The Groom Left Me on Our Wedding Day

It was eight in the morning, and I sat in our wedding suite, waiting for the groom.

But he was nowhere to be found.

His mother's face was ashen. I've been calling him since this morning, but he won't answer. His father has already driven home to look for him, said he drank too much and can't be woken up

Furious, I snatched up my phone and dialed him.

After several attempts, it finally connected.

"Hello?"

His weak voice came through the receiver, heavy with sleep.

My heart sank, and I hit the speaker button.

"Callum, do you know what day it is today?"

"Huh? What day?"

I became frantic, shouting into the phone, "It's our wedding day!"

He fell silent for a few seconds, then instantly sobered up.

"What? When did we decide to have a wedding?"

I was struggling to process it all.

My mind was racing: Is there still time for him to get here?

But I knew Callum too well.

He always took a full hour to get ready before leaving the house, let alone needing to put on a suit and get his hair done today.

What if we cut corners?

"Callum, quickly take a shower, throw on whatever's in your closet, and take a cab straight to the hotel."

I thought this was the most reasonable solution, but Callum absolutely exploded.

"Seriously, mate, when did we ever say we were having a wedding?"

"How come I know nothing about this? Did I agree to it?"

"Can you just stop making trouble for no reason?"

Me:

I gripped my phone, my hand trembling slightly.

For this wedding, I'd slept only four hours a night for a solid month.

Yesterday, I'd been busy all day and night, not even stopping for a drink of water.

But now, he had me so angry my stomach churned, and I felt nauseous.

I retorted, my voice cold, "The engagement is set, the dress is tried on, the reception is booked. And now you're telling me you don't know about the wedding?"

His tone was utterly matter-of-fact. "Of course, I don't know! No one told me!"

Everyone around exchanged uneasy glances.

His mother cautiously asked me, "Chloe did you really not tell him?"

I froze.

How could I not have told him?

I asked him, "Did I need to send a formal written notice to document the proposal?"

Callum, however, sounded completely justified.

"Well, how else? Don't make me roll my eyes, seriously. You're so unreliable, and you have the nerve to blame me? I'm completely baffled here!"

"What's with this sudden wedding today out of nowhere? I never planned on having one! Are you that desperate to marry me?"

My heart turned to ice.

But I looked around.

The room full of staring relatives and friends, the dazzlingly festive decorations

It felt like I was being roasted alive.

Everything was ready, friends and family had cleared their schedules.

Many were already sitting at the hotel, eagerly waiting for the reception.

And the groom was claiming complete ignorance?

I let out a cold laugh.

"I get it. You're not ignorant, you just don't want to come. You want to run away, don't you?"

Callum heard the disappointment in my voice, sighed, and softened his tone.

"Chloe, I was just having morning grumps, said some things I didn't mean But think about it. I was gaming with Maya until 4:30 AM. She wanted to play, I couldn't just leave her, could I? When can't we get married? Is it really that urgent?"

"Come on, don't be mad, you'll make yourself sick. Once I wake up, I'll take you for hot pot, okay?"

Me:

Someone nearby whispered.

"Who's Maya?"

"I don't know, never heard of her."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, and gave Callum my ultimatum.

"I'm giving you one more hour, tops. If you don't make it, the wedding is completely off."

Callum neither explicitly refused nor explicitly agreed; he just dodged the issue.

"But I'm not even fully awake yet"

A surge of hot blood rushed to my head.

I emphasized again, "Be clear. What I mean is, if we don't get married today, we never will."

Callum was silent for a moment. "Then let's talk after I wake up."

Then he hung up.

I was covered in a cold sweat, trembling with anger.

Yet, I felt a crushing powerlessness, as if all the air had been sucked out of me.

I wished I could just faint, so I wouldn't have to deal with this nightmare.

But things always needed to be dealt with.

I couldn't break down yet, couldn't lose control.

I looked up at the people around me.

Their faces were grim, too.

Especially Callum's parents; they looked like their world had caved in.

Clearly, they hadn't expected their son to be this unreliable.

Actually, glimpses of Callum's personality had surfaced even before the engagement.

At the time, his parents and I had arranged everything for the engagement.

I told him to prepare his outfit for the day in advance.

But he was completely unenthusiastic, gaming with his head down, drawling, "Uh do I have to go?"

I just took it as a joke.

After all, he'd gone through the entire engagement, albeit reluctantly, without much complaint.

And what happened today was even more bizarre than a nightmare!

