He Broke Our Wedding for His Student ,Now He's Begging Me Back

On the day of our wedding, my fiancé was taken away by the police for raping his female student.

I chased after him in my wedding dress, desperate to clear his name.

Only to learn that he had turned himself in.

He looked at me with an apologetic expression and said:

"Elise's family found out that she was taken advantage of by someone, and now they're forcing her to marry the thug who did it."

"I couldn't bear to watch her end up like that, so I came forward and took responsibility myself."

"Her family said that as long as I agree to marry her, they'll drop the charges. Whether it's the university investigation or the rumors flying around, I need you to handle all of it for me."

"Elise and I have already agreed. It'll be a sham marriage, three years only. After three years, I'll give you a proper wedding. Just wait for me, okay?"

I turned and walked away without a word.

I pulled the veil from my hair and draped it over a stray dog on the side of the road.

Benjamin Delgado, what makes you think I'd wait for you?

……

Benjamin demanded I return to the venue immediately, smooth things over with the university officials, and squash the rumors for him.

But I only did two things.

First, I contacted his university and informed them I was pulling my investment from his research project and shutting down his lab.

Second, I left the venue and went straight back to our apartment.

I wiped my tears and began erasing every trace of Benjamin Delgado from the place, one item at a time.

The matching couple's mugs we'd shaped together in Porcelain Creek. The matching pajamas we wore every night.

The wedding portrait we'd just picked up yesterday, freshly and lovingly framed.

I threw all of it into the bathtub, flicked a lighter, and watched the flames eat through every last piece until nothing was recognizable.

As the fire climbed, I called the hotel where the wedding was being held.

"The wedding is off. Send the remaining bill to the groom. And deliver everything I left in storage at the hotel back to my home."

But the voice on the other end was the hotel manager's, thick with confusion.

"The groom just told us the wedding is still on, just postponed by one day. He also said we printed the wrong name on the photos and banners and asked us to replace the bride's name with Elise Simmons."

A thorn drove itself deep into my chest.

That wedding was something I had spent ten years envisioning, shaping detail by detail in my mind.

Every flower arrangement, every piece of décor, I had spent six months crafting with my own hands.

Benjamin knew full well that it was our dream wedding.

And he was handing it to his student?

I drew a long breath, forcing the pain down before I spoke.

"Fine. Whatever. Just send my things back. Especially the bracelet in the safe."

The manager sounded even more bewildered.

"But the groom already took the bracelet from the safe. He said it was going to be a bride gift for the new bride."

My head exploded with a deafening ring.

I hung up and dialed Benjamin's number. Over and over.

Every call was rejected. He declined each one until the eighteenth, when he finally picked up.

His voice carried a thin, weary irritation.

"Didn't I already tell you? Don't contact me for a while. I need to play the part of a real husband for Elise. I was just chatting with her parents and you almost blew my cover."

My throat locked shut, but I forced the words out.

"Benjamin Delgado, did you take my bracelet?"

He paused for a second, then laughed.

"Yeah. Elise's mom said it's their family tradition to have a bracelet as part of the bride gift. Yours was heavy enough and pretty, so I grabbed it for her."

My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, stitch by stitch.

"Benjamin Delgado!!"

My voice cracked, shrill enough to shatter.

"That was the only thing my mother left me before she died! What gave you the right to take it and hand it to your mistress as a bride gift?!"