Ditched at the Altar, but I'm Thrilled

I didn't stay to watch them make their toasts. I went straight home.

My neighbor spotted me on the way in and looked stunned. "Brynn, what are you doing here? Isn't today your wedding?"

I'd been planning this wedding for so long that practically everyone knew about it, which meant getting played at the last minute left me no room to pretend otherwise. I kept unlocking my door without missing a beat.

"Called it off," I said evenly. "He's busy."

He was busy giving his first love a wedding.

Pity flickered across my neighbor's face, but she was kind enough not to press further.

I shut the door and rushed to the bathroom. I barely made it before I was throwing up violently, and I didn't stop until there was nothing left in my stomach. Then I collapsed against the floor, completely drained.

I have a moderate adverse reaction to sleeping pills. Jared knew that, and he drugged me anyway. The fact that I woke up at all today was pure luck.

When I got up to rinse my mouth, my phone blew up with notifications from a group chat that both Jared and I were in.

"Jared's a legend, did you see that? Brynn showed up and didn't dare say a word."

"How'd he get her so trained? She's unbelievably obedient, one in a million!"

"She's an orphan, and Jared's loaded. What's she gonna say?"

They were all laughing it up when someone chimed in. "So, you guys think Jared's actually going home tonight?"

The replies came fast.

"Are you dumb? Use your brain. It's his wedding night. What do you think the groom's gonna be doing?"

That was followed by a string of crude, suggestive jokes. Then Jared's childhood friend jumped in, panicked.

"You guys are wasted. This is the wrong group. She's in this chat! Delete everything, now!"

Everyone scrambled, but most of the messages were already past the unsend window. Someone found it amusing and typed back in no rush. "So what if she sees it? You think she'd actually say something?"

I didn't react. I got up and made myself dinner.

I was finishing my last bite when the front door swung open. Jared walked in reeking of alcohol, and when I didn't come to greet him the way I used to, he let out a quiet laugh and walked over to drape his arms loosely around me.

"It was just a wedding. It's not a big deal."

It was just the kind where I got humiliated in front of everyone I knew.

"Right."

I stood up, picked up my plate, and slipped out of his arms toward the kitchen. Jared followed me in.

Something cool settled against my neck, and I looked down to find a sapphire necklace. It still wasn't to my taste. It was the kind his first love, Amber Lawton, always favored.

"Thanks," I said, turning back to the dishes.

Jared seemed to relax and leaned in toward me slowly. I put a hand up to stop him, placed the plate in the cabinet, and gave him a small smile.

"You forgot. I'm allergic to alcohol."

Jared frowned and studied me quietly, like he wanted to say something. Then his phone rang. It was Amber.

His expression brightened immediately. He picked up the call and headed for the study, and the lock clicked shut behind him.