Don’t Worry, I Got a New Groom

When the fire broke out, the video of Scott rushing into the flames to die with his true love went viral overnight.

While the public mourned their tragic romance, some noticed metrapped in the same burning building, pinned under a collapsed beam, legs twisted at a grotesque angle. In the footage, I stared blankly through smoke as they kissed, my ash-stained fingers trembling while dialing emergency services.

Lmao, that bystander looks traumatized. Watching them kiss probably killed her will to live.

She looks like a clown who wandered onto a teen drama set.

I want a love like thatreckless, world-ending, ignoring everyone else.

Scott must have read the comments. He called, rubbing his temples, voice lazy. Sorry, babe. Didnt realize you were there. Nancy said shed never been kissed and begged me before we died. Didnt expect the media frenzy. Hurt? Need me to pick you up?

I was limping out of the hospital, leaning on a cheap crutch. Its fine, I said quietly.

Fine that he hadnt noticed me.

Fine that he didnt see me hobble past his sports car meters away.

Fine that he forgot today was our wedding day.

Because Id already replaced him with a new groom.

My new groom was already on his way to pick me up. Watching the GPS tracker on my phone as his car closed the distance, I felt a quiet wave of relief.

Then, Scott's phone line suddenly erupted with laughter from his friends in the background.

"Scott, man, you need to start a masterclass. How did you get the proud Vivian to be this submissive?"

"Right? You literally skipped your own wedding today to hang out with Nancy, and she didn't even throw a fit!"

My eyelashes fluttered at the sound of my name, but Scott remained silent on the other end. Just as I was about to hang up, his soft chuckle came through the receiver.

"Well, looks like I went too far this time. My sweet fiance is giving me the silent treatment. She is learning to play hard to get."

His tone carried zero worry, only a patronizing amusement at my new tactic. For years, my dependence on him had bordered on obsession, and my methods of showing it had been painfully predictable. If he was thirty minutes late, I would spam his phone with a hundred calls. If there was a trace of lipstick on his collar, I would scream, cry, and shred his designer shirts to pieces. He enjoyed the chase, fully convinced this was just another dramatic performance to get his attention.

"Anyway, Nancy is waiting for her seafood chowder," Scott said, dismissive. "She is just a poor student I sponsor. She has no one else in this city, and I promised I would look after her today."

His friends went quiet, exchange uneasy glances. "Wait, Gav, you're serious? We thought you were just messing with your girl."

"You've postponed this wedding eight times, always because of Nancy. But ditching her on the actual wedding day? Aren't you worried she'll actually walk away this time?"

"Does she look like she could ever leave me?" Scott replied, his voice light and arrogant. "Besides, the smoke got to my head. It's only natural I forgot the ceremony. I'll make it up to her later."

Their voices continued to filter through the speaker. When I heard the words seafood chowder, my heart gave a dull ache. Nancy had only arrived in the city yesterday. During her first meal, she had simply had two bowls of chowder, and Scott had immediately memorized her preference.

I stared at the screen, watching the call timer tick upward. It was amusing how he still hadn't realized I was still on the line.

"Don't mention to Vivian that I'm at the hospital with Nancy," Scott added, a trace of amusement slipping into his voice. "My fiance has quite the temper. If she found out I faked forgetting the wedding just to nurse Nancy, she'd probably burn our house down."

I curled my lips into a bitter smile. This time, I didn't wait for him to finish. I hung up.

When Scott walked into the hospital lobby carrying the food, a crowd of reporters swarmed the entrance. The sudden noise made him look back, his gaze lazily sweeping in my direction. My chest tightened.

But before our eyes could meet, a dozen cameras thrust into my face, blinding me with flashes.

"Excuse me, are you the bystander who witnessed that viral kiss of true love?"

"What was it like seeing such a powerful romance unfold right in front of you? Can you share your thoughts?"

I looked through the crowd again. Scott had already turned away, walking deeper into the hospital corridors. His suit jacket was slung carelessly over his shoulder, a posture that mirrored the eighteen-year-old boy who had once leaned against a brick wall to shield me. Back then, after taking the brunt of my abusive uncle's rage for me, Scott had slung his blood-stained jacket over his shoulder just like this, smiling to comfort me.

"Stop crying, okay? My bad. I promise you, as long as I'm around, I'll never let my precious princess get hurt again."

The throbbing pain in my leg snapped me back to reality. My phone buzzed. A message from the new groom: Almost there.

I withdrew my gaze, leaned heavily on my crutch to steady myself, and looked directly into the camera lenses.

"I wish them a long and happy life together."

In an instant, the sound of shutters and overlapping questions threatened to drown me. I stumbled, my injured leg giving out under the pressure.

But before I could fall, a strong, steady hand caught my waist.

"Sorry, everyone. She is in a bit of a rush to marry me today. No time for interviews."

The clean, familiar scent of cedarwood enveloped me. I blinked and looked up, meeting Dominic's amused, dark eyes. Within seconds, he had dismissed the reporters with a few sharp, polite words.

He swept me up onto his back, effortlessly snatching the wooden crutch from my hand and tossing it into a nearby bin.

"Vivian, did you seriously find a broken table leg in the street and decide it was a crutch?"

I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face into the crook of his neck, remaining silent. Sensing my mood, his grip on my thighs tightened, and he softened his tone.

"The bone specialist I flew in from Zurich is already waiting. Let's get your leg checked first. Don't worry about the venue; everything is set. Once the doctor clears you, the limo will pick us up."

"Okay," I mumbled.

Before I could say anything else, a group of interns walked past, whispering excitedly.

"Is Scott really with that girl Nancy? I thought his fiance was someone else."

