The Wedding That Shattered My Heart
The day I was supposed to marry Ellie was the day my world fell apart.
The church was packed—family, friends, everyone who mattered to us. Soft music played, sunlight streamed through stained glass, casting colorful patterns on the floor. And then, there she was. Ellie. Walking toward me in that stunning white dress, her veil trailing behind her like something out of a dream.
My heart pounded. This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for.
My groomsmen stood beside me—Tyler, my best friend since forever, and the others: Jake, Nate, and James. I felt like the luckiest man alive.
Then the priest spoke those fateful words:
“If anyone objects to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
Silence.
Or at least, it should have been silence.
Instead, three of my groomsmen stepped forward.
Jake, Nate, and James.
My stomach dropped. What the hell?
“We object.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Gasps erupted from the crowd. My mom called my name, but I couldn’t even turn to look at her. I just stood there, frozen, staring at my so-called friends.
“What… what is this?” I choked out.
Nate’s face was grim. “Look at her hand, man. Her ring finger.”
My heart hammered. Ellie’s hand? I’d held it a thousand times. I knew every freckle, every curve. What was he talking about?
I turned to Ellie. Her face had gone pale. She tried to pull away, but I grabbed her left hand—and that’s when I saw it.
A tiny tattoo. Two dots. And beneath them, the initials T.J.
Tyler James.
My best man.
I spun around, my vision blurring with rage. Tyler stood there, his face tight, his left hand clenched against his chest.
“Show me your hand,” I demanded.
He hesitated—then slowly uncurled his fingers.
There it was. The same two dots. But his initials? E.B.
Ellie Bennett.
My fiancée’s name.
The room spun. I gripped the altar to keep from collapsing.
“It’s not what you think,” Ellie whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Tyler stepped forward. “We were together before you two met. We thought it was over, but…”
“But what?” I snapped. “You got matching tattoos behind my back? On your ring fingers?”
Ellie reached for me. “David, please—”
I jerked away. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
Silence.
That was all the answer I needed.
I pulled off my ring, set it on the altar, and walked out.
The doors slammed behind me.
I didn’t look back.
Ellie’s Side: The Truth Hurts
I thought I could bury the past.
I was wrong.
When David walked away, my heart shattered. I ran after him, but he was already gone.
Then I heard Tyler’s voice behind me.
“Ellie.”
I turned. He stood there, looking at me like this was some kind of twisted happy ending.
“Now we don’t have to hide,” he said softly.
I stared at him, disgust rising in my throat.
“You think I want this?” I hissed. “You ruined everything! I loved David!”
Tyler’s face fell. “But… we were meant to be.”
“No,” I said, backing away. “What we had is dead. And after today? It’s buried.”
I turned and walked away—for good this time.
No wedding. No David.
And no Tyler.
Just the wreckage of the life I’d thrown away.
