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When the Bride Treats the Wedding Like a Game
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On the day of the wedding, I wake up at four in the morning, waiting for the stylist and the cars that are supposed to take me to the venue. But seven o'clock comes, and no one shows up. Panicking, I call my childhood friend, Heath Zeller. His laughter comes through the phone. "Julian, how can you be this careless? We were told last minute that the cars aren't going to pick you up today. Everyone went straight to the hotel instead." I grab my custom-made wedding suit and rush to the hotel. By the time I arrive, drenched in sweat, the place is completely empty. Just then, Heath calls again. "I was just messing with you," he says, barely able to hold back his laughter. "You didn't actually run all the way to the hotel, did you? "Destination weddings are all the rage now. We moved the wedding to Isla Verde ages ago. Everyone's waiting for you at the airport." I drag my heavy garment bag from one terminal to another. But no matter how thoroughly I search the departure hall, I can't find a single one of them. Then Heath sends me a video, laughing so hard he can barely stand. "You're too slow! We've already left. There was never a destination wedding. We just wanted to spend a week on Isla Verde. We'll throw you the wedding when we get back." The camera shifts. My fiancee, Lydia Bennett, is pulling his suitcase for him. My parents stand behind them, grinning even more happily than they did in our family photos. When Mom sees how pale I look, she frowns instead. "It's just a joke. Why are you taking it so seriously? Heath is so much more fun than you. You've always been so dull, even as a kid. You take everything too seriously." Lydia hands Heath his coat before finally turning toward the camera. "Go home and wait for me, okay?" she says. "I'll marry you when I get back." Looking at all those smiling faces on the screen, I suddenly realize that even confronting them is pointless. I'm not angry or heartbroken. I'm simply numb. I pick up my phone and message the wedding planner to cancel everything. From this moment on, I'm done playing along with their lies.
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When the Bride Treats the Wedding Like a Game Chapter 10
Lydia's hand trembled. "You asked if we could start over," I continued. "But every time I see you, I remember the airport, the empty back seat of the car where my wedding suit had sat instead of me. I remember the video you refused to delete. "And I remember the kidney I injured protecting you—the one that couldn't be saved in the end. I don't have what it takes to trust you again."Lydia lowered her gaze, and a tear fell onto the ring in her palm. "Okay," she finally whispered after a long silence. "This time, I won't force you."At last, she had learned to respect my decision. But that was also the last time we ever saw each other. Mom and Dad stayed in Westmere for another two weeks. They came to the street outside my office every day, but they never tried to stop me again. Whenever it rained, Dad would stand across the street with an umbrella. Sometimes, when he saw me laughing and talking with my colleagues, he'd take a step toward me, only to stop himself. It finall
When the Bride Treats the Wedding Like a Game Chapter 9
Lydia saw me on the company's website. In the photo, I was standing at the center of the project launch in a sharply tailored suit, smiling with a calm confidence she hadn't seen from me in a long time. I looked at ease, no longer needing to check the faces around me to see if everyone was happy.She booked the earliest flight to Westmere. And when Mom and Dad found out, they also came with her.On the day of the launch, I walked out of the venue and immediately saw the three of them standing in the rain. Lydia had lost a great deal of weight, and she was holding the engagement ring I'd left behind. The second Mom saw me, tears streamed down her face. She hurried toward me, but stopped two steps away. "Julian," she called out. "I won't lay a hand on you, sweetheart. You don't have to be afraid."Those few words were enough to break her. She could barely get another word out through her sobs. Dad stood behind her, his once-straight back now looked hunched. "That day, I wa
When the Bride Treats the Wedding Like a Game Chapter 8
After the plane landed, I didn't immediately start over. 13 hours in the air had drained what little strength I had left. I collapsed in the arrivals hall and was taken to a nearby hospital by the airport staff, where I ended up staying for another full week. Mom and Dad weren't by my side, and neither was Lydia. But when the pain kept me awake at night, a nurse would quietly bring me another blanket. The woman in the bed beside mine would peel an apple and give me half. Those small acts of kindness from complete strangers kept bringing me back to what should've been my wedding day. I realized then that I'd never wanted much. For the past seven years, even the smallest bit of care had been something I had to earn by swallowing my hurt and forcing myself to smile. …Six months earlier, an overseas partner had offered me a position on their Westmere team. With my wedding just around the corner, I'd turned it down without a second thought. But on the third day of my hos
When the Bride Treats the Wedding Like a Game Chapter 7
Heath didn't admit to anything right away. He insisted that the secretly filmed videos were simply part of his content, and that his assistant had acted alone in hiring people to harass me online. He also claimed that what happened in the hospital had simply been the result of him being confused and disoriented. But tears were no match for evidence. As someone who had been involved in planning the wedding pranks, Lydia publicly released the records showing exactly how everything had been arranged. She admitted that I'd never agreed to be filmed and had never hired anyone to harass Heath online.For the first time, Mom and Dad also stepped in front of the cameras and admitted that those so-called jokes had been going on for ten years. They had never been unaware of how much they hurt me. They just chose to make Heath happy instead. Once Lydia's clarification statement was released, public opinion turned completely against Heath. His account was permanently banned, and the b
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