As the ceremony was about to begin, she noticed a girl, no more than five years old, standing alone. Her dress was wrinkled and her shoes were worn. The girl walked towards her, a bouquet of flowers in her hands, with a curious look. As the bride looked at the girl, she noticed something on her wrist – a birthmark in the shape of a heart, strikingly similar to that of her fiancé. She remembered strange disappearances, late nights and the smell of perfume that could not be explained.

Memories she had tried to suppress came flooding back. The girl looked at her and then said that she was looking for her father. Pointing at her fiancé, the bride realized that her fears were justified. She asked him a simple question: “Would you have become a father five years ago?” His face paled and he began to stutter as he tried to justify himself. “It’s a coincidence,” he said, but he didn’t sound convincing. The bride did not believe him and demanded proof: “Prove it with a DNA test.”

The ceremony was immediately canceled. In the days that followed, despite incessant calls and questions, the bride remained calm and waited for the truth. The test results confirmed her worst fears: the girl was her fiancé’s daughter. His attempts to justify his lies were unsuccessful. He had hidden from her the whole life in which this innocent girl who deserved better was. The bride decided to end the relationship.

Although her heart was broken, she understood that she could not stay with someone who could hide something so important. Emily, despite having lost a parent, found new people who welcomed her with love. The bride went on, feeling a mixture of sadness and relief, knowing that love without trust had no meaning. Her freedom from the lies became the peace she was able to keep even as the sun set over what should have been the happiest day.