The day before I was supposed to tie the knot, I got a notification on my phone about my boyfriend booking a hotel room.

Instead of flying off the handle, I kept my cool and waited for him to come home and spill the beans.

But before I knew it, his old flame posted a lovey-dovey pic of them on social media with a caption that made my stomach churn.

“Not giving us a shot was my biggest regret. If I get another chance, I want to tell you I'm all in.“

————

Caught red-handed,Lucian Louis didn't even try to explain himself.

He just sent a text saying,

We've got an early start tomorrow, so hit the hay early tonight.

Reading that message felt like a punch to the gut.

What did I mean to him

Was I just his Plan B

My eyes started to well up as I looked at our decked-out wedding room, feeling like the universe was playing a cruel joke on me.

I took a deep breath, swallowed my pride, and texted back.

The wedding's off. We're through.

Lucian ghosted me after that.

I couldn't care less if he saw it, and I had no desire to waste my breath on him.

He made my skin crawl.

Fighting back tears, I peeled off the wedding dress I'd picked out with so much care.

Lucian, pushing 30, was a hotshot associate professor at a university.

Everyone thinks he was the cream of the crop.

People kept telling me I was punching above my weight and that I should be a good little wifey and cut him some slack.

I'd been bending over backwards trying to be the perfect wife-to-be, remembering all the nice things Lucian had done for me.

But cheating was a slippery slope, and I wasn't about to sign up for a lifetime of drama.

I wanted a picture-perfect marriage, not a hot mess.

Cheating was my deal-breaker.

I'd only told my bestie and my mom about the wedding,

So when I decided to call it quits, I gave them a heads up.

My mom was floored and kept pushing me to sleep on it.

But when I filled her in on Lucian's two-timing, she clammed up.

After a while, she said, Okay, honey. If you've thought it through, I've got your back.

After taking care of business, I packed my bags and checked into a hotel.

I couldn't care less about what would go down the next day.

I holed up in the hotel for a couple of days.

Just when I thought the coast was clear and I could head home, Lucian showed up out of the blue at my hotel room.

His handsome face was marked with deep fatigue, his ink-black eyes staring straight at me.

Have you calmed down

His voice was low and hoarse.

I snapped back to reality, looking at him coldly, What does this have to do with you

Wendy, stop making a fuss. I'm very tired lately.

He said, lowering his voice as if conceding, the weariness evident in his eyes.

I let out a cold laugh. How could he not be tired, juggling between two women

What does your tiredness have to do with me

I responded coldly.

Even looking at him for one more second made me feel dirty.

I was about to leave after saying this, but he grabbed my wrist.

The moment his warm palm touched my wrist,

I jerked away like a startled bird, glaring at him angrily, Don't touch me!

Lucian's body trembled slightly, looking at me in surprise.

He opened his mouth as if to say something.

I don't want to hear your excuses. We've already broken up, please show some respect!

Wendy, his tone became heavier, with a hint of displeasure.

I couldn't find you on our wedding day, you didn't answer calls or messages. I've been exhausted dealing with this situation. Can't we talk things through properly Why do we have to make it this difficult

Talk about what About what you did after booking a hotel with someone else I'm sorry, I'm not interested. You can do whatever you want, it has nothing to do with me, I said.

Lucian's black eyes were like ink, his face so dark it could drip water. His voice was cold, People with dirty minds think everything is dirty.

You got me. I'm the one with the dirty mind. I'm not good enough for Mr. Squeaky Clean over here.

Well, ain't that peachy I'll just mosey on out of your life, and you can go find someone who's up to your standards.

His eyes narrowed, looking like he was about to blow a gasket. He let out a heavy sigh, Wendy, let's put a pin in this for now. My parents are waiting on us for dinner.

The mention of his parents made me feel a twinge of guilt.

Lucian's parents were a far cry from him.

His old man was a real chatterbox with a heart of gold, and his mom was as sweet as pie.