"Are you stupid? If it were fake, he would have denied it. Look at how he carried her out of the ward just because she sprained her ankle. He wouldn't let her take a single step. Now that's real love."

We followed the sound of their voices down the corridor and saw Scott. Nancy was cradled in his arms, her hands wrapped tightly around his neck, her face buried shyly against his chest.

Dominic carried me past them. The hallway was narrow, and we passed so closely that our clothes brushed. Scott's eyes swept over us carelessly, but he didn't stop. He leaned down to whisper something in Nancy's ear, making her giggle.

"You skipped your wedding for me today, leaving Vivian alone at the venue," Nancy murmured. "Aren't you worried she'll be heartbroken, or angry?"

"No, I did it on purpose," Scott replied. "Don't you think it's fun when she throws those tantrums? Besides, she slapped you last time and embarrassed you in public. You asked me when I'd get back at her, right? This is it. She is too spoiled. If I'm going to marry her, I need to teach her some humility first."

My fingers tightened around Dominic's collar until my knuckles turned white.

Scott's friends finally caught up, panting heavily. "But Gav, what if she actually marries someone else out of spite? You know how these old-money families are. They'll grab a random stand-in just to save face."

Scott let out a quiet laugh. "Please. No one else could ever catch her eye. With her temper, if her family tried to force a substitute groom on her, she'd probably wreck the entire banquet hall."

The group burst into laughter, their chuckles echoing off the tiled walls like slaps to my face. The humiliation was suffocating, making me want to vanish.

I tugged at Dominic's collar. "Let's go, please."

"Dominic?"

The familiar voice stopped us in our tracks. I froze entirely, but Dominic remained perfectly calm, turning slowly to face Scott. "Yeah, it's me."

Scott looked Dominic up and down, raising an eyebrow. "When did you get back to the States?"

"Just came back to get married," Dominic replied smoothly. He gestured slightly toward me. "Meet my fiance."

Scott's gaze drifted over to me, but I kept my face buried in Dominic's shoulder, hiding completely. After a tense silence, Scott let out a slow breath.

"Well, look at you, settling down. I thought you'd be the last of us to tie the knot. Congratulations."

Dominic offered a faint, unreadable smile. Before turning away, he slipped a gold-embossed card into Scott's hand. "Here is the address. The reception is tonight."

Scott looked down at the invitation. The address felt strangely familiar. He looked back at the girl on Dominic's back, a sudden frown crossing his features. "Wait."

My heart hammered against my ribs, terrified he had recognized me.

But in the next second, Scott turned to a passing nurse. "Wait. It's time to change Nancy's dressings."

I closed my eyes, realizing how foolish I had been to hold my breath.

After my checkup was complete and my leg was freshly bandaged, I finally sat in the back of the wedding limo. My phone vibrated with a text from Scott.

The doctor said you got hurt too. Why didn't you tell me?

I didn't reply. Twenty minutes later, another message arrived.

Since you're discharged, go straight home. I'll worry, wifey.

I stared at the word wifey. It was his signature peace offering. I let out a dry laugh, marveling at how perfectly he manipulated my feelings.

It reminded me of a night long ago. I had spent hours setting up a romantic dinner, hoping to take our relationship to the next level. The candles were burning low, and the wine was poured. But when his lips were inches from mine, his thumb had gently brushed my chin, pulling back.

"We should save this for our wedding night, Vivian. I want to respect you, wifey."

The warmth in his eyes back then had felt so genuine, so protective. I had believed he was the most honorable man in the world.

Until a few months later, when I accidentally overheard him talking to his friends at a lounge.

"Gav, you and Nancy have crossed every line, but you won't even touch Vivian? Are you really saving her for marriage, or do you just find her repulsive?"

Scott had paused, tapping the ash off his cigarette. "I can't help it. Every time I think about how her uncle cornered her when she was eighteen, it just makes my skin crawl. Since she is already damaged goods, it is only fair that I have some fun before the wedding, right?"

At that moment, it felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. The trauma of my eighteenth year, the locked parlor room, the spiked drink, and my desperate, failed struggle before Scott broke the door down, all of it came rushing back. He had saved me, yes, but he had secretly judged me for the nightmare I couldn't escape.

Since that day, I had stopped fighting with him. I had stopped calling. But he had been too self-absorbed to notice the silence.

As the stylist finished securing my veil, my phone rang again. It was Scott.

"The fire left me a bit dazed, so I lost track of the date," his voice came through the speaker, slow and deliberate. "It's too late for me to make it to the venue now. So, do you want to keep sitting there in your gown like an idiot, or go home and rest? It's your call."

He was waiting. He was waiting for me to scream, to cry, to beg him to come.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting my lipstick. "It's fine, Scott. Actually, I"

A loud crash of shattering glass cut me off on his end, followed by Nancy's sharp cry. Scott's tone lost all of its calm composure. "We'll talk tonight."

The line went dead.

I stared at the screen, finding it almost funny. I had wanted to tell him that our engagement had been officially dissolved by my family, and that my groom had been replaced. I wasn't waiting for him, and I was never going back to his house.

But I suppose it didn't matter anymore.

I smiled at my reflection, gathered the skirt of my wedding dress, and walked out of the dressing room.

My wedding with Dominic proceeded exactly as scheduled.

While the ceremony was underway, Scott was finally tucking Nancy into bed after feeding her dinner. When his phone rang, he answered it casually. But the words from the speaker froze him instantly.

"Scott, are you playing some kind of sick joke on us? Didn't you say the wedding was postponed?"

"Did you secretly decide to go through with it because she looked too beautiful in her dress? We're looking at her right now!"

"By the way, Dominic is getting married tonight too, right across the hall from you. Did you guys plan this? You're literally having competing receptions across the corridor!"