"I don't understand what's going on in that head of yours. Why in the world would you cancel that breathtaking cake you fell in love with, that also tasted amazing for you to make your own?" my best friend and maid of honor, Kristine, wondered as she stood on the other side of the counter, observing me as I frosted the cake. "It was already paid for, and it's not like you haven't had other things to worry about."

You don't have to tell me. I already know.

Soon, you'll understand why I decided to make my wedding dress, the wedding favors, invites, cake, food, and everything else.

With my eyes on the cake, I dispersed the frosting and said, "Since I wanted my wedding to be impressive and unique, I changed course. I wanted to show Tristan what he means to me without breaking the bank, so I made everything." I slowly spun the cake, ensuring the frosting was even and I didn't miss a spot. "Besides. Baking is what I do for a living. So, why not save money by making my own cake?"

"You already had everything picked out and paid for that mega-dream wedding you always wanted—the dress, centerpieces, cake, flowers, and everything else. I don't get it. What happened that made you change your mind about having a fancy, high-end wedding to go as cheap as you are now?"

I picked up the icing spatula, touched up an area thinner than the rest, and then looked up at Kristine with a mischievous smile. "Tristan told me there was no reason to spend thousands of dollars for an event that lasted only a few hours. So because he begged me to make this wedding as cheap as possible, he's getting what he asked for. And some," I proudly said, grinning wider.

Kristine's eyes narrowed, and her head tilted to the side as she studied my face. "Tristan told you months ago he wanted you to have the dream wedding you always dreamt of having and for you to have the most extravagant wedding a bride could ever have. That money was no object since his parents offered to pay for it—well, most of it, anyway." She studied my face some more, looking for an answer. "You're up to something. For you to change your mind and make everything yourself screams something happened."

My brows drew together as I asked, "Why would making all my own things look like I'm up to something?" I extended my hand toward her. "Can you please hand me the piping bag and tips behind you?"

Two months ago, Tristan went out of town for work. When he returned a week later, Tristan surprised me when he handed me paperwork for an all-inclusive two-week vacation he had purchased for Barbados for our honeymoon.

A few weeks after surprising me with a trip of a lifetime—a honeymoon to Barbados, he shocked me when he asked if I could find a way to do everything cheaper for the wedding. Giving me an excuse that his parents told him they were no longer paying for it and all the money they already forked out, I needed to return to them—citing his father lost a boatload of money when the stock market crashed.

My first thought was, whatever, it's fine. I thought it was weird anyway when Tristan's mother first offered to pay for our wedding when the bride's family usually pays for it.

Tristan then told me that if I pulled off an inexpensive wedding, he'd use his savings to buy me the dream home I always wanted. That's when my plans for throwing an elegant wedding changed.

Actually, everything was changing—including my heart and emotions.

So because of what was happening around me, I got cheap—like bargain-basement cheap. And without Tristan knowing, I used his money and credit cards instead of mine to buy what I needed.

"I saw that mischievous look in your eye and that famous Cheshire Cat grin on your lips you always get when you're plotting something wild," Kristine accused as she held the piping bag and tips in front of me but refused to let go when I went to take them from her. "What did you mean Tristan's getting what he asked for?" She had an I demand to know what's going on look in her eye. I reached for the items I asked her to hand me, but she brought them to her chest as she said, "I'm your best friend and maid of honor, Kinsley. I deserve to know what's going on, especially since you're getting married tomorrow..."

I snatched the piping bag from her hand, and Kristine dramatically sighed as if it was the end of the world that I was holding back from telling her what she wanted to know. "Kinsley..." she whined.

I filled the bag with gold-colored frosting. Then, as I started designing the cake, I asked, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Going to the groom's dinner. What do you think I'm doing?"

"I meant afterward?"

"Since you didn't want us throwing you a bridal shower, the girls and I figured we'd bring you out bar hopping instead. Why?"

Perfect...

I stopped decorating and lifted my eyes to hers. "Because I was going to ask if you and the girls would like to help me with something."

