His First Love Called, and My Wedding Ended

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Ten years into my relationship with a top veterinarian,

I had built him into the most popular celebrity pet doctor around.

But when the kitten who'd been with me for five years came down with a rare illness,

and I finally worked my way to the front of his line, he refused to treat her.

He moved me to the very back, to keep things fair, he said.

Then he let his childhood friend cut in line so her cat could get a routine checkup,

and by the time my turn came around again, my kitten nearly didn't make it.

Back home, I packed my things in a fury and was ready to walk out.

But Warren Delgado, who was never anything but calm, stood there with red-rimmed eyes,

holding out a diamond ring, dropping to one knee to block the door.

"Gail Sullivan, I thought you understood. My position is sensitive. As the woman I love, you have to avoid any hint of favoritism."

"Nanette Perez's mother put her in my mom's care right before she died. Nobody's going to say anything if I look after her a little."

My heart softened, and I took the ring.

Until the day of the wedding.

Thirty minutes before the ceremony, I walked in on him talking to the officiant.

"Nanette's cat suddenly started vomiting. Find a way to push the wedding back a bit, wait until I've seen the cat and come back."

Nanette clung to his arm, tilting her face up, all sweetness.

"You always spoil me, Warren. But what if Gail makes a scene?"

Warren tousled her hair, indulgent.

"The whole wedding's hers already. Spoiling you a little is only fair."

His expression was relaxed, his tone certain.

"Besides, she won't make a scene. One wedding was enough to keep her happy."

I froze where I stood, my heart going cold all the way through.

So ten years of love earned nothing from him but a line: she won't make a scene.

Calmly, I slid off the ring that had never quite fit,

pushed the door open, and said in a steady voice,

"If her cat matters that much, why not just cancel the wedding?"

……

The smile froze on Warren's face,

and then he frowned at me.

"Don't be ridiculous! It's just a short delay."

This was our marriage,

but in his mouth it sounded like a children's game,

something you could put off for a while whenever you felt like it.

I let my eyes move to him.

The suit he was wearing today was sharp and well-cut,

the piece I'd spent half a year pulling strings to get a haute couture designer,

to design just for him.

The day the suit arrived he laughed and spun me around in his arms,

swearing he'd treasure the thought behind it.

But now Nanette was holding his arm,

quietly tightening her grip.

The sleeve of the suit was getting crumpled where she pulled at it,

and he didn't care in the slightest,

just patted her hand to soothe her.

I pulled my eyes away and said softly,

"Am I the one being ridiculous, Warren?"

"The one who wants to abandon his bride to go treat his childhood friend's cat, isn't that you?"

An indifferent smile came to the corner of his mouth.

"Don't blow this out of proportion. If you ask me, you're just jealous of Nanette."

"It's a small thing, easily solved by pushing the ceremony back a little."

A small thing. To Warren, everything of mine was a small thing.

My kitten's rare illness being delayed was a small thing, missing the auspicious hour for the ceremony was a small thing.

But Nanette's cat sneezing was a crisis.

The officiant, who'd been standing there like he wasn't part of any of this,

glanced at me, then at Warren,

and ventured carefully:

"Is there any chance we could have another doctor look at the cat?"

"That way neither side gets held up."

"It is a wedding ceremony, after all. It wouldn't be great to miss the auspicious hour."

At that, Nanette pressed her lips together, looking a little tense.

And I stroked the diamond ring in my hand,

still unable to keep a faint flicker of hope from rising.

But Warren blurted out,

"No!"

"I've always been the one caring for that cat. Nanette won't feel safe with anyone else."

Nanette's face relaxed, the smugness in her eyes impossible to hide.

"But what if Gail really does cancel the wedding?"

"She's just trying to scare us."

Warren turned to look at me and gave a soft, scornful laugh.

"Being Mrs. Delgado, a title you finally got. Would you really give up this wedding?"

So he knew, too, exactly how much he and this wedding meant to me,

which meant it was my love that had given him the right to trample on me.

I gave a self-mocking little laugh, and hesitated no longer.

Dragging my trailing white gown, I stepped forward,

and set the ring down on the table beside him.

Warren clamped a hand around my wrist,

gripping hard enough to crush the bones.

His eyes swept over the ring,

then landed on me,

as if he'd only just caught on.

The curve of his mouth finally dropped,

and his voice came squeezing out of him,

"You're serious?"

"I'm serious."

Nanette tilted her face up at Warren, her voice all soft.

"Forget it, Warren. I'll take Snowy to the vet myself."

"Don't upset Gail."

Warren's expression turned uglier at that,

the hand pinning my wrist not loosening.

"So I've been too good to you, is that it?"

He gave a cold laugh and ordered me,

"Put the ring back on and wait for me to come back for the ceremony."

He paused, looked at me, and spelled it out word by word,

"Otherwise, Hudson Sullivan's imported medication stops today."

I struggled to twist free of his grip, a stab of pain in my chest.

I looked up at him in disbelief.

"You're actually threatening me?"

Hudson is my kitten, the one with the rare illness.

After she nearly wasn't treated in time last time,

Warren was the one who offered to keep her at the hospital,

saying she'd get better care there.

Hudson had been with me through countless days and nights,

and I'd thought he was good to her because he knew how much she meant to me, that he loved her for my sake.

I never imagined he'd use Hudson's life to keep me in line.

He straightened his cuffs and looked down at me from above.

"How is that a threat? I'm only asking you to be good."

"And my reputation can't have a single stain on it."

He turned his head and instructed the officiant,

"For the reason we're delaying the ceremony, just say the bride's family is running late and we're waiting for them."

"After all, no family of yours is going to show up, are they?"

I clenched my fists,

cut too deep by his words to speak,

and he took my silence for agreement.

He lifted my chin with his hand,

leaned down and put his mouth close to my ear. "There, that's better. Wait for me to come back."

Then he wrapped an arm around Nanette and swept off.

……