Five years after my fiancé died, I suddenly received a wedding invitation from him. I escaped the mental hospital, desperate, heading for the wedding venue, only to get into a car accident. Through a blur, my best friend Chloe’s figure appeared. “What are you doing here?!” “Liam is alive.” I clutched her wrist, “He sent me an invitation. I’m going to his wedding.” “How is that possible? He’s been dead for 5 years.” Chloe flashed a moment of surprise. But faced with my stubbornness, she gave in. “Let’s go. I’ll drive you.” Five years, Liam. This time, I’m bringing you home. The red light ticked down, second by second. I tapped my fingers anxiously, shaking off the raindrops clinging to the window. Chloe’s sigh broke the dead silence. “To think, back then, you and Liam were a renowned forensic expert and a genius who solved countless cases.” “Who would’ve imagined you’d be stuck in a mental hospital now, and Liam… whether he’s alive or dead is anyone’s guess.” At the mention of ‘dead,’ my nails dug into my skin, drawing blood. Chloe choked, then stiffly changed the subject. “While you were hospitalized, I got my license as a psychological therapist.” “Can you tell me what really happened back then? Maybe I can help you heal.” “At least get you out of this place.” The next second, the light turned green. The car lurched forward with the flow of traffic, and my mind drifted back to twenty-eight years ago. My family and Liam’s family were old family friends. Our parents were practically soulmates, and our houses were only about thirty feet apart. Plus, Liam and I were born on the same day, same month, same year. Besides ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad,’ the first words we learned were each other’s names. Because of this special connection, our parents informally ‘betrothed’ us, almost like a childhood promise. From birth, Liam seemed destined for greatness. With a privileged background, striking looks, and a charming personality, he was loved by all our classmates. His photographic memory and ability to absorb any knowledge instantly made him the teachers’ favorite student, the one they always praised. In any crowd, Liam was always the center of attention, the one who stood out. He thrived under the spotlight, as if he were born to be the focus. Until that day, when Liam’s mom frantically picked him up from school. Soon after, rumors spread like wildfire through the class. Some said Liam’s dad had abandoned his family, fleeing out of guilt. Others said Liam’s family was involved in some seriously shady business, living off dirty money. Overnight, he went from the golden boy to a public pariah, scorned by everyone. It was a month later before I saw Liam again, and with his return came the news of his father’s death. He’d lost weight, silently staring at the table covered in red, hateful graffiti aimed at him. Classmates looked at him with disgust, and even the teachers moved his desk to the darkest, most isolated corner of the classroom. His former confident chatter was gone, replaced by a solitary boy with hair obscuring his eyes. Even in gym class, Liam, once everyone’s first pick, was now an outcast. He quietly walked to the steps, silently waiting for the bell to ring. Three minutes later, I appeared before him, holding a deflated soccer ball. Before I could speak, Liam spoke first. “Get close to me, and you’ll get dragged into it…” “I believe Mr. Davies, and I believe you.” I cut him off. “There has to be a misunderstanding.” Under the setting sun, Liam looked up, revealing eyes red and swollen from trying to hold back tears.
