However, my wedding day descended into turmoil when my groom made the decision to h.u.m.iliate me, despite the fact that they say your wedding day should be beautiful. Following that, my brother took over, and the actions that he took rendered each and every guest totally stunned.

I am currently enjoying a pleasant and tranquil existence, which is a nice life.

Laughter, the aroma of pancakes being made in the morning, soccer sessions, and goodnight stories for my two children are the things that fill the majority of my days. Nevertheless, there is something that took place thirteen years ago that I will never forget to this day.

I had every intention of making it the happiest day of my whole life.

The day of my wedding.

On occasion, I find myself pondering the ways in which my life may have been different if that one moment had never taken place. Later on, however, I recall what transpired after that, and for some strange reason, I am thankful that it did.

At the age of twenty-six, I would want to take you back in time.

A quaint small coffee shop in the heart of the city was where I first met Lucas. When I was working as a marketing assistant, I would go there during my lunch breaks if I had the opportunity. I would take a break from the mess of spreadsheets, client calls, and countless emails by sitting in my favorite corner with a notebook and a cup of coffee for thirty minutes every day. This would allow me to escape the confusion.

Every day, Lucas arrived at the same time, drinking the same caramel latte. It was like clockwork.

What drew my attention was not simply the level of consistency he displayed. It was the manner in which he would attempt to guess the drink that I would buy each time he saw me.

“Vanilla chai on top of additional foam?” And with that self-assured grin, he would say.

He made every single guess that was incorrect, yet he continued to attempt.

After that, on a Tuesday afternoon, he got it right for the first time.

“Iced coffee, two sugars, and a splash of cream,” he happily stated as I approached the counter. “It’s a perfect combination.”

It made me laugh. “All right, right now I’m amazed. “How did you come to this conclusion?”

He taunted, “I’ve been studying you for weeks,” and he meant it. “Allow me to purchase it for you.”

That insignificant moment, which consisted of a cup of coffee offered by an unknown person who was persistent, was the spark that ultimately drove me down the aisle.

We were sitting at the same small table by the window, and before I knew it, we were enjoying blueberry scones together. Our talk was flowing through us without any difficulty.

Lucas shared with me his experiences working in information technology, his passion for classic black-and-white movies, and the fact that he had been trying to muster the bravery to talk to me for a number of months.

It was all I had hoped for in a relationship, and our subsequent dates were exactly that. Although he was not particularly spectacular, he was thoughtful in ways that were significant.

He recalled that I had a fondness for sunflowers, and as a result, he would bring me a single stem rather than an expensive arrangement.

He prepared picnics in the park with sandwiches that I particularly enjoyed eating. When I was having a difficult day, he would come to me with ice cream and a collection of dreadful jokes that, despite their poor nature, managed to make me laugh.

I was made to feel as though I was the only person in the room for a period of two years by him. I was convinced that I had finally discovered the one I was meant to be with.

It took place on a pier at the time of sunset.

A variety of pink and gold hues were painted over the sky, and the water sparkled in the light that was beginning to fade. At that moment, Lucas abruptly came to a stop while we were walking and conversing about completely unrelated topics.

A long breath was taken by him, and then he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring that was perfectly positioned to catch the sun.

There was a tiny tremor in his voice as he asked, “Maya, would you be willing to marry me?”

It wasn’t even a question; I just responded with a yes.

At that very moment, everything seemed to be functioning precisely as it should have been. My heart was racing.

Lucas was introduced to my mother and my older brother, Julian, a few weeks later when I brought him to meet them.

I placed a high level of importance on this matter, possibly even more so than Lucas was aware of.

You see, our father passed away when Julian was twelve years old and I was eight years old. Overnight, Julian assumed the role of the head of the household. He was a ferocious protector of both my mother and me, and even after we became adults, he continued to look out for me as if it were his duty.

In terms of the men I dated, he was always cautious about his relationships. Watching, listening, and reading between the lines were all things that he did. There were instances when all it needed was a single glance from him to make a guy vanish instantly.

While they were eating dinner together that evening, Julian looked at Lucas as if he were analyzing a difficult riddle. To his credit, Lucas treated Mom with courtesy, charm, and respect. We are grateful to him. While he was talking to Julian, he made sure to ask him questions, laugh at his dumb jokes, and never once brought up himself in the conversation.

Julian offered me that half-smile that I was so familiar with by the time dessert arrived. He caught my eye.

He gave a mute approval, indicating that he is well.

Plans were made in a matter of months. We selected a guest list of one hundred and twenty people, a reception space with windows that reached from floor to ceiling, and decorations consisting of white roses, fairy lights, and gold accents. My obsession was with each and every single detail.

