With my wedding day drawing near, I was so elated that sleep felt impossible. Late into the night, as I scrolled through my phone, a sudden post from my fiancé stopped me cold. He had written my name in bold, followed by open humiliation.
[Leah Dakota is even more annoying than a dog. Honestly, I’ve been sick of sleeping with her for a long time!]
My breath caught in my throat. A cold chill crept down my spine. Without thinking, I dialed his number.
The call barely rang before he picked up. "I only left that post up for five minutes. No one would’ve seen it this late at night."
"Tessa had another breakdown because I’m marrying you. That post was just a joke to make her feel better. Leah, do you have to be this petty?"
Before I could respond, soft sobs filtered through the receiver.
His voice sharpened. "Leah, this is all your fault. If anything happens to Tessa, I will never forgive you!"
The line went dead in my hand.
In the suffocating silence of my room, I stared at the neatly stacked wedding photos beside me. I fed them to the flickering flames one by one, watching as each smiling memory curled into ashes.
Elliot Amberson, I think I’m quite generous.
For the sake of Tessa Hughes’s recovery, let’s not get married.
***
I didn’t sleep a wink. Elliot finally returned home when the sun crept over the horizon.
The moment he stepped through the door, his finger jabbed toward me, his voice dripping with fury. "Leah, are you out of your mind?"
"So what if I insulted you in a post? Did you have to call me in the middle of the night and blow things out of proportion?"
"You made Tessa cry until morning. Do you even have a heart?"
Every word cut like a blade, slicing deep into my chest.
I didn’t want to cry. I refused to. But the tears betrayed me, slipping down my face faster than I could stop them.
I stared at him, my vision blurred, my lips trembling, yet I couldn’t find a word to say.
Maybe my pitiful state softened him, or maybe he just needed an excuse. His voice lost a fraction of its edge.
"Tessa’s depression spiraled because of our wedding."
"We owe it to her to be responsible for her condition."
"The worse I treat you, the easier it is for her to let go of her pain and recover."
"Last night, when I lashed out at you, it was all an act. Just playing along."
"Tessa was right beside me. I had to consider her feelings."
A hollow laugh slipped past my lips, my voice hoarse and raw. "So… our marriage is a mistake now?"
"If that’s the case, let’s cancel the wedding."
For the first time, Elliot faltered. A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes.
But then, Elliot let out a cold, humorless laugh. His expression twisted into one of pure contempt.
He stepped toward me, his fingers gripping my chin, forcing me to look up at him as he sneered. "Leah, you've got some nerve. Trying to use this wedding to control me now?"
He paused, his eyes narrowing. "But it looks like you've forgotten your place."
"Wasn't this wedding everything you ever dreamed of? Your greatest wish?"
"If you want to cancel it, fine. But don’t come crawling back to me when it all falls apart."
With a forceful slam, Elliot kicked the door open, leaving me in a deafening silence.
I stood alone in the emptiness of the house, the walls closing in.
A bitter laugh escaped me.
I’d cried so many times before, begged him for scraps of affection.
I’d loved him for as long as I could remember. Ten long years of chasing after him, thinking if I just tried hard enough, he’d see me.
But to him, I had always been a nuisance. Every bit of kindness he showed me felt like pity.
Even this marriage? It was probably just another form of charity in his eyes.
I had been the one arranging every detail for this wedding from the very beginning.
Elliot never once lifted a finger to help. Instead, he was too busy tending to Tessa’s delicate emotions.
At that moment, it hit me and I realized how truly foolish I had been.
Then, my phone rang, breaking the silence.
"Miss Dakota, your wedding ring and gown have arrived at the hotel. Wishing you a joyous wedding."
I froze.
It was only then that the weight of the moment sank in. Today was supposed to be the rehearsal.