That was the first time I’d ever seen Liam cry. He muffled his sobs, burying his face in my shoulder until class ended. Liam said he’d never forget my belief in him. My gesture didn’t change much. Liam remained a loner, his grades steadily dropping to average. It wasn’t until two years later that the city brought in a new team of forensic experts to re-examine old cases. They unexpectedly found a note written in permanent ink inside Mr. Davies’ body. It detailed the distribution and precise map of an illegal manufacturing facility the police had been searching for years. After Mr. Davies’ name was cleared, everyone’s attitude towards Liam’s family flipped again, as if all the previous harm had just been a nightmare. His tombstone finally bore Mr. Davies’ name. Honors and medals poured into their home. Every child who had bullied him was, without exception, beaten black and blue by their parents and dragged to their door, crying apologies. When I heard about it, I couldn’t wait to find Liam. But all I saw was the lifeless, vacant look in his eyes. “Avery,” Liam said softly, “I contacted the forensic team the week Dad died.” “They turned me away, saying they were short-staffed.” “They told me they needed to prioritize their resources for more urgent cases.” I held his slightly trembling hand. Those three casual sentences revealed the most painful two years of Liam’s life. Even with all the financial compensation now, it couldn’t soothe the pain he had endured. That night, we solidified our future paths. Liam chose to enroll in the police academy, taking on his father’s badge number. I enrolled in the nation’s top medical school, specializing in forensic science, vowing that no death would remain silent on my watch. In our junior year, Liam took on a case, a dangerous and highly classified mission. The day he left, he didn’t say anything extra, just smiled easily. “Avery, if I die, remember to use your forensic skills to speak for me.” After he left, I started to fear that under every shroud, I’d find Liam’s face. Night after night, I had nightmares, dreaming of an endless stream of Liam’s bodies being brought to the morgue, piling up into a small mountain. I needed sleeping pills every night to fall asleep. The day Liam returned, he wore a baseball cap and a mask, his skin noticeably darker peeking through the gaps. His team successfully took down the core of the operation, the main hideout. Having fulfilled his father’s dying wish, a smile, long-buried, finally bloomed on his face. When he saw me, his movements were stiff with nervousness. He pulled a diamond ring from his chest pocket and asked softly, “Avery, will you marry me?” After a moment of stunned silence, I immediately nodded, raising my hand for him to place the ring on my left ring finger. “I bought this ring before I went on the mission.” Liam lowered his head and kissed the ring, “I was afraid something dangerous would happen, that I’d become a burden to you.” “Thankfully, I came back safe and sound…” Before he could finish, I kissed him, my eyelashes fluttering. Our wedding date was set for the day his father’s name was finally cleared. Liam said he wanted to get married with his father’s hopes and legacy in mind. We personally handled all the wedding arrangements. Making sure every detail was perfect, with no oversight. On the wedding day, I woke up early. Every detail had been rehearsed, everything was foolproof. Yet my nervous heart still pounded. The clock ticked by, and my mood slowly shifted from nervous excitement to anxious unease. The time for him to pick me up had long passed. I hadn’t seen a shadow of Liam. The door burst open, my parents’ faces ashen, and they struggled to speak. “Avery, Liam, he… he seems to have run away.” I dragged my wedding dress to Liam’s front door; the pristine white gown was now stained with mud, trailing on the ground like a ragged cloth. Sweat had smeared my once-perfect makeup and hair, sticking grimy to my hairline. Before I could even raise my hand to knock, the door opened from the inside. A real estate agent, seeing me like this, jumped in surprise. He stammered, “Can I help you?” “Mr. Davies has instructed me to rent out this house.” The festive wedding banner by the door had fallen, trampled under messy black footprints, its cheerfulness long gone. I couldn’t hear the end of the agent’s sentence, only felt a sudden dizzy spell, and collapsed onto the ground.
A screech of brakes ripped through the air. Chloe looked at me, her eyes wide with shock. “So the reason your wedding was canceled was because Liam ran out?!” I lowered my gaze. Yes. After confirming Liam had run out, I fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Our home was in chaos. Finally, Dad settled on a plan. The reception proceeded as planned, using Liam’s ‘sudden mission’ as an excuse to cancel the actual wedding ceremony. Everyone thought it was just a minor hiccup due to Liam’s unusual profession. No one knew Liam had truly vanished from the venue. The moment I opened my eyes and saw the hospital ceiling, I ripped out my IV, desperate to confront Liam for an explanation. Dad had someone lock me back in my hospital room. He looked at me, only able to sigh. “No one can reach Liam, not even the department says he’s taken extended leave.” “You get some rest. I swear I’ll drag that jerk out of hiding.” But by the time I was discharged, no one had seen Liam again. I locked myself in my room, squatting on the floor. My phone, glowing beside my feet, was filled with countless unsent texts I’d drafted for Liam. The tone shifting from demanding answers to desperate pleas. Begging him for a reason. Begging him to just let me know he was safe. The man who once responded to every single word I said never replied to a single message. I felt the heat of burning photographs before me. Liam’s face was slowly consumed by the flames. It wasn’t until they were almost ashes that I snapped out of it. I only managed to salvage one photo, barely recognizable as Liam. The acrid-smelling remnants were soaked with my tears, turning into a wet, clumpy mess. I gasped for air, frantically trying to calm myself down. In over twenty years, I had never once imagined Liam would willingly walk out of my life. During our wedding rehearsal, his eyes were only for me. Liam held me close. He said marrying me was his greatest dream, his biggest wish in life. Afterward, we walked hand-in-hand down the street, dreaming of all the wonderful things our married life would hold. We had so many memorable moments together. Why did he suddenly act as if seeing me was repulsive? Controlling my trembling body, I went to Liam’s house. The real estate agent was showing Liam’s house to someone; seeing me, his expression grew strange. “Ms. Avery, you can’t go in.” I stared at him blankly, tears silently tracing paths down my cheeks. “You can reach Liam, right?” “Tell him I’ll be waiting here for him.” At that moment, I would have rather Liam showed up with another woman, claiming he’d fallen for someone else, than endure this abrupt, unexplained ending. A month passed, and I was still there, waiting outside his house every day. Suddenly, Mrs. Peterson from next door rushed over, frantic. “Avery, why are you still here?!” “Your dad’s in trouble! He got a call and just collapsed! Go, quickly!” My head buzzed. As I started to move, my phone suddenly rang. An unknown number, but Liam’s familiar voice came through. “Avery, don’t be so pathetic.” “I don’t want you anymore, why are you still clinging on? You’re acting so desperate, it’s embarrassing.” “If you don’t stop harassing me, your family will be completely ruined and forced out of this city.” “I always keep my promises.”
