“Asher, wait.” She stepped in front of me. “I hope we can still be friends after some time.”
I stared at her. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” She reached for my face, but I caught her wrist before she could touch me.
“You cheated on me, lied about a baby, and now you want to be friends?” I let go of her hand. “Tonight will be the last time I ever speak to you.”
“Asher, please…just let me say one more thing.”
“That’s about all I’m giving you.”
“You’re a great guy,” she said, tears spilling over now. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
“I’m not.”
I wanted to say more—to match the damage she’d just done—but I didn’t trust myself to open my mouth without making things worse. So I turned and left her standing there.
The wedding is off…
Please tell everyone. I’m going home.
Cousin Bryan
Wait, WHAT?
Aunt Hannah
Isn’t the rehearsal dinner tonight?
Chris
What the hell happened?
I shut off my phone and slid into a cab as guests stepped out of cars ahead of me, laughing, dressed for a night that wasn’t happening anymore.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
I hesitated for a second before giving him my address, then leaned back against the seat and pressed my hands over my face. It didn’t matter. The tears came anyway.
* * *
When I got home, I tore through everything—pictures, ultrasound printouts, anything with her face on it—until there was nothing left to see.
Then I looked at the product I’d spent four years building. All the time, all the effort, all the belief that it would eventually become something worth the sacrifice.
For the first time, it felt just as hollow as everything else.
I tossed it into the trash.
I didn’t know what I was going to do next, but I knew one thing with absolute certainty: I would never let myself feel like this again.
Never trust like that again.
And if anyone ever found themselves walking toward a marriage without seeing the truth for what it was?—
I’d make damn sure they did.
Even if it destroyed everything.
