Wedding Day Laundry

1 I suffer from severe social phobia. Yet on our wedding day, my fiancé Bill was busy washing his female friend Roxie's underwear. Standing near the crowded venue, heart hammering, I called him, begging him to hurry. His voice was irritated. "Roxie's always careless. I've washed her laundry since we were kids. It takes five minutes, Lynda. Can't you just wait? Do you really think nobody else would ever marry you?" I choked back tears. "Today is our wedding. Can't you prioritize me once?" Roxie cut in, fake-sweet. "Oh, come on, Lynda. Don't be dramatic. This is the last time. Once you're hitched, I won't bother him. Stop making things hard." The line went dead. I called Bill's mother, Aunt Eleanor, abroad. "He's still doing her laundry. Could you talk to him? The ceremony's about to start." She snorted. "What's the big deal? He gave her baths as a kid. They grew up together. Just wait." Dizzy, panic clawing my chest, my brother Marcus pulled me into a firm embrace. "Lynda," he whispered, rubbing my back. "What if Gary marries you instead? If Bill loves playing maid so much, I'll get you a man who knows how to treat his bride." I stared in shock. Gary, Bill's older cousin, the man who'd raised him, whose gentle smile melted any heart. He was the only person besides Bill who didn't trigger my phobia. Marcus saw my dazed nod and pulled out his phone. "Gary. I'm giving you the chance to marry my sister. Get here right now." … The wedding went on as scheduled. Gary held my hand throughout the ceremony, his firm grip grounding my frayed nerves. Bill's parents accepted the sudden turn of events without batting an eye, even offering us their warmest blessings. As soon as the ceremony ended, I noticed dozens of missed calls from Bill on my phone. I dialed his number back. I wanted to tell him not to bother coming. The moment the call connected, he barked into the receiver before I could speak. "I called you a million times and you ignored me! Now you finally remember I exist?" "Realized nobody else wants you, didn't you? You couldn't even give me five minutes." "Roxie and I were already driving over, but you had to throw a tantrum over a few minutes." "Fine. Cool off on your own. The wedding is postponed." I was already sitting in the backseat of the bridal car, hot tears spilling onto my dress. Gary reached over and gently patted my head, soothing me the way one comforts a fragile child. Under his quiet reassurance, Bill's harsh words lost their sting. Our motorcade continued toward the family estate. Halfway there, a red convertible sped up beside us. Bill was at the wheel, with Roxie lounging in the passenger seat. Recognizing Gary's custom car at the lead, Bill executed a flashy maneuver and cut us off. He stepped out, slouched against our car door, and tapped on the window with a smirk. It was as if he was saying, Hey big brother, what are you up to? How could you get married without telling me? He grinned lazily, making it clear he wouldn't leave until we acknowledged him. I sat in the back, trembling under my veil. Gary turned around from the front passenger seat, his eyes soft and reassuring. "Don't be scared. I'll handle him." I nodded. Gary rolled down the window, his expression cold as ice. "What are you doing, Bill?" "Come on, Gary, that's not fair," Bill laughed. "How could you hide your wedding from your own brother?" Roxie squeezed herself into view, giggling. "Yeah, Gary! We just wanted to share the joy." She thrust her hand through the window, poking her tongue out playfully. "Where's our toll money? Give us a wedding blessing envelope!" Gary frowned. Bill chuckled and chimed in. "It's tradition to demand toll money when blocking the wedding car, brother. Giving it ensures a happy marriage." Gary patted his pockets, only to realize he wasn't carrying cash. "I don't have cash on me," he said calmly. "I'll give it to you when we get back." Bill acted like a brat. "No way! You can't pass without paying." Roxie suggested, "Gary, there are so many people around. Borrow some from someone else. Or ask your bride!" Seeing Gary put on the spot, I hurriedly reached into my purse, pulled out six hundred dollars, and handed it to him. Bill leaned his head inside the window to grab it, catching a glimpse of me. "Wow, your bride is stunning, brother." Gary immediately pushed Bill's head back out. From Bill's casual tone, I knew he hadn't recognized me through the veil. He was just tossing out generic compliments. "Tsk, haven't even had the wedding night yet and you're already so protective," Bill teased. Gary ignored the banter, handing over the six hundred dollars. "Take it and get out of here." Bill took the cash but shook his head with a smirk. "Wait, this is from you. The bride hasn't given her share yet." Before Gary could snap, I pulled another six hundred dollars from my bag and handed it through the window. Bill grinned as he took it. "Thanks! Wish you and my brother a long and happy life together. May you have a baby soon!" "Here's to a long, loving marriage!" Hearing those words felt like a cruel joke. Fate truly had a twisted sense of humor. With the ridiculous road prank over, our car started