On the way to the bridal shop, my best friend Chloe sent me a video. There was my fiancé, Liam Miller, in a nightclub, his eyes locked on several strippers and clearly enthralled. One even trailed her hand suggestively between his legs. Tonight was supposed to be our appointment to choose my wedding dress. No wonder he had claimed a late night at the office. “Which club?” I texted Chloe. Then I drove straight there. To everyone else, Liam was the quiet, dependable type, a reserved programmer. In our relationship, I was usually the one to take the lead, even in bed. Now I was going to see exactly what kind of wild side this honest man had been hiding. By the time I reached the nightclub, the music was deafening. Chloe stammered when she saw me. “Honestly, Audrey, guys look…it happens! But Liam? I never would’ve guessed. The man used to blush just talking to a woman.” A wave of nausea rolled through me. “Then there’s no wedding,” I said flatly. It wasn’t an overreaction. Liam, to me, had never been “other men.” We were high school sweethearts. Back then, he was unassuming-most girls even found him nerdy and unattractive. But to me, he was brilliant, kind, and loyal. After graduation, that once-awkward nerd quickly climbed the ranks to become an executive at a top tech firm. My friends all envied me, saying I had excellent taste. “A guy like your fiancé, rich and faithful? That’s practically a unicorn these days. You’re so lucky!” I couldn’t stomach the thought that the man I’d loved for so many years was just like every other jerk out there. Chloe, not wanting to get involved in my personal drama, made an excuse and left. I found a quiet corner and silently watched Liam. Not long after, a song ended. A beautiful girl in sequined thong walked directly off the stage and sat right on Liam’s lap. She wrapped her arms around Liam’s neck, tilted her head, and whispered something to him. Then, I watched Liam smile, a wide, joyful grin, as he looked at her. My hands shaking, I recorded the whole thing. Perhaps he sensed something. Liam suddenly glanced in my direction. The next second, his expression changed, and he started walking toward me. “Audrey, what are you doing here?!” I sneered. “Am I interrupting something?” He lowered his head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lied to you. I promise you, Skylar and I haven’t done anything inappropriate or crossed any lines.”
I lifted my head, meeting Liam’s eyes. “Skylar? The stripper who was just sitting on your lap?” Before Liam could answer, I continued, “You lied to me, refused to go wedding dress shopping, just to watch her dance. If that’s not ‘crossing a line,’ then what would you consider it?” A flicker of annoyance crossed Liam’s eyes. He rubbed his temples, sighing. “I swear, I wasn’t planning on doing anything.” Liam glanced in Skylar’s direction, then said, “Let’s talk somewhere else.” With that, Liam didn’t wait for my refusal. He simply gestured for me to follow him. I hesitated for a few seconds. But in the end, I followed him. My eyebrows lifted when Liam walked into the ice cream shop. “I thought you hated ice cream?” “Tried it once. Wasn’t bad.” He shrugged. “Remembered you liked it.” “You tried it once… with Skylar?” A flash of surprise crossed his face. “Yeah, but don’t read into it. I did her a small favor. She insisted on buying me one as thanks.” I laughed. But the laugh turned hollow, and a quiet wave of sadness pulled under it. “Sophomore year, I waited in line and bought two. You took one bite and threw yours away.” Liam looked blank for a second, then recollection dawned, tinged with a shallow apology. “Sorry. I didn’t…appreciate the gesture back then.” I remembered fighting with him over it. To me, it was pure disrespect. To him, I was just being difficult. After we sat down in the ice cream shop, I looked straight at Liam. “Tell me,” I said, my voice deceptively calm. “How long have you known that stripper?” I was desperate to know what made her so special, what had changed Liam. “She’s not that kind of woman, really!” Liam immediately defended her. “Skylar works as a dancer to pay for her college tuition. I offered to sponsor her, but she said she wanted to do it on her own. And she only dances; she never crosses lines with clients.” Seeing my silence, he continued, “To Skylar, I’m just a regular client. Audrey, I really haven’t cheated on you.” I scoffed. Hadn’t cheated, or just hadn’t gotten the chance? “She told you she didn’t need your help, so why do you keep seeing her?” I retorted, sarcastically. “I decided to come on my own. Skylar doesn’t know anything, you shouldn’t talk about her like that!” he explained.
