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— This is a nightmare! — squeaked Joseph, nervously tugging at the hem of the voluminous white dress that seemed to restrict his every step. The room around him was drowning in roses and candles, like some romantic fairy tale he desperately wanted to escape from. He irritably adjusted the earrings tugging at his earlobes. The corset was so tight he had to breathe shallowly, and the entire outfit was simply unbearable.
The whole scene was utterly absurd. Just two weeks ago, he was an ordinary guy, talking to Mike about how hard it was to be single. And now… Now he was standing in a wedding dress, his hair styled into long curls, preparing to marry… his best friend.
He glanced around, half-expecting that strange mage to appear at any moment, finish this twisted joke, and put everything back to normal. But instead, there was Mike, standing in a groom’s suit, with a guilty smile on his face.
— You… you look beautiful, — Mike managed, nervously fidgeting with the bouquet as though he couldn’t believe he was saying such things to his best friend.
Joseph scoffed, disappointedly looking at himself in the enormous mirror along the wall. It felt like he was staring at a completely different person. The bride in the reflection looked flawless.
— Beautiful? — he repeated sarcastically, adjusting the dress so it wouldn’t pinch his waist so hard. — Come on, Mike, be honest. This is absurd. I don’t even know what’s worse: this dress or that everyone thinks we’re a happy couple.
Mike smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.
— What choice do we… or rather, do you… have? — he continued quietly, slowly lowering the bouquet and avoiding Joseph’s gaze. — Your memory–
— I know! — Joseph stomped his foot, immediately regretting it as the heel sank into the thick carpet, causing him to wobble and nearly lose balance. The ridiculous movement only fueled his anger at this farce. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling his short, but neatly painted, nails dig into his soft palms.
— Don’t remind me about my memory, Mike, — Joseph hissed, running his hands over the corset as if searching for some way to loosen it. — I would’ve bolted long ago if I wasn’t risking forgetting who I really am!
Mike took a deep breath and shook his head, looking as though he himself couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
— Joe… Joanna… maybe it’s not that bad? — Mike murmured uncertainly, looking up at her, his eyes filled with guilt and despair.
Joseph, now Joanna, as everyone around had started calling her, shot him a cold look, raising an eyebrow.
— Not that bad? Mike, do you have any idea how humiliating this is? Have you even looked at me? — she said bitterly, slapping the skirt, which quivered as though it were alive. — We’ve gone through public kisses, those idiotic hand-in-hand strolls, evenings with your friends where I had to sit next to you, giggling and pretending to be your… your girlfriend!
— They’re used to it… they think you’re my girlfriend. It’s not the end of the world… — Mike tried to soften things, but Joanna shook her head and let out a sigh, so intense that her hairstyle shifted slightly. The corset reminded her that she even had to breathe like some “graceful lady” now.
— And what’s next, Mike? — she turned sharply toward him, and the unfamiliar weight of the earrings tugged at her earlobes painfully. — We’ve already had to… — she paused, blushing furiously as she recalled that party, where, tipsy on wine, she had let her guard down and ended up in bed with him. — Do you even understand what that damn mage did to us? Do you understand that everyone already believes we’re getting married? This damn reality keeps changing every day! Everyone thinks we’ve been together since childhood!
Mike hesitated, visibly nervous.
— Well, we have known each other since childhood, — Mike noted cautiously, as if trying to inject some logic into this absurdity. — Doesn’t that help? Everyone sees that we know each other like no one else…
Joanna just rolled her eyes in response, glancing around the room.
— Help? Enough already… — she trailed off, feeling a lump rise in her throat. Her hands, clutching the skirt, were trembling slightly. This was not her first meltdown in recent days, and it certainly wouldn’t be her last.
She exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself. Her gaze slid over to Mike, who was still standing there, looking guiltily to the side.
— I’m going to have to… kiss you, aren’t I? — Joanna’s voice came out strained, and her gaze drifted to the hall door, where guests had already gathered. — There, in front of everyone, in front of my parents, my friends? — Her voice trembled. The thought alone filled her with a sharp sense of humiliation. — And what’s next, Mike? — Joanna’s voice broke, and she clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying. Her mind was a turmoil of panic and anger. — A family? Children? I… I don’t even know what else that mage has arranged! What if one day I wake up… pregnant? Or, even worse, as that perfect wife, waiting at home with kids, expecting you back from work? — Her voice shook with despair. — Everything around is changing, and each day it’s only getting worse. What if I’m already pregnant?! — Joanna grabbed her stomach as if this could confirm or deny her dreadful suspicion. Her eyes widened with fear, and she tried to catch Mike’s gaze, who clearly hadn’t expected this turn of events. He had turned pale, his lips trembling.
