My fiancée threw the ring in my face after her childhood best friend came back into her life, saying, “We connect so deeply, your pathetic mind could never understand.” Now that karma wrecked her life, she’s begging me to take her back.
All right. So, my fiancée called off our wedding the night before, telling me I was a pathetic placeholder while she chased her childhood friend. I watched karma destroy her life as she ended up a single mom living in her mom’s basement years later, while my life got exponentially better. Grab a chair and enjoy the chaos.
I, 36 male, spent six months’ worth of overtime checks on a ring that got thrown at my face. Six months of staying late at the aerospace plant, volunteering for weekend shifts, skipping lunches to save an extra 20 bucks here and there. Two karats, white gold band, nothing flashy, but solid quality. Cost me 8 grand.
My fiancée Lauren, 34 female, cried when I proposed. Good tears. The kind that made me think I’d actually done something right. We’d been together nearly four years. Lived together for two. Split rent, split bills, had a savings account. Normal couple stuff.
I designed ventilation systems for military aircraft at a defense contractor. We weren’t rich, but we were stable. Made plans like adults who had their lives together. Wedding planning took 8 months. She handled most of it. I showed up when needed, approved decisions, did my part. Everything seemed fine.
My mom liked her. My friends liked her. All the boxes checked. Rehearsal dinner was Friday night. The wedding was scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. About 40 people showed up to the church basement for the rehearsal.
So there I was, standing in that church basement, watching my fiancée throw a 2 karat engagement ring at my face. Not toss, not hand back—full-on fastball to the forehead. The rehearsal dinner had wrapped up an hour ago. Most people had cleared out. Just me, Lauren, and the wedding coordinator.
The coordinator was going over last minute details when Lauren suddenly cut her off mid-sentence. “I can’t do this,” Lauren announced to the room. “I can’t marry you, Jude.” The coordinator froze. I just stood there, trying to process what was happening.
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “The wedding’s tomorrow. Everyone’s already here.”
“I know when the wedding is,” she snapped. “And I’m telling you, I can’t go through with it. I don’t love you. I never really did.”
That’s when the ring came flying at me, hit me square in the forehead hard enough to leave a mark. The thing bounced off and clattered across the tile floor.
“You were always just a placeholder,” she continued, voice getting louder. “Someone stable and boring while I figured out what I actually wanted. And what I want is Wyatt.”
Wyatt, her childhood best friend who’d moved back to town 6 months ago. I bent down and picked up the ring, looked at it for a second, then back at her. “You’re serious right now.”
“Dead serious. Wyatt and I have been talking every single day since he got back. We connect so deeply. Your pathetic mind could never understand. He gets me. He understands me. You’re just safe, predictable. I settled for you because I thought that’s what I was supposed to want, but I don’t want safe anymore.”
The wedding coordinator tried to excuse herself. Lauren stopped her. “No, stay. You need to hear this, too, so you can cancel everything. There’s no wedding happening tomorrow.”
“Lauren,” I said slowly. “We’ve been together for 4 years. We’ve lived together for two.”
You’re telling me the night before our wedding that I was just a placeholder?
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. She crossed her arms like she just won an argument. Wyatt’s the one I should have been with all along. We were inseparable as kids. First loves never really die, you know.
From his cage in the corner, I’d brought him along since I had a vet appointment scheduled right after this. Giggy squawked. I’d had Giggsy for 6 years. African gray parrot, smart as anything, and he’d never liked Lauren.
She’d tried to get me to rehome him twice during our relationship. Said he was loud and messy and made the apartment smell. I’d refused both times.
“See,” Lauren pointed at the cage. “Even that bird knows I don’t belong here.”
“His name is Gigsy,” I said flatly.
“I don’t care what his name is. I hate that bird, and I hate this boring life we’ve built. Wyatt has passion. He has excitement. You have a 401k and a stupid bird that can’t stop screaming.”
The coordinator cleared her throat. “I’ll just give you two some privacy.” She basically ran out of there. Can’t say I blamed her.
“So that’s it?” I asked. “Four years and you’re done because your childhood crush moved back.”
