Eight in the morning. I am sitting in our newly renovated apartment, fully dressed in my wedding gown, waiting for the groom and his party to arrive for the ceremony. But he never shows. His mother, pale as a ghost, keeps wringing her hands: “I’ve been calling him since sunrise, but he won’t pick up. His father drove back to their place to find him. He said he drank too much at the bachelor party last night and can’t be woken up…” Rage boiling in my chest, I grab my phone and dial his number myself. After several attempts, it finally connects. “Hello?” A weak, drowsy groan comes through the receiver, heavy with sleep. My heart sinks. I press the speaker button. “Liam, do you have any idea what today is?” “Hm? What day?” Frustrated, I yell into the phone: “Today is our wedding day!” Silence for a few seconds on the other end, then sudden alertness. “Wait? Since when were we having the wedding today?” 1 I can’t process his response. My only thought is: can he still make it on time if he leaves right now? But I know Liam Sterling too well. He dawdles for a solid hour just getting ready to go out normally, let alone putting on a suit, doing his hair, and the whole nine yards for a wedding. What if we skip all that? “Liam, go take a quick shower, throw on the suit in your closet, and grab an Uber straight to the venue.” I think this solution is standard protocol. I didn't expect Liam to completely explode. “No way, man! Since when did we agree on having a wedding today?” “How am I just finding out about this? Did I even agree to it?” “Can you stop looking for trouble when there isn't any?” Me: … I am gripping the phone, my hand shaking slightly. For this wedding, I’ve only slept four hours a night for a solid month. Yesterday, I was busy for twenty-four hours straight, not even stopping for a drink of water. But right now, I am so angry my stomach aches, and I feel like I might be sick. I respond with icy calm: “We had an engagement dinner. We picked out the wedding rings. We put deposits down on the venue. And you’re sitting there telling me you didn't know we were getting married?” His tone is matter-of-fact: “Of course I didn't know. Nobody told me!” The relatives standing around me exchange glances. His mother asks me carefully: “Claire… did you really not tell him?” I am stunned. How could I not have told him? I ask him: “Do I need to file a formal request in triplicate and get your signature as proof of notification every time I initiate a life-changing conversation?” But Liam acts like his logic is flawless. “Then what? Can you stop making me look dumb? No way, man… You handled this so unprofessionally, and you have the nerve to blame me? I’m completely baffled, okay!” “Out of nowhere, you just tell me today’s the wedding day? I never wanted a big ceremony! Is marrying me all you think about?” I feel a deep chill settle in my soul. But looking around at the living room packed with relatives and friends staring at me, at the bright, agonizingly festive decorations… I feel like I’m being roasted alive. Everything is prepared. Friends and family rescheduled their lives to be here today. So many people are currently sitting at the reception venue, expecting a party. And the groom claims he had absolutely no idea? I let out a cold laugh. “I get it. You aren't ignorant; you just didn't want to come. You are trying to ditch the wedding, right?” Liam hears the profound disappointment in my voice. He sighs, his tone softening a bit. “Claire, look, that was just my morning grumpiness talking... But seriously, think about it. I was up until four-thirty playing games with Luna. She wanted to play; I couldn't just tell her no, right? Any day can be a wedding day. Is it absolutely necessary to do it right this second?” “Be good. Stop being angry; you’ll ruin your health. When I finally wake up, I’ll take you out for burgers and milkshakes, okay?” Me: … Someone nearby whispers. “Who is Luna?” “No idea. Never heard of her.” I take a deep breath, forcing myself to be calm. I issue Liam a final ultimatum. “I’m giving you exactly one hour. If you aren't here by then, this wedding is off. Permanently.” Liam doesn't explicitly refuse, but he doesn't explicitly agree either. He dodges. “But I’m still not finished sleeping…” I feel hot blood rush to my head. I emphasize again: “Make no mistake. My meaning is: if it doesn't happen today, it is never happening.” Liam is silent for a long moment: “Let’s talk after I wake up.” Then he hangs up. 2 I am sweating from anxiety, shaking from pure rage. Yet I feel a crushing sense of powerlessness, as if all the air has been sucked out of my lungs. I genuinely want to pass out just so I don't have to deal with this nightmare. But things have to be resolved. I can’t collapse right now. I cannot lose control of my emotions. I look up at the people surrounding me. Their faces are all dark with anger and embarrassment. Especially Liam’s parents. They look like the sky just fell. Obviously, they didn't expect their son could be this unreliable either. Actually, Liam’s personality had shown cracks long before the engagement. When his parents and I were arranging everything for the engagement dinner, I told him he needed to pick out his outfit ahead of time. But he was completely unwilling. He continued playing his game, not even looking up. He whined, “Ugh… do I have to go?” I thought it was just a joke. After all, during the entire engagement process, even though he was reluctant, he never said no. But what happened today is beyond ridiculous; it’s a living nightmare. For a split second, I even consider grabbing a rando on the street to be the new groom. But this is reality, not some dramatic fanfiction. How could I possibly find a suitable replacement on five minutes' notice? Even if I wanted to, the other party definitely wouldn't agree. What if I hire an actor just to walk me through the process? Forget it… besides being able to keep the cash gifts, there’s zero meaning. Things have progressed too far. There is no remedy. My wedding. It is completely ruined. 