My Fiancé Gave My Wedding to His Bestie, I Left

My voice fell right into the silence between songs playing on the car radio. The air in the car quieted down for a few seconds. The driver was stunned. He leaned back slightly, his voice rising in disbelief. "What did you say? Turn around?" I gently rubbed the fabric of my wedding dress. I unlocked my phone. On my lock screen, there was our pre-wedding photo. Ethan and I were smiling so happily, looking like the perfect couple. Outside, the gossiping voices of pedestrians drifted through the cracked window. "Did you see that? That wedding convoy was insane! Maseratis, Porsches... dozens of luxury cars!" "They say the more expensive the wedding cars, the more blessed the bride is. The groom must be head over heels in love with her." My fingers trembled slightly. Another passerby sighed. "Well, different people, different fates. I just came from the Grand Plaza Hotel, and I literally saw a bride arriving in an Uber." "No way... That's so embarrassing..." My phone screen went black. I squeezed the hem of my dress, wrinkling the delicate lace. I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and repeated clearly. "Yes." "Take me back to my hotel. I'm not getting married anymore." The countdown ended, and the red light turned green. A horn honked impatiently behind us. The driver swallowed whatever questions he had left. He quickly spun the steering wheel, making a sharp U-turn. As the car smoothed out on the road, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Ethan. "I told the convoy to speed up on purpose so you couldn't keep up. Don't try to chase us." "Tell your driver to take it slow. Don't arrive at the hotel at the same time as Lily. She hates it when people steal her spotlight." "Also, enter through the back door near the kitchen later. Lily is sensitive. If people see you entering the main ballroom at the same time as her, it'll be hard for her to explain." It was rare for Ethan to send me such a long message. From her feelings to her reputation, every single word was carefully thought out for Lily. But just a moment ago, when he dragged me out of my own wedding car in front of everyone and forced me into an Uber, he never once considered if people would gossip about me. He never thought about whether I would lose my dignity. I opened the chat box and slowly typed out. "I'm calling off the wedding. Do whatever you want." Just as I was about to press send, notifications started popping up frantically at the top of my screen. It was the Snapchat group chat with Ethan's friends. Ever since they added me, the group had been dead silent. But suddenly, it was blowing up. "Lily: Being a bride for a day." Dozens of photos instantly flooded the chat. They were taken inside the wedding limo. Lily was clinging to Ethan, posing for countless intimate couple photos. Making finger hearts, pressing their cheeks together... My gaze lingered on the last photo for a long time. In the photo, Ethan had his head resting in the palm of Lily's hand, smiling with pure, gentle adoration. I had shown him this exact pose before our photoshoot, using a reference picture. At the time, he had scoffed, saying it was cheesy and childish. The replies in the group chat started rolling in immediately. "Honestly, you two are the ultimate soulmates. I've been shipping you guys since we were kids, and it's finally happening!" That was Logan, Ethan's childhood best friend. He had once told me how grateful he was that I healed Ethan's broken heart after Lily went abroad. He said we were a match made in heaven. "If I knew it was you two getting married today, I wouldn't have skipped the reception! I couldn't stand watching that boring rebound girl take advantage of Lily being away. Is it too late to buy a plane ticket and fly back now?" That was Tyler, Ethan's cousin. Once, Ethan asked me to deliver some important documents he forgot at home. It was pouring rain that day, and my car skidded and hit a light pole. When I limped into his office to deliver them, Tyler almost cried, saying those documents were for a multi-million-dollar project and that I was his savior. And then there were Ethan's other cousins, college roommates, old classmates... Ethan had introduced me to every single person in this group. When we met in person, they were always polite and nice. But behind my back, they degraded and insulted me without mercy. Calling me a plain-jane, a desperate clinger, an opportunist... Then, Ethan sent a message, completely unfazed. "Don't talk about her. Just focus on how beautiful Lily looks today." My hands shook with rage as I typed furiously. "Are you guys serious?" "Do you all disgust yourselves, or is it just me?" The moment my message popped up, the group chat fell dead silent for two seconds. The last message sent was. "Oh shit, guys, wrong group chat."

