today. I’m heartbroken, and I know many of you are too. But I want you all to know how much your support means to me. Even though this day hasn’t gone as planned, I don’t want it to be a day of sorrow. We’re surrounded by love, friendship, and family—things that should still be celebrated. So please, stay and enjoy the festivities. There’s still food, music, and a beautiful venue. Let’s make the most of this day together and create some joyful memories, even in the midst of this unexpected turn of events. Thank you again for your understanding, your compassion, and for standing by me today. It’s not the ending I imagined, but with all of you here, I know I’ll find the strength to move forward.” After saying this, I gave a quick bow to everyone and made my exit before the tears that threatened to fall would fall.