21. READING
All the guests were going to be there soon, but Jade hadn’t finished yet. She had been
preparing this wedding for a while and wanted everything to be perfect. Although it wasn't her
wedding, she felt just as nervous as a bride – it was her first project as a wedding planner. She
could hardly contain her excitement in spite of everyone’s doubt. Her family members had
never believed that she would actually leave her stable 9–5 job to pursue such a financially
unpredictable career until she announced it.
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon at her parents’ house. Jade knew they would have all
been there at that time. She and her brothers were chatting while watching TV; their mum and
dad were playing cards, enjoying each other’s company. Suddenly, Jade stood up and shyly
but proudly shared her news: she had resigned from her well-paid job as a personal assistant
to dedicate herself to becoming a wedding planner.
The whole family stood still. They all just sat there, staring at her and shaking their heads in
disapproval. Her mother had a worried look in her eyes, while her father was clearly
disappointed. Jade’s brothers broke the silence by asking questions: Do you know what you
are doing? How are you going to find clients? Why do you think this is a good idea? Their
reaction didn’t come as a surprise to Jade. Her family had never been supportive of her
dreams and ambitions. They thought that work was all she cared about, but they wished she
had a conventional lifestyle. She was 37 years old and not only did she have no intention of
getting married, but she also had no wish to become a mother. Jade had rejected all the goals
that her parents had set for her.
But at that point, their opinion didn’t matter. After all, they had never pushed themselves out
of their comfort zones. None of them had ever tried anything new in their life because they had
always played it safe. Her parents’ disappointment, her brother’s disbelief, her ex-employer's
doubts were a distant memory. She knew what she wanted and she was going to achieve it. It
wasn't going to be easy, and there were going to be ups and downs, but she was confident
that her business would be a success. In that moment, all that mattered was the outcome of
that wedding that Jade had been planning – together with the bride and the groom – for
months. The flowers had already been arranged on the tables and all around the room by the
florist, the delicious food was ready to be served by waiters wearing impeccable uniforms, and
musicians, who were tuning their instruments, were ready to entertain the guests.
Only the cake was missing… The wedding cake hadn’t been delivered yet! Jade
immediately called the bakery to find out what had happened. There had been an accident on
the road that slowed down the traffic – the cake was on its way. While she was on the phone,
the delivery van arrived at the venue. There it was! The cake had finally arrived and Jade
heaved a sigh of relief. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what would have happened if the
cake hadn’t turned up. Without a doubt, the bride would have been in tears, the groom would
have been extremely angry and Jade’s career would have ended in a flash.
Everything was finally ready. As the musicians started to play their cheerful music, the
guests began to arrive. Everyone was talking, but the atmosphere was tense. Some seemed
shocked, some seemed upset, in contrast with the music. Something must have happened at
the ceremony and she hadn't been informed. Jade had desperately tried to find the bride and
groom, but there was no sign of either of them. There was the mother of the bride, crying on
her husband’s shoulder. There was the father of the groom shouting at his one and only son.
Something must have gone terribly wrong. Selfishly, Jade thought about the effect that might
have had on her business. Would they have recommended her services to other clients?
