“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” my dad asked, his warm hand resting on my shoulder as I adjusted my veil in the mirror.

“I’ve been ready my whole life, Dad,” I said with a grin. My hands were steady, but my heart raced with excitement.

I wasn’t the kind of girl who dreamed of fairy tales, but I’d always wanted this day—a day full of love, laughter, and family. And now it was happening. Everything was perfect, down to the last detail, just like I’d planned.

I’d spent months picking out flowers, choosing the right colors, and making sure everyone knew their place. My mom used to say I was a bit of a control freak, but it made me feel safe, knowing things were in order.

“You look beautiful,” my dad added, a bit choked up.

“Don’t start crying yet,” I teased. “We still have to make it down the aisle.”

I couldn’t wait to walk down that aisle and see Jacob—my soon-to-be husband. He wasn’t like me. He never overthought things. Jacob was calm and funny, always ready to make me laugh when I got too serious. That’s what I loved most about him.

Jacob and I met four years ago at a mutual friend’s party. I had been sitting in the corner, avoiding small talk, and he walked up to me with a big smile.

“You look like you’re having a blast,” he said, holding a drink in each hand.

“I hate parties,” I admitted.

“Me too,” he laughed, even though he was clearly having a great time.

That was Jacob—easygoing, with a knack for making the best of every situation. We started talking, and it didn’t take long before I was laughing too. That night changed everything for me.

We were opposites in many ways, but we just fit. I liked order; he loved spontaneity. I had my life planned out; he preferred to go with the flow. But somehow, it worked.

“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” my best friend Kate had said during the bachelorette party. “You used to say you didn’t believe in all this wedding stuff.”

“I didn’t,” I replied, thinking of Jacob. “But then I met him.”

Jacob had his own set of friends—guys he’d known since grade school. They were a loud, rowdy bunch, always playing jokes on each other. Sometimes they drove me nuts, but Jacob loved them, and I knew they meant the world to him.

His best man, Derek, was always the ringleader, coming up with crazy pranks and schemes. The guys called themselves the “bachelor club,” like they were stuck in high school.

“They’ll grow up one day,” Jacob always said with a grin.

But even though they were immature at times, Jacob was different when he was with me. He wasn’t just a prankster—he was thoughtful and kind, always finding little ways to make me smile. He’d leave me notes, cook dinner when I was tired, and listen to my endless wedding planning without complaint.

“That’s what you’re supposed to do when you love someone,” he once told me, shrugging like it was the easiest thing in the world.

The day had finally arrived, and the sun was shining. It was perfect. As I stood there, ready to marry the love of my life, I took a deep breath. My father was by my side, my family and friends were all waiting outside, and Jacob… well, he was probably cracking jokes with his friends, trying to calm his nerves.

“You ready?” Dad asked again, sensing my excitement.

“I’ve never been more ready,” I replied.

With one last look in the mirror, I smiled. Everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. I wasn’t nervous, just eager to see Jacob standing at the end of that aisle, waiting for me.

And then we stepped outside.

The ceremony was going perfectly. The soft hum of music filled the air as Jacob and I stood facing each other, hands intertwined. He was smiling at me, and I could feel the warmth of his love radiating in that moment. My heart swelled with joy, and I could see tears welling up in his eyes. We were about to exchange our vows, the most important words of our lives.

But just as I opened my mouth to speak, something strange caught my eye. From the back of the venue, a group of people appeared. They were walking slowly, carrying something heavy. At first, I thought it was a joke—someone bringing in a last-minute wedding gift. But as they got closer, I saw what they were carrying. A coffin.

My stomach dropped. I blinked, hoping I was imagining things, but no—there it was. A real, wooden coffin, with a giant red bow on top.

“What the…?” I whispered to myself, barely able to process it. This couldn’t be happening.

The guests, who had been smiling and laughing just moments before, fell silent. The music seemed to fade into the background as all eyes turned to the approaching coffin. Confusion rippled through the crowd. My pulse raced. I looked over at Jacob, expecting him to react, but he just stood there, wide-eyed like everyone else.

“What is this?” I thought, panic building in my chest. “Is it a prank? Something gone horribly wrong?” I glanced around, looking for some kind of answer, but nobody seemed to know what was happening. My head was spinning, and I felt lightheaded, like I might faint.

The group of men carrying the coffin came closer. My heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel my knees trembling. I clutched Jacob’s hand tightly, but even he seemed too shocked to move.

They walked right up to the altar and set the coffin down at our feet. I could barely breathe.

Then, one of Jacob’s friends—Derek, the best man—stepped forward. Of course, it was him. If anyone was behind something as insane as this, it had to be Derek. He reached for the lid of the coffin, his hand moving slowly, as if he was deliberately building suspense.

“Derek, what the hell is going on?” I finally managed to say, my voice shaky.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he smiled—a big, goofy grin—and lifted the lid.

I gasped. Inside the coffin wasn’t what I feared. No grim surprise or morbid joke. Instead, lying there was a large framed portrait of Jacob, with a huge gift bow wrapped around it like he was some kind of present.

For a second, I was too stunned to react. My brain struggled to make sense of what I was seeing. Then, from behind the coffin, the rest of Jacob’s friends jumped out, shouting, “Surprise!!!”

I just stood there, frozen, trying to process it all. My mind went from panic to confusion to… realization. Slowly, it dawned on me: this was all a prank. A ridiculous, over-the-top prank pulled by Jacob’s friends. The coffin, the portrait—everything. They were symbolizing that Jacob was “dead” to them now that he was getting married.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, still in shock.

Derek burst out laughing, clearly pleased with himself. “He’s a married man now! He’s gone forever!” he shouted, pointing at Jacob’s picture. The rest of the guys were laughing, too, slapping each other on the back like they’d just pulled off the greatest prank of all time.

I turned to look at Jacob, who was now grinning sheepishly. “I had no idea,” he said quickly, holding up his hands like he was innocent in all of this. “I swear, I didn’t know they were planning this.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to strangle Derek for pulling something so outrageous in the middle of my wedding. But then… the absurdity of it all hit me. Jacob’s friends were always pulling stunts like this. It was their way of showing they cared. And, honestly, it was kind of funny.