Scenario:I am Rachel. I'm getting married today with Jack. However, I meet my first lover Sam right before the wedding.
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I am Rachel. I'm getting married today with Jack. However, I meet my first lover Sam right before the wedding.
I’m getting married today.
I should be happy, right?
I mean, I am happy.
Jack is a good man.
He’s kind and loyal and he loves me more than anything in the world.
And I love him too.
But not like that.
Not the way I loved Sam Carter.
Sam was my first love, my only love, and I thought we’d be together forever.
Until he left me without a word of explanation and broke my heart into a million pieces.
It took me years to get over him, but eventually I did.
And then Jack came along and put me back together again.
I glance at the clock on my nightstand.
It’s almost noon, and I should probably get up and start getting ready for the big day.
Today is the happiest day of my life; it’s my wedding day.
I should be excited, right?
I am.
I mean, how could I not be?
Jack Henderson is waiting for me, ready to make me his wife.
He loves me deeply, more than anyone ever has or ever will.
And I care for him too.
A lot.
He’s a great guy—kind, loyal, always making me laugh with his terrible jokes and goofy faces.
But he's also incredibly handsome, with his tall frame and dark hair that always looks like he just ran his fingers through it.
His eyes are the most beautiful shade of green, and they always light up when he sees me.
We’ve been together for years now, and I can honestly say he’s my best friend.
He’s been there for me through everything—the good times and the bad—and today we’re taking that final step to solidify our commitment to each other in front of all our family and friends.
So why do I feel so unsettled as I lay here in bed instead of jumping up with excitement?
The answer is simple but painful: Sam Carter.
He was my first love, my everything.
Handsome and ruggedly confident in that way that only the best-looking guys can pull off.
His deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief, his broad shoulders covered in tattoos.
His long hair always seemed to be tousled just right, perfectly complementing his square jaw and full lips.
He was the kind of guy who could have any girl he wanted.
And he wanted me.
We’d been inseparable since we were kids, growing up next door to each other on the same street in a small town.
We’d gone to school together, and when we started dating our junior year, everyone knew we were meant to be.
We were in love, and we were happy.
I still don’t know what happened that day or why he chose to run away from everything we’d built together.
It was like he vanished into thin air, leaving me with nothing but a gaping hole in my chest.
The pain I felt was indescribable, and it took me longer than I care to admit to even consider trying to be happy again.
But Jack has been there for me through everything, always patient and understanding, giving me space when I needed it but never letting me go too far.
He made it clear from the beginning that he would wait as long as it took for me to heal and feel whole again.
And slowly, with his love and support, I started to put the pieces back together.
Jack is everything I could ask for in a partner—kind, funny, caring, and so deeply in love with me that sometimes it feels unreal.
He’s become my best friend and confidant over the years, and today we’re taking a significant step in our relationship by getting married.
This should be the happiest day of my life; nothing should cloud my excitement or joy today, especially not thoughts of Sam Carter.
I'm brought out of my reverie by the sound of a gentle knock on my door, which quickly opens to reveal Jack's mother, Julia.
She’s carrying a beautiful dress, and her smile is both warm and slightly mischievous as she steps inside.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
Julia is a tall woman with striking features; her thick black hair is streaked with gray, but her clear blue eyes still sparkle with mischief.
She’s always been kind to me, treating me like her own daughter rather than just her future daughter-in-law.
My mother passed away when I was young, so Julia has been like a second mom to me since then.
I smile at her as she sets the dress down on the bed and turns to face me, her expression serious now.
"The dress you’re wearing today is beautiful, Rachel. But I wanted to give you something old and borrowed for good luck."
With that, she picks up the dress and hands it to me.
My hands are trembling as I take it from her; this isn’t just any dress—it’s her mother's wedding dress.
The dress has been passed down through three generations of women in their family and has always been one of Julia’s most prized possessions.
I’ve admired it many times over the years; the delicate lace bodice and satin skirt are simply breathtaking.
My heart swells with emotion as I take the dress from her and let my fingers graze over the fabric; I’m honored that she would entrust me with something so precious to her family.
"Thank you," I say softly, blinking back tears of gratitude.
Julia smiles at me and pulls me into a warm hug before stepping back and adjusting her pearl necklace.
"I intended to wear this dress at my own wedding," she says quietly, her eyes misting over slightly.
"But then you know what happened…"
I nod; I know the story well—Jack’s father was involved in a terrible accident shortly before their wedding day, which left him in a coma for weeks.
After weeks of waiting and hoping for him to wake up, Julia and Jack’s father finally decided to postpone the wedding indefinitely.
And while it was an unfortunate turn of events for the whole family, I’m grateful that it brought us closer together as a couple.
It gave me time to heal from the hurt Sam had caused and to truly appreciate the deep love Jack has always had for me.
Jack’s father eventually came out of the coma and made a full recovery; he and Julia were married a year later in a small ceremony with just their closest friends and family in attendance.
They’ve been happily married ever since and have always been incredibly supportive of Jack and me as a couple.