moving again. A moment later, I saw that Bill had posted a video on his story, raising a glass to congratulate his brother's wedding. His friends left comments beneath it: Wait, isn't today your wedding day? Why are you filming congratulations for your older brother instead? Don't tell me your socially anxious bride got stolen by your brother like in some trashy soap opera? Bill replied: Shut up. My brother's wife is way out of Lynda's league. By the way, my wedding is postponed. I'll let you guys know when we reschedule. Having a socially anxious girlfriend has its perks, though. She doesn't cry or throw scenes. Before I got out of the car at the estate, Gary had already instructed the butler to clear the area. Not a single maid or servant was in sight when I stepped out, which instantly eased the knot of tension in my chest. Gary held my hand tightly and led me upstairs to his master suite. Because of the rushed arrangements, the room hadn't been decorated for a wedding. I sat on the edge of the bed, my body rigid as my mind raced with anxious thoughts about what usually happens on a wedding night. The most intimate contact I had ever comfortably tolerated was a simple embrace. Gary noticed my paleness and panic. He offered a tender smile, gently pinching my cheek. "Lynda, you can sleep here tonight. I'll take the guest room." A massive weight lifted off my chest, though a faint pang of guilt crept in. When the room fell quiet, I began exploring my new surroundings. The decor was minimalist, dominated by muted greys and whites, impeccably tidy. Suddenly, a display case caught my eye. Inside sat a glittering gemstone necklace. I stepped closer and froze. It was my first piece of jewelry design, auctioned off when I was eighteen through my brother. I had never asked who bought it back then. I never dreamed it had been Gary. While I was staring at it, noisy chatter echoed from the hallway outside. "Gary, how could you get married without telling anyone? Who's the bride? Let me see her!" "Yeah, Gary, this is way too sudden! We want to see her!" It was Bill and Roxie. I heard the door handle jiggle, but the door stayed locked. Gary was blocking them in the hallway. "Your sister-in-law is already asleep," Gary said firmly. "Don't cause a scene." "Come on, brother, don't lie to me. You're not even asleep yet!" Bill laughed. "Besides, we haven't crashed the wedding suite yet." "I need to see if this new bride of yours is an angel from heaven to melt a cold stone like you." "She doesn't like meeting strangers," Gary's voice turned stern. "Leave her alone." Roxie scoffed in the hallway. "Gosh, she sounds just like that high-maintenance Lynda. Is social anxiety contagious or something?" Bill chimed in with a mock groan. "Brother, you really shouldn't marry a girl like that. You have no idea how much of a headache Lynda has been since we started dating." "Silence," Gary cut him off coldly. "Go back to your room. If you step out of line again, I will cut off every single card under your name." "Whoa, okay, okay! Fine, I won't look. I'll see her eventually anyway." "We were just joking, Gary, don't get mad!" A door slammed down the hall. Only then did I realize Bill's room was right next to Gary's. A moment later, two soft knocks sounded at my door. Gary's warm voice drifted through. "Lynda? Are you awake?" Instead of answering, I walked over and pulled the door open. Worry lingered in his eyes. I forced a reassuring smile to let him know I was fine. "Gary... can you... stay with me tonight?" I tugged at my hemline, looking down, sweat prickling my palms. Silence stretched for three seconds before a low, melodic chuckle broke above me. "Of course, Lynda. But... stop calling me like I'm just your elder brother." The lingering sweetness in his tone sent a rush of heat straight to my cheeks. With the lights turned off, the room plunged into pitch darkness. Surprisingly, I felt a deep sense of security. I no longer feared his proximity. He wrapped his arms around me, drawing me close to his chest. In the silence, the steady thump of a heartbeat resonated between us, so close I couldn't tell if it was his or mine. Just as drowsiness began to pull me under, faint voices drifted through the wall. Roxie's playful whisper vibrated through the shared partition. "Bill... if you had rushed to the venue today, tonight would have been your wedding night." "Aren't you worried your rich little girlfriend might run off with someone else?" Bill answered with absolute confidence. "Please. That girl has severe social phobia. She's stuck with me for life." "For some strange reason, I'm the only person she isn't terrified of. She barely even sees her own brother." "Love conquers all, I guess. Her symptoms have been getting so much better lately." "I can guarantee nobody else could ever marry her. She's hooked on me forever." Gary suddenly murmured softly in my ear, "I'm sorry." "When the house was renovated, the designer used a shared decorative wall between these two suites to keep the layout symmetrical. It's not as thick as a solid wall. When it's quiet at night, every whisper carries over." I shook my head in the dark, mouthing, It's fine. The