Standing at the altar, Nathan eagerly waited for his fiancée, Jane, to walk down the aisle in the stunning white gown they had chosen together. His chest tightened with excitement, his palms slightly sweaty as he imagined her smile, the one that had captured his heart from the start. But instead of joy, his heart sank when Jane appeared—dressed in a long black gown with a veil that looked like something from a funeral procession.

The guests gasped, whispers spreading like wildfire. Nathan’s breath caught. Why was she doing this?

He reached for her trembling hands and whispered, “Jane… why are you wearing black?”

“I’ll tell you after the ceremony,” she said coldly, her eyes burning with something that looked more like accusation than love.

“No,” Nathan insisted, his voice cutting through the church silence. “Tell me now.”

Jane’s lips quivered as her gaze darted across the crowd. Then, with a voice that shook but carried to every corner of the church, she said, “Ask your mother. She told me everything.”

Nathan froze. “What do you mean?”

Jane’s eyes brimmed with tears. “She told me about you and Lauren. Your so-called best friend. That you’ve been cheating on me with her.”

A wave of gasps swept through the guests. Nathan’s stomach turned to ice. “That’s not true!” he cried. “Lauren and I are just friends. I swear, Jane.”

But Jane wasn’t done. Her voice cracked, yet it carried the weight of betrayal. “Your mother also told me why you rushed this wedding. That your family is bankrupt. That you’re only marrying me for my money. That this whole thing—” she gestured at the church, the guests, the vows—“is just a transaction for you!”

Nathan’s world tilted. It wasn’t a complete lie—his family was in financial ruin. But he hadn’t married Jane for money. He loved her. That was real. He opened his mouth to explain, but his words felt hollow against the venom of his mother’s lies.

The truth spilled out in fragments. How his father wasn’t his biological father. How his mother resented him, resented his happiness. How she had always looked for ways to ruin him. “She wanted to destroy this day because she can’t stand seeing me happy,” Nathan confessed desperately.

Jane’s eyes softened for a brief second, but then hardened again. “You should have told me, Nathan. About your family. About everything. We were supposed to build a life together, but how can I trust a man who hides so much?”

Nathan’s voice broke. “I signed the prenup, Jane. Doesn’t that prove anything? I love you, not your money. Please—don’t let her win.”

But Jane shook her head, tears spilling freely. “I can’t marry a man who hides secrets and lets lies fester until they poison everything. It’s over.”

With that, she pulled her hand from his and walked out of the church, the black gown swaying like a curtain closing on a tragedy.

Nathan tried to follow, his voice cracking as he shouted after her. “Jane, wait! Please!” But she never looked back.

Lauren stepped forward, speaking softly to Jane, but her words couldn’t bridge the gap anymore. The damage was done. The black dress wasn’t just a statement—it was a funeral shroud for the love they had once shared.

Nathan collapsed into a pew, tears streaming as the whispers of betrayal filled the church. He had lost the love of his life—not because he didn’t love her, but because secrets, lies, and the venom of his own mother had destroyed the foundation of trust.

Later, he cut ties with his mother forever. He tried calling Jane, begging for forgiveness, but she never answered. The silence became his punishment, the empty space beside him a reminder of the day love slipped away in a storm of black lace and bitter truth.