I Exposed His Secret Family At Our Wedding

Douglas and I had been together for seven years.

I'd finally waited for his proposal, and with tears in my eyes, I joyfully accepted.

But just a week before the wedding, I stumbled upon a secret folder on Douglas's computer.

Every file meticulously chronicled Douglas's life with another woman, complete with their newborn child. And that woman wasn't me. It was my sister.

Quietly, I booked a flight to leave the country on the day of the wedding.

When the wedding day arrived, the bride was nowhere to be found, and Douglas was frantically searching for me.

----------------------------------

"Novah, is that opportunity you mentioned still open?"

"I've changed my mind. I want to start a business with you."

Novah was my college roommate, and we were very close. Back in school, we vowed to achieve our dreams together.

Later, I broke that vow for Douglas, and Novah went abroad on her own. She always held it against me for choosing a man over our dreams.

When she heard about my change of heart, her voice on the phone shot up several octaves.

"Are you serious?"

"That's amazing! You were always the top of our class. With you on board, we'll make it happen for sure!"

"As women, we need to stand up for our careers! It's not worth giving up our dreams for some guy, honey!"

At her words, I replied with a smile, "Novah, you're absolutely right."

I only now realized the truth in what Novah had always told me.

"But if I remember correctly, aren't you supposed to marry Douglas in a week? If you're planning to come here, you'd better start packing, which would clash with your wedding, wouldn't it?"

I tugged at the corners of my mouth in exasperation and simply said to Novah, "The wedding's off."

As my best friend, Novah could probably hear the tremor in my voice and wanted to offer comfort.

Before she could, I made up an excuse to hang up the phone.

In front of me were videos, photos, hundreds of files on the computer screen.

With trembling hands, I copied all these files and shut the laptop with a snap.

Douglas and I had been together for seven years. Out of deep affection and to avoid a long-distance relationship, I chose to compromise.

I moved to his hometown in the countryside and started from scratch to help him build his business.

With Douglas having a sensitive stomach, I often stepped in for him, securing deal after deal.

During our time together, I rarely touched his personal belongings.

Douglas always said that even as a couple, we should give each other space.

The only reason I opened his computer tonight was because the wedding planner called, asking for our wedding plan.

Douglas had created the plan a while ago, holding me in one arm while meticulously considering every little detail with the other.

In all our time together, this was the first time I opened his computer.

Not knowing where Douglas had saved the wedding plan and unable to reach him by phone, I had no choice but to search for it myself.

Instead of finding the wedding plan, my eye caught a folder named "baby."

I thought it contained cherished memories of Douglas and me.

Feeling sentimental, I clicked inside, only to discover that the leading lady wasn't me.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the sudden shock, I forgot that in all our years together, Douglas had always addressed me by my full name.

He never referred to me with such an intimate term.

Nearly a hundred files, all about Aspen and their newborn child.

Aspen, my half-sister.

Douglas and I had grown up together, yet I couldn’t compete with something fate threw our way.

Each file in the folder was detailed, leaving nothing out. Every moment of Aspen and the baby's life was recorded, and the last file even mapped out a future for the three of them as a family.

In an instant, memories of the seven years I had spent with Douglas flooded my mind.

Douglas wasn't like everyone else's boyfriend.

In all our years together, not a single photo of us was taken.