Hide Your Love In the Past

On the day of my wedding, my fiancé was nowhere to be found. Turns out, he was off dealing with the “fake daughter’s” latest breakdown. While everyone else stood around, awkward and silent, I made a bold decision. I dialed the one person I could think of—my childhood best friend, the one who’d been chasing after me for a decade.

“If you come, I’ll marry you,” I told him, hoping he’d understand just how much I needed him.

But his reply was nothing I’d expected. He let out a mocking laugh and sneered, “Do you really think that you’re special?”

Before he could finish, I heard the sweet, delicate voice of the fake daughter in the background.

And just before he hung up, I heard a soft, pleading voice in the background. “Nial, are you going to leave me too?” 

Yet, half an hour later, both of them showed up at the venue. My fiancé, Shawn Donovan, stormed up to me, his face twisted with rage. Without a word, he slapped me hard across the face, sending me reeling backward. Uncoordinated and unfamiliar with wearing high heels, I lost my balance and crashed straight into the ten-tier wedding cake, now covered in sticky frosting and jam. I felt like a complete fool.

My childhood sweetheart put his hands in his pockets and looked at me with a hint of disgust.

Even my biological parents came over to blame me:

"You can have your wedding anytime, but Leta's matter cannot be delayed at all!"

But when I decided to give up all of them, they cried with red eyes.

——

“What is wrong with you?” he snapped. “Leta’s having breakdown. It’s a life-or-death situation and you’re worried about this stupid wedding. Where’s your compassion? Are you even human?”

My cheek burned with pain. I staggered back, the slap throwing me off balance in my unfamiliar heels and I crashed straight into the towering wedding cake. Sticky frosting and syrup clung to my designer gown, making me feel like the ultimate fool.

I looked toward Nial, hoping for some kind of support, but he just stood there with his hands in his pockets, watching me with disdain, a flicker of disgust in his eyes. I could feel a sharp ache spreading across my cheek and when I touched my nose, I realized it was warm and wet with blood, trickling down onto the pristine white of my gown.

“Shawn, are you out of your mind?” I gasped, my voice shaky as I shot him an incredulous look.

As soon as the words left my mouth, Shawn let out a mocking laugh. “Do you think I’d be here if it weren’t for Leta? She begged me to come and stand by you for this stupid wedding, threatening to hurt herself if I didn’t.”

In a fit of rage, he yanked a glass from the bottom of champagne tower. As the entire structure collapsed, the sound of breaking glass filled the air. He grabbed a bottle of champagne, holding it over my head, letting the sparkling liquid pour all over me until I was drenched, a sodden mess.

When the bottle was empty, he smashed it against the floor, crouching down to my level, his face twisted with fury. “This is what you want, right? A wedding toast ceremony. Here’s my toast for you,” he said, pouring the remnants of the champagne over my face.

The exploding glass pieces pierced my skin. The icy liquid seeped down from my hair to my face, stinging as it dripped down, mingling with blood and tears on my dress. I couldn’t even tell anymore if it was champagne or blood staining my gown.

He stood up tall, looking down at me, his expression victorious. “There… the ceremony is finished. Are you happy now, Mrs. Donovan?”

And there was Nial, hands still shoved in his pockets, watching the whole thing as if it were some kind of show. The crowd around us started to murmur in shock. Just when I thought I couldn’t feel any worse, I saw my parents making their way over. I thought they were coming to stand up for me. But my mother barely glanced my way. Her face was drawn tight with worry, her voice frantic as she spoke.

“Where’s Leta? She’s unstable now. How could you leave her alone? If anything happens to her, I’d rather die!”

My father took the microphone, his face tight with tension as he addressed the guests.

“I’m terribly sorry, everyone. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ll be canceling the wedding. All gifts will be returned and we offer our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.”

He set down the microphone and turned to Shawn with a serious expression. “Lead the way. Let’s go find Leta.”