I’d never imagined Liam, the man I’d envisioned a lifetime with, would one day defend another woman right in front of me. It wasn’t until Liam’s hand touched my cheek that I realized I was crying. I fiercely pulled away, wiping my eyes haphazardly. “Liam, I’m not the type to cling on. If you have other feelings, just tell me now, before we’re married!” Liam grabbed my hand, this time not giving me a chance to pull away. “Audrey, I really don’t have other feelings, I just…” He looked frustrated again. I waited for Liam to continue. But a long time passed, and he said nothing more. Taking advantage of Liam’s grip loosening slightly, I tugged my hand free. “Let’s both cool off.” Just as I was about to stand up and leave, a female voice came from behind me. “Liam, I SnapChatted you, but you didn’t reply. So this is where you are!” As she spoke, Skylar walked up beside us. “Hi there!” Skylar’s vibrant smile momentarily stunned me. By the time I reacted, I’d instinctively replied, “Hello.” Skylar then turned to Liam. “Liam, you promised you’d come to dinner tonight. You wouldn’t flake on us, would you?” Liam looked at me, clearly uncomfortable. “Do you have plans tonight, Audrey? Do you want to join us? The more, the merrier!” Skylar’s demeanor was so open, so natural. It seemed she truly saw Liam as just a friend. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have other thoughts. I picked up my bag and stood. “I’ll pass. Have fun, you two!” With that, I turned and walked away. Under my watchful eye, Liam chose another woman. I don’t know how I made it home. The moment I stepped through the door, my two little cats rushed to greet me. I scooped them both into my arms. Feeling their warm, furry bodies, I belatedly registered the sharp ache and suffocating tightness in my chest. I don’t know how long I’d been sitting on the couch when my phone rang. It was my mother. The moment I answered, her voice bubbled with excitement. “How were the photos? How much longer?” I drew a slow breath, holding back the pressure behind my eyes. “We didn’t take them. Something came up for Liam. He canceled.” Mom paused, only slightly thrown. “Liam’s a busy man, sweetheart. You have to be patient. Did you reschedule? That photographer is impossible to book. If you postpone again, will it still be in time for the wedding? We could always find someone else, I suppose.” My mind was a complete mess. Afraid she’d hear the fracture in my voice, I made an excuse and ended the call. I opened my SnapChat conversation with Liam. In the three hours since we’d parted ways at the ice cream shop, he’d sent me two messages. One asked if I’d gotten home safely. The other said he would give me an explanation. I thought about Liam’s hesitation earlier, the way he kept almost saying something. I thought about his repeated assurances that he hadn’t done anything to betray me. As I slowly calmed down, a seed of doubt began to grow. Just as I was debating whether to confront Liam, a message from an unknown number arrived with a photo. Though it only showed a forearm, I recognized the mole on Liam’s wrist. Glancing at the location tagged below the photo, I grabbed my bag and left.
The location indicated a private club, not somewhere just anyone could go. With a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me, I parked my car in the club’s lot. Liam had a regular private room there. I stood at the door to the room, took a moment to compose myself, then slowly pushed it open. “Are you insane? Do you even remember you’re getting married?” Hearing that, I instinctively held my breath, stopping my movement. “I am insane. The moment I saw Audrey at the club, I regretted it, but what good is regret? I can’t control my feelings!” “What do you mean you can’t control it? You just want to have your cake and eat it too! If you’ve fallen for that girl, then be honest with Audrey!” “I can’t picture my life without Audrey…but Skylar pulls at me. Lately I keep wondering, what if I’d never gotten together with Audrey? Would everything be different? I’m so tired. Skylar makes me feel…alive.” I listened at the door for a long time. Liam said that I was “suitable” for him, a “habit.” He didn’t know when, but our love had morphed into something akin to family affection. And Skylar, she made him feel a long-lost joy. … When the conversation inside the room shifted to other topics, my hands trembling, I saved the recording. Sitting back in my car, I couldn’t hold back my emotions any longer. I sobbed, head buried in the steering wheel, for what felt like an eternity. By the time I finally calmed down, it was past midnight. Another message from Liam had appeared on my phone. He said he’d rescheduled the photography session for three days later. He also promised he would absolutely keep his word on everything he told me in the future, and he’d never abandon me again. I drove to my parents’ house. They were already asleep. Afraid to make any noise and wake them, I lay on the couch all night. The next morning, when my parents woke up, I told them directly why I’d come home in the middle of the night. “I don’t want to marry Liam anymore. Please, arrange some blind dates for me.” My parents were stunned. I didn’t want to explain too much, so I simply played the recording for them. Dad hadn’t even heard half the story before he exploded. “That two-timing bastard! Who does he think he is?!” Seeing his rage, I kept my voice steady. “It’s a good thing I found out before the wedding. Dad, I know our family and the Millers have joint ventures. Calling off the engagement will hit the company hard. So I’ll do it. Arrange a marriage with someone who can help us through this. I’ll marry whoever can secure our family’s position.” I owed my parents this much. Their unwavering support was the reason I’d lived such a sheltered life all these years. Liam was my choice. But facts proved my judgment was terrible. So, I was willing to accept my family’s arrangements and contribute to the company’s development. Mom’s eyes welled up with tears, her heart aching for me. Dad was silent for a long time before finally saying, his voice hoarse, “If the engagement is called off, our family’s impact will indeed be greater than the Millers’. Since you’ve decided to break up with Liam, I’ll find you a good match.” With that, Dad looked up at me. It was then I noticed the tear stains in his eyes too. “Audrey, you’ve grown up so much. It’s my fault. I failed to protect you from this.” To prevent the Millers from causing further trouble after the engagement was called off, Dad worked quickly, making arrangements and setting a time for me to meet my blind date. Coincidentally, the rescheduled photoshoot with Liam was on the same day. The day before my blind date, Dad informed the Miller family that the engagement was off. Soon after, my phone buzzed with countless calls and messages from Liam and his parents. I didn’t reply to any of them, blocking them all in one go. On the day of the blind date, I arrived at the café half an hour early. My date had arrived even earlier. After introductions, Noah Sterling and I laid out our situations. We were in the middle of a surprisingly easy conversation when a hand closed around my arm and hauled me to my feet. “Audrey! What are you doing?” I glanced at the unwanted guest beside me. Rubbing the spot he’d gripped, I kept my voice cold. “If your eyes work, you can see I’m on a date.”
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