Before I could type anything else, Ethan's name flashed across my screen. He was calling me, fast and urgent. I pressed answer. There was no apology, no explanation. Only two cold words. "Apologize now." A wave of absurdity washed over me. "Me? Apologize?" I almost laughed out loud from sheer anger. "What am I apologizing for? For you guys talking trash about me behind my back? Or for the fact that you created a separate group chat just to exclude me after adding me to this one?" The line went silent for a few seconds. Then, I heard Ethan let out a weary, frustrated sigh. "Hazel, you're not a hundred-dollar bill. You can't expect everyone to love you." "The people in that group grew up with Lily and me. You're a new addition, so it's normal if some of them don't accept you right away. Lily was trying to be respectful by adding you to the group in the first place." I tilted my head back, forcing the tears back. "So what?" Ethan paused, his voice dropping a fraction. "Just apologize in the group. Say you don't mind the jokes." "Lily is... she's crying really hard right now. She feels incredibly guilty. She thinks this is all her fault for adding you to the chat." My chest felt like it had been pierced by a gaping hole, letting the cold wind howl through. So, just because Lily cried, I had to bow my head and apologize to the very people who had just humiliated me. He kept talking, but I couldn't hear a word after that. Tears blurred my vision, and I choked out. "Ethan, we're done." "The wedding is off. And we are never getting that marriage license." Ethan didn't answer. Someone muffled the phone speaker on his end. I could faintly hear the rustle of clothes, tissues, and Lily's soft sobbing. And then, Ethan's patient, gentle cooing. "Hey, don't cry. Hazel said she doesn't blame you. She's just being overly sensitive." "Wipe your tears. You're about to go on stage. Didn't you say you wanted to look perfect for the photos?" It took a while before the other side quieted down. Ethan's voice came through clearly again, dripping with annoyance. "Alright, hurry up and apologize in the group. We're literally getting married today, why are you throwing a tantrum now? I don't have time to baby you on our wedding day." Remembering what I had just said, he let out a scoff. "Besides, call off the wedding? Like you'd actually be willing to do that." Ten years of being together. He was entirely convinced I would never leave him. I hung up. I slid over to the side of the seat and rolled down the window. I let the harsh wind ruin my hair and makeup, which had taken three hours to perfect. The Uber driver, who had heard the entire conversation, looked like he wanted to say something. Finally, he couldn't help himself. "What kind of guy is that? How did a jerk like him even get a girl like you?" "Back when I married my wife, I treated her like a queen. I literally carried her over the threshold." Carried? A faint ache spread through my chest. Ethan used to carry me, too. During our sophomore year, a massive blizzard hit the campus. The snow was knee-deep, and classes were canceled. I had a fever of 104 degrees. My roommates were panicking, trying to cool me down with frozen towels, crying because they didn't know what to do. It was Ethan who broke into the girls' dorm, picked me up, and carried me on his back to the campus hospital three miles away. Through my hazy consciousness, I remembered how he was shivering, slipping and falling in the snow over and over again. But I was warm. I didn't feel the wind at all. Because he had taken off his only heavy winter coat to wrap around me. In the end, he suffered severe exhaustion and frostbite. Back then, his love was so real that even the freezing blizzard couldn't hide it. The driver shook his head in disbelief after hearing my story. "How does a guy go from that to... this?" I stared out the window in silence. I didn't know. Or maybe, I did. He changed the moment Lily came back to the country. The first time he lost his temper and shattered our matching couple cups was because of Lily. The first time he left me stranded at my office in the middle of a thunderstorm until midnight was because he went to pick up Lily. The first time I had to undergo surgery, he was at an amusement park riding roller coasters with Lily. Ever since Lily announced she was anti-marriage, Ethan seemed to find the perfect excuse to openly show her favoritism. Countless "first times," countless compromises. They all piled up until, before I knew it, we ended up here. When I left the Snapchat group, Ethan sent me a single question mark. And then, nothing. To him, this was just another one of my silent protests. He believed that in no time, I would crawl back, apologize, and beg for his forgiveness. But this time, I was truly exhausted.

