On the morning of the wedding, the church was fragrant with lilies, the parquet floor was waxed, and a precious perfume was infused.
I helped Hazel put on the vest she would wear before changing into her bridesmaid dress.
"You will be the most beautiful bridesmaid anyone has ever seen," I told her.
Twenty minutes before the ceremony, a bridesmaid…
I entered the waiting room.
"Vanessa wants Hazel to be alone in the bridal suite," she said.
I froze.
" Alone ? "
The maid of honor nodded.
Hazel was already rushing towards the door.
I almost stopped him.
Instead, I thought Vanessa was finally going to do something nice.
Perhaps she wanted to present the dress in private.
Perhaps she wanted to create a precious memory with her future daughter-in-law.
I paced around the room while I waited.
Five minutes have passed.
Then ten.
When the door finally opened, Hazel walked in.
For a terrible second, I barely recognized her.
The beautiful bridesmaid dress she had imagined for months had disappeared.
Instead, she wore an enormous navy blue suit, clearly designed for a man.
The jacket came almost to his knees.
The sleeves covered his hands.
The bottom of his trousers was rolled up around his shoes.
Her eyes shone, but not with joy.
I took hold of his shoulders.
"What's going on, darling?"
Hazel lowered her eyes.
Her lower lip was trembling.
"Vanessa said there would be no more bridesmaids."
I knelt before her.
"What do you mean?"
"She said I'm on Dad's side."
Hazel swallowed.
"So I have to dress like a witness."
Before I could reply, the door creaked open.
Samuel entered the room, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and with a flower pinned to his buttonhole.
He looked at Hazel.
Then her gaze fell on the oversized suit that seemed to be drowning her.
He said nothing.
But his expression changed.
His jaw tightened.
His gaze hardened.
Then he turned around and walked away.
I watched him disappear down the corridor without understanding where he was going.
I was soon to discover that Samuel had decided that words were no longer enough.
— THE HUMILIATION
