On my thirtieth birthday, Nathan Brewer asked me to meet him at City Hall. He specifically instructed me to wear a wedding dress and bring my ID, saying he wanted to give me a special birthday gift. However, when I stood at the entrance of City Hall, he turned to his friends behind him and laughed, “See? She really came in a wedding dress with her ID! You all lost. One hundred dollars from each of you!” Then, he turned to me, raising his eyebrows with a flippant tone, “Winnie, this was just a joke. You didn’t actually take it seriously, did you?” Seeing my silence, he added with a smirk, “If you’re that desperate to get married, why don’t you go inside and find some random guy to get a marriage certificate with?” Everyone around burst into laughter. They mocked me for being Nathan’s most loyal backup, saying no one would ever want to marry me. But when my new husband and I walked arm in arm out of City Hall with our fresh marriage certificate, Nathan stood frozen, his face instantly turning pale. ***** When I witnessed Nathan collecting money from each of his friends, I realized that today was just another spectacle where my humiliation was the betting stake. Those who lost the bet, after mocking me, continued with nasty remarks and eye-rolling. “Winnie, do you know how much money I lost? Please, use your brain for once!” “I’ve warned you so many times that Nathan is out of your league. You didn’t actually think he’d marry you, did you?” “He’s played you at least ten times already! The fact that you still fall for it shows how incredibly stupid you are!” I bit my lower lip hard, my nails nearly digging into my palms. Nathan, after collecting his money, walked over to me and asked in a fake concerned tone, “What’s wrong, Winnie? Aren’t you happy?” He turned back to his friends and said, “Hey, you jerks, it’s Winnie’s birthday today. How could you bully her like that?” Just when I thought he had found his conscience, Nathan pulled a bill from his pocket and handed it to me with a grin. “Thanks for helping me earn two thousand dollars. Here’s ten bucks—go buy yourself a small cake. Consider it my birthday gift to you.” As soon as he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter again. “Nathan, you’re too kind! Be careful, Winnie might fall even more desperately in love with you!” “Didn’t you see she came in a wedding dress? She’s dying to marry you!” In the past, I might have broken down crying, begging Nathan to stop hurting me. But this time, I calmly took the ten dollars from his hand and said quietly, “Thanks. This will cover the marriage license fee. I didn’t bring cash, so I’ll consider this your wedding gift to me.” Nathan paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Winnie, have you lost your mind? Are you still thinking about marrying me? “Can’t you see I’m messing with you? “I’ve never met anyone as pathetic as you.” He frowned, his face full of disgust. Even though I was prepared, each of his words pierced my heart like arrows, leaving it riddled with wounds. Actually, I had known about Nathan using me for a bet since yesterday. Last night, I received his call. On the other end, he was uncharacteristically gentle. “Winnie, meet me at City Hall tomorrow at nine. I want to give you a special birthday gift. “Oh, and make sure you look nice. Wear that new wedding dress you bought and bring your ID. See you tomorrow on time!” After hanging up, my heart was racing. Indeed, I had just posted a photo of myself trying on and buying a wedding dress on Instagram. I thought, “Could he be deciding to marry me because of that post?” However, not long after, someone sent me a video. In the video, Nathan was showing my Instagram to others. “What does Winnie mean by this?” he asked. Someone immediately responded, “She wants to get married! Women approaching thirty get desperate and can only express themselves this way. “I think Winnie is jealous that Nathan has a new girlfriend and is deliberately posting this kind of content for attention.” Nathan’s new girlfriend was Emilia Wells, a girl from an intellectual family, whom he cherished deeply. Nathan shook his head. “It’s such a hassle being pursued by this kind of woman.” Then he said, “How about this—I’ll make a bet with you all. With just one phone call, she’ll obediently show up at City Hall tomorrow wearing a wedding dress. Want to see this clown perform?” Someone laughed, “Nathan, what if you lose? Have Emilia dance for us!” Before the person could finish laughing, Nathan had already punched him in the face. His expression turned terrifyingly dark. “If you want to die, just say so. Who are you to even speak Emilia’s name?” Emilia was his life—not even a joke about her was tolerated. While I was just a clown he used for betting, someone who could be mistreated without consequence. After watching the video, my heart ached in waves. My tears fell uncontrollably, dropping onto my phone screen, blurring his smug smile in the video. I wiped away my tears, cleaned the screen, and stared hard at Nathan’s face. This was the man I had loved for eight years. He knew better than anyone how much I liked him, so he also knew exactly how to hurt me the deepest. He had forgotten the promises he made years ago. “Winnie, if you’re still not married by thirty, let’s be together.” Today, I turned thirty. And I was getting married. But I hadn’t told Nathan that the person I was marrying wasn’t him.