“He’s not a crush, Jude. He’s my soulmate. I should have never let him go in the first place. Choosing you was the safe option. I’m done pretending that I like you.”
I slipped the ring into my pocket. “All right.”
She blinked. “That’s all you have to say?”
“What were you waiting for or something? What do you want me to say? That I’ll fight for you, beg you to reconsider? Not happening. You made your choice. I’m not going to compete with some fantasy you’ve built up in your head.”
Her face went red. “You’re not even going to try to stop me?”
“Hard pass. I thought you’d at least care enough to fight for us,” she said. And I swear she sounded offended that I wasn’t groveling.
“There is no us anymore. You made sure of that.” I picked up Gig’s cage. “I’m going home. You can stay at your mom’s tonight since you’re so done with this boring life.”
“Fine, but I’m taking Giggsy.”
I actually laughed at that. “You’re not taking my bird.”
“I paid for half of everything in that apartment. I deserve something.”
“You hate him. You literally just said you hate him. Why would you want him?”
“Because,” she said. And here’s where I saw how truly messed up she was. “I deserve to take something from you since you’re being such a jerk about this. Hand over the bird.”
“No.”
She tried to grab the cage. Giggsy went ballistic, screeching and flapping his wings. I pulled the cage back. Which Giggsy screamed, “Give me that stupid bird.”
Lauren lunged again. I sidestepped her. “Are you out of your mind?”
“This is my rehearsal dinner, too. You don’t get to kick me out.”
“You just called off the wedding. There’s no rehearsal to practice for anymore. Get out.”
A security guard poked his head in. Probably heard all the yelling. “Everything okay in here?”
“No,” Lauren said quickly. “He’s trying to steal my bird.”
The guard looked at me. I looked at him. Giggsy looked at both of us and said, “Bad lady.”
“It’s my bird,” I explained. “I’ve had him for 6 years. She just called off our wedding and now she’s trying to take him out of spite.”
The guard’s expression said he’d seen this type of situation before and wanted no part of it. “Ma’am, if the bird’s not yours, you need to leave the gentleman alone.”
“This is insane.” Lauren shrieked. “I’m the victim here.”
“The victim,” I repeated. “You called off the wedding, told me I was a placeholder, threw a ring…”
At my face, and now you’re the victim because I won’t let you take my parrot. You’re making me look crazy.
“You’re doing that yourself,” the guard muttered. “I want that bird.”
Lauren made one more grab for the cage. Giggsy bit her finger through the bars. Not hard enough to really hurt, just enough to make his point. She screamed like she’d been shot.
“That demon bird attacked me!”
You attacked him first, I pointed out.
The security guard stepped in. “All right, that’s enough. Ma’am, you need to leave the premises.”
“Now you can’t kick me out. I rented this space.”
“Actually, I rented it,” I said. “My name’s on the contract.”
Her face went from red to purple. “This is unbelievable. You’re choosing a bird over me?” She grabbed her purse and stormed toward the door, but couldn’t resist one final shot. “You’re going to regret this, Jude. When you’re sitting alone in your boring apartment with your stupid bird, you’re going to realize what you lost.”
“Probably not,” I said.
She slammed the door hard enough to rattle the walls. The security guard looked at me. “You good, man?”
“Yeah. Thanks for the backup.”
“No problem.”
I took Giggsy to his vet appointment, just a routine checkup I’d scheduled weeks ago, then drove home. He was unusually quiet the whole way. When I got to the apartment, I opened his cage and he hopped out onto my shoulder. “You knew she was bad news, didn’t you?” I asked him.
Woke up the next morning to 47 text messages and 23 missed calls. The wedding was supposed to start at 3:00 p.m. It was currently 9:00 a.m. and my phone was having a meltdown. Lauren’s mom, my mom, her bridesmaids, my groomsman, the caterer, the photographer, everyone wanted to know what was going on.
I sent one group text: “Wed’s off. Lauren called it last night at rehearsal. Sorry for the inconvenience. Deposits are non-refundable, but I’ll handle the cancellation fees.” Then I turned my phone off and went to make breakfast. Giggsy watched me from his perch, head tilted. “What do you think, buddy? Scrambled or fried?”
