They say your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. But for me, it turned into a nightmare I never saw coming.
For six months, I had poured my heart and soul into planning the perfect wedding. I had spent hours choosing the venue, picking the perfect dress, tasting different cake flavors, and making sure every single detail was flawless. I thought today would be a celebration of love, a day where everything would come together beautifully.
But from the moment I woke up, things started to go wrong.
I paced my bedroom, gripping my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. I had called the florist five times, and not once had they picked up. No answer, no voicemail—nothing. My wedding was just hours away, and I didn’t have a single flower. The bouquets, the centerpieces, the decorations for the arch—everything was gone.
Frustration bubbled inside me. My heart pounded, my hands clenched into fists. I wanted to scream, to throw my phone against the wall. How could this be happening?
Then, there was a knock at my door.
I yanked it open, expecting to see my mom or one of my bridesmaids, but the hallway was empty. I sighed, rolling my eyes. My nephews were always up to something; it had to be them.
Just as I was about to close the door, I noticed something on the floor—a small white envelope. There was no name on it, no clue as to who had left it. Frowning, I picked it up and stepped back inside, locking the door behind me. I tore it open and found a flash drive inside with just two words written on it:
Watch me.
A strange feeling crawled up my spine. My hands shook slightly as I plugged the drive into my laptop. One file appeared on the screen.
“Are you sure you want to marry him?”
My heart stopped. What was this? Who had sent it?
My breath caught in my throat as I clicked play.
The video started with shaky footage of a limousine. My fiancé, Ted, was inside with his friends, already drinking heavily.
“Last night of freedom!” Max, Ted’s best man, cheered as he held up his phone, filming everything.
Ted shook his head, laughing. “I’m already taken!”
“You don’t get it, man!” Max grinned. “Tonight, anything goes!”
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach.
“But I love Tracy,” Ted said, though he sounded hesitant.
Max rolled his eyes. “Your Tracy is a piece of work—she’s got you under her heel!”
The guys laughed, clinking their drinks.
Ted frowned, gripping his glass tightly. “That’s not true.”
Max leaned closer. “Then prove it.”
Ted hesitated.
“Come on, man,” Max pushed. “It’s just one night.”
Ted exhaled slowly. “Maybe tonight I’ll prove you wrong.”
A knock on my door made me jump. My hands flew to the laptop, pausing the video. My pulse pounded in my ears as I stood up and walked to the door.
I opened it to find Max standing there, smiling like nothing had happened.
“Hey, Tracy,” he greeted casually.
I forced myself to stay calm, but the words from the video echoed in my head. Max had always acted like a friend, like he respected me. But now, I saw the truth. It had all been an act.
“Something wrong?” he asked, his smile faltering.
I crossed my arms. “What do you want?”
“Ted can’t find his shoes. He said they might be here.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Maybe I should give him my heels instead.”
Max frowned. “What?”
“Nothing,” I muttered, turning to grab Ted’s shoes from the closet. I shoved them into Max’s hands.
He smirked. “If you’re worried, Ted isn’t planning to run from the wedding.”
I didn’t smile. “Why would I be worried?”
Max shrugged. “Just a joke. Relax.”
I slammed the door shut in his face.
With shaky hands, I returned to my laptop and pressed play.
The video cut to a hotel room. Ted sat in a chair, blindfolded, completely unaware of what was happening.
Max’s voice was filled with excitement. “This is going to be fun.”
A woman entered the room. Music started playing. The guys cheered.
She danced toward Ted, placing her hands on his shoulders before slowly removing his blindfold.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was Sandy. Ted’s ex-fiancée.
“I know you missed me,” she whispered, leaning in.
Then, she kissed him.
And he kissed her back.
I slammed the laptop shut, my whole body trembling.
My mother’s voice called from downstairs. I barely heard her as I stumbled to my feet. I felt sick. My wedding was ruined. My future was a lie.
I walked out of my room and down the stairs. My mom was standing near the cake table, her hands in her hair.
“I don’t know what to do!” she cried. “The cake collapsed! The wedding is in less than three hours!”
I stared at the disaster. The beautiful, expensive cake was ruined, smeared across the table.
“Tracy? What do we do?” my mom asked desperately.
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning. I wanted to scream, to tell her to cancel everything. Instead, I mumbled, “I… I don’t know.”
Melanie, my best friend, rushed into the kitchen. “What’s going on?”
I pointed at the cake, unable to speak.
She gasped. “Oh. My. God.”
“I can fix it,” she said finally. “I took a pastry course recently.”
Mom turned to me. “Tracy?”
I felt numb. “Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”
I turned and walked away, my mind made up. I wouldn’t marry Ted. I wouldn’t let him break me.
Without a second thought, I grabbed my keys, ran to my car, and drove away, leaving my wedding, my guests, and my lying fiancé behind.
When Ted finally found me, hours later, he looked desperate. “Tracy, why did you run? What’s going on?”
I stared at him, my heart pounding.
“Because of what’s on this flash drive,” I said, holding up the small device.
Ted’s face turned pale. “I… I can explain.”
“No, you can’t.” My voice was firm. “Because I saw everything. And I am done.”
Ted opened his mouth, but I didn’t wait to hear another excuse.
I turned around and walked away, leaving him behind.
And just like that, what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life became the day I chose myself instead.
