How My Younger Sister Eloped with My Fiancé Weeks Before My Wedding
Most people will call me stupid; well, maybe I am. Some good-natured ones will think that I’m too trusting. As an optimist, that’s how I choose to perceive myself. Every family has a child who is the black sheep and one who is the model child; that child who is always the reference character to other children at home—well, that was me. And my younger sister would be the black sheep.
I love my younger sister because she is feisty and brave enough to do things I dare not dream of doing. I sincerely, secretly admire her gumption and her damn- the – consequences-attitude. Well, I did, till she broke every trust I had for her.
I returned from completing my Mandatory National Youth Service solo as most of my boyfriend-less mates were either engaged or hitched to a boyfriend by the time they finished their youth service. I was not lucky to meet my Mr. Right. Not because I wasn’t attractive; however, I was nerdy and choosy, so my chances of getting a man were slimmer than most of my mates. Besides, those romance novels I read about the tall, dark, and handsome protagonist filled my head with the ideas of my supposed ideal man. The more reason, Toke, my younger sister- the gregarious and the socialite of our household introduced me to a Dare- a new guy in my church.
Dare was every girl’s dream. He was handsome, had impeccable dress sense, and was highly intelligent.
We had a youth fellowship at the church. The youth leader requested that I re-introduce myself, having been absent from church for a year because of national youth service. Dare was among the people at the fellowship. They shook my hand to welcome me back, but Dare’s handshake lingered. Our eyes met, and I gave him a shy smile.
After the event, I was waiting for my sister when Dare approached me. We chatted while my sister conversed with some of her fellowship friends, but eventually came to join us. We all walked home together, as our home was a short distance from the church.
While we were talking, I discovered that Dare and Toke were friends. I spun the embers of attraction I felt for Dare since we both shook hands because they related so freely that I thought something must be going on between them. But Dare extinguished my doubts as he tried to draw me into their conversations and even filled me in on the gossip I missed. When we got home, a guy was waiting for Toke, whom she introduced to me as her boyfriend.
Toke later told me that night that Dare likes me a lot. I asked if she was sure; she affirmed that Dare liked me. I wasn’t convinced until Dare expressed how much he admires me. We became fast friends, and our friendship blossomed into love.
I was ecstatic when he proposed to me about a year later. He was still friends with my sister, but I thought nothing of it because there was never a sign of attraction between them, or so I thought. Whenever Dare and I disagreed, Toke sometimes acted as a mediator. I was happy because my sister and fiancé share a good relationship. We even go out on double dates with my sister’s boyfriend.
My first suspicion was on my introduction when I stumbled upon both of them having an intense conversation in the room I shared with my sister. I entered the room, and they sprang apart. They weren’t doing anything untoward, but I noticed they were too close for comfort. I asked what was happening as I looked at them suspiciously. They responded that they were planning something special for me as a wedding gift. I hugged them, and every suspicion vanished into thin air.
I came home from work one evening after a long day of no conversation with my fiancé; I was worried, so I called my sister to ask if she knew something about Dare I was unaware of. Unfortunately, her line was also off. I thought nothing of it until I entered the room and saw a letter written by both Toke and Dare. They apologized to me for being in love unintentionally until recently. They could not allow me to marry Dare as planned, as they did not want to live without each other.
I opened Toke’s wardrobe, and all of her belongings were gone. Also, Toke and Dare turned off their phones. I couldn’t believe all the signs affirming that Toke could betray me as she did. Dare’s betrayal hurt, but my blood sister’s betrayal hurt more. I stared at the invitation card dated two weeks on the nightstand bearing my name and Dare’s and wondered how to tell my parents and guests that my sister eloped with my husband-to-be. How am I going to clear the mess I found myself in? And essentially, how do I trust anyone again after what Dare and Toke did to me?