I just cracked the second egg when someone started pounding on the apartment door. “Jude, open up. I need to get my stuff.” Lauren.
I opened the door. She pushed past me, already heading for the bedroom.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Getting my things. I’m moving in with Wyatt today and I need my clothes.”
“Fine. Get your clothes. That’s it.”
She disappeared into the bedroom. I followed because I wasn’t about to let her have free reign of the place. Giggsy came with me, sitting on my shoulder and making disapproving clicking sounds.
Lauren started throwing clothes into a duffel bag. Then I saw her grab the iPad off the nightstand.
“That’s mine,” I said.
“We shared it.”
“I bought it. My name’s on the receipt. Put it back.”
She rolled her eyes but dropped it on the bed, moved to the dresser, and started opening drawers. She pulled out a jewelry box.
“Where do you think you’re going with that?” I asked.
“These are my earrings.”
“Half of those earrings I bought you. You’re not taking the whole box.”
“You gave them to me. They’re mine now.”
“The ones your mom gave you? Fine. The antique set from my grandmother that I let you borrow for events? Not a chance.”
Her face went red. “You’re being petty.”
“You called off our wedding 12 hours ago and called me a placeholder. I’m being practical.”
She huffed but started sorting through the jewelry box, pulled out a few pieces, left others. The whole time I could see her eyeing other things in the room, the laptop on the desk, the
Noise-cancelling headphones. And you’re a thief. Keep moving.
She moved to the living room. Started eyeing the TV. Don’t even think about it, I warned. We bought that together. No, I bought that. You chipped in 50 bucks 2 years ago. The receipt’s in my filing cabinet if you want to argue about it.
Giggsy, still on my shoulder, bobbed his head. “Shut up,” Lawrence snapped at him. “Talk to my bird like that again, and you can leave with nothing,” I said calmly.
She stood there fuming. I could see her brain working, trying to figure out what she could claim. She looked around the apartment like she was taking inventory. Her eyes kept landing on things, calculating, trying to figure out what she could argue for.
“You know what?” she finally said. “Keep everything. Keep your boring stuff in your boring apartment with your stupid bird. Wyatt has a fully furnished place anyway. I don’t need any of this.”
Great. Then you can leave.
She grabbed her duffel bag and stomped toward the door. Then she stopped, turned around. “I do want one thing,” she said. What? “That ring? The engagement ring? That’s mine. I could sell it.”
I actually laughed. The ring you threw at my face and called me boring while wearing that ring? “I was emotional. I wasn’t thinking clearly.” You were thinking clearly enough to tell me I was a placeholder and that you never loved me. The ring stays with me.
“That’s not fair. You broke the engagement. You don’t get to keep the ring. That’s pretty standard.” But you’re not going to use it. Maybe I will. Maybe I’ll melt it down and make a cage nameplate for Giggsy. Maybe I’ll sell it myself. Either way, it’s not your concern anymore.
She looked like she wanted to argue more, but even she could see how ridiculous she sounded. “Fine,” she spat. “Keep your stupid ring. Keep everything. You’ll die alone anyway.”
She slammed the door on her way out. I heard her stomping down the hallway, then the building door closing. I looked around the apartment. Everything exactly where it should be. Nothing missing except the person who’d called me boring while trying to steal my stuff on her way out.
My best friend Josh showed up an hour later with food and a case of energy drinks. “Dude,” he said. “What the heck happened?”
I filled him in on the rehearsal dinner fiasco and the morning raid on the apartment. Josh listened without interrupting, which is one of the reasons he’s my best friend. Doesn’t jump to conclusions, just lets you talk.
When I finished, he sat back and shook his head. “She tried to take Giggsy?” Yep. “After calling you boring and saying she never loved you?” Yep. “And then showed up this morning trying to steal your stuff.”
That’s the part that got me. She dumps me at the altar, then acts entitled to half my apartment the next day. Had to watch her like a hawk so she didn’t walk out with my laptop.
Josh grabbed a sandwich from the bag. “Well, you dodged a massive bullet. Almost married one, like 18 hours away from it. But you’re not. That’s what matters.”
