He Picked Up Another Woman on Our Wedding Day Chapter 05

He Picked Up Another Woman on Our Wedding Day Chapter 05

The silence downstairs stretched for several seconds.

The relatives who’d been calling for the bride to come out stopped talking.

The wedding cars sat at the curb. The red ribbons on the lead car’s hood still swayed.

No one dared to step onto the aisle runner anymore.

Ryan stood by the car, his phone screen lighting up and going dark.

The videographer lowered his camera first. Nearby, a relative set down her favor bag. No one mentioned good luck anymore.

He looked at the coordinator and asked quietly, “Are we still filming the departure?”

The coordinator didn’t answer right away—she’d seen both messages in the group chats.

The drivers in the back cars leaned out their windows. Someone asked:

“Are we still going to the venue? Or waiting here?”

Ryan looked up at my window. The curtains were drawn. Neither of my parents had come down.

The white parasol still leaned against the hallway wall, untouched.

Ryan called me. I didn’t answer. He called Jenna next. She picked up and said flat out, “Don’t call me. I’m not bringing her down.”

Ryan’s voice leaked through the speaker. “Put her on—the venue’s shutting down, the relatives are asking questions.”

Jenna laughed coldly. “You didn’t worry about the venue seeing when you went to pick up Shelby first.”

Ryan didn’t answer.

In the backseat, Shelby lowered her window a crack. “Ryan, maybe I should just get out. Don’t make everyone keep staring.”

Her voice was soft, but this time, everyone outside heard.

Several relatives looked at her, then at Ryan. His gaze dropped back into the car—where Shelby was still sitting in the car that was supposed to pick me up.

He reached for the door handle, then stopped.

The coordinator walked over. “Mr. Bennett, Ms. Moore has posted the cancellation in both groups. The venue is asking if the entire ceremony is paused.”

“Don’t pause it,” he said, his voice strained. “I’m going up to get her.”

He walked toward the entrance and pressed the doorbell. No one answered. He pressed again. Still nothing.

The coordinator had already started canceling in the work chat.

[Pickup camera position canceled.]

[Departure ceremony canceled.]

[Cars to remain on standby until groom confirms whether to proceed to venue.]

Ryan saw the messages and grabbed her radio. “Who told you to cancel?”

The coordinator looked at him. “The bride herself confirmed it.”

He opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to tell me to come down.

My father’s message appeared in the family chat.

[No one needs to come up today.]

The chat went completely silent.

Ryan stared at the message, his hand still on the doorbell.

The coordinator’s radio crackled again. “The venue needs a decision on the seating for the bride’s parents—should we hold their seats for the toast?”

The coordinator looked at Ryan. She didn’t answer for him.

She replied quietly, “There’s no pickup footage.”

The aisle runner was still at his feet, but no one was coming down.

A relative started to say something, but my father’s message stopped her.

Ryan’s hand slowly dropped from the doorbell, his knuckles white. He didn’t move for a long moment.

The convoy, the camera crew, the bouquet—all of it sat there, like they’d shown up for the wrong person.

A relative nearby whispered, “Are the bride’s parents still coming down?”

No one answered.

Ryan heard it. The color drained from his face.

The coordinator asked again. “Mr. Bennett, are we still filming the pickup?”

Ryan looked up at my window. The curtains didn’t move.

That was when he truly realized—he was standing outside. The door hadn’t opened. No one upstairs had called him inside.