He Married Her On The Day We Were Supposed To Wed Chapter 02

He Married Her On The Day We Were Supposed To Wed Chapter 02

The moment I opened the door to the private dining room, a shower of delicate, glittering streamers brushed across my face.

Through the colorful strands, I saw Ryan kissing the woman with complete abandon.

Our friends stood around them with their phones raised, recording the sweet moment for the newlyweds.

The picture-perfect moment shattered the instant I appeared.

Everyone in the room gasped when they saw me. They quickly looked away, and not one of them dared meet my eyes.

The woman glanced at Ryan and asked in confusion, “Babe, is she one of your friends too? Why did everyone get so tense when she walked in?”

“Lila, she’s—”

I did not give Ryan the chance to finish. Staring straight at Lila Bennett, I said, “I’m Ryan Prescott’s girlfriend.”

“I know the two of you have been together for eight years, but he and I have been together for twelve.”

“If you don’t believe me, I can show you the videos on my phone.”

I opened my camera roll and laid twelve years of memories bare before everyone.

At a senior assembly at the start of college application season, Ryan had been the student speaker. At the end of his speech, he declared his love for me in front of the entire school.

“Harvard isn’t my only dream. Elise Carter is, too.”

Years later, we were walking hand in hand across our college campus when Ryan suddenly dropped to one knee and slipped a one-carat diamond ring onto my ring finger.

Three thousand dollars was hardly extravagant for an engagement ring, but for a broke college student, it was every cent he had saved since childhood.

“I’ll get you a bigger one someday.”

In our cramped apartment, a drunken Ryan held me and broke down sobbing. He made me turn on the camera so he could swear his promise on video. “I’ll make sure Elise has a good life.”

“For the rest of my life, Elise will be the only woman I love.”

At the celebration after his company went public, all our friends gathered around us, their teasing growing louder by the second.

“Ryan, isn’t it time you finally made our princess Elise your wife?”

Ryan never looked at the camera. His eyes stayed fixed on me.

“Yes. Our place is already being renovated. We’ll get married at the courthouse on Elise’s thirtieth birthday.”

Today was my thirtieth birthday.

On my birthday, the day we were supposed to get married, he had disappeared for the entire day so he could marry another woman instead.

The final video ended.

The enormous private dining room fell so silent that even the sound of breathing felt deafening.

My best friend was there. So were people I had considered my friends.

Every one of them had witnessed our relationship, and every one of them had betrayed me.

By the time the videos ended, Lila’s eyes were red.

Ryan stepped forward like some noble prince and shielded her firmly behind him. He looked at me as if he were bracing for battle.

“Elise, that’s enough.”

“This is all my fault. I couldn’t let go of what I felt for you, but at the same time, I fell hopelessly in love with Lila. You’re innocent, and so is she.”

“If you need someone to blame, blame me. Don’t take it out on her.”

Lila leaned halfway out from behind him.

Gathering her courage, she looked at me with the air of the rightful wife.

“I understand how upsetting this must be for you. Anyone would fall apart after finding out something like this.”

“But no matter what happened before, Ryan and I are legally married now. He is my husband, and I am his wife. Whatever comes next, we have to face it together.”

“Ryan is a responsible man. Tell us what you want, and we’ll do our best to compensate you financially.”

Financial compensation?

After twelve years together, did she really think all I wanted was a few empty words about financial compensation?

I was about to lose my temper when my best friend coughed twice and cut in before I could speak.

“Elise, that’s enough. Lila and Ryan didn’t do anything wrong. Love doesn’t care who came first.”

“I’m only saying this because I’m your best friend. Walk away now, and everyone can keep their dignity. You’ll get paid for walking away too. But if you make an ugly scene, what man will ever want to marry you after this?”

I stared at my best friend in disbelief. It felt as though lead had lodged in my throat, and I could not force out a single word.

Then Ryan’s sister and the rest of our mutual friends joined in.

“Elise, you’re a good woman, but Lila is too. If we lived in some bygone era when a man could openly have two wives, I’d happily welcome both of you into the family. But we don’t, and Ryan was always going to hurt one of you.”

“Elise, anyone can see that Ryan loves Lila with everything he has. Otherwise, he would have married you instead of her. It’s already done. You need to let him go.”

Ryan and Lila pressed close together while everyone else gathered behind them, forming an impenetrable wall.

They had all closed ranks against a common enemy. I was that enemy.

Like a sponge wrung dry, I suddenly had no fight left in me.

I slipped the tarnished diamond ring from my ring finger and gently set it on the table.

Along with it, I gave back twelve years of my youth, love, and friendship.

“Fine.”

“I’m walking away.”