"Ah!!"
"Oh my God! Are you okay?"
"Hello!??"
"Hey! Watch where you're going"
A chorus of worried and annoyed voices erupted as the restroom door was slammed open by a tear-stricken woman who looked like she'd been dragged through a nightmare.
As if her uniquely disheveled look wasn't enough, she was also visibly and undeniably drunk as a skunk. Hands flew to noses as the sharp, clinical scent of the bathroom collided with the heavy, sour stench of alcohol radiating from her.
But not long after, their eyes were widening in horror as the drunk girl began to thrash about, her sobs intensifying into something guttural.
"Fuck you all evil beings!" the crying girl in white roared in agony as everyone scrambled to clear a path for her.
She didn't stop. She didn't care that the sinks were made of Ceramic, she damn well made sure to hit them as hard as she could.
Stall doors were kicked, Tissue rolls scattered, and even the beautiful mirrors were not spared. As they shattered into a thousand jagged shards, a wave of screams broke out, and the room emptied in a frantic rush. Everyone ran out of the restroom shouting that there was a crazy woman in there.
"I, Zoni, Crazy?" the damsel let out a harsh laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Sure I look crazy right now. But atleast I'm not a backstabbing bitch!" She screamed at the empty echoing room.
Sniffling back fresh tears, she sauntered toward the remains of the mirrors to assess the damage. Her Tiara was missing from it's spot on her head. Her make up was a smeared mess, and her hair was all tangled and disarrayed.
She never truly believed the eyes could look 'soulless', but staring at hers right now, she almost couldn't recognize them.
Those soulless eyes traveled down to her dress, and a new river of salty tears flooded her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, mummy. I'm sorry." Zoni whispered to herself. Her mother's wedding dress, which was now hers, seemed to stare at her with sad and accusing eyes. Zoni knew the dress was mad at her for ruining it with wine, snot, and the grime of the night.
Goddamit, there was even a tear.
A sharp flush from the stall directly behind her snapped her out of her train of thoughts. She turned just in time to see a blonde lady bolt from the stall and dash for the exit, but not before casting Zoni a look of pure, unadulterated judgment. Zoni managed a dark chuckle at the scene, but her little joy was short-lived.
A violent wave of nausea surged within her, shutting her up. She ran into a stall, and emptied the contents in her stomach into the poor water closet.
She flushed, but couldn't be bothered to rinse her mouth. Dead inside and too tired to shed anymore tears, she plopped on the floor, legs propped against the door, and stared blankly at the white ceiling. Eventually, her eyes grew heavy and she drifted into slumber, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
Roughly 30 minutes Earlier.
Zoni let out a breathless giggle as the older woman's embrace tightened. A strange cocktail of joy and melancholy swelled in her chest, and as they pulled apart, she felt the familiar texture of Aunt Tomaru's thumb brushing a stray tear from her cheek.
When and why had she started crying?
"You have no idea how much it means to see you here, Auntie," Zoni said, her voice small but genuine.
"Don't say that, my dear." Mrs. Tomaru's hand lingered on her face, her eyes searching Zoni's. "If I didn't show up for you, who would?"
"I just thought...After everything..."
"Don't think, Zo. Just be." Aunt Tomaru's expression hardened slightly, the lines around her mouth deepening. "No matter how disappointed I am at the kind of man you married, I will never abandon you."
A wide, irrepressible grin broke across Zoni's face. "You really are the best."
"Here." Aunt Tomaru leaned in, discreetly pressing a delicately wrapped parcel into Zoni's palm.
"Auntie, you didn't have to..." She protested.
"Of course I have to." Mrs. Tomaru kissed the back of Zoni's hand, then glanced around the bustling reception hall. "Now, where is that husband of yours?"
Zoni scanned the hall for Jack. The last time she'd seen him was before the refreshments were served. He should have been at her side, playing the part of the doting groom, but he had vanished into the corridors of the massive estate.
She turned back to her Aunt with a fragile smile. "Um... he was very tired from—"
"Save the excuses, Zo. You're already married, for heaven's sake." Aunt Tomaru's brow furrowed in a way that made Zoni uncomfortable. "He should be beside his wife on such an important day."
Anxious to stop the criticism before it escalated, Zoni quickly gathered the hem of her gown.
"Where are you going?"
"To find him, and bring him to your feet."
"For God's sake, Zoni."
"I'll be back soon. Just a minute!"
Zoni hurried away, weaving through a sea of guests whose faces were unrecognizable. She didn't have the energy to play hostess anymore; she just wanted to find Jack and pacify her favorite Aunt.
After checking eight different rooms, her pace slowed. She didn't have the time or energy to run around this huge building.
Jack was nowhere to be found.
She contemplated going back to plead some more on his behalf, but changed her mind after spotting Bryan, Jack's best man at the end of the corridor.
"Bryan!" she called out.
Startled, he snapped his head and raced toward her, looking uncharacteristically frazzled.
"Thank goodness, I've been looking for you, Zoni."
"Looking for me?" Zoni blinked in confusion. "Is something wrong? I'm actually looking for Jack."
Bryan offered a tight, flickering smile. "Oh, nothing. He's in Room 14, over in the left wing. He's... waiting for you."
Zoni's heart beamed. "Really?"
"Yeah. Go on." Bryan turned to leave, but stopped, looking back over his shoulder with an expression she couldn't quite read. "And, Zoni? I really do wish you a happy life. Truly. Congratulations."
"Aw, thanks Bryan." Zoni's cheeks flushed at the compliment, though it felt...odd?
She wondered what that was about.
Counting the doors as she moved down the hall, her excitement built with every step. When she reached Room 14, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, she stepped into the suite.
The room was dark, and empty. She couldn't see anything, but could hear sounds.
Funny sounds. Wet sounds.
They were drifting from the ensuite bathroom.
A rancid thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly flung it away as soon as it came.
Hm. Maybe this wasn't the room Jack was in.
She knew that thought was wrong the minute the person in there spoke. Zoni couldn't register the words, but she registered the voice. It belonged to the man she'd been searching for, for almost 20 minutes!
Her heart fell deeper into the abyss of sorrow as the heated kisses continued. She stood paralyzed, her feet sinking into the plush velvet rug, as her heart broke into more pieces.
Jack's partner in adultery spoke up, and Zoni had to physically clutch her chest to keep her heart from bursting.
The female voice belonged to Mia, Jack's so called best friend.
The betrayal was too much. She needed to leave. Now, if she wanted to stay sane and beautiful on her big day.
Her feet, though heavy, came through for her, and she turned to flee, but a single, casual question from the bathroom stopped her.
"So how's the new kidney feel?"