But now, as I look down at this beautiful dress in my hands—the dress Julia never got to wear—I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness for her and everything she’s been through over the years.
I know how much she wanted to wear this dress on her wedding day and how deeply she regrets not being able to do so.
Where is he now?
What has he been doing all these years?
Has he found happiness after leaving me?
The questions swirl around in my mind like a tornado, threatening to blow me off course at any moment and send me spiraling back into the past.
I wish I had answers; I wish I could just let go of him and move on with my life without a second thought.
But I can’t—I still think about him almost every day, still wonder where he is and what he’s doing with his life after leaving me behind all those years ago.
I wish I could just let go of the pain he caused me and focus on building a future with someone who loves me deeply and unconditionally.
I wish I didn’t feel like something is missing in my life without him.
I wish I didn’t still love him as much as I do.
I know it’s not logical or fair to Jack, but there’s a part of me that will always love Sam Carter—my first love and the man who broke my heart so completely that it took me years to even consider being happy again.
"Is everything okay?"
Julia’s voice brings me out of my thoughts once again.
She’s watching me closely, her expression filled with concern as she waits for my response.
I nod quickly and force a smile to my lips.
"I’m fine. Just…thinking about the past…"
Julia nods in understanding and squeezes my hand gently before stepping back to give me some space.
"Take all the time you need, sweetheart. If you need anything else, just let me know."
I nod gratefully and watch as she makes her way towards the door to the hallway where Jack is waiting for us to start getting ready.
As she disappears into the hallway and the door swings shut behind her, I’m struck by the sudden realization that today was meant to be a day of pure joy for Jack and me.
No shadows from the past were supposed to intrude on what should be one of the happiest days of our lives together.
And yet, here I am, haunted by memories of Sam and the pain he caused all those years ago.
I know I should be over it by now—after all, it’s been almost ten years since he left without a word.
But I can’t help it—I still think about him almost every day and wonder where he is and what he’s doing with his life.
There’s a part of me that will always love him and always wonder if things could have been different if he’d stayed.
Today should be the happiest day of my life, as I'm marrying Jack Henderson, a man who loves me deeply and whom I care for too.
However, as I prepare for the ceremony, memories of my first love, Sam Carter, flood my mind.
Sam was the first person to make me feel truly loved and cherished, but he abruptly left without a word years ago, leaving me heartbroken and shattered.
It took a long time to heal from that loss, and Jack has been instrumental in helping me find happiness again.
I can’t help but wonder about Sam.
Where is he now?
What has he been doing all these years?
Has he found happiness after leaving me?
The questions swirl in my mind, unresolved and haunting, like ghosts from a life I thought I’d moved on from.
Jack's mother, Julia, breaks the silence by asking if I need any help getting ready.
I thank her and reply that I’m almost done with my hair, though I’m sure she can see that I'm not just adjusting a few loose strands.
She gives me a knowing look, one that says she understands the weight of Sam’s memory on this day.
We share a brief moment of solidarity before she returns to the hallway where Jack is waiting.
As she leaves, it hits me that today was supposed to be a purely joyful day for us—no shadows from the past intruding on what should be our happiest moments.
But there they are, those lingering memories of Sam and his sudden disappearance all those years ago.
It’s like he still holds a piece of me that no one else can touch, no matter how much time has passed or how deeply Jack loves me.
And now, here I am, hoping beyond reason that today will finally bring me some closure—a closure I’ve needed ever since Sam left without a word all those years ago.
I wish I could just let go of the pain he caused me and focus on building a future with someone who loves me deeply and unconditionally.
I wish I didn’t feel like something is missing in my life without him.
I wish I didn’t still love him as much as I do.
I know it’s not logical or fair to Jack, but there’s a part of me that will always love Sam Carter—my first love and the man who broke my heart so completely that it took me years to even consider being happy again.
"Is everything okay?"
Julia’s voice brings me out of my thoughts once again.
She’s watching me closely, her expression filled with concern as she waits for my response.
I nod quickly and force a smile to my lips.
"I’m fine. Just…thinking about the past…"
Julia nods in understanding and squeezes my hand gently before stepping back to give me some space.
"Take all the time you need, sweetheart. If you need anything else, just let me know."
I nod gratefully and watch as she makes her way towards the door to the hallway where Jack is waiting for us to start getting ready.
As she disappears into the hallway and the door swings shut behind her, I’m struck by the sudden realization that today was meant to be a day of pure joy for Jack and me.
No shadows from the past were supposed to intrude on what should be one of the happiest days of our lives together.
And yet, here I am, haunted by memories of Sam and the pain he caused all those years ago.
I know I should be over it by now—after all, it’s been almost ten years since he left without a word.
But I can’t help it—I still think about him almost every day and wonder where he is and what he’s doing with his life.
There’s a part of me that will always love him and always wonder if things could have been different if he’d stayed.
"Are you sure you don’t need any help?"
Julia’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts once again, and I force a smile to my lips as I turn to face her in the mirror.
"I’m sure. I’m all finished now."
She nods in understanding and steps closer to examine my hair.