Chapter 3

The sharp, sterile smell of antiseptic filled my senses as I slowly opened my eyes.

"Oh, you're awake?"

A nurse happened to walk past my bed and stopped:

"You passed out in the restaurant restroom. The staff called an ambulance and had you brought in."

My throat felt like sandpaper. It hurt just to speak:

"What... what happened to me?"

The nurse offered a reassuring smile:

"Severe emotional stress on top of utter physical exhaustion. You just need proper rest."

I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

To pull off today's wedding, I had pulled several all-nighters.

The catering, the decor, the seating chart...

I had planned out every single tiny detail, drafting over a hundred variations.

Logan had even mocked me for it back then:

"It's just a wedding. You're making a ridiculous deal out of it."

Back then, completely blinded by love, I had simply beamed at him and said:

"You only get married once in your life. Of course it's worth it."

I thanked the nurse.

Unlocking my phone, over ninety unread notifications flashed on the screen.

Not a single private message was for me.

In our four-person SnapChat group, they were having the time of their lives.

Tyler: [Just picked up Sierra! She looks stunning today.]

Tyler: [Bro, you're one lucky guy.]

Attached was a photo of Sierra sitting in the backseat, flashing a peace sign at the camera.

I zoomed in on the picture.

I recognized the floral ribbons on the car doors and the white lily bouquet resting beside her.

That was my bridal car. Those were my wedding flowers.

Logan replied:

[Obviously.]

Below it were sweet, flirtatious texts between Logan and Sierra, sprinkled with Tyler's teasing remarks.

On my wedding day, not a single one of them remembered the actual bride.

They just let Sierra take my bridal car.

And hold my bouquet.

I told myself I shouldn't care anymore, but a wave of suffocating grief washed over my chest.

A tear slipped from my eye, splashing right onto the screen.

My finger slipped, accidentally sending a "nudge" to Logan.

The lively chat instantly froze.

A second later, two voice notes from Logan popped up.

"Sierra won our game yesterday, and all she asked for was a ride in the bridal car."

"Call an Uber and get here yourself. Stop being petty over every little thing."

My mind drifted back.

When Logan and I first started dating.

Because of his rough childhood, he always kept his distance from everyone.

I was the one who kept reaching out, slowly melting his cold exterior.

But constantly giving without getting anything back gets exhausting.

So once, Sierra dragged me out to a club to blow off steam.

That night, Logan walked five miles through the pouring rain just to track me down.

"Why are you out this late?"

He sounded harsh, but my heart fluttered.

Back then, I thought that was just his clumsy, awkward way of showing he cared.

Yet now, he had left me passed out in a bathroom all night.

And the very first thing he said to me was an order to hand over my wedding car and flowers to my best friend.

I didn't hear a trace of love in his voice anymore.

All I felt was bone-deep exhaustion.

"She can have the wedding too."

I typed out the reply, hit send, and left the group chat.

I let out a long, shuddering breath.

The pain I had been holding back finally broke through. Muffled sobs tore from my throat, raw and broken.

After what felt like forever, my phone buzzed violently.

It was Mom.

"Chloe! Where are you? Why aren't you at the venue yet?"

Her voice was panicked, trembling on the verge of tears.

"Your father and Logan... they're fighting!"

I scrambled out of bed, ripping the IV needle from my hand.

The nurse turned around and yelled after me in shock.

"I'm so sorry!" I wiped my nose, my voice shaking. "I have an emergency. I have to go!"

The nurse sighed and shoved a folded chart into my hands:

"Fine, but you really need to be careful with your body..."

Before she could finish, I snatched the paper, jammed it into my pocket, and sprinted out the door.