Chapter 198: The Bridal Shower

It was a bright, sunny Saturday morning, and the house was buzzing with excitement. Rachel and I had been planning Samantha’s bridal shower for weeks, and today was finally the day. The living room was decorated with delicate flowers, pastel balloons, and a banner that read “Congratulations, Samantha!” in elegant script. The scent of freshly baked pastries wafted through the air, mingling with the floral notes from the bouquets we had arranged on every available surface. “Samantha’s going to love this,” Rachel said, adjusting the ribbons on a gift table that was already overflowing with beautifully wrapped presents. “I hope so,” I replied, a bit nervous but mostly excited. “She deserves the best.” We were expecting Samantha to arrive around noon, so we had a little time to finalize the preparations. The doorbell rang just as I was setting out the last of the finger sandwiches. “That must be the first of our guests,” I said, heading to the door. I opened it to find Sarah, one of Sam