On my wedding day, I stood there in a sharp, tailored tuxedo. My heart was bursting with joy as I waited for Chloe Vance. The wedding officiant had already called out, “Please welcome the bride!” three times. But my fiancée was nowhere to be seen. The guests started whispering, their eyes shifting from confusion to suspicion. Finally, someone couldn’t help but let out a mock chuckle. That laugh was like a sharp blade. Soon, the quiet sneers rippled through the chapel like a rising tide. “The bride ran away. That is so brutal.” “I bet there’s some dirty secret! Maybe he forced her into this? One-sided love?” “I always said Ethan was punching above his weight with a beauty like Chloe.” “This wedding is a total joke!” Every whisper hit me like a sledgehammer, crushing my pride. Swallowing the humiliation, I dialed my fiancée’s number. The moment the call connected, deafening music, roaring laughter, and screaming voices blasted through the speaker. “Chloe, did you forget what day it is today?” I pressed the phone tightly against my ear, my voice trembling. Silence came from the other end. My heart squeezed tight. “Ethan, Julian just got dumped. He’s a mess right now and I need to look after him. Let’s push the wedding back a bit.” Chloe gave me the most ridiculous excuse. She wanted to take care of her first love, her “one that got away.” For him, she stood me up at a wedding we spent over half a year planning. ###
A bitter smile forced its way onto my face. The words got stuck in my throat. “Chloe, babe, get off the phone. It’s your turn for Truth or Dare!” A deep male voice rang out. He called her “Chloe” with an intimate tone. If he hadn’t been standing extremely close to her, I wouldn’t have heard it so clearly. “I have to go.” Chloe hung up in a hurry. The line went dead. I stood frozen, holding the phone to my ear. We had been together for three years. This wasn’t the first time she had broken promises, stood me up, or picked fights with me because of her first love. And now, she was even putting off our wedding. Chloe took me for granted. She thought I was just a loyal dog who would always obey her. I opened TikTok and searched for Chloe’s burner account. Her latest post read: *Cheers to the love of my life being single again.* The attached photo showed two wine glasses clinking under dim, moody lighting. This was Chloe’s secret account where she recorded her real life. Julian appeared in almost every video. Based on the logo on the glasses, I figured out which lounge she was at. Inside, dim lights flickered through waves of vape smoke. The DJ’s bass rattled my chest. I pushed my way through the crowded dance floor. The air was thick with cheap alcohol and expensive perfume, making my head spin. Finally, at a VIP booth, I saw her. She was locked in a passionate kiss with a guy. That guy was Julian Cole—her high school sweetheart, the one she always kept on a pedestal. Chloe was a total head-turner. Back in college, she was the undisputed campus queen. Everyone used to say she and Julian were a match made in heaven. Later, Julian went study abroad, and Chloe confessed her feelings to me. I was the one who fell first, so I had no reason to say no. I honestly thought that if I treated her with everything I had, she would eventually forget about him and love me back. But a year ago, Julian came back. And everything shattered. All my effort became a joke. Chloe always told me they were “just best friends.” But I didn’t know “best friends” kissed each other like that. “Ethan?” Mia, Chloe’s best friend, saw me first. She nudged Chloe. The two of them finally pulled apart. When they separated, a thin string of saliva still connected their lips. “Ethan? What are you doing here?” A flash of panic crossed Chloe’s eyes as she scrambled to her feet. Beside her, Julian smirked, raising an eyebrow at me. His face practically screamed: *So what if you’re getting married? Her heart is still mine.* The tension in the booth was suffocating. Mia quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Ethan, don’t get mad! Chloe and Julian lost a game of Truth or Dare. We forced them to kiss. It’s just a game, you know how it is. You’re not going to be a party pooper, right?” “Yeah, Ethan. We were just having some harmless fun,” Chloe said, stepping toward me. She reached out and grabbed my arm, shaking it gently. My fists clenched so hard my knuckles turned white. Just a game. “Is this why you skipped our wedding?” I shook her hand off and demanded, my voice sharp. Chloe knitted her perfect brows, looking annoyed. “We can always reschedule the wedding! Julian just got dumped. He’s emotionally unstable right now. If I’m not here for him, he has nobody.” I looked around the booth. There were at least six people there. How was he “alone”? “Man, Chloe, you guys aren’t even married yet and your man is already keeping you on such a tight leash,” Julian chimed in from the couch, raising his glass with a mocking look in his eyes. “If you marry him, is he going to lock you in the house?” “I’m asking you one last time,” I said, ignoring him. “Are you coming home with me right now?” Chloe looked at me, then at Julian, looking torn. I turned on my heel to leave. Behind me, Julian suddenly groaned. “Chloe, my head hurts so bad. Can you drive me home?” In the end, Chloe didn’t follow me. Between me and Julian, she chose him. Again. ###
