The night before my wedding, I couldn’t sleep. My mind wouldn’t stop racing. No matter how hard I tried—closing my eyes, taking deep breaths, even counting backward from a hundred—nothing worked. Tomorrow was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but instead of excitement, I felt a heavy weight pressing down on my chest.
What if something went wrong? What if I tripped walking down the aisle? What if Zachary, my fiancé, got cold feet? My heart pounded at the thought.
A headache started creeping in. Great. Just what I needed before my wedding.
I sighed and sat up. Aspirin. That might help. I slid out of bed, careful not to make a sound, and tiptoed toward the door. My parents were light sleepers, and I didn’t want to wake them.
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard something.
Whispers.
I froze.
A quiet but urgent voice. My mother’s.
“Just listen to me, please.”
Then, a deeper voice. Zachary’s. My stomach twisted. Why was he here? He was supposed to be at his hotel, resting for the big day.
I pressed myself against the wall and peeked around the corner. The dim light from the kitchen illuminated a sight that made my blood run cold.
My mother was on her knees in front of Zachary. She wasn’t crying or panicking. She was eerily calm, her hands clasped in front of her as she looked up at him.
“Please don’t show up at the ceremony tomorrow.”
My breath caught in my throat. My fingers dug into the wooden doorframe.
Zachary stiffened. “What the hell?” he muttered. “Why would you—”
“I’ll pay you,” my mother interrupted. “Twenty thousand dollars. It’ll be in your suit bag tomorrow morning. Just take the money and disappear from her life.”
My vision blurred. This couldn’t be real.
Zachary let out a bitter laugh. “Are you serious?”
My mother’s voice softened. “She loves you, but love isn’t enough. She deserves more—a stable future, security. You can’t give her that.”
He clenched his jaw. “And you think some rich old man can?”
My mother’s lips pressed into a thin line. “He’s successful. He can provide for her in ways you can’t.”
A sickening realization washed over me. This wasn’t just about Zachary. This had been planned. My parents wanted me to marry someone else. Some wealthy businessman they had chosen.
Zachary exhaled, rubbing his jaw. He was thinking about it.
No.
No, no, no.
“You really believe this is what’s best for her?” Zachary asked quietly.
My mother nodded. “I do.”
A long silence. Then, Zachary shrugged. “Fine. Deal.”
The air left my lungs. I turned and ran up the stairs, shaking. I collapsed onto my bed, my heart slamming against my ribs. He agreed. My mind screamed, my body felt frozen. The door creaked open.
“Diane.” Zachary’s voice was soft.
I didn’t move. Couldn’t look at him. He sighed. The bed dipped as he sat beside me.
“I know you heard everything,” he murmured.
I swallowed hard. “Trust you? You just—”
“I’m not leaving.”
His voice was firm. His eyes locked onto mine.
I blinked. “What?”
“I’m not leaving you, Diane.” He leaned closer. “Your parents don’t want me in your life. They want you to marry someone else.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Yes, it does.” His jaw tightened. “They’ve been planning this. Your dad’s business partner—some rich guy. They think he’s a better match for you. Your mom actually believes she’s saving you from me.”
I wanted to deny it, but deep down, I knew it was true. The hints. The way my mother constantly talked about financial security as if it mattered more than love.
“They offered me $20,000 to disappear,” Zachary continued. “So, I said yes.”
I flinched.
He smirked. “Because I’m going to take their money. And then I’m going to give them exactly what they asked for.”
My pulse pounded.
“I won’t show up at the wedding,” he said, eyes gleaming. “But not because I’m running away. Because you and I? We’re leaving together.”
I sat there, stunned. “So… what happens next?”
Zachary grinned. “Tomorrow, you get married.”
I swallowed. “But you won’t be there.”
“Nope.” He squeezed my hand. “But you will.”
A slow smile spread across my lips. I nodded. “Let’s do it.”
—
The next morning, I stood in my wedding dress, staring at my reflection. White lace, soft fabric—it was perfect. But this wasn’t the wedding my parents had planned.
My mother knocked. “Diane, sweetheart, it’s time.”
I turned and smiled. “Coming.”
She beamed, unaware of what was coming.
The church was packed. The music swelled. My father led me down the aisle. I reached the altar—but Zachary wasn’t there.
I turned to my mother. “So, where’s fiancé number two?”
The church fell silent.
My mother’s smile vanished. My father stiffened. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“Diane, sweetheart—”
“Oh, no,” I cut in. “Let’s talk about how my parents paid my fiancé twenty grand to disappear.”
A murmur spread. Faces turned. Eyes widened.
My mother’s voice wavered. “That’s not true.”
I let out a sharp laugh. “Really? Zachary told me everything. About the money. About the man you wanted me to marry.”
The murmurs grew louder. My father looked like he might pass out.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” I asked. “That I’d just go along with it?”
People whispered.
Her parents tried to pay off the groom?
They wanted to force her into an arranged marriage?
I turned back to my parents. “I hope you’re happy,” I said, voice steady. “Zachary is gone.”
My mother exhaled in relief. But then I smiled.
“And now? So am I.”
I dropped my bouquet and walked out.
—
Zachary was waiting outside, leaning against his car in his wedding suit. His eyes met mine, a slow smile spreading across his face.
For a moment, I just stood there. And then I ran.
Zachary caught me, spinning me around.
“You did it,” he whispered.
I grinned. “We did it.”
“You ready?”
I exhaled deeply, letting go of the life my parents had planned for me.
“More than ever.”
I slid into the car. An envelope sat on the seat. Inside were crisp bills—$20,000.
Zachary smirked. “At least your parents bought us a nice honeymoon.”
As we drove away, leaving behind the wedding, the expectations, and the lies, I realized something.
I had never felt more free.
