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On my wedding day, I posted a video online.
Someone commented: *Aren't you Girl Number Nine? Found yourself a sucker to marry already? Congratulations, congratulations.*
My husband and his family saw it.
They asked me what it was about. I said I didn't know the person.
But the way they looked at me still carried doubt.
I messaged the man privately, and he said he was doing the world a service.
That night, I went through every inch of his profile.
Comment by comment, photo by photo.
I stayed up the whole night and finally dug out his name, his phone number, and his company address.
Early the next morning, I bought a train ticket and went straight to his company.
And when he saw me sitting in his boss's office...
His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees...
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Ten thousand views, ninety-eight likes, twenty comments.
Nineteen of those comments were wishing us a long and happy life.
Only one said: *Aren't you that Girl Number Nine? Found a sucker to marry you? Congratulations, congratulations.*
My husband saw that comment.
He shoved his phone right up to my face.
"You're Girl Number Nine?"
I said: "He's making it up."
His face went dark. "Then why isn't he posting that garbage under anyone else's comments?"
"Cynthia Mason, you'd better explain yourself."
It grated on me. Being slandered by a stranger was one thing.
Now even my husband didn't believe me.
"He really is making it up. I don't know him!"
Theodore Chavez, my husband, still looked at me with suspicion.
Theodore and I met through a matchmaking setup.
Before that, I'd been working in Los Angeles the whole time.
As I got older, my body just couldn't keep up with the round-the-clock hours anymore.
So I buckled down and tested into a civil-service position back in my hometown.
Right now I work at the community affairs office.
Nine to five, weekends off.
My first month home, my mother pulled some strings and introduced me to Theodore.
Theodore is an engineer. After graduating, he stayed in our hometown the whole time.
His last girlfriend was from college.
They broke up because she didn't want to move back home with him.
The two of us got along well in every way.
After dating for a year, we got engaged and married.
I never thought this kind of thing would happen on our wedding day.
Theodore sat on the wedding bed for a while, then got up and went out.
He said: "I'm going out for some air."
I knew he still didn't believe me.
I opened the stranger's profile.
And discovered he was a teacher.
His page was full of videos about his students and clips from his classes.
I opened the private message box.
*I don't know you. Why are you spreading lies about me online? Now my husband suspects me. You need to apologize to me, and you need to set things straight with my husband.*
After sending it, I got up to wash up.
By the time I came back, he'd replied.
*What's with the act? I already recognized you! You used to work at Nightfall in Los Angeles. Girl Number Nine.*
*I even booked you before!*
*Nice work, too!*
Followed by a snickering sticker.
I was stunned.
I had worked in Los Angeles, that much was true, but I'd never heard of any place called Nightfall.
*You're talking nonsense. I never worked anywhere like that.*
That got him going.
*Never worked there? Then how do I have a photo of you?*
He sent over a very blurry shot of a woman from behind.
*That's not me!*
*You say it's not you, so it's not you?*
*Better your husband knows. Consider it me doing the world a service!*
The more he typed, the more worked up he got.
*I hate you nightclub women most of all. Party hard when you're young, then go dump your used self on some decent man to pick up when you're old!*
*Did your husband dig up your family's graves or kill your father? Why else would you ruin him like this!*
*My advice is come clean to your husband about your past right now and beg his forgiveness.*
*Though I doubt any man is big-hearted enough to take in a whore, don't you think?*
Followed by another hand-over-mouth sticker.
