He Gave My Wedding Dress Away

On my wedding day, Ethan Westbrook's ex-girlfriend sent word that she was terminally ill. Her dying wish was to wear a wedding dress once in her life.

Ethan locked me in the waiting room while he prepared to hold the ceremony with her instead of me to fulfill this wish.

I heard his impatient voice through the door as he said to me, "Can't you show some compassion? She's dying. What's wrong with granting her one final wish?"

Later, the guy next door who had carried a torch for me for years climbed to the rooftop and begged me to marry him.

Ethan stared at me with bloodshot eyes. "Are you really going to throw away our seven-year relationship just for him?"

I brushed his hand away. "Should I just let him die? It's only a marriage certificate. Where's your compassion now?"

With an hour left before the wedding ceremony, I sat at the makeup table, staring at my phone. On the screen was a photo Ethan Westbrook's ex-girlfriend had sent me.

In the picture, she wore the wedding dress I had chosen, smiling sweetly while holding Ethan's arm. Ethan was gazing down at her, and his eyes were filled with tenderness.

Her message read, "He says I look better in this than you did."

She added, "If you want your wedding ceremony to proceed smoothly, I suggest you start begging me."

I closed my phone and asked the makeup artist, "Is it really true that the wedding dress we originally decided on can't be worn because the measurements were altered incorrectly?"

The bridal shop I had chosen was also handling my makeup and photography. I had spent a fortune and had numerous consultations with their team to ensure everything would be perfect on my wedding day.

Now, the makeup artist could not even look me in the eye. That told me everything I needed to know.

I recalled how Ethan had either been answering calls or working on his laptop during our wedding dress fittings, yet he was all smiles with his ex-girlfriend.

Gripping my phone tightly, I took a deep breath. "Please ask Ethan to come here."

I needed an explanation. Hence, the makeup artist's assistant left to fetch him.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I noticed how the bodice was too tight across my chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Perhaps these ill-fitting clothes should never have been worn in the first place.

The wedding coordinator arrived before Ethan did. His face showed the same sense of guilt, and there was even a touch of regret.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Landry, but you won't need to attend now."

"Won't need to attend?" I almost laughed from anger. "Are you telling me that the bride doesn't have to make an appearance at her own wedding now? Is that what you're saying?"

As the coordinator opened his mouth to explain, Ethan walked in.

"That was my decision," he said.

Ethan wore the white suit I had chosen for him, but the bow tie at his collar was not the one I had picked.

Noticing my gaze fixed on his tie, he shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Anna is having surgery in a few days. The hospital has issued a notice that she is terminally ill. She said her only wish is to wear a wedding dress just once."

I laughed bitterly. "At our wedding?"

I knew about Anna Bedford.

It was during our third year together that I learned Ethan had an ex-girlfriend who had lost all her hair due to chemotherapy.

They were childhood sweethearts from families who were close friends. Even after breaking up, they could not completely cut ties with one another.

Since she was receiving treatment far from home, Anna's parents had asked Ethan, who lived in the same city, to look after her.

Initially, I had respect and sympathy for her, and felt sad that a young woman in her prime had to suffer such illness.

Even so, my impression of her plummeted when she started having Ethan deliver food to her in the middle of the night after our dates.

I constantly made allowances because she was ill.

Ethan seemed to have his priorities straight, and he had always put my wishes first.

Whenever Anna called him for something, he would report it to me and only go to help on rare and truly urgent occasions. He would even bring me along.

Well, that was until today.

When had Ethan gone with her to try on wedding dresses anyway? And when had he decided to give her the wedding dress I had chosen, allowing her to take my place in our wedding ceremony?