It was the morning of the wedding, and I had the sensation that I was floating. The tears were streaming down my mother’s face as she sat in the front row. A proud smile appeared on Julian’s face as I made my way down the aisle. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit.

At the altar, Lucas stood there, beaming as if he were the luckiest guy in the world.

For our wedding ceremony, we exchanged our vows beneath a rose arch, with sunshine streaming through stained glass. My veil was lifted by Lucas with such tenderness that I was satisfied that I had made the right decision when the preacher said, “You may kiss the bride.”

Everything appeared to be right.

Right up till the cake.

This was the charming and romantic ritual that I had seen in innumerable wedding publications, and I had been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.

I pictured us standing next to each other, both of our hands on the knife, and slicing that very first slice that was simply beautiful. Perhaps he would give me a small bite, I would chuckle, and then we would give each other a delicate kiss.

I was surprised to see Lucas grinning at me with a cheeky expression that I did not recognize as a sign of trouble.

While his hand was covering mine, he asked, “Are you ready, babe?”

“Ready,” I said with a smile.

We worked together to make the initial cut. When I was going for the cake server, Lucas grabbed the back of my head and stuffed my full face into the cake. He did this without giving me any opportunity to defend myself.

The crowd let out a gasp. A loud intake of breath from my mother, an unpleasant laugh coming from someplace in the back, and the sound of chairs scraping against each other as visitors shifted in an unexpected manner were all sounds that I heard.

A hole appeared in my veil. My makeup was no longer on. The bodice of my dress, as well as my hair and face, were all covered in buttercream.

In that moment, I stood there, speechless and utterly ashamed. I experienced a tightening of my throat, a burning sensation in my eyes, and the sensation that I might cry right there in front of everyone.

Laughter could be heard coming from Lucas. Even in addition to that, he licked his finger and swiped frosting off of my cheek.

“Oh, yes. “It’s sweet,” he exclaimed in a loud voice.

Even before I had a chance to react, Julian’s chair made a loud scraping sound against the floor. His eyes were flaming, and his jaw was tightened as he stood up.

Within a few strides, he made his way across the dance floor, grabbed Lucas by the back of the head, and pushed his face into the cake that was still there.

The room was filled with gasps.

Julian did not stop there; he continued to crush Lucas’s head further, grinding it into the buttercream until his hair, face, and costly tuxedo were all covered.

Julian’s voice reverberated across the room as he declared, “This is the worst ‘joke’ you could have played.” On the day that is considered to be the most significant in her life, you humiliated your new wife in front of her family and friends.

With a sputtering voice, Lucas attempted to remove cake from his eyes.

I could hear the steel in Julian’s voice. “Does it feel good right now?…” mostly due to the fact that you created that feeling in her.”

Then, with a change in attitude, he turned his attention to me.

In a low voice, he addressed Maya, “I want you to give some serious consideration to whether or not you want to spend the rest of your life with someone who does not respect you.”

There he stood, coated with frosting, his face flushed with anger. He strode out of the room without uttering a single word, shutting the doors behind him.

Julian approached me without any delay. He spoke softly and whispered, “Come on.” The phrase “Let’s get you cleaned up”

During the time that I was washing my face, he guided me to the ladies’ room, where he located hair ties and wet towels, and then stood guard outside.

He said, “If Dad were here, he would have done the same thing.” This was spoken when I came out of the room.

As tears threatened to fall once more, I hugged him. “I am grateful to you. During a time when I was unable to advocate for myself, you stood up for me. “I will never, ever forget this.”

Despite the absence of the groom, the reception continued. My aunt said something about “men knowing how to treat women,” and my uncle George clapped Julian on the back and said, “Good for you, son.” Guests murmured to one another the words.

It was that night that Lucas did not return home. As I sat in our apartment wearing my wedding dress that had been damaged, I pondered whether or not my marriage had just ended before it had ever begun.

It was the following morning when he arrived, still wearing the cake-stained tuxedo he had worn the night before.

“Maya,” he whispered, lowering himself to his knees, “I am very sorry. It wasn’t until Julian buried my face in the cake that I realized how terrible I had made you feel. I felt ashamed and humiliated, and then I realized that I had done something like that to you.

The tears began to fall down his face. “It was dumb and lacked any consideration. Despite my expectations, it turned out to be quite humorous. I solemnly swear that I will never again engage in behavior of that nature.

I was able to forgive him after some time had passed.

Are you Julian? For several months following the event, he continued to keep a close check on Lucas to ensure that the lesson had been retained.

At this very moment, Lucas and I are still connected. There are two great children in our family, and he has never forgotten the lesson that my brother taught him on that particular day.

It is Julian’s birthday today, which is why I am telling this story currently.

There are heroes who wear capes. The one I had donned a suit and made certain that no one, not even my new husband, would ever insult his little sister again at any point in time.