Under the pitying and surprised gaze of the receptionist, I dragged my heavy gown back to my hotel room. I washed off my makeup and struggled out of the wedding dress. Collapsing onto the bed, I stared at the blank white ceiling, feeling completely detached. How did everything fall apart so fast? Just last night, in this very bed, I was too excited to sleep. I opened my phone. Lily had just posted on her Instagram. "Just to make sure certain people don't get triggered again, here's a quick video for everyone! This is purely a fun practice run. Ethan and I did absolutely nothing out of line!" The video was a clip of the ceremony. Like a masochist, I clicked play. I watched Lily, dressed in a gorgeous white gown, walking gracefully toward Ethan amidst the applause of friends and family. They stood before the officiant, vowing to never part, until death do them part. Then they exchanged rings, locking their fingers together. I let out a bitter, hollow laugh. They did everything except kiss. And yet, they had the nerve to tell me they didn't cross any lines. Lily's Instagram updates came fast and furious. They showed her raising a glass to his parents, receiving welcome-to-the-family checks, pouring the champagne tower, and listening to the parental speeches... Without realizing it, they had gone far beyond the "simple walk down the aisle" Ethan had promised me. Only after the bouquet toss did Ethan finally send me a lazy text. "Are you at the hotel? Wait in the dressing room for a bit. Lily was having so much fun, so she ended up doing the rest of the ceremony too." "Don't be mad. Just think of this as your apology for making her cry earlier." The dressing room was literally two doors down from the main ballroom. Yet, he didn't even bother to walk over and check on me. I didn't reply. Instead, I took a screenshot from the corner of Lily's video. It was a picture of a smashed, ruined wedding cake. I sent it to him. "Why did you let her touch my cake?" "It's just a cake, Hazel. Don't make a big deal out of it. I'll have the hotel buy another one." I bit my lip until it went pale. "Did you forget everything you promised me?" Why? Why did my heart still hurt so much when I was already this disappointed? My dream wedding dress, which I had visited over a dozen boutiques to find, was ruined when Lily secretly tried it on and ripped the seams. Ethan said, "It's just a dress, let's get another one." The beautiful garden chapel I had picked was secretly changed by Lily into a fantasy-themed indoor ballroom. Ethan said, "Let's go with her choice, she has better taste." Near the end of the wedding planning, my only demand was that I make the wedding cake myself. As a pastry chef, this was my ultimate dream. Back then, Lily hadn't returned to the country yet. Ethan had stood in front of my newly opened bakery, gently pinching my nose. "My girl is so easy to please." "Fine. On our wedding day, I'll personally make sure every single guest finishes their slice and writes a 500-word review for our master chef." I had laughed and thrown myself into his arms. "Shut up!" I kept rewinding the video, watching that short clip. The cake I had spent days preparing at the hotel kitchen was hacked into pieces. Before I could even have a single bite, Lily had smashed a handful of it onto the face of one of Ethan's friends. The crowd roared with laughter, playfully smearing frosting all over each other. My dream was trampled to the ground, smeared on the walls, and thrown into the trash. Ethan's reply paused for a few seconds. When the next message popped up, it stabbed right into my heart. "Hazel, don't be so ungrateful." "It's just a cake. Why are you being so petty? None of your family members even showed up today. Lily had to ask her own friends to be your bridesmaids just to save you some face." The old scar was ripped wide open. I tapped my screen so hard it almost cracked. "Why my parents refused to come? Aren't you the one who knows why best?!" He went silent. The pain I had buried deep inside rushed back, settling heavy in my lower abdomen. I remembered that day. The floor covered in bright red blood. The tearing, agonizing pain. In my panic, I had dialed the number of the person I trusted most. The moment the call went through, a loud, bratty female voice shrieked on the other end. "Hey, Mr. Busy Man! You promised to spend the whole day with me today! Turn off your phone, no taking calls!" Then came the loud music of the amusement park parade, followed by a sharp click. He hung up on me. And I lost my baby.