From Wedding Vows to Goodbye

After being a childhood sweetheart for twenty-two years, I finally received a proposal from Ethan Folden.

Our friends eagerly celebrated, teasing us to drink a cross-cup wine.

Shyly, I moved closer to Ethan with my wine glass, but the usual gentleman suddenly pushed me away with force.

I stumbled to the ground, shards of broken glass cutting into my palm.

Yet Ethan looked on coldly, scolding me for being shameless.

As I returned home from the hospital, I stumbled upon Ethan pressing his old flame, Lily Fischer, onto our marital bed, inching closer and closer to her.

“Will you come back? If you do, you’ll be the only bride for me,” he whispered.

Seeing them so entangled, I suddenly felt regret.

To avoid further humiliation, I chose to flee on our wedding day.

But after I left, the man who insisted on replacing me as the bride went mad searching for me across the world!

——

“Candace King, about that study abroad opportunity you mentioned last time… Is the spot still available?”

I tried to keep my voice steady as I spoke to my supervisor over the phone, standing under the dim streetlights.

Candace King paused, clearly puzzled by my question.

“It hasn't been filled yet. Why do you ask? Weren't you supposed to be getting married?”

The breath I had been holding finally released.

“No, the wedding is off. Can I still have that spot?”

“Of course! You’ve always been my most outstanding employee. If you come with me, I'd be thrilled!”

Hearing me change my mind, Candace's voice was filled with joy.

As I hung up, I could no longer hold back my tears, my sobs trembling with anguish.

The words from that night in the bridal chamber echoed in my mind, slicing through my nerves again and again.

After struggling to calm myself, the ill-fitting evening gown seemed to choke the very life out of me.

I found a clothing store and changed out of the dress.

That dress was custom-made for me by Ethan, and I loved it. But, unfortunately, it was one size too small.

Wearing it for a long time made it hard to breathe.

Ignoring the sales clerk’s look of regret, I tossed the gown into a trash bin.

Wearing clothes that fit again felt like a weight lifting off my shoulders.

As I stepped out of the store, my phone vibrated.

It was a notification from the surveillance camera I had installed while monitoring the renovation of our bridal home.

The camera had never been removed, but now it showed a disconnection warning.

After a brief hesitation, I reconnected with it.

The screen flickered back to life, revealing Lily, dressed in the lingerie Ethan had bought for me, swaying in the room.

That outfit, which I had never worn out of shyness, now looked perfect.

Her fingers traced over the photo wall filled with wedding pictures of Ethan and me.

The surveillance quality was excellent, capturing every mocking expression on Lily's face in sharp detail.

"If I don't come back, would you marry her?"

Ethan didn't answer. He simply took down all the pictures and tossed them carelessly into a corner of the wardrobe.

Lily smiled faintly, lounging back on the bed, her pale toes brushing against Ethan's leg.

“You went through all that trouble with the proposal just to make me see you? If you keep this sullen face, I’m leaving.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Ethan, seemingly unable to contain his anger, pinned Lily down onto the bed, staring fiercely into her eyes.

Lily laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I knew you couldn’t forget me.”

“Do you think Samantha is really that clueless? You buy her clothes that are my style, in my size; the initials on the wedding ring are mine; even your bridal home looks exactly like the one we once dreamed of. And she hasn't noticed a thing.”

Ethan said nothing, pressing his lips against hers in a deep, consuming kiss.

Boom!

Fireworks exploded in the sky.

But my mind went blank, my ears ringing, unable to hear any sound.

I always thought Ethan was just careless, always getting my size wrong.

Trembling, I pulled the ring off my finger, inspecting it under the light of my phone.

Finally, on the inside of the band, I found the two letters: LS.

In that instant, it felt like all my strength had left me; even holding onto the ring was impossible.

The ring slipped from my hand, rolling into the drain with a series of metallic clinks.

Each sound struck at the core of my heart.

No wonder Ethan acted so strangely when he saw Lily at the karaoke bar, not caring even when he hurt me.

To him, I was just a stand-in. Now that the real one was back, there was no room left for me.

How laughable.

I had been by his side for twenty-two years.

I cared for him meticulously during the eight years he built his business.

And yet, I turned out to be nothing but a substitute for the person I hated most.

When the kiss finally broke, Lily gently nuzzled against his face.

“Ethan, on your wedding day, do you dare to elope with me?”

“You mean…”

Ethan’s eyes lit up briefly. He lightly brushed her nose with his finger, and they smiled at each other.

Closing the screen, I laughed, too.

My smile was so bitter that it drew glances from passersby.

My heart felt like it was being crushed under a heavy weight — a pain that was unbearable yet unavoidable.

The most cruel part wasn’t that I had become Lily’s substitute, but that the man I loved had calculated and humiliated me.

Ethan, you are truly ruthless!