The Rose Withers in the Ninth Autumn

Synopsis

When James Carter disappeared from the wedding for the ninth time, his buddies were betting on how many seconds it would take for me to lose it and wreck the place. From the engagement party to the wedding photoshoot, all the way to the day we were supposed to get our marriage license... Whenever he was supposed to show up, he'd get a call and vanish. Today, at the wedding, I took off my veil and sent everyone home. Didn't make a fuss. Didn't cause a stir. Nick Woods, acting as the ringleader, made a scene, dialing James right in front of everyone. "James, every time you stand Ashley up, she goes ballistic. But today she's so calm. You don't think she's cooking up something big, do you?" James's voice came through, breathless. "Jo's not doing well. She needs someone. Ask Ashley to wait, and keep the wedding going." This same act had played out eight times over the past three years. But this ninth time, I wasn't going to play along anymore.