I Approved My Husband’s Wedding Leave to Marry His Assistant Chapter 04

I Approved My Husband’s Wedding Leave to Marry His Assistant Chapter 04

My phone vibrated with a message from Mr. Warren, the head of the company.

Mr. Warren: [Lena, post an announcement in the company-wide Slack channel.]

Mr. Warren: [To celebrate Mr. Shaw from Marketing and his upcoming wedding, the company has decided to close next Monday so everyone can attend the ceremony. Please make sure all employees are present.]

Mr. Warren: [Have Mr. Shaw post the hotel address and time in the channel later.]

I sat in my car and typed on my phone.

I opened the company-wide Slack channel with hundreds of people in it, copied the message, pasted it, and sent it.

As soon as the message went out, the channel lit up.

Coworker: [Thank you, Mr. Warren! That’s so generous!]

Coworker: [Wow! A day off and a wedding reception? Double win!]

Coworker: [Congratulations, Mr. Shaw! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!]

Coworker: [See everyone at the wedding on Monday!]

I watched the congratulations roll across the screen. Then I picked up my phone and sent one too.

Lena Carter: [Congratulations, Mr. Shaw. Best wishes on your wedding.]

Claire sent a blushing emoji.

Claire Dawson: [Thank you, everyone.]

Michael appeared too.

Michael Shaw: [Thank you, Mr. Warren, and thank you all. We’ll be honored to see everyone there on Monday.]

The channel filled with flattery again.

I locked my phone and drove back to my own home, the one Michael and I had lived in for three years.

Monday came quickly.

I chose a black dress and did my makeup.

Standing in front of the mirror, I swiped on crimson lipstick.

The wedding was held at the most expensive hotel in the city.

At the entrance to the ballroom stood Michael and Claire’s wedding portrait.

Claire’s parents stood by the doors, greeting guests with beaming smiles.

Megan from HR was managing the gift table. When she saw me, she froze.

“Lena, you came.”

I nodded and took a wedding card with a generous check from my purse.

“Congratulations to Mr. Shaw.”

I ignored her and walked into the ballroom on my own.

The room was almost full, and nearly everyone there was from the company.

People greeted each other, laughing and talking.

I found a table in the corner and sat down. No one else was there yet.

A little while later, Michael’s parents arrived, and Claire’s parents welcomed them inside.

Michael’s mother, Linda Shaw, was dressed in an elegant formal dress and beaming with pride.

The ceremony began at eleven-thirty sharp.

The lights dimmed, music started, and a spotlight fell on the entrance.

The officiant began.

“On this beautiful day, we gather to celebrate a couple who truly belong together.”

Michael stood in the middle of the stage in a black suit.

He was smiling as he looked toward the end of the aisle.

The doors opened, and Claire walked in on her father’s arm, dressed in a white wedding gown as she made her way toward Michael step by step.

Applause filled the ballroom.

At the table next to mine, a few coworkers whispered to each other.

“The bride is gorgeous. Mr. Shaw is a lucky man.”

“No kidding. I heard he spent a fortune on this wedding. The dress alone cost tens of thousands.”

Claire’s father placed his daughter’s hand in Michael’s and gave them a few smiling words of blessing.

Michael nodded, then led Claire onto the stage.

The two of them stood side by side.

The officiant spoke again.

“Before they exchange their vows, let’s turn to the screen and look back at some of the couple’s sweetest moments together.”

The large screen behind the stage lit up.

The second Michael turned around, his expression collapsed.

The photos on the screen were of us.

There were pictures of us as awkward college kids, then photos from our graduation trip.

There was the moment he proposed to me, followed by the two of us holding each other at our own wedding.

Photo after photo recorded nearly ten years of our lives together.

The applause and chatter in the ballroom vanished.

Everyone stared at the screen, and a shocked murmur rippled through the room.

The final image was a close-up.

It showed the official photo on our marriage certificate, with Michael and me sitting side by side.