Josh stuck around. We spent the rest of the day watching movies and ignoring my phone, which I’d finally turned back on and was now blowing up with questions, accusations, and opinions nobody asked for.
One text stood out, though. From Eevee, one of Lauren’s bridesmaids. “Hey, Jude. Heard what happened? That’s messed up. If you need someone to talk to, I’m around.”
I showed it to Josh. “Lauren’s friend is reaching out.” “Eevee, the blonde one who works at the hospital?” Yeah. “She’s always been cool.”
I was surprised she’s checking in on you instead of taking Lauren’s side blindly. I texted back a simple thank you and left it at that. Wasn’t really in the headspace to think about anything beyond getting through the next few days.
The following week was weird. I had to untangle everything, cancel the honeymoon, return wedding gifts, deal with vendors. Lauren had apparently moved in with Wyatt immediately, according to my mom, who heard it from her mom. They were already playing house like the last four years of my life meant nothing.
Work was a good distraction. I’m an aerospace engineer at a defense contractor, which sounds cooler than it is. Mostly, I sit at a computer designing ventilation systems for aircraft. Not glamorous, but the pay is solid, and I actually like solving technical problems.
My supervisor called me into his office two weeks after the non-wedding. “I’ve got a project that might interest you. Lead design role on the new transport helicopter contract. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I think you can handle it.” A promotion. The week my wedding fell apart, I got offered a promotion.
“I’m interested,” I said. “Good. We’ll talk details next week. Take care of yourself, Jude.”
I threw myself into work, stayed late, came in early, volunteered for extra assignments. It kept my mind occupied and away from thinking about Lauren and Wyatt living their best life together.
One month after the non-wedding, Evee texted me again. “Coffee sometime? No pressure. Just thought you might want to talk to someone who gets how weird this situation is.”
I thought about it for a day, then agreed. We met at a coffee shop downtown. She was already there when I arrived, sitting at a corner table with two cups in front of her.
“Wasn’t sure what you drink, so I got black coffee and left room for cream and sugar if you want it,” she said.
“Black’s perfect. Thanks.”
We sat in slightly awkward silence for a minute before she spoke. “I’m sorry about Lauren,” she said. “For what it’s worth, most of us had no idea she was planning to bail. She kept the whole Wyatt thing pretty quiet.”
“Most of you. Her cousin knew, they’re close, but the rest of us were blindsided.”
“Her cousin,” I repeated. “Let me guess. She approved.”
“She encouraged it actually. Kept telling Lauren she deserved passion and excitement. That settling for stability was giving up on true love. Real helpful stuff like that.”
“Sounds like a great person.”
Evee smiled slightly. “Yeah, she’s a piece of garbage. Has her own drama going on constantly, but Lauren eats up everything she says.”
“So, you’re still friends with her?” I asked. Not accusatory, just curious.
“Not really. I told her calling off the wedding the night before was insane and cruel, and she told me I didn’t understand real love. We haven’t talked since.”
We talked for two hours. She was easy to talk to, funny in this dry, sarcastic way that I appreciated. Turned out she was a nurse at the children’s hospital, which explained why she had such a no-nonsense attitude. Hard to maintain drama when you’re dealing with sick kids all day.
When we left the coffee shop, she said, “This was nice. Want to do it again sometime?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’d like that.”
We started meeting up regularly after that. Coffee turned into lunch. Lunch turned into dinner. Nothing rushed, nothing forced, just two people who’d both been affected by Lauren’s chaos trying to figure out what came next.
Gigsy approved of her immediately. First time she came over to my apartment, he did his little happy dance.
I climbed right onto her shoulder and started playing with her hair. “He likes you,” I said. “That’s rare.”
We kept it casual for months. No pressure, no labels, just enjoying each other’s company. She understood I needed time. I appreciated that she wasn’t trying to be a replacement for anything.
Life settled into something comfortable. Work was going great. The promotion came through, and I was running point on the helicopter contract. More money, more responsibility, more respect from colleagues who used to treat me like just another engineer in a cubicle.