For a moment, I even wondered if I could find a temporary groom.

But this was reality, not some short, feel-good drama.

How could I possibly find a suitable replacement on such short notice?

Even if I wanted to, no one would agree.

What if I hired an actor to go through the motions with me?

Forget it other than collecting the wedding gifts, it would be meaningless.

At this point, there was no remedy.

My wedding.

Completely ruined.

I've always been strong-willed, clear-headed, and hated letting others see my vulnerable side.

So I bit back my tears, striving to keep my voice steady and a smile on my face.

"Well, there's truly nothing we can do. The wedding has to be canceled last minute. Please spread the word."

With that, I opened my contacts, haphazardly called someone, and apologized profusely for the last-minute cancellation.

On the surface, I appeared indifferent to the turn of events.

In reality, my mind was in turmoil.

I couldn't even remember who I called, or what they said, only focusing on apologizing, apologizing, apologizing.

Silence met me from the other end.

The entire room was also dead silent.

Anticipating gazes were fixed on me, heavy as tons of weight.

I braced myself, fighting to keep from breaking down, and quietly waited for a response.

Suddenly, the person on the other end asked, "So, when's your next wedding?"

A strange feeling washed over me, but I instinctively replied, "I haven't thought about it yet, but to make up for today, I'll definitely treat you to dinner and apologize in person another day."

"...Alright then... Are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine."

"But you don't sound fine."

"Oh? Do I?"

I let out a few dry laughs, vaguely realizing this person was a bit odd.

But at that moment, I had neither the inclination nor the time to ponder it.

I exchanged a few more pleasantries, then quickly hung up.

Seeing this, everyone around me's faces darkened.

They all picked up their phones, rushing to spread the news.

Telling those waiting at the hotel for the reception to leave, and that wedding gifts would be returned as recorded on the registry.

Many grumbled, "What kind of mess is this? Never been to a wedding like this before! Should've known not to come! Never seen anyone so unreliable!"

"Came here hoping for some good luck, but this is just awful! Should've known not to come, this is a joke!"

"Could she have been dumped and not even know it? Isn't she just making fools of us?"

"Shh, don't say that. The groom's family is well-off. Maybe she's trying to force him into marriage with the wedding. But he's too stubborn, refused to show up"

I pretended not to hear any of it, continuing to call the next person to apologize.

Then, something even stranger happened.

The friends and relatives who had just left the hotel, grumbling, had barely cleared out when a section of the hotel building suddenly collapsed.

Fortunately, due to the timely evacuation, there were no casualties.

Perhaps even heaven was trying to stop this wedding.

I thought, if I had to choose the most miserable person in the world today, it would surely be me.

The incident quickly made the news.

And Callum, who had just woken up, stumbled upon it.

He forwarded the news to me, proudly boasting: [No wonder I didn't go, it's because this building was going to collapse. You tell me, if I had actually gone today, how many people would have died? How farsighted of me!]

[I really don't know why you're always rushing and making trouble for no reason.]

[You're all so unlucky because you didn't listen to me, haha.]

After being busy for a day and a night, seeing these messages, a metallic taste suddenly filled my throat, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The white wedding dress, meticulously chosen for a month, was now stained with my own crimson blood.

I stared blankly.

My mind was empty, my ears ringing.

He was utterly beyond belief.

So unbelievable that I didn't even know what to call him.

I simply tossed my phone aside, sat in the empty wedding suite, and continued to remove my hair and makeup in front of the mirror.

But his recent words echoed repeatedly in my mind, tormenting me to the point of near madness.

My hair was only half-removed when I suddenly couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.

Giving up completely, I yanked at my hair haphazardly, ignoring the painful tug on my scalp, and with trembling hands, typed: [Okay, let's break up.]

He replied quickly.

[Chloe don't be angry, I've actually reflected on it. I admit I was wrong too. I'll make it up to you properly when you get home, okay?]

[Besides, it's just marriage, it's bound to happen eventually, what's the rush? You don't really want to get married right now, do you?]

[Hurry up and finish what you're doing, then come find me. Haven't you always wanted hot pot? I'll treat you to a big meal.]

A heavy stone pressed on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Bound to happen eventually

He thought I would unconditionally and indefinitely wait for him, that I would never leave him.

What if I stopped waiting?

Would he feel as awful as I did today?

But recalling his smug face, I couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating, cold laugh.

No, he wouldn't feel awful.

There was no way I could make him personally experience the pain I suffered today.