— Joanna… I mean, Joe, let’s not panic. This… this just isn’t possible, right? — Mike was clearly trying to reassure her, but his voice betrayed his own uncertainty.
— Are you even asking that?! With how reality changes every damn day, I don’t have a chance to feel calm! A week ago, we were just going to dinner as a “couple” that’s been dating for years, and now here I am, standing at the altar in this torture dress! And everyone thinks we’ve been planning this wedding for ages! You see it! — she exhaled fiercely, her eyes flashing with anger. — Every damn day, something changes…
Mike didn’t respond, unsure of how to console her. He simply nodded, reaching out a hand, hesitantly, as if he wasn’t sure she would accept it. Joanna took a deep breath, her gaze settling on his extended hand.
With a heavy sigh, she reluctantly placed her small, delicate hand in his. Everything inside her screamed against this gesture, against what was about to happen. But she knew that if she didn’t do this, the consequences might be even worse.
— This is absurd… — she whispered, feeling Mike’s hand grip hers tighter than necessary. — Why do you look so calm when I… when I… — Joanna’s voice broke, and she suddenly grabbed her stomach, feeling a strange warmth bloom there. A wave of nausea rose in her throat, and for a moment she feared she’d lose balance on these damn heels.
Her eyes darted to Mike, and she noticed his face contort with worry.
— Are… are you alright? — he whispered, stepping closer as if ready to catch her if she fell.
— No, I’m not alright, — Joanna whispered, feeling her heart pounding in her chest like it wanted to burst out. She nervously smoothed her stomach, hoping it was just a nervous reaction or the tight corset. But, to her horror, Joanna felt a strange firmness, small but unmistakable, that hadn’t been there before.
— Oh, God… — she whispered, her lips trembling. — Mike, do you see this? — she took a step back, clutching her hands to her stomach.
Mike looked at her, his gaze stopping on her slightly rounded stomach, and he went pale as a ghost.
— This… this can’t be real, — he finally breathed, his voice trembling. — We only… it was just once, and that was… it was...
— Just once, huh? — she interrupted venomously, feeling rage consume her. — But once was enough to put me here like this, — she pointed to her stomach.
And at that moment, the door swung open. The bridesmaids burst into the room — colleagues and acquaintances who, thanks to the mage’s interference, saw her as Joanna and their close friend. They surrounded her, laughing and chattering like magpies, beaming with happiness, entirely oblivious to her distress. In a second, they pulled her hand out of Mike’s, and his worried gaze disappeared behind the circle of giggling women.
— The groom shouldn’t see the bride before the ceremony! — one of them said, smiling and winking at Mike. — Go on, don’t ruin the tradition!
— She’s right! Everything has to be perfect; don’t you dare peek, Mike! — another chimed in, nudging him playfully toward the door.
Mike reluctantly stepped back, casting a final helpless look at Joanna. Her heart sank: even if he couldn’t help her, his presence at least gave her a small sense of calm. Now she was alone among the women who sincerely believed she was the happiest bride in the world.
— So, are you ready for this big moment? — one of the friends asked, gently adjusting a long curl that had come loose from Joanna’s hairstyle. — Oh, you’re going to have the most wonderful day, Joanna! You’re just glowing with happiness!
‘Glowing?’ she thought bitterly, struggling not to roll her eyes. What she felt in her chest was anything but joy. The girls didn’t seem to notice her anxiety, continuing to chatter and laugh.
— You look like a real princess, — another friend commented, admiring Joanna and adjusting her earrings. They tugged at her ears so painfully that Joanna could barely contain her irritation.
— I think you’re just a little nervous, — the third friend observed, shaking her head at Joanna’s expression. — That’s normal. Every bride gets the jitters before the ceremony, but it’ll all pass. You’ll see, you’re going to be the happiest wife, Joanna.
All the preparations blurred into a single block of time that passed like mere seconds. Inside, a voice screamed: “I don’t want this! I don’t want to live like this!”
But it was too late. The wedding march began, and they led her out of the room, surrounding her on all sides, guiding her toward the altar, to Mike.