Excitement and wonderment filled her eyes. "With what?"

"Well, since Tristan's friends are taking him to the strip club and a hotel afterward to finish partying, I figured we'd have a little fun of our own," I grinned, then returned to decorating the cake. "And when I say fun. I mean some entertaining, jollification, amusing, pleasurable fun."

Kristine rested her elbows on the counter. With a smile, she planted her chin on her fists. "Sounds like what you want to do will be a blast. What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, we'll be having a blast, all right." At least I know I'll be. And I can't wait to do what I've planned for us. "Just be sure to tell the girls to bring casual clothes to change into after the groom's dinner."

***

Spray paint, check.

Shaving cream, check.

Colored chalk, check.

Pictures, check.

Glitter and everything else on my list, check, check, check.

After loading the supplies into the trunk of my car and getting ready for the joke of a groom's dinner, I left to meet Tristan at his parents' house. He initially made reservations at one of the finest restaurants in Wisconsin. But since plans changed, and how Tristan wanted the wedding to be as cheap as possible, I called and canceled the dinner.

So, thinking she was helping us, Tristan's mom offered to have the groom's dinner at her home.

Which works for me—I don't have to worry about anything.

"Why does it look like you're dressed for a funeral?" Tristan's mother, Corrine, asked when she let me into her home.

I looked down at my dress after stepping inside. It was a beautiful sequin black, seductive mini dress with a plunging deep V, revealing a sexy peek of my breasts. So Corrine asking why I looked like I was headed to a funeral flattered me because I wore black for a reason—and it wasn't to make me look any slimmer—it's about my current emotions.

My eyes returned to hers, and with a smile, I shrugged a shoulder and quipped, "I thought I looked pretty flashy. Do you not like it?"

I wanted to laugh at her expression after an unapproving look appeared in her eye. "It's flashy, that's for sure. But I don't understand why you'd wear black when you're getting married tomorrow. If anything, you should've worn something more colorful to show how excited you are to marry my son."

Her comment made me want to laugh. After five years of dating Tristan, filled with promises, I was extremely excited to marry him until some unimaginable things came to light—things I never saw coming.

An assuring smile appeared on my lips when I assured her, "You'll see me looking colorful tomorrow." Lifting the tray of cookies and cupcakes I baked, I asked, "Where would you like me to put these?"

Instead of looking at the tray of goodies I brought, her bewildered eyes stayed on my dress as she stepped away from the door. "Follow me. I have a table set up for treats in the dining area."

Corrine was quiet as we headed to the dining room. And since I didn't see or hear her son anywhere, I said, "I noticed Tristan isn't here yet. Has he called to say he'd be late?"

She looked at me when we got to the table filled with desserts. "He did. He asked me to tell you that an issue came up at work and can't leave until the problem is solved." Of course... Her hand rested on my shoulder. "Don't worry. I expect him to be here shortly since he said it shouldn't take long."

Friends with benefits not going the way he'd like it to go? Or, it's going exactly how he wants it to, and he can only leave once he's done having his peenie polished.

I set the tray on the table. "Okay, then. I won't worry he isn't here yet."

Seeing my friends talking amongst themselves in the living room corner, I walked over to them. When I approached, Alondra asked, "Where's Tristan? I figured you two would've come here together."

"We were supposed to, but since I had plenty to do before the party started, I called and told him I'd meet him here. Thankfully, I did. By the sound of it, he won't be here for a while." I leaned closer to the girls and quietly said, "He must be busy on his knees, yawning the worm. Or, letting a beaver to trim his wood."

Jasmine's eyes widened, and Carmen and Trisha choked on their wine.

"What?" Alondra choked, shocked by my assumption. "You're joking, right?"

I wish I were.

Looking away toward the front door, I shrugged and quietly hinted, "Knowing what I do, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case."

"What does that mean?" Carmen asked.

Looking back at my friends, I sighed, shaking my head. "Nothing."

