All Chapters of Anonymous Truths Ruined My Perfect Wedding: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

My phone buzzed on and off the entire night.Lyle sent message after message, lighting up the screen every few minutes before it faded back to black.I didn't open any of them. Eventually, I put the phone on silent.At exactly 9:00 am, a knock sounded at the door.Alyssa walked in with a stylist behind her.She was already dressed for the wedding. Her gown swept the floor, a veil was pinned neatly into her hair, and the diamond necklace I'd given her rested against her collarbone. The matching earrings flashed beneath the lights whenever she moved.She looked at me and said gently, "You should get ready. We're running out of time."I didn't move from where I was sitting. "I told you. The wedding's off."Her face tightened as her brows drew together into a frown. "The guests are about to arrive. What are you trying to pull now?"I looked up at her and sneered."I'm not going to stand in front of everyone and pretend none of this happened. And I'm sure as hell not marrying a

After leaving the hotel, I took a taxi home.My phone vibrated almost the entire ride, but I never checked it. I simply turned it off, closed my eyes, and leaned against the window.The moment I stepped inside the apartment, reminders of the wedding were everywhere.Wedding streamers and decorations covered the living room walls, while several potted plants sat out on the balcony. Alyssa had bought them from a nursery after noticing that I'd been in a bad mood.She'd told me the apartment felt warmer with more plants around, and that looking at something green might help me relax.I went straight to the bedroom, crouched beside my suitcase, and started packing.When I opened one of the drawers, I found a photo album tucked underneath everything else.Upon flipping it open, I realized that the first picture had been taken on the day we'd moved into this apartment.I was standing in the middle of the living room in a white shirt, while Alyssa hugged my arm and smiled brightly at

A week passed.As the days went by, Alyssa gradually began to realize that something was off.An entire week had gone by without a single text or phone call from me. I hadn't posted anything on social media, either.It was as though I'd vanished completely.Eventually, she couldn't sit around and wait any longer.She left work early and drove to my office. After parking along the curb, she leaned against the side of her car with a cigarette between her fingers, never taking her eyes off the lobby doors.At 5:30 pm, employees began filing out in small groups.Half an hour later, dusk had settled over the city.At 7:00 pm, most of the office lights had gone dark.I still hadn't appeared.Alyssa went inside. At the front desk, she said, "Hi. I'm looking for Gordon Tate."The receptionist glanced up at her, and something was unsettling about her expression. "Mr. Tate has already resigned."For a moment, Alyssa couldn't process what she'd heard. "He resigned? When?""Last Tuesd

Alyssa arrived in Deloria the following evening.Using her coworker's photo as a reference, she followed the narrow street until she found the textile shop in the background.She stopped outside, slightly breathless, and looked through the doorway.The shop was empty.Alyssa went inside and approached the woman behind the counter."Excuse me, did a man come in here recently? He would've been wearing a gray hiking jacket. Short hair, about this tall…"She raised a hand to show my approximate height.The woman thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, he was here yesterday. He bought some fabric because he wanted to make a bed for his dog.""Do you know where he's staying?" Alyssa asked.The woman shook her head."Sorry, I don't. But he doesn't seem like someone who's just here for the weekend. He's stopped by several times already."Alyssa thanked her and stepped back outside.Once she was standing in the middle of the street again, she realized she had no idea where to go

Alyssa stayed in Deloria for two weeks.During that time, she tried everything she could think of to apologize. She got me flowers, bought me gifts, offered her apologies, and begged on her knees.But none of it made a difference.By the seventh day, she finally seemed to reach her breaking point.That morning, I came downstairs as usual, planning to walk along Lake Deloria.Alyssa had been waiting outside. The second she saw me, she sprang to her feet so quickly that her legs buckled beneath her.She dropped to her knees directly in front of me.I halted in my tracks and looked down at her."Gordon…"Her voice shook as badly as the rest of her body. "Tell me what I have to do to make you forgive me. I don't care how difficult it is. Whatever you ask, I'll do it. If you want me dead, I'll do that, too."I looked into her eyes without answering.Then, without warning, Alyssa raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face."That one's for you. I never should've slep