Chapter 1
We'd already taken our wedding photos, sent out the invitations, and booked the venue.
All that was needed was the marriage certificate.
I'd made plans with my fiancé four times, and he'd stood me up every single time.
The fourth time, I waited at the registry office for hours, but he never showed.
The girl at the counter couldn't stand watching anymore and pointed at the guy next to me. "He got stood up too. Why not just pair up and get married?"
I looked up and locked eyes with him, his gaze clear as day.
Ten minutes later, we walked out of the registry office side by side.
The marriage certificate in my hand was practically hot off the press.
I sent my fiancé one last message: [Don't bother coming. I'm already married.]
*****
We'd already taken our wedding photos.
We'd already sent out the invitations.
We'd already booked the venue.
All that was needed was the marriage certificate.
Sean Wright and I were supposed to get married in a month.
Today was the fourth time we'd arranged to meet at the registry office for our marriage certificate.
The first time, he said there was an emergency meeting at work.
The second time, he said his car broke down on the way.
The third time, he said his mom, Sherry Wright, had heart trouble and he had to take her to the hospital.
Every single time, I believed him.
I sat on that hard, cold bench at the registry office, waiting from 9am all the way to noon.
The coffee in my hand had gone completely cold, just like how I felt inside.
I tried calling Sean.
Of course, he didn't pick up.
I sent him a text.
He didn't even bother to reply.
Sunlight streamed in through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, exposing every speck of dust in the hall with nowhere to hide.
It also made it painfully obvious just how much of a mess I was.
Couples came and went all around me, their faces lit up with happiness.
Those smiles were like needles, pricking straight into my heart.
I was the only joke in this place that was supposed to be all about joy.
I called Sean one last time.
This time, it finally went through.
But instead, Sherry answered.
Her voice was as condescending and impatient as ever.
"Sharon, why are you nagging him like this?" Sherry snapped.
"Sean just slept in a little, that's all. Young people are under a lot of stress at work. Can't you be a bit more understanding?
"You keep blowing up his phone over something so minor. You're not even married yet and already acting like a control freak. Is that really how you want to come across?"
I was clutching my phone so hard, my fingers had gone white.
My throat felt stuffed with cotton. My voice was completely stuck, not a single word would come out.
Sherry's words echoed in my mind: "He just slept in a little."
Turns out, what I saw as the biggest event of my life, waiting all morning for him, was just a 'small thing' to him, something he could skip for a few extra hours of sleep.
All my hopes and careful preparations were nothing but wishful thinking, a solo act I put on for myself.
Sherry kept nagging me on the phone.
"Alright, alright, he'll be up soon. Just wait a bit longer.
"You know, a Wright family daughter-in-law shouldn't be so impatient."
With that, she hung up with a sharp snap.
The busy tone rang out sharply in my ear, almost laughing at me for being so naive.
I slowly put my phone down, my eyes lingering on the photo of Sean and me on the screen.
He wore that gentle smile in the picture, his eyes full of affection.
But now, that face felt so unfamiliar. It made me sick to my stomach.
It was never just the last straw that broke the camel's back.
It was every single one.
Five years of love, drained away in this moment.
My heart was truly dead inside.
"Still waiting, miss?" The lady from the registry office walked over, holding a cup of water, her face full of sympathy.
She already knew who I was.
After all, I'd been coming here every week for a month, always leaving alone and looking devastated. It was impossible not to be remembered.
I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper.
"I'm not waiting anymore," I said.
She sighed, like she thought I deserved better.
She pointed to a guy in the corner not far away.
"He's been waiting all morning too. Got stood up just like you," she said.
I looked where she pointed.
The guy was wearing a plain white shirt and black slacks, standing tall and upright.
He kept his head down, absorbed in his phone. His profile was clean-cut, and he gave off a vibe that said 'keep your distance.'
He seemed to notice me staring, so he lifted his head.
Our eyes met.
His gaze was deep, like a still well, clear and tranquil.
There was no anger or impatience from being stood up, just a steady calm.
The lady at the counter, clearly a veteran at this, cracked a joke.
She said, "Hey, why don't you two just get married together? You're both here anyway. Might as well make it work."
It was meant as a joke.
But almost without thinking, I stood up.