I didn’t sleep a wink. I sat on the couch, staring at the front door handle until the sun came up. Finally, the lock clicked. Chloe walked in. Seeing me on the couch, she walked over and wrapped her arms around my neck, testing the waters. “Ethan, you’re not still mad about yesterday, are you?” She smelled like cigarette smoke. I don’t smoke. And deep under her collar, a faint red mark was visible on her skin. Chloe leaned in to kiss me, but I flinched away. The thought of her mouth on someone else’s yesterday made my stomach turn. A flash of shock crossed Chloe’s eyes. Knowing I was still angry, she reached into her purse and pulled out a designer box. Inside was a pair of silver cufflinks. “Look, Ethan. I got you a present.” It felt so cheap. It was exactly like those stories where a cheating partner buys a gift to appease their spouse and ease their own guilt. I didn’t take the box. I looked her straight in the eye. “Do you still want to marry me?” Chloe immediately pouted, looking like the victim. “Of course I do… just not right now.” I let out a cold laugh. If this were in the past, seeing her look sad would have broken my heart. Everyone knew I spoiled Chloe. I never let her suffer a single grievance. During the two years Julian was gone, Chloe loved to cling to me, asking when we would get married. She said she couldn’t wait to be my wife. We had just graduated back then. I wanted to wait until I had some savings to give her a proper life. I worked myself to the bone and finally bought this apartment. Every single detail of this place was decorated according to her taste. I clenched my fists until my joints popped. “Do you have any idea how much my mom wanted to see us get married?” Chloe’s patience was paper-thin. If I didn’t submit to her within two sentences, she would lose her temper. “I know! It’s not like I’m saying no. Is your mom literally on her deathbed? Can’t she just wait a little bit?” My mom had late-stage stomach cancer. But Chloe only knew she was sick in the hospital. She never bothered to ask what the diagnosis was. I had asked her multiple times to visit my mom. She always claimed she was “too busy with work” and hung up. Was she really busy? Or was she busy with Julian? My high school buddy, who worked at the luxury mall, had called me several times saying he saw Chloe holding hands with another man. My whole body shook with rage at her words. I slammed my fist onto the coffee table. “Yes! My mom only has two months left! Are you happy now?” It was the first time I had ever yelled at Chloe. She froze, startled either by my words or my tone. Then, she covered her face, looking deeply offended. “How was I supposed to know? Why are you being so mean to me?” With that, she stomped into the bedroom and slammed the door. She always did this. Whenever there was a real issue, she would throw a tantrum, run away, and wait for me to crawl back and apologize. Chloe had been my goddess since college. I had a crush on her for years, but because of Julian, I never dared to cross the line. Just when I thought I would never have a chance, she had come to me with red, teary eyes. “Ethan, do you like me? Because I like you too. Let’s be together.” She looked like a wounded little rabbit back then. My heart had melted instantly. I thought if I loved her enough, I would be her forever, and Julian would just be a phase. When I loved her most, I drove a thousand miles through a dangerous storm just because she said she was scared of thunder. I once got stabbed protecting her from some thugs, resulting in a ruptured spleen. I even ate an entire mango cake she made for me, despite being severely allergic to mangoes. Because of all that, she was absolutely sure I would back down first. She thought she could keep hooking up with Julian under the guise of “just being friends.” After a few days of total silence, I didn’t apologize. Maybe she felt the shift, or maybe she felt guilty. For the first time, she initiated the conversation. “Ethan, let’s stop fighting, okay? I promise I’ll marry you. I love you.” She tried to crawl into my lap, wearing a low-cut silk slip dress that left very little to the imagination. “Julian was just depressed. I’m his friend, so I had to comfort him.” I looked away, staring at the calendar on the wall. My voice was dead cold. “Tomorrow morning, we’re going to City Hall to get our marriage license. Don’t forget.” Tomorrow was the date Chloe herself had picked months ago. The girl in my arms froze. She opened her mouth to speak, but her phone suddenly rang. ###
It was that ringtone. Within a second, Chloe muted it and hurried out to the balcony. A few minutes later, she came back inside, pouting and using her baby voice. “Ethan, Mia needs me to go over. She’s having an emergency.” She lied so easily, always using her best friend as a shield. I had to visit my mom today and didn’t have the energy to argue. I stayed silent, and she took my silence as permission. She didn’t even bother to change out of her silk slip. She just threw on a trench coat and rushed out the door, promising she’d be back tonight. As expected, she didn’t come home. The next day, I went to City Hall alone. I stood by the entrance for three hours. The staff were about to pack up and go home, but Chloe never showed up. She didn’t even send a text. I knew she wouldn’t come, but I had wanted to give her one last chance. *Ding—* My phone buzzed. A notification popped up: *The account you follow, ‘Chloe & Julian Forever,’ has posted a new video.* The video showed Julian’s back as he stood at the stove making breakfast. Chloe’s caption: *The man who loves me makes me breakfast first thing in the morning.* For the past three years, I had made Chloe breakfast every single day, changing the menu constantly so she wouldn’t get bored. But she had never praised me once. She took it as my duty. In the comments, Julian replied: *Anything for my baby.* I clicked on Julian’s profile. His latest video showed a pair of silver cufflinks—the exact same design Chloe had “gifted” me. His caption: *A gift from my baby. Too bad I already have the exact same pair. Guess I’ll let someone else have this cheap knockoff.