3 I have always been a strong, rational person. I hate letting others see my vulnerable side. So I fight back my tears, trying my best to keep my voice steady. I even keep a forced smile on my face. “Well, there’s nothing we can do now. The wedding has to be cancelled. Please spread the word.” Finished speaking, I open my contacts list and randomly dial a number. Very apologetically, I tell them the wedding is off due to an emergency. On the surface, I act like none of this is bothering me. In reality, my mind is complete chaos. I don’t even remember who I called, and I have no idea what they said in response. I just kept apologizing, apologizing, apologizing. The other end of the line goes silent. The entire living room is also dead silent. Expectant eyes are locked onto me, tonnes of weight pushing down on my shoulders. I struggle not to collapse, quietly waiting for the response. Suddenly, the person asks: “So, when is the next wedding?” I feel a slight unease at the question, but I instinctively reply: “We haven’t decided yet, but to make up for today, I’ll definitely take you out for dinner another day to apologize in person.” “… Okay… Well, what about you? Are you alright?” “Everything is fine on my end.” “But you don’t sound fine.” “Hm? Do I?” I let out a couple of fake, dry laughs. I vaguely realize this person is slightly strange. But right now, I don't have the emotional bandwidth or time to analyze it. I make a few more brief pleasantries and quickly hang up. Seeing this, the expressions of the guests in the room all go dark. They start pulling out their phones to spread the news themselves. Tell the people waiting at the reception venue to just leave. The wedding checks and gifts will be returned. Quite a few people are audibly complaining: “What kind of mess is this? I’ve never seen a wedding like this before! If I’d known, I wouldn't have bothered coming! I’ve never met someone so unreliable!” “I thought I was coming to celebrate a happy occasion, and it’s just miserable! If I’d known, I wouldn't have bothered. This is a complete joke.” “Is it possible she got rejected and doesn’t even know? This clearly feels like she deliberately played us.” “Stop talking. His family is well-off. Maybe she was trying to force him into marriage with this whole thing. But the guy actually had some backbone; he firmly decided not to show…” I pretend I can’t hear any of it. I continue apologizing to the next person I call. And that’s when something even more bizarre happens. 4 The guests at the reception hall had just left, still complaining loudly, when a section of the hotel building suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, because everyone had evacuated in an orderly fashion, there were no injuries. Perhaps even God wanted to stop this wedding. I think if we are selecting the world’s most miserable person today, it has to be me. This event quickly makes the local news. By coincidence, Liam, who just woke up, happens to see the story. He forwards the news clip to me, proudly bragging: See? Good thing I didn’t go. That building was destined to fall. Just say it—if I actually went today, how many people would I have doomed? Look at my foresight! Honestly don’t know why you’re always so anxious and looking for trouble. You were so unlucky because you didn’t listen to me, haha. Having been busy for twenty-four hours straight, when I see these messages, a metallic taste rises in my throat, and I spit out a mouthful of blood. The pristine white wedding dress I carefully picked out over a month ago is stained with a patch of crimson blood. I stare blankly. My mind is a complete void, a humming sound in my ears. He is completely unhinged. So unhinged that even if I wanted to yell at him, I wouldn't know where to start. I just toss the phone aside. Sitting in the empty apartment, I return to the mirror and continue undoing my hair and removing my makeup. But the few phrases he just sent repeat themselves in my heart, torturing me almost to madness. Only half my hair is undone when I finally can’t hold it in any longer and burst into tears. Abandoning all hope, I just yank the pins out, ignoring the pain in my scalp. My hand shaking, I type out: You are completely unhinged. Let's break up. He replies quickly. Claire… stop being angry. I’ve actually done some self-reflection. I was definitely in the wrong too. When you get home, I’ll apologize and make it up to you, okay? Besides, it's just a wedding. It'll happen sooner or later. What’s the rush? You don’t actually want to get married right now anyway, right? Hurry up and finish your stuff over there and come find me. Haven't you been dying for burgers and milkshakes? I’ll take you for a huge meal. It feels like a massive boulder is pressing down on my chest, making it impossible to breathe. Sooner or later… He actually believes I will wait for him unconditionally, infinitely, and will never leave him. What if I don't wait? Will he suffer like I am today? But recalling his face, I can’t help but let out a self-deprecating, cold chuckle. No. He absolutely will not suffer. I can never, ever make him personally experience the pain I suffered today. And what I wanted wasn’t burgers and milkshakes. It was BBQ. Liam always forgets. The humiliation and indignation I’ve repressed for so long flood my heart simultaneously. Everything suddenly goes black. When I next wake up, I am lying in a hospital bed.
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