The beginning of my story is the beginning of a new chapter in my life, one that was supposed to lead to marriage. I’m Paige, and the night before my wedding, at the age of 23, I learned something startling that caused me to reevaluate everything I had assumed to be true about Aaron, my future husband.
For me, life had always been routine. Early mornings, college lectures, and late nights dozing off with my textbooks characterized my days. My social life was almost nonexistent; I spent most of my evenings reading a good book at home. It was an easy life, calm and simple.
Then, on what appeared to be just another Thursday, something unexpected happened in my life. I was looking through book stacks in the university library to get the materials I required for my paper. Aaron and I met there. As fate would have it, our mutual interest in the same book led to our meeting. He was a fellow student, just a year older than me, and we were majoring in the same subject.
We both reached for a book of Nicholas Sparks’ “At First Sight,” and our hands met. As we both reached to pick up books, they fell all about us in a hilarious yet adorable accident. Once more, our fingers touched, and there seemed to be an electrical charge flowing between us. With a smile that made me feel warm inside, he broke the pause and asked, “So, which book were you reaching for?”
“Grab it. With a look that suggested something fresh was about to happen, he handed me the book and declared, “I can wait.” We swapped phone numbers, initiating a conversation that would develop into much more than just exchanging books.
Our modest beginnings led to the blossoming of our friendship. Our casual campus meetups turned into coffee dates where we discussed books and life in general. German by birth, Aaron had spent the last four years in the United States. Finding out about him was as easy as breathing, and I couldn’t help but fall in love.
Aaron took me back to that exact location two years after our first meeting at the library. This time, he said, “Will you marry me, Paige?” as he gave me a book that had a ring concealed inside. I nodded through tears, overwhelmed and overjoyed, accepting his proposal.
Aaron and I were getting married this past Sunday, and I had planned a unique surprise for him. In order to honor his ancestry and strengthen our bond, I had been covertly studying German to say my wedding vows in his mother tongue.
But Aaron’s feelings were painfully revealed the night before our wedding. Nervous excitement kept me awake, and I heard him talking on the phone to his mother in German. I heard him say, “Mom, I know Paige is fat, but I’ll be patient,” and my heart stopped. Her parents have a lot of wealth. I’ll take control of all their finances after we are married, and I’ll force her to get plastic surgery to lose weight. My heart was broken and my faith in him was betrayed by his cold, calculating statements.