conversation next door continued, taking a disturbing turn. "Bill... do you... want to try what a wedding night feels like?" "Even if I wanted to, Lynda can't even handle kissing." "Oh, come on! Since you've washed my underwear for so many years, I don't mind letting you get a little perk." "Are you... serious?" "Don't be so dramatic. It's just a normal physical need. You're twenty-three and still a virgin. Aren't you embarrassed to tell anyone?" "Besides, haven't you heard that women care a lot about experience? If you don't practice beforehand, I'm afraid you won't even find the right spot on your actual wedding night!" "Well... if you say so. But just this once. And don't you dare tell Lynda." My face burned with shame, while my heart felt as if a thousand needles were piercing it. Bill never knew why I wasn't afraid of him, but I remembered every detail. During the scorching summer when I was fifteen, a young boy had walked into my home behind a twenty-four-year-old Gary. His glib, bright eyes had looked around with such goofy curiosity that I couldn't help laughing from the second-floor landing. My laughter drew their attention, but by the time he looked up, I had already scampered back into my room. After that day, he learned about my crippling social anxiety. From then on, whenever he visited my house, he wore a cartoon fox mask. Magically, because of that mask, I didn't hide from him. My brother was overjoyed that I didn't fear Bill. Since we were close in age, he encouraged Bill to visit often. Bill never complained. He came over frequently, always wearing that silly fox mask. Eventually, I gathered the courage to go outdoors with him for the very first time. My brother was so thrilled that he bought Bill a pair of limited-edition sneakers as a reward. Later, even when his friends mocked me as a freak during our outings, Bill never abandoned me. He even got into fights for my sake when someone called me a monster. He had used a simple mask to bridge the distance between us, stealing my young heart in the process. Yet after his childhood friend, Roxie, transferred to our school, I was no longer his priority. Restless sounds echoed through the wall from the adjacent room. Gary gently reached over, covering my ears with his hands. "Hang in there," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "This will never happen again." I gripped his sleeve tightly. The clean, soothing scent of his cologne filled my senses, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his waist. The next morning, I still couldn't bring myself to go downstairs for breakfast. Gary thoughtfully had the staff bring a tray up to the room. My brother called to check on me. "How are you holding up, Lynda?" I smiled into the receiver. "Everything is wonderful." He spoke for only a few minutes before hanging up. I knew he was afraid he would break down in tears if we talked any longer. Our parents died in an accident when I was three. Marcus was only thirteen at the time. Still a child himself, he stepped up to raise me. He studied during the day, fed me dinner at night, and by seventeen, he was already learning to manage the family business alongside our grandfather. In the middle of those overwhelming years, his fragile little sister developed a severe psychological disorder. I contracted a phobia of people so intense that I couldn't even look at the brother who had raised me. All these years, he must have suffered so much. After breakfast, Gary didn't leave for the office. Instead, he mysteriously asked me to go somewhere with him. Bill was nowhere to be seen, and the servants deliberately stayed out of sight as we walked out. Wearing a mask and a baseball cap, I followed Gary into his private car. He had given his driver the day off, taking the wheel himself. Sitting in the passenger seat, I felt a deep sense of peace I hadn't experienced in years. After a thirty-minute drive, the car pulled up in front of a secluded, beautiful estate. Gary held my hand as we walked through the gates, introducing the grounds to me. "Lynda, I spent five years building this estate. I designed every single detail myself. Most importantly, no one will ever disturb you here." He stopped, his striking dark eyes looking down at me, his voice smooth and mesmerizing. "Do you like it, Lynda? This is my gift to you." I nodded eagerly. It was absolute perfection. Gary saw the joy in my eyes and pulled me upstairs to the second-floor master suite. Standing outside the heavy wooden door, he gave me a mysterious smile. "Close your eyes, Lynda. I have a surprise for you." I dutifully closed my eyes, my heart thumping with anticipation. With a soft, heavy creak, the door swung open. "Open them," Gary whispered gently. I opened my eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. Before me stood a room I knew intimately. The familiar furniture, the exact layout, my childhood bed, every single detail. "How... how did you..." I stammered, looking up at him in utter shock. Gary smiled softly, pulling me into the room. "I recreated the room you lived in for twenty years. Do you mind?" I shook my head vigorously. "I love it." Suddenly, a dog barked from the courtyard below.