Eight Years Wasted She Chose Him the Night Before Our Wedding

The day before the wedding, my fiancée skipped the rehearsal.

That evening, I got a text from her:

I'm pregnant. The baby isn't yours.

So I'm going to get a marriage certificate with Graham first. Once the baby's born and registered, I'll come back.

We'll push our wedding back three years. Let's not contact each other during that time.

Figure out a way to keep both families in the dark. Don't let them go after Graham. Just tell them you want a few more years of freedom.

I typed back a single word:

Okay.

She was right about one thing. There was no need for this wedding anymore.

——

Almost simultaneously, her childhood friend posted on social media.

The photo showed two hands wearing matching couple's rings, fingers shaped into a heart. Inside the heart sat an ultrasound printout. Seven weeks.

The caption read:

I wanted to be a father, so she decided to give me a child.

The comments section flooded with congratulations from Carrie Delgado's friends, all cheering that the two of them had finally made it official. People promised to bring generous gifts tomorrow.

Not a single person mentioned me.

As if the wedding scheduled for tomorrow had always been theirs, and I had nothing to do with it.

I let out a bitter laugh, then liked the post.

And left a comment:

Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!

My comment blended right in among the chorus of well-wishes. Nothing out of place.

But the next second, it was deleted.

Carrie's call came immediately after, her voice dripping with impatience.

"Wilfred Johnson, what the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to start something by commenting on that?"

I was momentarily speechless.

"I'm not starting anything. I genuinely wish you both a lifetime of happiness."

But Carrie Delgado couldn't hear the sincerity in my words. She'd already decided I was there to cause trouble.

"Oh, please. You think I can't tell whether you're being sincere?"

"Everyone knows tomorrow was supposed to be our wedding. You pop up out of nowhere with that passive-aggressive little comment just so people will laugh at Graham?"

"You owe Graham an apology! He's so upset over your comment he can barely hold it together!"

A man's choked sobbing came through the phone:

"Carrie, forget it! I shouldn't have asked for your help. I'll go schedule the procedure right now and terminate the pregnancy. So what if I can never be a father? That's still better than being called a homewrecker!"

Carrie's voice melted instantly. She soothed Graham Simmons the way someone would comfort a child:

"Graham, you are not a homewrecker! Once we get the certificate tomorrow, we'll be legally married. Recognized by law!"

"Don't listen to people who talk without thinking! If anyone dares laugh at you, I'll tear them apart myself!"

Graham only sobbed harder:

"But what about Wilfred? Canceling the wedding must be killing him. You should just go terminate the pregnancy and have the wedding tomorrow like you planned..."

Carrie's voice grew even softer, edged with anxiety:

"Graham, I already worked it all out with him. He just has to wait three years and he'll get what he wants. It's not like I'm going to disappear on him."

"Stop being sad, okay? When you're upset, the baby and I feel it too, and then my stomach starts hurting again."

"And if you cry your eyes swollen, how are you going to be a handsome groom tomorrow?"

Graham broke into a tearful laugh.

Carrie let out a breath of relief, and when she spoke to me again, her tone had softened considerably:

"Wilfred, why aren't you saying anything? Hurry up and apologize to Graham!"

I clenched my fists, cursing myself for being stupid enough to like and comment on that post.

But I hadn't done anything wrong. Why should I apologize?

"Carrie, what if I say no?"

She faltered for a beat, then raised her voice in disbelief:

"Wilfred, push this any further and it's going to get ugly! I'm pregnant. My emotions are already all over the place. And you're deliberately upsetting the father of my child, deliberately making me angry. Do you have any idea how selfish that is?"