Death

The first thing I noticed was the sterile, sharp smell of antiseptic filling my nostrils as I opened my eyes. White curtains surrounded me, and the dim hum of machines confirmed I was in a hospital.

The door creaked open, and a doctor stepped in, his expression somber. I braced myself, fear gripping my chest. “Did anything happen to my baby?” My voice was barely above a whisper.

He looked down, a shadow crossing his face. “I’m sorry, miss… but you lost the baby.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart sank, a heavy, hollow ache settling in. Tears spilled down my cheeks, endless and unstoppable, as the weight of my loss crushed me. It felt as if the world had locked me out, and I couldn’t find the strength to pull myself back in.

After a few moments, I managed to choke out, “What about Ethan?” He was the only reason I was alive, even though, at this moment, I wished I hadn’t survived.

The doctor’s gaze softened. “He’s unconscious. We’re doing everything we can to help him, but it’s too early to say.”

I nodded weakly, my mind numb. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a television screen. I turned to see the devastating sight of my family’s home—now a pile of charred ruins. The headline confirmed what I dreaded most: None survived.

My mother, my father, my sister—all gone. I clutched my head, pulling my knees up to my chest, sobbing so hard I felt like I might tear apart. Everything, everyone I loved, had been taken from me in one day. The silence in the room seemed to mock my grief, an indifferent witness to the horror of my shattered world.

Then, my phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling me momentarily from my despair. I wiped my tears, surprised to see Roy’s name on the screen. My curiosity got the better of me, and I opened the message.

My blood ran cold as I stared at the invitation, blinking in disbelief. It was a wedding announcement—Roy was getting married in two days. And the bride? The woman he’d once introduced to me as his cousin. I could hardly comprehend it, the date staring back at me as though it were mocking me. He’d abandoned me, denied our child, and now, without a word, he was moving on.

In a daze, I dialed his number, hoping to hear some kind of explanation. But it went straight to voicemail. I checked the message again, only to find it had been deleted, and my heart sank further as I realized he had blocked me.

After three hours of staring blankly at the ceiling, I finally pulled the IV drip from my arm and made my way down the hall to Ethan’s room, just two doors down. I needed to see him, to thank him somehow, to remind myself that I wasn’t entirely alone.

As I stepped inside, I almost believed he was just sleeping. His short brown hair lay perfectly against the pillow, his jawline sharp, and his lashes soft against his cheeks. He looked peaceful, undisturbed by the chaos of the outside world. I wondered, not for the first time, how someone like him had ever become friends with Roy. Ethan had always seemed a mystery—out of everyone’s league in college, aloof and quiet. Yet somehow, he had gravitated toward Roy.

A voice behind me pulled me from my thoughts. “Who are you?”

I turned to see a woman in her late forties standing in the doorway. She was effortlessly graceful, her dark hair tied back into a ponytail, a blue bowl in her hand. Her eyes were the same vivid green as Ethan’s, her delicate features so similar it was obvious she was his mother.

“How do you know my son?” she asked gently.

“We went to the same college,” I replied, the words barely escaping my lips. She offered a soft smile, gesturing for me to take a seat beside her. I shook my head politely, feeling a pang of guilt for intruding. Without waiting for her to insist, I left the room, heading down the hall, feeling even more hollow than before.

Hailing a cab, I rode in silence back to what used to be my home. When I arrived, my heart sank all over again. The cozy home, filled with warmth and memories, was now a heap of debris and broken walls. The familiar sight was gone, replaced by rubble and ash. I picked my way carefully through what was left, each step heavy with sadness. This ruin was all that remained of my life, I had lost everything.

Two days passed in a blur, but here I was, standing in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. I’d chosen a white dress with a wide-brimmed hat, makeup accentuating the shadows under my eyes, making me look sharper, maybe even dangerous. Today was going to be the day I did something stupid. If Roy thought he could ruin my life and then just stroll off to marry someone else, he had another thing coming.

I grabbed my keys, slid into my car, and drove, the route still clear in my mind. My photographic memory was a curse and a blessing. It helped me remember every last detail of the venue where Roy had invited everyone to celebrate his new “love.” A beach wedding was all I’d ever wanted—begged him for it, actually. He’d told me I’d have to sleep with him to “earn it.” And now, here he was, flaunting his fairytale wedding for everyone to see, giving her everything he’d promised me.

As I got closer, the sight of the sprawling, ornate decorations made my heart pound. Guests were arriving, people I recognized, people who should have been at my wedding. I took a shaky breath, eyes narrowed, making my way toward the door when a security guard stepped in my path.