"Whatcha got planned for us later, anyway?" Jasmine asked, pushing my remark aside. "Kristine said you planned something fun and exciting for us afterward."

Envisioning what I'll be having my friends help me with later made me smile. "You'll see."

Kristine's eyes quickly shifted away from mine, and then I noticed her focusing on something over my shoulder. "Tristan's here. He came in with Harvey and Miranda." Of course, he did... "Now he's on his way over here," she warned.

Forcing a smile, I quipped, "Oh, goodie."

A pair of hands rested on my shoulders, and Tristan's cologne wafted into my senses when he leaned over my shoulder to kiss my cheek and apologize. "Sorry, I'm late." Then his hands slid down my arms in a comforting way, and my eyes rolled when he said, "I see you wore my favorite dress. The one I said you should wear tonight."

I smiled as I looked at the girls. He asked me to wear it, but he didn't know that I had already planned on wearing it for other reasons. "Your mom hates it. She said it looked like I was dressed for a funeral."

He laughed. "My mom's old school. Don't let what she said to get to you."

I didn't.

"I'm going to steal her from you girls. There's someone I'd like her to meet," he said, planting his hand on my lower back before guiding me away from my friends.

Curious about who that was, I said, "I thought I'd met everyone in your family already?"

"Everyone but my uncle, my dad's brother. Nobody's seen him since he moved to Los Angeles ten years ago."

"Why?"

He looked at me, chuckling. "Too busy chasing tail."

Even though Tristan wanted me to meet his uncle, his arm tightened around me when he introduced me to him, acting worried his uncle would steal me away from him. "You're right. She's stunning," his uncle emphasized happily, grinning from ear to ear as his eyes swept me from head to toe. "You picked a good one, finally. Don't you dare let her get away."

At least his uncle sees it. Now's the time I should start embarrassing Tristan.

"Arlo, was it?" I asked.

"It is," he proudly answered, grinning.

"It's nice to meet you. Tristan was just telling me you've been a bit busy chasing tail, so I'm curious how that's going for you. Have you caught what you've been after?"

Instead of embarrassing Tristan as I had hoped, he bellowed a laugh, and so did Arlo.

"Actually, yes. She's right over there," he admitted, pointing at a youthful, radiant woman talking to Corrine. "She's a bit younger than me, but that doesn't bother me. That woman's given me many reasons to smile and to want to stay around longer. I've never been so fortunate to have a woman such as her in my life. Isn't she gorgeous?"

She was ridiculously stunning, immediately reminding me of Farrah Fawcett when she was on Charlie's Angels. "She is. How long have you two been together?"

"A week," Arlo proudly admitted, making me giggle after making it sound like they'd been together for a while. His smile broadened when he looked back at Tristan and me. "I should also tell you that I asked her to marry me on our way here, and she happily accepted."

I coughed, dumbfounded he'd want to wed someone so much younger than him and astounded that he'd ask someone he hardly knows to marry him after only knowing her a week. "I guess congratulations are in order?" I responded as a question, then stressed, "But before making it to the altar, I'd like to stress that you ensure that she has no skeletons in the closet," I indicated, curious to hear Tristan's response to my advice.

"Not everyone has skeletons in their closet," Tristan responded.

I know I don't, but you most certainly do. "True, but I strongly believe before anyone takes a huge step like that, you should always find out everything about the person you plan on spending the rest of your life with," I grinned, hinting I knew more about him than he thought I did.

Instead of responding to my remark, Tristan looked at Arlo, smiling as he pulled me against his side. "I'm happy you found the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, as I have."

It took all my strength not to roll my eyes, and before I said something I'd immediately regret, I faked a smile and said nothing.

I don't know if Tristan was on to me or if he was feeling guilty. After letting out subtle hints throughout the evening to his family members about how one should always be faithful and truthful to their partner, no matter the situation, Tristan refused to let me out of his sight.

If his eyes weren't on me, he was standing beside me.

