My Last Shot After Seven Canceled Weddings Novels & Stories

Donovan stared at the screenshots for a full half-minute. Then he slowly turned to Ainsley, his expression a despairing calm. He took off his boutonniere and tossed it on the ground. He grabbed the mic and croaked, "Ainsley, you make me sick!" He faced the guests and the live camera, announcing, "I declare this wedding canceled. I'll reserve the right to pursue Ainsley Castillo for her deceptive actions." He walked offstage without looking back. Ainsley let out a piercing wail. "Donovan, come back!"

Instead, I took screenshots—click, click, click—and sent them straight into the family group chat, unedited. Then I opened all the group chats that had been created for our engagement preparations and, one by one, disbanded them." With every confirmation chime, the knot in my chest loosened just a little. Next, I turned on my computer and logged into the various booking platforms. The lakeside lawn venue I'd been eyeing for ages—canceled. The custom wedding dress slot I'd waited half a year for—canceled. The five-star hotel ballroom where we'd tasted dishes three times—canceled.

That night, I opened my phone and, one by one, I canceled everything related to the wedding: the dress, the venue, the engagement ring. By the time I canceled the last item, the clock had just struck midnight. I quietly watched the time change on my screen. The countdown to my departure was down to its final twenty-four hours.

"Fine! The wedding is off. Pay me 500 thousand for wasting 10 years of my life. One dollar less, and I'll make your life miserable. I'll make sure everyone knows the kind of jerk you are!" The officiant had already come by several times. The ceremony was falling apart. Dad was shaking so badly that he could barely stand. Panicking, he bent down and reached into the trash to pull the ring back out. "Let's just talk this through. No fighting." I caught his arm and steadied him, then looked at Sandra. "One more thing. I canceled the reception five minutes ago. By now, the guests are probably already leaving." Margaret froze. Logan turned and ran for the ballroom.

“Put everything on hold. No guests are to be seated until further notice.” There was a brief pause on the other end. Then the staff member said carefully, “Mr. Moretti… Ms. Carter came in last night and canceled the wedding.” His expression changed at once. “What did you say?”

At the final walk-through, the bride stood beside me beneath the unfinished ceremony arch and asked if I thought anything was missing. I looked around at the flowers, the ocean, the rows of empty chairs waiting for guests. “No,” I said. “It feels complete.” That evening, a photographer took a picture of me standing alone beside the finished ceremony space. The magazine later used it for a profile on my work. Beneath the photograph was one line. Emma Carter, Creative Director, Aurelia Events. No one else's name beside mine. For a long time, I thought losing my wedding meant losing the life I had planned. I was wrong. The wedding was only one day. The life was mine. And this time, I chose it.

The first time I found Adrian and his private assistant, Mia, texting each other good night after midnight, we had our biggest fight yet. After that, when I asked him to keep his distance, he deliberately got even closer to her, determined to make me stop being so sensitive. He took Mia shopping for furniture for our future home, let her sit beside him in his car, and when I was sick with a fever, left me alone while he took her to his family’s estate. Every time I said something hurt me, Adrian pushed a little further. Eventually, I stopped asking. Adrian thought he had finally won. At the housewarming party for our new Tribeca penthouse, I pressed my finger to the smart lock. Fingerprint

You're not really making everyone wait, are you? I didn't reply. The wedding march began. Every guest turned toward the end of the aisle. But I wasn't the one who appeared. The hotel manager walked in holding a cancellation authorization. "I'm sorry, sir. Miss Rosalyn Castellano has cancelled all payment authorization for this wedding."

At my pre-wedding party, my sister Chloe told me the whole family had prepared a surprise for me. I dressed up carefully and put on my favorite blue dress. I pushed open the door, full of anticipation—and a whole bucket of glue was poured over my head. Chloe pointed at me and howled with laughter. "Hahahaha, happy wedding! Sis, you fell for it again!" My father came out at the noise and burst out laughing when he saw me covered in glue. "Look at you. Like a drowned dog." My mother just warned me, "Vivian, you're the reason this house is such a mess. Remember to clean up." I clenched my fists and looked desperately at Ethan, my mafia fiancé. He said, "Chloe's just joking. You're going

Six years into our marriage, I discover another woman on my husband, Simon Mercer's, phone. He isn't the one who shows her to me. While he's in the shower, an unknown number sends him an intimate photo. A woman in pajamas leans against his chest, flashing a peace sign at the camera. I pick up his phone and tap on the message. I scroll up and notice the chat history's been wiped clean. The entire chat box contains only this one photo. The contact is saved under a single letter, "L." He doesn't save her full name. There is no other information. However, it's evident that he's cheating on me.