But reason told me none of this was real.
An ordinary man like me, how could I make someone as cool and untouchable as her burn for me?
And on top of that, in my last life I died horribly at that intersection. I couldn't gamble my own life on this!
I drew in a deep breath and looked at her, grave and torn all at once.
"Ms. Sullivan... we really aren't married! Stop messing with me... okay?"
At my words, the warmth in Cassandra's eyes froze over, degree by degree.
She gave a desolate little smile, nodded, and hung up without another word.
Before I could even gather myself, my parents' call came through.
"Albert Gilbert, have you lost your mind? Cassandra is the kind of wife you couldn't find if you searched the world over, and you're throwing her away!"
"Why are you so willful? Even while you two were dating, you took it for granted, always making her prove she loved you. Now you're married and still acting up. What exactly do you want?"
I was so frantic I nearly cried.
"Mom, Dad, what is wrong with you two? I never married Cassandra Sullivan. I—"
But they flew into a rage on the spot, throwing down hard words.
"Quit playing dumb!"
"I'm telling you, Albert Gilbert, if you still don't show up, we're done calling you our son!"
The line went dead, and when I called back, the number didn't even exist anymore.
I was falling apart. Then the hotel's name flashed into my head, and I called them at once.
"Excuse me, are Cassandra Sullivan and Albert Gilbert holding a wedding at your hotel today?"
The voice on the other end was firm and certain.
"Sorry, we don't have any wedding banquet today. Were you looking to book one?"
The dread that had been hanging over me finally settled.
I knew it! They were lying to me!
Cassandra must have bought everyone off, just to toy with me!
Only she had the kind of power to make every last person do as she said.
But what was she after?
I still hadn't figured it out when my childhood friend suddenly fired a link my way.
I clicked it on reflex, and the scene in front of me made everything go black!
It was Cassandra, standing in the doorway of the banquet hall!
Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was announcing, in front of everyone, that the wedding with me was off.
Reporters descended in droves, cameras and lenses crowding around her, flashes firing like mad.
The internet was buried under headlines about me, the runaway groom.
Everyone was calling me a deluded, overconfident loser who couldn't tell a good thing when he had it, who'd been turned down even by the richest woman around.
My parents and my friend were drenched in sweat, frantically trying to talk her down.
"Cassandra, Cassandra, can't you wait a little longer?"
"Albert isn't a man who'd disregard the bigger picture. Something must have come up. Let's just wait a bit longer, all right?"
"I'll go find him myself right now. I'll drag him back to give you an explanation, all right?"
My aunt chimed in beside them, just as desperate.
"That's right, Cassandra, Albert surely didn't do this on purpose!"
