"You don't understand. Albert may act willful in front of you, but he's always loved you! He acts out because he thinks you're too remarkable, and he feels insecure, like he doesn't deserve you!"
"That boy has loved you since high school. Being with you was his dream! He cried for joy the day you got your marriage certificate. How could he possibly skip a moment as important as the wedding on purpose?"
Cassandra's eyes were bloodshot, and she let out a low laugh.
"Not on purpose?"
"From the moment I met him three years ago, I swore I'd never let him slip away again."
"To be with him, I gave every bit of my heart. I spent a year preparing this wedding. I thought he longed for this day the way I did. Forgiveness was nothing but me moving myself to tears..."
"He's treated me like a fool from the start, grinding my dignity into the ground!"
With that, she shoved through the crowd, ready to storm off in a fury.
At that moment her childhood friend grabbed at her arm desperately.
"No, Ms. Sullivan, you can't leave!"
"Albert's flaky as a rule, sure, but he'd never joke about something like this. Just wait a little longer. Give her one more chance, please?"
Then he turned and bellowed at the livestream, livid:
"You little punk, what the hell are you doing?!"
"It's down to the wire and you're still playing hard to get. Get over here, now! Do you really want to throw your own happiness away?"
Watching the frantic look on their faces, I couldn't stay still a second longer.
Was all of it real? Had my own memory glitched somehow?
I bolted out the door right then. My neighbor stared at me, stunned.
"Albert, didn't you just get home from work? Heading out again?"
My chest seized. "Mrs. Wood! Do you know... that I'm getting married today?"
Mrs. Wood blinked, then laughed.
"You're too funny, Albert! Haven't you been single this whole time?"
The words turned me cold all over, but I still hit the elevator button and rushed toward the hotel.
Whatever game they were playing, I had to go see it for myself!
The whole way there, my nerves stayed pulled tight, terrified I'd run into that runaway truck again.
But all the way to the hotel entrance, nothing happened.
I hurried inside, and the sight in front of me froze the blood in my veins.
The fright dropped me to the floor on the spot!
The banquet hall that should have been ablaze with lights had become a ruin, not a single soul in it!
"Impossible. This is impossible!"
I looked around in terror. "Where are they? Where are the people who were getting married here?"
The hotel manager walked over briskly. "A wedding?"
"We've been renovating for the past two months. There hasn't been a single wedding here. Are you sure you've got the right place?"
Just as he bent down to help me up, I caught sight of the tattoo on the web of his hand.
In a flash, it all came clear to me!
