𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

“ Corpse Bride ”
“ Flashback — 11 years ago ”

Robyn stood alone in the lavishly decorated bridal suite, her hands trembling as she smoothed out the delicate lace of her wedding dress. The room was filled with an air of anticipation and celebration, yet Robyn felt none of it. The night before had been a disaster—she and Beyoncé had fought like they never had before, and now, with the wedding just minutes away, the weight of their unresolved emotions bore down on her like a lead blanket.

She sighed deeply, her heart pounding as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was beautiful, everything she had ever dreamed of. But the person she wanted by her side, the person who had her heart, was slipping through her fingers. She wondered if Beyoncé would even show up. The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Then, as if conjured by her thoughts, the door creaked open, and Beyoncé walked in slowly. Robyn’s breath caught in her throat as their eyes met. Beyoncé looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, her usually confident demeanor replaced by something more fragile, more broken.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them was deafening, filled with everything they wanted to say but couldn’t find the words for. Robyn’s heart ached at the sight of Beyoncé, the love of her life, standing before her with such sorrow in her eyes. She wanted to reach out, to erase the pain she saw, but something held her back—fear, guilt, uncertainty.

“You came, Bey,” Robyn finally whispered, her voice barely audible as she tried to gauge where they stood.

Beyoncé swallowed hard, pushing back the tears that threatened to spill over. “You look breathtaking, Robyn.”

Robyn flinched at the formality of Beyoncé’s words, at the distance in her tone. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking. “I really am.”

Beyoncé’s eyes darkened with sadness, and she shook her head. “Why are you apologizing to your mistress on your wedding day?”

The words hung heavy in the air, and Robyn winced at the sting of the truth in them. “Please, Bey… I can still stop this. All you have to do is give me the words.”

Beyoncé closed her eyes for a moment, battling the overwhelming emotions that threatened to break her. When she opened them again, they were filled with a mixture of love and resignation. “I can’t do that, Robyn.”

Slowly, she stepped closer, taking Robyn’s hands in hers. The touch was warm, familiar, but it also felt like a farewell. Robyn’s heart pounded in her chest, panic setting in as she realized something was terribly wrong.

“I love you, Robyn,” Beyoncé whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I always have, and I always will. But I can’t be the reason you throw your life away. You deserve to be happy, to have everything you’ve ever wanted, and I can’t give that to you.”

Robyn’s head spun with confusion, her heart breaking at the words. “What are you talking about, Bey? We didn’t break up. We were supposed to figure this out. We were supposed to… stay together.”

Beyoncé looked down, the pain etched into her features as she struggled to keep her composure. “I’m leaving the firm, Robyn. I’m going back to France.”

The words were like a dagger to Robyn’s heart, and she pulled her hands away, shaking her head in denial. “No, no, no… You can’t. You can’t just leave me, Bey. We’ll figure this out. We always do.”

Beyoncé took a step back, her resolve faltering as she saw the desperation in Robyn’s eyes. “I have to, Robyn. I can’t stay here and watch you marry someone else. I can’t keep being the other woman, the secret you hide away. I need to move on, and so do you.”