Eevee and I found our rhythm. She’d stay over on weekends. I’d help her study for her master’s program. We’d take Giggsy to the park. Normal relationship stuff, but without the underlying tension I’d always felt with Lauren.
One year after the non-wedding, I got a call from an unknown number. I answered it anyway.
“Jude, it’s Lauren’s mother.”
I almost hung up. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to talk to you about my daughter. She’s not doing well.”
“Okay.” That’s it. Just okay. “What do you want me to say?”
She sighed heavily. “Things with Wyatt aren’t working out. He’s not the man she thought he was. And now she has one baby boy, and she’s eight months pregnant with their second child.”
“That’s unfortunate,” I said.
“Unfortunate, Jude. She’s struggling. She’s going to have two babies in less than two years. Wyatt’s barely around. She’s exhausted and overwhelmed. And I think she’s realizing she made a terrible mistake leaving you.”
“Still not sure why you’re calling me.”
“Because you were good to her. You were stable and reliable, and she threw that away for some fantasy. Now she’s paying the price, and I’m watching my daughter fall apart.”
“Mrs. Henderson, that’s not my responsibility anymore.”
“You don’t even care? After four years together?”
“No.”
“She was confused. She made a mistake.”
“She made a very deliberate choice. And now she’s living with the consequences of that choice.”
“So you’re just going to move on? Pretend those four years meant nothing?”
“I already have moved on.”
There was a long silence on the other end.
“Eevee,” Mrs. Henderson said finally. “One of her bridesmaids.”
“Wow. That’s right. Lauren’s heard about that.”
“She’s upset again.”
“Not my problem.”
“She needs support right now, Jude. She needs someone who understands her.”
“Then she should call Wyatt or her cousin who encouraged this whole mess. But she’s not calling me. And if she does, I won’t answer.”
“You’re really not going to help her?”
“Help her with what, exactly? Her relationship problems with the guy she left me for? Her decision to have two kids in two years with someone she barely knew? What am I supposed to do about any of that?”
Mrs. Henderson’s voice got quieter. “She talks about you sometimes. Says you would have been a good father. That she should have appreciated what she had.”
“Cool. She can think that all she wants. It doesn’t change anything.”
“Jude—”
I hung up before she could say anything else.
Eevee and I kept building our relationship. No rush, no pressure, just steady forward momentum. Around the eighteen-month mark, I started thinking about rings again. Not obsessively, just casually browsing when I had downtime at work.
Two years after the non-wedding, I proposed. Nothing fancy, just the two of us and Giggsy at the park where we’d had our first real conversation after coffee. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes.
We set a date for the wedding. Fall, like my first almost-wedding. But this time, it felt right. No nagging doubts, no red flags I was ignoring. Just two.
People who fit.
6 months before the wedding, my phone rang. Unknown number.
“Hello, Jude. It’s Lauren.”
I almost hung up. Didn’t say anything.
“Jude, please don’t hang up. I need to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About us. About everything.” Her voice cracked. “Wyatt and I are over. He cheated on me multiple times with my cousin.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? That’s all you have to say?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know. Something. Anything.” She was crying now. “I messed up, Jude. I messed up so bad. I should have never left you. You were exactly what I needed, and I was too stupid to see it.”
“Lauren, I have two kids now, two boys, and I’m doing this all alone because Wyatt doesn’t care about being a father. He just wanted the fun parts without the responsibility. And I’m exhausted and overwhelmed and I keep thinking about how different things would be if I just married you like I was supposed to.”
“That’s not my problem.”
“I know it’s not your problem. But I’m telling you, I made a mistake. The biggest mistake of my life. You were good to me. You were stable and kind and you actually loved me. And I threw it all away for some fantasy that turned into a nightmare.”
“Lauren, I’m engaged.”
Silence.
“What?”
“I’m engaged. Getting married in 6 months.”
“To who?”
“Eevee.”
More silence, then quietly. “My bridesmaid Eevee?”
“Yeah, you’re marrying her. That’s what engaged means.”
“Jude, no. Please, you can’t marry her. She’s not right for you. I know you. I know what you need. This is just revenge. You’re just trying to hurt me.”
“I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m just living my life.”
“But we were supposed to end up together.”