It probably didn't help that I was being a little too friendly with his family—smiling, laughing, making jokes, and flaunting as much skin as I could, including my breasts—a part of me Tristan will never see again. I didn't care about upsetting him. I only cared about getting Tristan's family to be on my side when I exposed his infidelities to all of our wedding guests.

My patience level around Tristan grew thin the more the night went on, with him touching me, smiling at me, and kissing my cheek, acting like he'd done no wrong and that he'd be the perfect, loving husband.

I was growing anxious to escape from him, his family, and his friends. So when the time came for us to leave, I didn't say goodbye. I bolted out of the house at lightning speed and hurried to my car before someone stopped me. But I wasn't fast enough.

While heading down the driveway to my car, I stumbled when someone grabbed my swaying hand. I knew it was Tristan when his citrusy, vanilla cologne wafted through the air around me. He spun me around and pulled me into his arms, and when my eyes caught his, I looked away when I noticed he had a conscience-stricken, remorseful look in his eye.

"What's going on with you tonight?" he asked, pulling my chin toward him. "Are you nervous about tomorrow or something?"

I'm not nervous about the reasons you think I am about tomorrow. I'm only nervous about how everything will go when I expose you to our friends and family.

"I'm fine," I lied, "there's just a lot on my mind."

The corners of his mouth slowly crept up. "How about we forget about going out with our friends to do our own thing tonight—like getting a hotel room with a jacuzzi and making love all night until the sun rises?"

I would've been all for it a few months ago, but after what I learned and saw, no thanks.

A dampened smile appeared on my lips—fake, of course, but had I not, after how I acted around him and his family tonight, he'd figure out I discovered his secret. "It sounds like a wonderful plan, but you know the rules about seeing your bride before the ceremony."

Tristan frustratedly groaned. His eyes closed, and his knees bumped into mine when he leaned backward, displeased with my response. "Ah, come on, Kinsley... It's been months since you've been intimate with me. Who cares about that stupid old wives' tale? It's just a superstition that's never been proven," he tried claiming. "Now you're telling me I have to wait another day to fuck my girl?"

His girl... pfft.

"Just one more day," I happily returned, smiling.

Loathing my response, a disgruntled groan left his lips. "Fine," he conceded, annoyed. "It is what it is, I guess."

Thrilled I was upsetting Tristan. An amused smile danced on my lips. Patting his cheek with a grin, I quipped, "You'll be fine. You won't even be thinking of me when you're feeding your gut with booze; you'll be thinking of other things." Like the shifty things you've been doing and hiding from everyone these last few months.

His face scrunched up. "That's not true."

Liar...

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow," Tristan sighed.

My stomach was quick to turn sour when he pulled me to his mouth and forced his tongue into mine. I wanted to push him away but returned the kiss without wanting him to grow suspicious.

Breaking the kiss, he said, "You girls stay out of trouble tonight. I don't want to receive a phone call that I have to bail you and your friends out of jail."

Trouble will be my middle name tonight.

Moving out of his grip, a simpering smile appeared on my lips when I quipped, "You also."

Without saying anything, I rushed to my car and sent a quick group text before leaving.

Me: Follow me to Tristan's house.

My friends must've been eagerly waiting for me to get a hold of them because my phone got bombarded with their responses immediately after I sent the message.

Jasmine: I thought we were going bar hopping?

Alondra: What are we going to be doing there?

Carmen: What's there to do at Tristan's place?

Trisha: I'd rather we go bar hopping.

Kristine: Chill, ladies. I believe Kinsley has something thrilling and wild up her sleeve, and I can't wait to see what she's planned for us! So, bride-to-be, now that you have us all in suspense, what exciting plans did you have for us?

Their responses made me laugh. So, to give them an idea of what was on my mind, I responded:

Me: Once upon a time, a boy and a girl loved each other very much. Then a slut and a nympho entered the picture and ruined everything. End of story. So. Girls... It's payback time!

🤞🤞I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!🤞🤞