Ethan didn\u2019t even glance over. \u201cShe\u2019s fine. Just needs a minute. Hold still, sweetheart, this lace is caught on your heel.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the way home, slumped in the backseat of Ethan\u2019s Tesla while he drove, a notification popped up on my phone. A social media update from Chloe.<\/p>\n
The photographer cleared his throat awkwardly. \u201cSir, your fianc\u00e9e\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
A sharp, familiar pain clenched my chest, stealing my breath. The world blurred at the edges. I staggered, my hand flying to the expensive lace over my heart. \u201cEthan\u2026\u201d I gasped, my voice a thin thread.<\/p>\n
I collapsed. The cold hardwood floor met my cheek. Spots danced in my vision, and a crushing weight sat on my lungs. *I can\u2019t breathe. Oh God, I can\u2019t breathe.*<\/p>\n
My thumb trembled as I tapped it. It was a photo. Not from today, but a mock-up, expertly edited. Chloe, in a different but equally gorgeous gown, beaming up at Ethan in a tux. The caption read: \u201cWhen your person feels like home. #Blessed #FutureMrsWinters\u201d<\/p>\n
For a second, the old fire ignited\u2014the jealousy, the hurt, the desperate need to scream. Then, it fizzled out, leaving behind a cold, hollow calm. I opened our banking app and sent a $9.99 Venmo request to Ethan with the note: *\u201dWedding gift. Congrats.\u201d*<\/p>\n
My world narrowed to the grain of the wood and the seizing pain in my chest. When the paramedics finally arrived, Ethan was still with her, helping her out of the dress, his face a mask of tender concern\u2014for her.<\/p>\n
My heart decided to betray me the moment the wedding photographer said, \u201cSmile for the camera, lovebirds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through the roaring in my ears, I heard Chloe\u2019s giggle. \u201cStop it, Ethan, you\u2019re tickling me!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt fits you like a dream, Chlo,\u201d he said, his voice soft, a gentle smile on his face as he carefully arranged the train around her feet. \u201cYou look perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Ethan wasn\u2019t looking at me. He was ten feet away, kneeling on the studio floor, his back to my suffering. His focus was entirely on Chloe, his childhood best friend, who was spinning in *my* wedding gown, the one I\u2019d spent six months designing in my head.<\/p>\n
Fate Rolls Dark by Mark Twain 1 Chapter 1 Ethan didn\u2019t even glance over. \u201cShe\u2019s fine. Just needs a minute. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gave-up-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21970"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21970\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}