“Why?”
“It was supposed to be a phase. Something I needed to get out of my system and then we’d find our way back to each other. That’s how it was supposed to work.”
“That’s insane.”
“It’s not insane. People do it all the time. They take a break, figure things out, and then they come back stronger than ever.”
“We didn’t take a break. You left me at the altar.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Jude. I was confused and scared. And my cousin kept telling me I deserved more excitement, more passion. But she was wrong. You were enough. You were always enough.”
“Cool.”
“Cool? That’s it?”
“Cool.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say you forgive me. I want you to say we can try again. I want you to say you’ll call off your wedding and give us another chance.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Please, Jude. Please. I’m begging you. I have two kids. I’m a single mom. Wyatt wants nothing to do with us. My cousin won’t even return my calls. I have nobody. I need you.”
“You don’t need me. You need help, but not from me.”
“I love you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do. I’ve always loved you.”
“You loved what I represented. Security, stability, a backup plan. You didn’t love me.”
“That’s not true.”
“Lauren, I’m going to go now.”
“Wait, please.”
“Good luck with everything.”
I hung up.
Eevee looked up from her textbook. “Who was that?”
“Nobody.”
Wedding day arrived. The ceremony was scheduled for 3:00 p.m. At 2:45, I was standing at the altar with Josh as my best man. Eevee was about to walk down the aisle. The string quartet started playing. Guests stood up.
And then someone screamed from the back of the venue.
“Stop!”
Everyone turned.
Lauren burst through the doors with a toddler on her hip and another kid clinging to her leg. She looked like she’d been sleeping in a parking lot. Dark circles under her eyes, hair in a ratty bun, wearing sweatpants and a stained t-shirt.
The music died. Dead silence.
“Jude,” she yelled, marching down the aisle.
Like she owned the place. “Don’t do this. You’re making a mistake.”
I didn’t move. Just watched her parade herself and Wyatt’s kids toward the altar while a hundred people stared.
“Lauren,” I said, voice carrying through the whole venue. “Get out.”
“No.” She was crying already, mascara streaking. “I can’t let you marry her. You’re supposed to be with me. We’re supposed to be together.”
Someone’s grandmother gasped. Eevee’s dad started moving from his seat.
“We’re not together,” I said flatly. “That was a mistake.”
She reached the altar, both kids whimpering. “Wyatt was a mistake. The biggest mistake of my life. I should have married you, Jude. I should have stayed. But I can fix this. We can fix this.”
Josh leaned over and muttered, “Is she serious right now?”
“Apparently.”
“Please.” Lauren begged, full ugly cry mode now. “Please don’t marry Eevee. Leave her. Come with me. We can be a family. These boys need a father and you’re good and stable.”
“And Wyatt’s their father,” I interrupted. “Not me.”
“I know that.” She was getting hysterical. “But you could be better than him. You could step up. We could raise them together. You and me like we were supposed to before everything got messed up.”
The wedding coordinator looked like she wanted to evaporate. Security was finally hustling down the aisle.
“So, let me get this straight.” I said loud enough for everyone to hear. “You want me to leave my bride at the altar, walk out of my own wedding, and go play stepdad to your ex’s kids? That’s the plan?”
“Yes, because we belong together. We’re soulmates, Jude. First loves never really end. We had something real and you threw it away. I threw it away.”
I actually laughed. “You called me a placeholder. You threw a ring at my face. You told me you never loved me. You moved in with Wyatt the next day. But I threw it away.”
Her face went red. “I was scared. I was confused. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“You meant every word.”
“Please.” She was sobbing now, full breakdown mode. Both kids were crying, too, overwhelmed by their mom losing it in front of strangers. “Please, Jude. I’m begging you. Don’t marry her. She’s wrong for you. I’m right for you. I know I messed up, but we can fix this. Leave her and come with me right now. We’ll walk out together and start over and everything will be like it was supposed to be.”
Security reached her, two guards trying to be gentle because she had kids with her.
“Ma’am,” one said, “you need to leave.”
“No.” She jerked away, nearly dropping the toddler. “Jude, please. You’re supposed to wait for me. Wyatt was supposed to be temporary and then I’d come back and you’d be there. That’s how this works.”
