Vegas Wedding Betrayal

Synopsis

The marble steps of the courthouse felt cold beneath my heels, even through the ivory satin of my carefully chosen wedding shoes. I smoothed down the silk of my dress—the one I'd saved for three years to buy, the one that made me feel like the bride I'd dreamed of being for ten long years. The marriage documents crinkled slightly in my trembling hands as I checked my phone for the hundredth time. 11:47 AM. Donald was nearly two hours late. I told myself there had to be a reasonable explanation. Traffic. A last-minute business emergency. Maybe his phone had died. Donald Spencer, CEO of Spencer Industries, was always dealing with some crisis or another. I'd spent a decade understanding that, accommodating it, making myself smaller so his world could expand. The autumn wind picked up, sending fallen leaves skittering across the courthouse plaza. I pulled my light jacket tighter around my shoulders, grateful I'd thought to bring it despite the morning's warmth. Other couples had come and gone—happy pairs with nervous laughter and shining eyes, emerging minutes later with gold bands catching the sunlight and joy radiating from their faces. I envied them their certainty. My phone buzzed. Finally. But instead of Donald's name on the screen, I saw a cascade of social media notifications. Instagram. Facebook. Twitter. All mentioning me in posts I hadn't made. My heart hammered against my ribs as I opened Instagram with shaking fingers. Charlie Wright's perfectly manicured