On My Wedding Day, I Kissed My Husband's Brother

The door closed, cutting off the view, and only the noise of laughter and chaos from outside could be heard.

I leaned against the window, watching the lively scene below.

My friends followed behind, fuming with anger.

"This is just too much! If this wedding doesn't happen, who cares anyway?"

But any more words were quickly swallowed, as they glanced at my expression and chose not to continue.

Everyone thought this wedding wasn't Mason's idea, but something I had begged for.

Not long ago, Mason said he wanted to marry me, and I agreed.

I had naïvely believed that after eight years of waiting, I was finally going to get my happy ending.

But today's events were like cold water, waking me up.

My best friend, Sophie, who had spoken up for me earlier, was frustrated beyond words.

"You've been humiliated like this, and you still want to marry him?"

I looked at Sophie and said, "Then I won't."

As I spoke, I started taking off the golden hairpins and jewelry.

Sophie was startled and quickly stopped me. "Are you crazy?"

She looked at my calm face, then sighed sadly. "Forget it, your happiness is what matters. Maybe after the wedding... he'll settle down."

Sophie had been my close friend since childhood and was a witness to my relationship with Mason.

During college, Mason was the handsome star student, and I was just a bespectacled nerd struggling to make ends meet.

Ridiculously, I also had depression.

The day I graduated from high school, my father passed away. My mother remarried, leaving me with just 200 dollars, as if telling me to fend for myself.

My exam results came out, and the good news was that I got into a top university. The bad news was that I couldn't afford the tuition. Even if I could apply for a student loan, the living expenses were suffocating me.

Life and studies left me exhausted, feeling weak and inferior. I was bullied and insulted by those around me. I always kept to myself, avoiding others, with Sophie as my only friend.

With my withdrawn personality and depression, I became an outcast. My dorm mates and classmates isolated me and even bullied me.

During that time, I often sat on the rooftop, contemplating jumping off countless times.

It was Mason who sat beside me, brought me cake, listened to music with me, and let me vent about the frustrations of life...

Knowing I was struggling financially and had to take on part-time jobs, he quietly stayed by my side, walking with me through those difficult times.

When he learned I was being bullied, he didn't care about the mocking stares. He held my hand, letting everyone know that I had a friend.

Once, at a class gathering, a girl who liked Mason deliberately made things difficult for me, daring me to kiss him in front of everyone.

I was panicked, and the mocking jeers only magnified my insecurity.

But Mason calmly smiled and waved at me. "It's fine, kiss me. I like you too."

At that moment, the breeze lifted the hair from his forehead. As if by some unseen force, I reached out and held his hand tightly.

In the countless nights that followed, I always felt like I had grasped the hand of a god.

Eventually, we really got together, though no one believed in us. They envied and mocked me, saying Mason was like a flower planted in manure. His admirers never took me seriously, thinking I was just someone he spent time with out of boredom.

I was incredibly anxious, constantly fearing someone would steal him away, or that he would leave me.

So I did everything I could to be good to him, like a devout follower, offering up everything in my life to him.

He gave me affection and a sense of security in return.

When Claire came back to the country, everything changed.

His attitude toward me became more and more dismissive, and his interactions with Claire became increasingly inappropriate.

They had long crossed the boundaries of friendship.

Yet I didn't give up. I willingly stayed by his side.

I was even afraid to think about how I would live without him.

I thought, "People aren't made of stone." Eventually, he would warm up to me.

But now, I felt cold inside. I was unable to warm him anymore, and I didn't want to try either.

"Maybe."

I went along with Sophie's suggestion and strode out of the room.

Outside, Mason was holding Claire, and everyone around was cheering.

When Claire saw me come out, she shyly snuggled deeper into Mason's arms.

His face darkened. "Who told you to come out?"

Mason scolded me harshly as I stood there silently, not making a move.

Even now, he still thought he had done nothing wrong.

I glanced at him indifferently.

"If you feel wronged, we can choose another day to get married."

As soon as I finished speaking, Mason grabbed my wrist forcefully.

"You don't want to marry me, is that it? If you don't want to get married, just say it. Who are you trying to show your attitude to?"

He glared at me, tense and furious.

He still thought it was my fault.