And what I wanted to eat wasn't hot pot at all; it was barbecue.

Callum always forgot.

The long-suppressed feelings of injustice and humiliation surged forth all at once.

My vision suddenly went black.

When I next woke, I was in a hospital bed.

Callum's parents stood beside me, looking ashamed and awkward.

Callums mother gently held my hand.

"The doctor said you need to rest and shouldn't get emotional again."

"Chloe, we truly let you down today. We only ever wanted him to be happy, and we didn't usually interfere."

"But you know, he's not a bad kid. He didn't mean any harm, he probably didn't do it on purpose, and he definitely cares about you"

Callums father's brow was deeply furrowed. "What do you plan to do about this? Whatever you decide, we'll support you."

Just as I was about to speak, my phone suddenly rang.

It was Callum.

Again.

Why was it always him?

I stared at the familiar name on the screen, finding it incredibly jarring.

Like a sharp knife, piercing directly from my eyes into my heart.

I hung up on him, wanting some peace, and intended to turn my phone off.

But before I could, he called again.

I closed my eyes wearily, then answered, putting it on speaker.

Curious to hear what new brazen things he would say.

"Babe, are you still busy? When are you coming over? Bring me a pack of cigarettes, by the way."

I gave a faint, bitter smile and looked at his parents.

The two elderly faces instantly turned grim.

I stared at his parents, then spoke into the phone, "Callum, I already told you, we're breaking up."

Callum was clearly startled. "Huh? Really? You're breaking up over such a small thing?"

I took a deep breath. "This isn't a small thing. This is a very important thing, and it's the most basic sense of responsibility a person needs to have. Clearly, you don't have it. So we're not a match, do you understand?"

Callum impatiently scoffed. "Are you done or not? So what if I wasn't fully awake today and didn't go to the wedding? Don't keep bringing up breaking up!"

"I'm telling you, if you insist on being unreasonable, I won't humor you this time. Even if you beg me, I won't talk to you."

Callums mother exploded, leaning over and shouting into my phone.

"You good-for-nothing! Chloe just coughed up blood and was rushed to the emergency room, do you have any idea?!"

Callum was completely stunned.

"What? Really coughed up blood? That shouldn't be She's such a strong woman, is her stress tolerance that low? Is she faking it?"

Callums mother roared, "Are you even speaking like a human being?!"

Callum gave an annoyed tut, then concernedly said, "Chloe, how are you now? I'm sorry, I really didn't expect such a small thing to upset you this much Oh, wait, I said that wrong! It's a big thing! A very important big thing!"

"Which hospital are you at? I'm coming to find you right now!"

Callums mother was about to tell him the hospital name, but I interrupted her.

I spoke to Callum:

"No need. We've broken up. So you can go back to sleep."

"I'm not sleeping, stop messing around"

I continued, coolly, "Oh, then go play games with Maya."

"I won't play games with her anymore, okay?"

I didn't answer, hung up the phone directly, blocked his number, and turned off my phone.

Then I turned to his parents and said, "Aunt and Uncle, thank you for always taking care of me. But Callum and I are truly over. Please don't tell him where I am; I can't handle any more stress."

"I'll mail his belongings back to you within three days. Everything of mine at his place, I don't want it. You can dispose of it as you wish."

"As for other matters I'm really struggling to focus right now. I'll tell you when I remember."

The two elderly people understood my family situation.

They exchanged a knowing glance, then sighed deeply, looking very distressed.

They were just confused about how to raise their son, but their character was not bad.

So, they had no intention of taking back a single penny of the twenty thousand dollar dowry. If I had any other requests, I was welcome to tell them.

I was speechless.

Callum and I had been together for five years.

In the past, I had also considered staying single and childless for peace of mind.

Because my parents divorced early, then quickly formed new families, tossing me back and forth like a ball.

No one loved me, no one wanted me.

Until I met Callum after graduating from college.

He was very kind to me, and genuinely a good person.

He also had a very warm family, with wonderful parents.

This year, we were both nearing thirty.

Our friends and his parents had been subtly pressuring us to get married.

I thought marrying him seemed like a good idea.

But the boy who had once promised me, "I'll give you a warm home, and I'll be good to you for life," ended up hurting me.

So, my five years of youth and devotion, the effort I put into planning the wedding, and the humiliation I faced today weren't they worth more than those twenty thousand?

And I probably wouldn't have another wedding in this lifetime.

Nor would I ever again crave a warm home.

In matters of the heart, Callum had utterly destroyed me.