* So even those cufflinks were just Julian’s leftovers. I dialed Chloe’s number. She only picked up on the second call, her voice sounding raspy. “Ethan.” “We were supposed to get our marriage license today.” I got straight to the point, waiting for her answer. Chloe sighed. “Ethan, we pushed the wedding ceremony back anyway. Why are you rushing to get the license?” My voice was firm. “The wedding ceremony has to happen by the end of this month.” “Ethan~” She dragged out my name, trying to act cute. “Ethan, you know Julian needs me right now. Once he’s stable, we can talk about the wedding, okay?” I let out a cold laugh. “If you can’t marry me, I’ll find someone else who will.” Chloe panicked. “Ethan, what are you talking about?” “I’m saying we’re done. It’s over.” I hung up immediately. Everyone said I was incredibly good to Chloe. But my goodness was based on the premise that she loved me back. She had lied to me over and over again to be with Julian. She picked fights, called me possessive, and treated my efforts like trash. She had slowly eroded my love and pushed my boundaries until there was nothing left. We were officially over. Just as I was about to put my phone away, an unknown number sent me a text. It was a five-second video. In it, Chloe’s face was flushed, her eyes wild with pleasure. “More, Julian, please…” Julian’s bare chest was covered in dark hickeys. It wasn’t hard to guess how wild their night had been. Following the video was a text: *I broke her in for you. Chloe was incredible last night.* I didn’t need to guess who sent it. I calmly saved the video, took a screenshot of the text, and blocked the number. Since Chloe cheated, it shouldn’t be a crime for me to find someone else, right? I called my buddy who ran a high-end matchmaking agency to set me up on some blind dates. Just then, a soft, sweet voice rang out right beside me. “What about me? Am I option?” A girl stood there, nervously fidgeting. Her bright eyes blinked at me, her cheeks flushed with a soft pink. Her voice trembled, but she gathered her courage and said: “I’m a million times better than my sister, Chloe.” ###
Lily Vance? I had only met her once. It was when Chloe first brought me home to meet her parents. Lily had sat quietly in the corner, barely speaking. I didn’t remember ever having any real interaction with her. Chloe used to complain to me that her younger sister always “bullied” her, so I had assumed Lily was a troublemaker. I hung up the phone, looking at Lily with a hint of suspicion. Sensing my coldness, Lily slowly withdrew her hand and gave a self-deprecating smile. “Would you please consider me?” She bit her pink lower lip, her white teeth contrasting with her rosy lips, making her look incredibly delicate. I stared into her eyes and frowned. “You know I’m your sister’s fiancé, right?” She lowered her head, whispering, “I know.” “And you still want to marry me?” I crossed my arms, squinting at her. Lily’s ears turned bright red. “But you just said you wanted to break up, and you were calling a matchmaker.” “Still, why should I marry you?” “You’re going to marry someone anyway. Why not me?” Lily looked up, her gaze steady once more. Yes, I could marry anyone. But not her. She was Chloe’s sister. I didn’t want to have anything to do with that toxic family ever again. As we stood in a stalemate, my phone rang. It was Chloe. “Ethan, I’m almost home. Let’s talk in person, okay?” “We have nothing to talk about.” “Ethan, you love me the most. Don’t be like this.” Chloe knew exactly how to work me. Her sweet, pleading tone would make almost any man soften. Before I could answer, Lily suddenly pulled a document folder from her bag. She took out her birth certificate and a pre-signed marriage license application, holding them out to me with absolute sincerity. “Ethan, marry me.” I quickly covered the phone’s microphone, hoping Chloe hadn’t heard. “What? Is that a woman’s voice? Who is with you?” Chloe’s voice instantly turned sharp and tense. “No one.” I replied coldly, hung up, and turned off the phone. “What’s your angle?” I asked Lily. I didn’t believe a girl I barely knew would suddenly propose to me without wanting something in return. “I’ve liked you for a long time. I really want to marry you. Even if you just use me to get back at my sister, I don’t care.” Her gaze was so pure, and the slight mist in her eyes made my heart skip a beat. I had no intention of using Lily to get revenge. But I did need a wife right now, and Lily seemed like a decent choice. “I won’t use you to get back at Chloe.” Lily’s eyes dimmed, looking deeply disappointed. “But I do need to get married. So, yes.” Her eyes instantly lit up again, her excitement plain as day. I couldn’t understand why this girl, whom I was only meeting for the second time, was so happy. We rushed into City Hall and managed to get our marriage license finalized just before the clerks went home. Since the wedding ceremony was at the end of the month, time was tight. I took Lily straight to a bridal boutique. She was much more petite than Chloe. Chloe’s dress wouldn’t fit her at all. “Does this look okay?” The curtain pulled back, and Lily stepped out, looking shy. The lace on the gown’s neckline perfectly highlighted her elegant, slender neck. The corset design hugged her tiny waist, carving out beautiful, delicate curves. Combined with her gorgeous face, I couldn’t look away. Lily looked at me with anticipation, her eyes shining like stars, though she was clearly nervous. “You look beautiful,” I murmured, swallowing hard.
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