The wedding dress I chose reaches my ankles. My fiancé and I picked it out together. I lifted the hem of my dress, walked around Nathan, and headed toward City Hall. He suddenly grabbed my wrist and said, “Stop pretending, Winnie. Who are you putting on this show for? “If you’re so desperate to get married, why don’t you go in and find someone random to get a marriage license with? Do me a favor and stop bothering me after that.” I looked up at his face, unable to summon the energy to explain or even feel angry. I just felt disappointed and sad. The Nathan who once defended me, who would chase down people who spoke ill of me and force them to apologize, was long gone. I shook my head and tried to pull my hand away. But just then, Emilia appeared, shouting, “Nathan!” Nathan instinctively let go of me. To demonstrate his loyalty, he even pulled an alcohol wipe from his bag and meticulously cleaned the hand that had just grabbed me, as if I were something utterly filthy. Emilia asked curiously, “Nathan, what are you doing here? “Winnie, are you getting married today? You’re even wearing a wedding dress.” Nathan looked around nervously, not daring to admit he had organized a betting pool because of me. In his panic, he randomly pulled one of his friends next to me and laughed loudly, “Emilia, you’re so smart! You figured it out! Today is Winnie and Harold’s wedding day. “We’re all here to congratulate them.” His friends immediately chimed in. “That’s right, Emilia. Today is Winnie and Harold’s wedding day. We’re celebrating with them!” I glanced at the short Harold beside me, whose idiotic grin made me feel sick. Seeing that Emilia still seemed doubtful, Nathan hurriedly pushed Harold and me forward. “Hurry up, go get your license! Emilia is still watching!” I stumbled a few steps from his push, while Harold boldly took the opportunity to grab my hand. He whispered to me, “Winnie, Nathan will never marry you. I think you look pretty good, nice figure too. We could work out.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I violently yanked my hand away from his greasy grip and leaned against the wall, starting to retch. Nathan immediately said, “Oh my, Winnie, could you be pregnant? “Harold, congratulations!” Emilia’s face lit up with joy as she congratulated me, “Winnie, I used to worry about your love life, but I never expected you’d have a husband and baby so quickly! Congratulations!” I coldly stared at Nathan, who was still laughing exaggeratedly, and said in a detached tone, “Yes, I am getting married, but not to him. My fiancé is waiting for me inside. Save your congratulations for later.” The smile on Nathan’s face instantly froze.
