The Wedding That Freed Me

I didn't stick around.

I went home.

My neighbor did a double take. "Jared? Why are you home? Wasn't your wedding today?"

I'd been planning that wedding forever. Everyone knew.

So yeah, getting ditched at the last second? Not exactly easy to hide.

I didn't stop unlocking the door.

"We're not getting married. She's busy."

Busy giving her ex a wedding.

Pity flickered across my neighbor's face, but she was nice enough not to ask.

I shut the door and rushed to the bathroom.

The second I opened my mouth, I puked hard.

When there was nothing left, I slumped onto the floor.

Sleeping pills hit me badly.

Yvonne knew that.

She gave them to me anyway.

Honestly, waking up at all was pure luck.

As I got up to rinse my mouth, my phone suddenly blew up with notifications.

It was a group chat Yvonne and I were both in.

[Yvonne's unreal. Did you guys see that? Jared showed up and didn't say a word.]

[Seriously, how did she tame him? Dude's way too obedient. That's a one-in-a-million find.]

[Jared's an orphan. Yvonne's rich, gorgeous, and way out of his league. What's he gonna say?]

The chat exploded with laughing emojis.

Then someone asked:

[Think Yvonne's going home tonight?]

The replies rolled in instantly.

[Are you stupid? Of course not. It's her wedding night. Figure it out.]

One crude joke after another flooded the chat.

Then one of Yvonne's friends suddenly freaked out.

[You idiots are drunk! Wrong group! Jared's in here too! Delete those messages!]

The chat instantly turned into chaos, but most of the messages were already stuck there.

Someone thought it was funny and replied:

[So what if he sees them? You think he'd actually say anything?]

I didn't react.

I got up and made myself something to eat.

Right after my last bite, the front door swung open.

Yvonne stumbled in, reeking of booze.

When I didn't rush over like usual, she gave a soft laugh.

Then she came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me.

"It was just a wedding. It's not that serious."

Just public humiliation in front of everyone.

"Right."

I stood up with my plate and stepped out of her arms, heading for the kitchen.

Yvonne followed.

Something cold brushed my wrist.

I looked down.

A men's bracelet.

Sissy as hell.

One of Tony's favorites.

"Thanks."

I said it while washing the dishes.

Yvonne relaxed and leaned in.

I stepped aside and put the plate away.

Then I smiled.

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

Yvonne frowned, watching me like she had something to say.

Then her phone rang.

Tony.

Her face lit up instantly.

She answered and headed for the study.

Click.

The door locked behind her.