All Chapters of I Do, I Don't: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Mom, I've thought it through. I'll go on that blind date tomorrow."On the other end of the phone, my mother let out a derisive laugh."What, finally got dumped by Jason?""I told you long ago. If a man's been with you for years without mentioning marriage, it's because he doesn't want to marry you."And now look at you. You've dragged it out until you're twenty-eight with no one willing to marry you, making even your grandmother worry herself sick. Aren't you ashamed?"With just a few words, my mother smashed my self-esteem to smithereens before hanging up impatiently.I stared at the phone screen for a long while, so lost in thought that I did not even notice when Jason Brown came back."Why are you dressed up so nicely? Going out later?"His voice was low and smooth as he leaned down, his chin brushing my shoulder.That familiar scent enveloped me, yet all I felt was a suffocating heaviness in my chest. I gently pushed him away."I just got back. I'll take my makeup off i

Chapter 2

Jason and I were campus sweethearts.Back in junior year, we met through a competition. He claimed it was love at first sight, and from then on, he pursued me relentlessly.At the beginning, I was not optimistic.My parents were divorced, and custody went to my mother. But she quickly remarried, leaving me in the care of my grandparents.I witnessed my parents' marriage collapse with my own eyes, and the fear of love was etched deep into my bones.It was Jason who told me, again and again, that he would give me a home.It was Jason who let me ask for reassurance a thousand times, who never tired of affirming his love.It was Jason who slowly broke down the walls I built.He was attentive, gentle, and always considerate of my feelings.Everyone said he was the perfect boyfriend, and I once believed that, too.But as days turned into years, our friends and colleagues settled down one after another, yet Jason and I never took things further.Before my grandfather passed away, h

Chapter 3

I did not reply to Jason. Instead, I gathered everything that belonged to me.I called movers to pull out the sofa, the shoe cabinet, and all the other large items. I did not even leave behind the packs of tissues I bulk-bought during sales.By the time I finished, the apartment looked noticeably empty.I set the keys on the entryway table, dragged two large suitcases behind me, and first stopped by my small apartment before getting into a car headed for my mother's house.It was already noon when I arrived.My mother and stepsister were eating.When she opened the door and saw me, her expression soured."You sure know how to pick your timing. Have you eaten yet?"In truth, I did not. But I had no desire to face her scorn, so I lied and said I had.Only then did her face soften, as though relieved I wouldn't be eating her food."Go sit down. Later, the Barlowe family's boy will come pick you up," she ordered, then whispered under her breath, "Such good conditions, and he just

Chapter 4

The sharp edge in his voice left me momentarily dazed. It was the first time he ever spoke to me like this.I saw something he did not want me to see, and he was actually angry.Glancing at his visibly shaken fiancée, Jason pulled me by the arm and dragged me out of the restaurant.His grip was so strong that my wrist was ringed in red. But he did not even spare it a look.Standing by the roadside, he lit a cigarette, his tone cold and detached."You've seen it all, so there's no point hiding it anymore. I'm getting married. Of course, not to you. She's young, and she comes from a good family. She's far more suitable for me than you are."Even though I already prepared myself for this moment, hearing it from him straight still brought tears to my eyes.Apparently, being together for too long became the very reason we could not get married.What he meant was easy enough to understand: I was no longer fresh, exciting.I stared at him in silence.Now, dressed in an impeccable su

Chapter 5

The certainty in his voice made me feel sick.Because back when we were still in love, I once said something like that to him.I remembered one time, a junior confessed to me, and Jason got jealous. Out of nowhere, he told me that if I ever got married and the groom was not him, he would definitely crash the wedding.And I, being childish, was so moved that I swore if his bride was not me, I would show up in a wedding dress to stop it.Looking back now, all I felt was regret.Beside me, Nathaniel, who overheard the entire video, couldn't hold back a curse. "That bastard!"His outburst jolted me awake. I just watched the whole thing in his car, on speaker no less.Mortified, I wanted to sink into the floor. "I'm sorry. That was my ex-boyfriend."Nathaniel blinked, then reached over and gently ruffled my hair. "Why are you apologizing to me?"I told him about my seven years with Jason, but Nathaniel only shrugged, looking utterly unsurprised."I already knew all that."The c