“You can’t go in, ma’am,” he said, arms folded.

Of course not. How would I have an invitation to my own fiancé’s wedding to someone else?

“She’s with me,” a calm, familiar voice came from behind me. I turned and found myself face-to-face with Ethan, dressed in a sleek black tux, his gaze steady and more intense than I remembered. The shock of seeing him alive washed over me for a second, a relief I didn’t even realize I felt. I composed myself, waiting until he stepped forward.

The security guard nodded, and the doors opened. I walked beside Ethan, taking in the grand hall, shimmering with glass lights and lavish arrangements of flowers and pearls. It was everything I’d dreamed of and more, but none of it was for me.

“Thank you for letting me in,” I whispered, glancing sideways at him, ready to slip away and watch the whole thing unravel.

“Wanna crash it?” he asked, a hint of a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Embarrassed, I nodded slightly, looking down. Just enough to show I wasn’t backing out.

He tilted his head toward me. “I won’t stop you,” he said, and with a simple nod, he walked forward, leaving me by myself at the back of the room.

With a deep breath, I steadied myself, ready to watch the day unfold.

I stood in the back, arms crossed, watching her float down the aisle in that ridiculous strapless dress. Roy looked like he’d won the lottery, grinning from ear to ear as she approached, his hand stretching out to meet hers. She took it, her own smile beaming, and I couldn’t help it—I let out a sharp, disgusted hiss. Heads turned, a few people whispering, eyes narrowing as they noticed I was wearing white too. But I couldn’t care less.

They faced the priest as he began the ceremony. Every word seemed to echo in the room, each vow and promise feeling like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. It was surreal—this moment that should have been ours, now unfolding with someone else in my place.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”

I clenched my fists, watching Roy glance at her with that warm gaze he used to save for me. I couldn’t stand it anymore. Before I could second-guess myself, the words were spilling out.

“Stop the wedding!” My voice rang out, and the room went silent, heads whipping back to where I stood. Roy’s smile faded, his expression hardening as he recognized me.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped, barely containing his irritation.

“What am I doing here?” I repeated, my voice dripping with bitterness. “You didn’t think I’d miss my own fiancé’s wedding, did you?”

The bride’s face turned pale, her eyes wide as she looked between us. “Roy…what is she talking about?”

“Nothing,” he muttered, tightening his grip on her hand. “Ignore her. She’s just…delusional.”

I laughed, the sound sharp and hollow. “Delusional? You’re the one who proposed to me, Roy. Told me you loved me, that we’d get married on the beach. But I guess all of that was just a lie, wasn’t it?”

The bride’s lip trembled. “Roy…is this true?”

He glared at me. “You’re ruining this for me.”

I took a step forward, my gaze locked on him. “Oh, no, Roy. You ruined everything. You lied to me, humiliated me, and left me with nothing. And now, you think you can just walk away and start over? Not without hearing the truth.”

Guests murmured, their whispers filling the tense silence. Ethan, who had been standing in the corner, stepped forward, watching me closely but not intervening.

Roy pulled his hand from the bride’s, his face flushed with anger. “You don’t belong here. Leave. Now.”

“Oh, I think I do,” I shot back, meeting his glare. “You think you can just throw me away like garbage and marry someone else without consequence? You think I’d let you get away with that?”

“Security!” Roy barked, his face twisting in frustration. But Ethan raised a hand, stopping the guards from approaching.

“She has every right to be here,” Ethan said calmly, eyes cold as they met Roy’s. “You can’t just pretend she doesn’t exist.”

Roy turned on him. “Ethan, stay out of this. You don’t understand.”

“Oh, I understand plenty,” Ethan replied, folding his arms. “More than you think.”

I took a deep breath, the words pouring out of me. “I hope you know that the man you’re about to marry is a liar and a cheat,” I told the bride, my voice strong despite the tears stinging my eyes. “He’ll promise you the world and then rip it away as soon as it’s convenient for him. He’ll leave you broken, just like he did to me.”

She looked at Roy, her face a mix of shock and betrayal. “Is this true, Roy? Were you engaged to her?”

He opened his mouth, but no words came out, his expression twisting in frustration and guilt.

“I think that says it all,” I said, turning my back on them both. “Congratulations on your wedding, Roy. I hope it brings you as much misery as you’ve brought me.”

I open my eyes from my reverie to hear the priest say “If anyone has anything to say, speak now or forever hold your peace…”

"I do" I raise my hand in the air with a tinted smile on my face.