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. The first person I saw wasn't Ethan, but my roommate. She was the one who found me passed out on the living room floor after work, rushed me to the ER, and signed the consent form for the emergency surgery. At that time, we had known each other for less than a month, yet she took the risk to sign those papers for me. Meanwhile, my fiancé had hung up on my emergency call to watch a parade with his female best friend. The doctor looked at me with deep sympathy. "It was a threatened miscarriage. If you had been brought in just thirty minutes earlier, we might have saved the baby." A suffocating despair had consumed me. I called Ethan dozens of times. But I waited until nightfall, and the only people who arrived were my parents, who had driven hundreds of miles. Ethan, who was only three miles away at the theme park with Lily, never showed up. That day, I was completely heartbroken. I packed my bags and went home with my parents. Remembering this, I opened the chat with my cousin, Mia. Before the wedding, she had messaged me. "Hazel, is the wedding starting?" A few minutes later, she added. "Don't be too sad. Even though Uncle and Aunt didn't let us attend, they actually regret it." "I know you guys will patch things up eventually." She had sent me a video. Looking at my parents on the thumbnail, I hadn't had the courage to open it before. But now, my hands shook as I pressed play. In the video, my parents' eyes were red. My mom was wiping her tears. "Why is Hazel so stubborn? We told her that man is trash." "What kind of man abandons his fiancé during a miscarriage to play with another woman?" "And what happened? He knelt in the snow for one night, got himself hospitalized, made some empty promise, and her heart softened immediately." My dad held his coffee mug, staring silently at the floor. My mom slapped his arm in frustration. "You too! Why did you have to say such harsh things? Saying you'd disown her if she married him." "Now look what happened. Our girl actually ran away." Looking at the new gray hairs on my parents' heads, my tears dripped onto the screen. After a long silence, my dad took a credit card from his wallet and handed it to Mia. "Mia, give this to Hazel when you have time." "There's fifty thousand dollars on it. Don't let her struggle out there." The emotions I had suppressed all day finally exploded. I covered my face, sobbing uncontrollably until my throat went dry and hoarse. Only one thought remained in my mind. I wanted to go home. I didn't care about packing neatly. I threw everything into my suitcase. I couldn't even wait for the flight next morning. I booked a long-distance Uber for two thousand dollars to take me straight home. Just as I zipped my suitcase, Ethan called. "Why aren't you replying to my Snapchats?" I didn't answer. He clicked his tongue, his tone casual and dismissive. "We accidentally got a bit carried away, and the decorations in the main ballroom got kind of ruined." "I had the hotel set up a smaller room. We'll do our vows there." The main ballroom was ten thousand square feet. The small room was barely one thousand. The girl who was "experiencing" the wedding got the grand ballroom, while the actual bride was relegated to a tiny side room. In Ethan's mouth, it sounded as simple as moving a parking spot. But I was too tired to care. I replied quietly, "Okay." Hearing no complaints or tears, Ethan was taken aback. Once he realized I wasn't fighting back, he let out a sigh of relief. "Good girl." "The hotel is setting it up now. I also ordered an identical wedding cake from another bakery." He paused, his voice softening with a rare touch of tenderness. "Hazel, you're about to become my wife." "The ceremony starts at nine. Make sure you're there on time." The call ended. I slipped the diamond ring off my ring finger and left it carelessly on the hotel nightstand. Then, I turned around and got into the Uber heading home.