CONFETTI... Always a Bridesmaid, Never the Bride

ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID, NEVER THE BRIDE By Zane & Jenna Michaelson Happy Ever After Publishing United Kingdom Copyright © 2023 by Zane & Jenna Michaelson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below. Happy Ever After Publishing is an imprint of Junction Publishing United Kingdom/New Zealand CONFETTI – ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID, NEVER THE BRIDE [email protected] www.junction-publishing.com Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental. Ordering Information: Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department” at the address above. CATBNTB / Zane & Jenna Michaelson – 1st Ed. For all those yet to find the person of their dreams. Your time will come. Zane & Jenna X Contents Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-one Chapter Twenty-two Chapter Twenty-three Chapter Twenty-four Chapter Twenty-five Chapter Twenty-six Chapter Twenty-seven Chapter Twenty-eight Chapter Twenty-nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-one Chapter Thirty-two Chapter Thirty-three Chapter Thirty-four Chapter Thirty-five Chapter Thirty-six Chapter Thirty-seven Chapter Thirty-eight Chapter Thirty-nine Chapter Forty Chapter Forty-one Chapter Forty-two More From Zane & Jenna Michaelson More from Zane Michaelson More From Zane Michaelson & Kaylee Rose Acknowledgements About the Authors MEGAN I glanced around the spacious oak-panelled drawing room, and though love, happiness, and celebration surrounded me, an overwhelming sadness and jealousy held my attention. A sigh escaped me as yet again, the day wasn’t mine. A white wedding with no expense spared was all I’d longed for. Unfortunately, it seemed so far from my grasp. A long, slow breath of air left my lips with the never-ending thought of will my dreams ever come true trailing its way through the heavy unease. I didn’t think so. Fighting back the urge to cry, it was neither the time nor place, I focused on my best friend Beatrice. She looked exquisite from head to toe, and as stunning as one of those revered golden age Hollywood actresses whose name I struggled to put my finger on. Racking my brains, it finally came to me; Grace Kelly… yes, her. But this was Beatrice’s moment and shining like a white diamond, absolute bliss seemed to radiate from her. I’d wager that she would have outshone the late Princess of Monaco. Then, shame crept in, pushing envy aside. Neither emotion felt particularly good, not when I should only have felt joy. What sort of friend are you? Thankfully, distractions of the day kept me from wallowing in self-pity and despair. “Oi, Meg… stop daydreaming.” Damien, the dashing groom, called from across the expansive room while waving his arms frantically above his head, trying to draw my attention. “Huh?” A conservatively dressed middle-aged woman, wearing an oversized pink hat with veil, I’d never met seemed to know what was going on well before I caught on. She nudged me and pointed me in the right direction. “The photographer is waiting for you, dear.” “Oh, thank you,” I replied, flustered. But me not being present in the line-up wouldn’t matter either way because I wasn’t the star of the show. Would I ever be? Always a bridesmaid, never the bride. I wouldn’t be missed. I never was, not really. Mine would be a face in a sea of many, indistinguishable, and better best forgotten. “Sorry, Damien… I’m coming.” I had to push and shove a path through the throng of well-wishers because all seemed reluctant to stand aside. “Passing through, excuse me.” Too busy navigating my way through the crowd, I stepped on somebody’s foot and though I didn’t feel like apologising, I did so anyway. “Whoops… sorry…” As I turned and saw the flushed scowling face and beady eyes peering back at me, I realised who it was. “Ouch, young lady… that was my toe you just crushed.” Damien’s snooty Aunt Cecilia, who I’d had the misfortune to meet at the engagement party, cried out, hopping for dramatic effect on the uninjured foot. I wanted to boot her in the shin and really give her a reason to hop about. She made a totally unnecessary fuss and drew unwanted attention my way. “Whoops,” I said again. “… Please forgive me, Cecilia…” What I really wanted to say was, “Silly old bag, serves you right for not moving out of my way.” “Be more careful next time,” she warned, grimacing for added effect. “You’re not the daintiest of girls…” And there it was, smacking me right between the eyes. The elephant in the room, me, and that one thing everything seemed to come back to—my size. I wouldn’t let it get to me, not now. But I was certain her words would come back to haunt me later. I shot Aunt Cecilia a parting, withering glare that conveyed the thoughts I should but wouldn’t speak aloud. Fatty or not, don’t be so bloody rude and let me pass when I say excuse me. I pushed through more people who didn’t seem to want to move either. What struck me about that moment was an eye-opener because it wasn’t the thinly veiled insults, or the stares, but more to do with the fact that even in a stately home with hundreds of people present, I