When I arrived at the hospital, Dad was still in the ICU. The rhythmic beeping of the machines grated on my nerves. Mom was sobbing by the door; seeing me, she clutched my sleeve. “Avery, your dad’s company just had its funding completely cut off!” “What are we going to do?!” My vision blurred with white spots, but I still tried to comfort Mom. During Dad’s time in the ICU, I ran around to countless factories. Begging them to take on our family’s orders. But soon, the identical, hesitant excuses from every owner made it clear: Liam had already pulled strings, making sure no one would help us. This sudden disaster that struck our family, it was all because of me. Self-blame, guilt, and a constant wave of nausea rising from my stomach overwhelmed me. The cold wind bit into me. Countless times I dialed that unfamiliar number, desperate for Liam to give my family a break, but I was always met with a busy signal. Finally, things took a turn. Dad was safely moved out of the ICU. His connections, cultivated over so many years, finally paid off. A small company agreed to secretly help us fulfill some orders. This bought us some breathing room. Things were steadily improving. Just as I was about to head to the factory to oversee production, a crowd had gathered at our community entrance. When they saw me, they all scattered, shouting and fleeing quickly. I stepped closer and saw Liam’s wanted poster, starkly displayed in the center of the community bulletin board. His features were clearly printed. The words ‘EXTREMELY DANGEROUS’ were highlighted in red. The former detective became a wanted fugitive overnight, and no one knew what Liam had done. Everyone who had any connection to Liam became a target of public scorn. The red spray paint yelling ‘GET OUT OF THIS COMMUNITY’ on our front door was scrubbed off countless times, only to reappear. Our business partners shook their heads, backing out mid-agreement, saying they couldn’t risk getting involved in such a mess. Our family, having barely survived one crisis, plunged back into rock bottom, every breath tight with tension. We were forced to move out of the community, ending up in a dilapidated house on the outskirts of town. The severe blow caused me to develop emotional issues. In my dreams, I often revisited our engagement day, each time screaming and recoiling from the ring that once symbolized infinite happiness. Later, the news of Liam’s death arrived. All my lingering obsessions and hatred were rendered meaningless, and I was admitted to a mental hospital. Until now, receiving his invitation. My memories ended there as the car pulled up to the venue entrance. “Are you sure you still want to go to his wedding?” Chloe rolled her eyes, a sarcastic smirk playing on her lips. “Who knows if it’s even Liam? Didn’t everyone say he was dead?” “Maybe it’s just a sick prank.” “How can a dead man come back to life?” I lowered my eyes, looking directly at Chloe. “I just want to know the truth.” “Why did he do this to me, try to utterly destroy my family?” “I won’t let him get away with it.” “I need closure. And I need retribution.” Chloe swung her legs out of the car, lifted her chin, and a long-lost smile returned to her lips. “Let’s go. I want to see what kind of wedding a dead fugitive can even throw.” The moment we pushed the door open, a tension settled over both of us. The door creaked open, slowly revealing the full extent of the venue. The carpet was strewn with fresh flowers, intertwined with ribbons tied in delicate bows. The crystal chandeliers refracted the lights into a dazzling array of colors. The melodious piano music played on without pause. My eyes blurred slightly. I wanted to make out the figures on stage, but found only blank cardboard cutouts. Looking closer. It wasn’t just the stage. The entire lavish and grand venue was utterly deserted…
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