Just then, my phone rang. After answering, I responded briefly. “Second floor, right? Should I go in and wait in line? Okay, that works.” I turned to look at Nathan, who was standing frozen in place, and said, “I’m wearing a wedding dress because my fiancé hired a photographer to document the day we get our marriage license. “This gown is the lightest of my seven wedding outfits, making it suitable for going out. “Since you’re all here, I might as well give you the wedding invitations directly. My wedding is on the tenth of next month, and you’re all welcome to attend.” I took out the invitations from my purse and handed them out one by one. When it was Nathan’s turn, he didn’t reach out to take it. Those who received invitations began whispering, “Marriott Hotel! That’s the best hotel in the city. Did Winnie snag a rich guy?” Nathan let out a cold laugh, his eyes full of disdain. “Winnie, you really love putting on a show, don’t you? “You even prepared wedding invitations and booked the Marriott Hotel? Your tactics just seem ridiculous to me.” As he spoke, he pinched the invitation between two fingers and carelessly tossed it aside. Emilia glanced at the invitation and sighed, “Sorry Winnie, but I’m with Nathan on this one. This invitation doesn’t even have photos of the bride and groom. It doesn’t look genuine.” I explained quietly, “Because we haven’t had time to take photos yet…” But Emilia continued, holding my hand and advising, “Actually, I’ve always known about your feelings for Nathan…” Nathan immediately tensed up. “Emilia, let me explain…” Emilia shook her head. “Nathan, you don’t need to explain anything. I know you two grew up together, so naturally your relationship is special.” She turned to me. “Winnie, as a woman, I completely understand how you feel. But you can’t force someone to love you. Nathan has said before that he only sees you as a sister. “And now, as something of a sister to you myself, let me give you some advice: stop doing these foolish things. The more you do, the more people will laugh at you.” People around us chimed in. “Emilia is so kind and gracious!” “Emilia truly lives up to her prestigious background—kind-hearted and good-natured. The way she’s advising Winnie shows what an exceptional woman she is!” Emilia looked at me with pitying eyes. “Come on, Winnie, let me help you change out of this wedding dress.” It was always like this. Whenever Nathan teased or humiliated me, Emilia would step forward to “comfort” me. Over time, Nathan became more convinced that his girlfriend was both beautiful and kind, while my “pettiness” only highlighted her goodness. Just as I was about to refuse, Emilia suddenly noticed the tag on the back of my dress. She grabbed the tag and read it aloud, “How are you wearing this brand of wedding dress, and it’s this season’s new design? “Winnie, I really feel sorry for you. Did you rent this dress? The tag isn’t even removed. You really don’t need to go to such lengths…” Hearing this, Nathan’s expression grew even more mocking. He pulled Emilia into his arms, kissed her hair, and said in an indulgent tone, “Emilia, you’re just too kind-hearted. Why bother talking to someone as shameless and pathetic as Winnie?” Emilia continued her act. She clutched Nathan’s clothes and said earnestly, “Nathan, I believe Winnie doesn’t mean any harm. It’s just a young girl’s vanity, which can be corrected.” My face flushed with anger as I clenched my fists and explained, “My fiancé bought the dress for me yesterday. I just forgot to remove the tag, that’s why—” “Enough. Tell a lie often enough and it starts to sound like the truth,” Nathan said dismissively, tilting his chin at me. “Winnie, if you really have a fiancé, then call him out here so we can see him.” The people behind him immediately joined in, “Yeah, call him out so we can see!” “Let us meet this rich guy who can afford designer clothes and book the Marriott Hotel!” “Aren’t you getting married today? Where’s the groom?” I stood at the entrance of city hall, with many passersby stopping to stare at us. Harold, whom I had pushed away earlier, immediately pointed at me and shouted, “Everyone, look at this woman! She wanted to be someone’s mistress, and when she was exposed, she claimed she’s here to get married. “Let’s all see who her groom really is!” The crowd of onlookers grew larger, with some pointing and whispering about me, while others took out their phones to take photos and videos. The early autumn wind carried a hint of chill, and I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around myself for warmth. Emilia also rubbed her arms, and Nathan immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. He shouted angrily, “Winnie, hurry up and call your husband! If Emilia catches a cold, you’ll pay for it!” I lowered my head, feeling cold from the inside out. The truth was, I wasn’t sure when my fiancé would arrive. After all, we had only met once for dinner. As time passed, still no one appeared, while more and more people gathered around me. Their cameras were almost pressed against my face. I could only keep backing away, avoiding those lenses, until I bumped into someone and stopped. I quickly said, “I’m sorry, I—” Before I could finish, a pair of strong hands rested on my shoulders. He said, “I’m the one who should apologize. “Sorry, wife. I got stuck in traffic and arrived late.”
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