When a colleague invited me to her wedding, I had only been working at this London publishing house for just over four months. From my first days at the job, Id struck up a friendship with this woman. I hadnt met her fiancé before, but I agreed to go because I was eager to make an appearance in my new dress. Alongside a handful of our other office mates, we arrived at the reception together. We ended up running a bit late, slipping quietly into the hall just as everyone had already settled at the tables.
The wedding was a grand affair, with well over a hundred guests crowding into a beautifully decorated marquee. The tables were absolutely groaning under the weight of all sorts of English delights and treats. But all of that faded into the background the moment I saw my friends husband-to-be. My heart nearly stopped. I was smitten the instant I set eyes on him, and to my utter disbelief, the feeling was mutual. All through the evening I felt dazed, my cheeks burning and my heart thumping wildly, leaving me unable to eat or drink a thing.
Eventually the inner turmoil became too much, so I made my excuses and left the party early. My mind was ablaze with emotion and I just needed to retreat to the safety of my flat and try to compose myself. The following evening, as I left the office, I spotted him waiting by the main entrance. His new bride was away on holiday, so she wasnt around at work.
He didnt say a word he simply walked over, gently took my hand, and led me to his car. As soon as we were inside, he started kissing me and I found myself utterly powerless to stop. We talked and kissed for hours, unable to tear ourselves from each other. Eventually we ended up at my flat and thats where everything changed. He told me without hesitation that hed leave his wife and marry me. True to his word, he went home, spoke to his wife, then packed his bags and returned to me. I never asked what was said between them.
It wasnt long before we got married ourselves, and soon after, we bought a little flat together in Oxford. Weve now been a couple for over three years. I left my job at the publishing house immediately there was no way I could stay, considering everything that had happened. I can only imagine the things people said about me; after all, his ex-wife had been a fixture there for years, and I was just the new girl. Naturally, she had everyones sympathy. What became of her, I really dont know, as my husband and I have never spoken of their past together.
We resolved to begin our new chapter with a clean slate. I can say with complete honesty that Im genuinely happy now. People expected our marriage to fall apart quickly, but here we are, still going strong after all this time, happy and in love every day. After everything Ive experienced, I now know without a doubt that its worth fighting for your happiness.
