One Last Regret

On the night before our wedding, my fiancee, Elara Wynn, gave her first time to her first love, Drew Mercer. I left my engagement ring behind and walked away.

Before I went, I posted a message on their social feed: "Hope you two get back together soon. I’m clearing the way for you."

The very next second, my fiancee called. "Cassian Rowe, I just didn’t want to leave regrets in my life. Can you stop being so old-fashioned?"

I answered, annoyed, that she was no longer my fiancee and had nothing to do with me.

That was when she panicked.

On the night of her bachelorette party, my fiancee, Elara Wynn, gave her first time to her first love, Drew Mercer. I took off the engagement ring and unilaterally announced that the wedding was canceled.

When the news reached Elara, she called in a fury.

"Cassian Rowe! What are you pulling now? If the wedding is canceled, what am I supposed to do? Do you want everyone to laugh at me?

"Can you stop being so petty? I just don’t want to leave regrets in my life. I’m about to marry you. What more could you possibly be unhappy about?"

Her voice was full of blame, as if every bit of this were my fault, yet she was the one who had done wrong. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists hard.

I thought that if I canceled the wedding, she would try to stop me. The first thing out of her mouth, however, was accusation.

From the time I was twenty until I turned twenty-seven, I chased after her relentlessly. In her heart, though, I was nothing.

Drew was the one she had always loved.

I forced myself to calm down.

"Elara, we’re breaking up."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. Then she spoke with disdain, "Fine, Cassian. So you’ve finally grown a backbone? Breaking up, is that it? I agree. I’d like to see who else would ever want you besides me.

"You’re nothing but a jinx. Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you’re some kind of prize."

A sharp pain struck my chest, and my breathing grew tight.

Elara’s words were like a dull knife, carving into my heart again and again. She knew exactly how to hurt me the most, which was why she could defeat me so easily.

I drew in a slow breath and tried to steady myself.

"You’re right. A jinx like me doesn’t deserve you. We’re done. The wedding is canceled."

After saying that, I hung up.

A notification from Elara’s social media popped up on my phone.

She was completely naked, draped over Drew, the flush on her face not yet faded. She had written: "No matter how much time passes, you will always be the one I couldn’t have. I finally gave myself to you. From now on, I’m yours."

My heart was pierced again.

Elara and I were over. She no longer had to hide her underground affair with Drew.