say what’s in his heart.”
The room had filled with hushed excitement as Lilli leaned back in her linen-covered chair, waiting to see what kind of romantic surprise Rob had in store for her.
Rob’s gaze had met hers and he paled. Letting out a groan of frustration, he sidled past his future mother-in-law to the keyboard used to run the presentation.
The screen went blank.
Rob typed furiously.
Lilli, along with everyone in the large ballroom, waited in anticipation for the heartfelt words that would appear on the screen.
Lilli, you are a wonderful girl, the words began, making everyone in the room sigh simultaneously. Lilli had felt a lump of emotion rise in her throat.
But, came the next word.
Followed by, I have to beak up with you.
“Beak?” her mother asked directly into the microphone. She exchanged a confused glance between the screen and Lilli, who sat frozen in her seat. “What does beak mean?”
Lilli frowned. Beak? Did he mean...?
“Break,” Rob belted out. “Lilli, I have to break up with you,” he said from across the room. “Before our family and friends, I have to break up with you.”
Lilli stared at him in horror as excited murmurs rose throughout the room. Her mind went blank until Rob had managed to pull Lilli to a corner of the room.
“Why?” Lilli had asked, her chest tight, her eyes hot with unshed tears.
“I can’t do this.”
“But we have the church reserved. The reception hall booked. Our whole future ahead of us.”
“That’s just it, a future with you working.”
“What are you talking about?” she’d asked, truly confused.
“I thought I wanted a wife. A family. But instead I just feel pressured.”
“Is this about me working? I can cut back for a while, until we get used to—”
“That’s just it. I don’t know what I want right now. The pressure of this wedding is just too much.”
She’d glanced around the room full of rapt faces hanging on the engaged couple’s every word. “And you’ve decided that right now is the time to discuss this?”
“What better time? After we say our vows? You’ve been putting me off, what with all the wedding lists and plans. Everything has to be just so, according to your timetable. What about what I want?”
She’d blinked and looked at him. Really looked at him. Is this how married life would be? Rob changing his mind about their lives when the pressure became too much for him?
“So this is your decision?” She refused to go back to a life where other people dictated her every move. Her parents had done that most of her life. Her husband would not.
Rob straightened his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Lilli.”
“I know, Rob.” She hadn’t understood, but knew he meant those words.
Rob had turned on his heel and walked out of her life, leaving her with a room full of people who wanted answers, a wedding to undo and facing the realization that she’d almost made a huge mistake.
Now, a year later, Lilli slowly backed out of the room, her palms damp, disturbed by her memories. Rob may have taken off after embarrassing her, but she’d learned one thing for sure. Never, ever again would she allow herself to be that thoroughly humiliated.
She shook her head, removing the lingering visuals and pulling herself together. When she finally entered the room to conduct the meeting, the chatter faded. Lilli faced the women before her, suddenly at a loss for words. Each face held a different emotion. Curiosity. Doubt. Disdain. Now that she had to actually run this meeting, she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
It only took one condescending look from Marisa to get her mind in gear.
She took a deep breath and said, “Thank you so much for meeting with me this morning. I have reviewed my mother’s initial lists, which Mrs. Rumpold kindly put together.” She paused as the ladies gave the older woman much-deserved applause. “I wanted to touch base with you all and review some items.”
She pulled out the master
The room had filled with hushed excitement as Lilli leaned back in her linen-covered chair, waiting to see what kind of romantic surprise Rob had in store for her.
Rob’s gaze had met hers and he paled. Letting out a groan of frustration, he sidled past his future mother-in-law to the keyboard used to run the presentation.
The screen went blank.
Rob typed furiously.
Lilli, along with everyone in the large ballroom, waited in anticipation for the heartfelt words that would appear on the screen.
Lilli, you are a wonderful girl, the words began, making everyone in the room sigh simultaneously. Lilli had felt a lump of emotion rise in her throat.
But, came the next word.
Followed by, I have to beak up with you.
“Beak?” her mother asked directly into the microphone. She exchanged a confused glance between the screen and Lilli, who sat frozen in her seat. “What does beak mean?”
Lilli frowned. Beak? Did he mean...?
“Break,” Rob belted out. “Lilli, I have to break up with you,” he said from across the room. “Before our family and friends, I have to break up with you.”
Lilli stared at him in horror as excited murmurs rose throughout the room. Her mind went blank until Rob had managed to pull Lilli to a corner of the room.
“Why?” Lilli had asked, her chest tight, her eyes hot with unshed tears.
“I can’t do this.”
“But we have the church reserved. The reception hall booked. Our whole future ahead of us.”
“That’s just it, a future with you working.”
“What are you talking about?” she’d asked, truly confused.
“I thought I wanted a wife. A family. But instead I just feel pressured.”
“Is this about me working? I can cut back for a while, until we get used to—”
“That’s just it. I don’t know what I want right now. The pressure of this wedding is just too much.”
She’d glanced around the room full of rapt faces hanging on the engaged couple’s every word. “And you’ve decided that right now is the time to discuss this?”
“What better time? After we say our vows? You’ve been putting me off, what with all the wedding lists and plans. Everything has to be just so, according to your timetable. What about what I want?”
She’d blinked and looked at him. Really looked at him. Is this how married life would be? Rob changing his mind about their lives when the pressure became too much for him?
“So this is your decision?” She refused to go back to a life where other people dictated her every move. Her parents had done that most of her life. Her husband would not.
Rob straightened his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Lilli.”
“I know, Rob.” She hadn’t understood, but knew he meant those words.
Rob had turned on his heel and walked out of her life, leaving her with a room full of people who wanted answers, a wedding to undo and facing the realization that she’d almost made a huge mistake.
Now, a year later, Lilli slowly backed out of the room, her palms damp, disturbed by her memories. Rob may have taken off after embarrassing her, but she’d learned one thing for sure. Never, ever again would she allow herself to be that thoroughly humiliated.
She shook her head, removing the lingering visuals and pulling herself together. When she finally entered the room to conduct the meeting, the chatter faded. Lilli faced the women before her, suddenly at a loss for words. Each face held a different emotion. Curiosity. Doubt. Disdain. Now that she had to actually run this meeting, she couldn’t think of a thing to say.
It only took one condescending look from Marisa to get her mind in gear.
She took a deep breath and said, “Thank you so much for meeting with me this morning. I have reviewed my mother’s initial lists, which Mrs. Rumpold kindly put together.” She paused as the ladies gave the older woman much-deserved applause. “I wanted to touch base with you all and review some items.”
She pulled out the master
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