“That’s insane.”
“It’s not insane!” She was screaming now. “True love always finds a way back. You and me, Jude. We’re supposed to end up together. This is destiny. Don’t marry her. Don’t do it. Leave Eevee and choose me. Choose us.”
The kid on her hip yanked her hair. She yelped but kept going.
“These boys need you. I need you. You need me even if you’re too stubborn to admit it. We’re meant to be together. Please, Jude, please don’t throw away what we have.”
“We don’t have anything,” I said. “You made sure of that two years ago.”
“Ma’am, let’s go.” Security was moving her backward now, physically guiding her toward the exit.
“You’ll regret this!” Lauren shrieked, voice cracking. “You’re making the biggest mistake of your life. Eevee doesn’t love you like I do. She can’t. We’re soulmates, Jude. We belong together. Don’t marry her. Please don’t marry her.”
The doors closed.
Silence. Everyone just stared. Some looked horrified. Others looked entertained as heck. Josh was trying not to laugh. I looked at the wedding coordinator.
Let’s take five, then restart from Eevee’s entrance. She nodded, still in shock. I turned to Josh. Get me the venue manager and call my lawyer. I want paperwork started now. Restraining order. Restraining order.
20 minutes later, the ceremony started over. Eevee walked down the aisle. For real this time. And when she reached me, she whispered, “Your ex is completely unhinged.”
“Yeah,” I whispered back. “That’s why I’m filing a restraining order Monday morning.”
“Good, because if she crashes our reception, I’m handling it myself.” I laughed. The officiant cleared his throat and we got married. The ceremony went off without another hitch after that.
Turned out having your deranged ex crash your wedding and beg you to abandon your bride makes for legendary wedding stories. The reception went smoothly. No more drama, just cake, dancing, and celebrating with people who actually gave a darn about us.
I filed the restraining order on Monday. Lauren was legally barred from contacting me or coming within 500 feet. Done. Life moved on. I got promoted at work. Eevee and I bought a house. Giggsy got his own room with a massive cage and climbing trees. Normal, boring life, the kind Lauren said she didn’t want.
About 3 months after the wedding, Josh mentioned he’d heard through mutual friends that Wyatt got arrested. Domestic violence, multiple charges, assault on Lauren, child endangerment with the kids. Cops found bruises on her and one of the boys. I didn’t react much, just filed that information away and kept living my life.
6 months later, word got around that Wyatt took a plea deal. 8 years in state prison, possibility of parole after five. He was already transferred to a facility upstate. Lauren was apparently living in her mom’s basement with two kids under three. No job, no money. Wyatt had drained their joint account before he got arrested.
She was broke, desperate, and completely alone. Her cousin, the one who’d encouraged her to leave me and then slept with Wyatt, wanted nothing to do with her anymore. Most of her friends had bailed. Turned out the exciting, passionate life she wanted came with an expiration date and a criminal record for the father of her kids.
I heard she tried reaching out through mutual friends a few times, asking for money, claiming I owed her something for wasting her best years. My lawyer sent cease and desist letters. The attempts stopped a year after the wedding.
Eevee and I were at dinner when I spotted Lauren across the restaurant. She was on a date with some older guy, late 50s. She looked exhausted, worn down. The spark was gone. She saw me. I saw the recognition in her eyes. The way she started to stand up like she might come over.
I turned back to Eevee and kept talking. Didn’t acknowledge her, didn’t care. When I glanced back 5 minutes later, Lauren was gone. Left her date sitting there alone.
That was it. No dramatic confrontations, no closure conversations, just Lauren living with the consequences of her choices while I lived my life. She chose Wyatt because I was too boring, too stable, not exciting enough. Wyatt turned out to be an abusive piece of garbage who’s now doing 8 years in prison. Lauren’s broke, living with her mom, raising two kids alone with an abuser’s name on their birth certificates. And me, I got promoted, married the right woman.
Bought a house, and gave my parent his own room. I didn’t have to do a darn thing. Karma handled everything while I just existed.
Best revenge is living well, and I was living great.
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