A Love Misgiven

I was about to marry my boyfriend of seven years, Edward Carter.

However, he was secretly getting a marriage certificate with his first love.

In a moment of panic and disbelief, I confronted him:

"Edward, what do I even mean to you?"

Edward grabbed me as I tried to walk away, his eyes filled with helplessness:

"Jennifer, you know Chloe is my first love. She only has two months left to live. I just don't want her to leave with regrets."

"The woman who will be my last wife, though, is you."

It was laughable. He felt sorry for his first love—did that mean I had to suffer?

I saw the mocking look Chloe Smith shot my way.

Then, to make things worse, Edward actually suggested I let Chloe take my place in the wedding.

That was the last straw.

After seven years of love, I did not want it anymore.

I called my brother, "Hey, the wedding is in ten days. Can you find me a new groom?"

My brother, Henry Larson, laughed over the phone with a hint of surprise.

"Jennifer, you've finally seen the light. You're the Larsen family's golden girl, but that guy? He's just a nobody from the sticks. He's not in your league."

I inhaled deeply, calming myself down from the verge of tears and forced a breezy tone.

"Yeah, you've got a point, Henry."

"Jennifer, remember that guy our parents wanted you to marry? The one who looks like he's lost his soul every time he sees you?" Henry asked.

"You mean the high-and-mighty prince of the social elite?" I asked, unsure.

"Yeah, I need to go tell that guy. He's got his chance now."

Henry's words brought back memories of the man I had turned down. He came to me with flowers, ready to confess his love, but my heart belonged to Edward Carter, and I rejected him right there and then.

"You have no idea. He's been waiting for you to be single again. He even joked the other day about swooping in if your boyfriend doesn't treat you right," he said.

I could not help but chuckle at Henry's comment.

"Well, tell him he might as well skip the drama and just come snatch the bride—"

"Snatch the bride?"

Edward's voice cut in sharply, interrupting my conversation.

"Jennifer, are you talking about crashing the wedding in ten days to snatch the bride? If you mess up my wedding with Chloe, don't expect me to play nice!"

Edward's confrontational stance made my heart plummet.

'Edward, didn't you turn your back on me the moment you decided to marry your first love?' I mused bitterly.

Sensing the harshness in his voice, Edward dialed it back, trying to explain it more gently.

"Jennifer, I got carried away. It was wrong of me to go through with the marriage certificate with Chloe without talking to you first. However, she's got this terminal illness, and she has only two months left to live. She didn't want to go with any regrets, that's why she came to me for help.

"You get it, don't you?"

Edward's words threw me in for a loop. I grabbed the marriage certificate from his hands, my eyes welling up as I questioned, "Do you really need to get married to help someone?"

Watching my temper rise, Edward started to freak out too.

"It's just two months. I'll get a divorce after that, and you'll still be my wife."

I stared at Edward, feeling a mix of anger and sadness.

"Two months?"

Then, I let out a bitter laugh and added, "Our wedding is in just ten days, you know?"

Edward held my hand, his eyes begging for understanding,

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Can you let Chloe have the wedding first?"

I stared at Edward in shock with tears streaming down my face. "Edward, do you even hear yourself?"

However, Edward made a solemn vow right in front of me.

"Jennifer, I promise, we'll definitely have our own wedding later on."

It took me back to a recent promise he had made with the same sincerity.

'Jennifer, I swear, you're the love of my life. I'd only ever marry you.'