The Illusion of Happiness

I thought I could at least take a bridal photo with Sean to remember it by, only for him to call the next day, saying that he was busy and I should go alone first.

Three hours after he was supposed to show up and even the staff started gossiping quietly about me, my phone shook as a friend in the City Hall sent me a photo.

It was a concealed angle, but I still remembered that this was the most expensive bridal gown that I had seen the other day.

And the photo was captioned: [Is that your fiance? I saw him here getting registered with someone else, and the broad's wearing a gown worth a few hundred grand!]

Devastated, I started to take off my wedding dress and turned towards the cameraman, shaking my head awkwardly. "I'm sorry. My fiance isn't coming."

-

When I arrived at the City Hall, I found Sean holding an arm around Sally, endlessly intimate and the envy of many.

I stood at the doorway, looking completely like I didn't belong.

Fighting back the tears in my voice, I growled quietly, "What's the meaning of this? You canceled our wedding, and now you're registering with Sally?"

Sally promptly hid behind Sean, tugging on his tuxedo as her eyes turned puffy with tears. "I'm sorry… I just wanted to try wearing a bridal gown! And we're getting registered for our son's sake!"

She only looked all the most guileless and innocent in that white gown, and Sean's fingers were interlocked with hers, before turning on me with a hostile glare.

"Quit causing a scene," he snapped. "I'm just doing Sally a favor here—the baby needs a family.

"Once we're done here, I'll register with you on another day. Stop getting so worked up too, you'd hurt the baby in your belly."

However, that was when I saw Sally wearing the ring my mother had left me.

Sean was supposed to put it on my finger during the exchange of rings, and I didn't remember to ask for it when the wedding was canceled.

So, he simply handed it off, and Sally was even wearing it unabashedly.

I strode past Sean, grabbing Sally's hand as I bellowed. "Take that off! That's my mother's ring!"

"S-Sean gave it to me…"

As we wrestled, we missed a step on the stairs and screamed as we rolled down.

After I landed, I felt blood flow freely from my forehead, clouding my vision in redness.

My hands and feet were all bruised too, and I was still gasping for air when I heard Sally sob. "I tried to catch her because I saw her going to fall… but she's so terrible, like she wants me dead too!"

In reality, she just had a sprain, but Sean came up to me, glowering and grabbing my neck as he growled threateningly, "You had better watch your back if anything happens to Sally!

"I have a son already anyway—your baby is completely inconsequential to me. He could die from that fall for all I care!"

And with those words, he turned and scooped Sally up in his arms and ran toward the nearest hospital.

I felt a chill inside me as I watched them disappear, and I limped toward the hospital, running out of tears along the way.

By the time Sean got home, I headed to the airport from the hospital, sending him a text telling him I was breaking up with him before I boarded my flight.

He rushed to our bedroom right away.

He frowned when he found it empty, until his face turned ashen when he saw the receipt on the bed. "Abortion?! And she said she's breaking up with me… Where did she go?!"