Chapter 6

Nathaniel really was a man of action. That very night, he informed all his relatives.The wedding date was set so smoothly that I almost felt dazed.Was getting married really this easy?But whether it was his mischievous streak or deliberate planning, our wedding ended up scheduled on the same day as the one Marcella sent me: hers and Jason's.When I asked him about it, Nathaniel was perfectly unapologetic."Of course! Nothing feels better than slapping them in the face on their big day. I want that scumbag to see exactly what he lost!"Every time Jason's name came up, Nathaniel seemed even angrier than I was, as though he was fueled by some personal vendetta. Time was short, yet he still went all out. Whether it was the dress, the decorations, or every little detail, he pushed to make everything perfect.Watching him, I half-suspected he secretly had a thing for Jason: resentment born of unrequited love.I gave him a doubtful look, but hesitated to voice it.When he figure

Chapter 7

In the hotel dressing room, I slipped into the wedding gown and stared at myself in the mirror.It still felt unreal. I was really getting married.Nathaniel went through every single item in my saved folder on the app, over a thousand of them. He actually looked at all of them.So the dress I wore was from the brand I once bookmarked for years but never bought. The heels were the exact design I always liked. Even the wedding venue looked exactly as I once imagined.Stepping out of the banquet hall, I suddenly saw Jason.I knew all along that his wedding was in the same hotel. But still, when I saw him in a crisp suit walking out, my heart paused for a beat.Once, I thought we would be the bride and groom of the same wedding.But fate made him someone else's groom, and me someone else's bride.Not wanting any contact with him, I quietly slipped behind one of the lobby pillars.Jason looked restless, constantly glancing at his watch as if waiting for someone.A few groomsmen s

Chapter 8

His gaze drifted down. When his eyes landed on the wedding gown I was wearing, a flicker of awe flashed across them.But almost instantly, that awe twisted into the disdain and mockery I knew all too well.Jason let go of my wrist."Of course. You've always been so desperate to get married. The moment you heard I was tying the knot, you couldn't handle it, could you?"Laughter erupted around us."Hah! If I'd known, I wouldn't have made that bet. No wonder Jason said it'd be easy."Even Marcella was laughing so hard she swayed against him like a flower in the wind.Jason wrapped an arm around her waist, looking down at me with smug superiority."That man on the phone yesterday. You brought him just to spite me, didn't you? I even went back for a look. Quite the act you put on. You even cleaned up all the junk in that place."He clicked his tongue. "Too bad. Tricks like playing hard to get don't work on me. Still, since you're so hopelessly devoted to me, maybe I'll consider you

Chapter 9

If Nathaniel had a tail, it would have been wagging high in the air by now.With his arm proudly hooked around mine, he was ready to escort me into the hall to complete our wedding ceremony.But Jason suddenly lost control, blocking our path."No, no, Jennifer, you love me most, don't you? Why would you marry someone else? You proposed to me so many times."Time was running short, and his desperation was quickly getting on me. A cold laugh escaped my lips."Then why didn't you accept me? Jason, you want your cake and eat it too. Don't you have any shame?"I turned my gaze toward Marcella, who stood frozen nearby. "Keep your husband in line. Don't let him ruin my wedding."Her expression was dark as ink, but people from her side were already urging them to head inside.Helpless, she reached out, trying to drag Jason away.But he wouldn't budge. He didn't care how black her face turned.He just stood there, watching as Nathaniel, with my arm in his, guided me toward the banquet

Chapter 10

In the end, Jason's wedding never took place.Because the groom vanished.He hid himself at mine and Nathaniel's wedding, torturing himself with the sight of us exchanging rings and vows.Those should have been moments he shared with me. But now, every guest present was celebrating me and Nathaniel.When the hall erupted in applause and cheers, Jason could no longer bear it. He fled the hotel in despair.He did not even know where to go.The little home that once belonged to us was nearly empty now, stripped bare of warmth. The sofa we used to curl up on together was gone. The couple's toothbrush cups, the matching mugs, and even the slippers were all gone.But what broke his heart most was not those things. It was I who fully prepared myself to leave his world for good.Jason began to wonder what on earth he had been doing these past months.He remembered lying to me, saying he was on a business trip when he was actually having a candlelit dinner with Marcella.He remembered

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