They always treated me like one of their own, sometimes even better than Lucian.

I figured they must be pretty torn up about this whole mess.

Well, I had to face the music sooner or later.

I didn't put up a fight, letting him grab my suitcase as we headed for the elevator.

We rolled up to his parents' place,

and I overheard his mom say, Quick, run out and grab some mangoes. Wendy's got a soft spot for them.

On it, Mr. Louis replied, heading for the door.

When he spotted us, he did a double-take before plastering on a warm smile, Well, look who's here! Come on in. I'll be back in a jiffy with some fruit.

I managed an awkward grin, tongue-tied.

I used to be cool as a cucumber here, greeting them like family.

Now, with all this drama, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Lucian fished out my slippers from the shoe rack and set them down.

I mumbled a Thanks as I slipped them on.

He froze for a sec, giving me a look I couldn't quite read.

I dodged his gaze and waltzed in, knowing the place like the back of my hand.

Mrs. Louis was still busy in the kitchen. Hearing our voices, she hurried out. Wendy's back! Sit on the sofa and rest a bit. We'll eat soon.

She and Mr. Louis were generous with their smiles, as if the wedding incident had never happened.

Seeing her smiling face, my guilt deepened.

But it didn't shake my resolve to break up.

I sat on the sofa as told, stiffly staring at the blank TV screen.

Lucian poured a glass of water and placed it in front of me. It's not your first time here, why so nervous

Without looking at him, I said flatly, Because this isn't my home.

Then I added coolly, It's not the first time, but it will be the last.

Lucian gripped his water glass, his fingertips turning white. His thin lips pressed into a straight line, as if deliberately restraining something.

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

Lucian got up to answer it. His childhood sweetheart Liana's cheerful voice came from outside.

Lucian, what are you cooking It smells so good.

As she spoke, she came in, changing her shoes with familiarity.

She was visibly startled when she saw me, forcing a smile, Oh, Wendy's here too.

My cold gaze swept over her, pausing when I noticed her slippers.

They were cute pink house slippers with little bears on them.

Coincidentally, her slippers matched the blue bear slippers on Lucian's feet, which were unsuitable for his status.

I curled my lips in self-mockery, swallowing all the words I wanted to say.

Dinnertime arrived.

Mrs. Louis, ever the attentive host, worried about my comfort. She even asked her son, Lucian, to peel some crayfish for me.

Lucian's frown said it all.

He despised these crustaceans, finding them both troublesome to eat and unappetizing.

I remembered a similar scene from a previous visit when he had asked, bewildered, Why would anyone eat these parasite-ridden things

His comment had put me off crayfish entirely.

I had lied, saying I didn't like them.

Clearly, Lucian's opinion hadn't changed, as he eyed the crayfish with disgust.

Smiling weakly, I reached for a disposable glove.

It's okay, Mrs. Louis. I can manage.

Mrs. Louis's smile faltered as she shot Lucian a disapproving look before turning back to me with forced cheerfulness.

Liana, perhaps sensing the tension, chimed in. Wendy, you're so good at peeling them! I love crayfish but never learned how.

I calmly popped a peeled crayfish into my mouth.

Really There are plenty of online tutorials you could check out.

Lucian, looking annoyed, slowly put on a glove and began peeling crayfish for Liana, gently explaining the technique.

The irony of the situation almost made me laugh.

If his parents weren't present, I might have said something I'd regret.

Mrs. Louis, clearly uncomfortable, coughed and said, Don't play favorites, Lucian. Take care of Wendy too.

Reluctantly, Lucian peeled one for me.

But by then, my appetite had vanished.

I didn't touch another crayfish for the rest of the meal,

leaving Lucian's offering conspicuously untouched in my bowl.

After the meal, that crayfish still remained in the bowl, particularly conspicuous.

As the meal ended, I smiled politely. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Louis, for your hospitality.”

“However, there's something I need to tell you. Lucian and I have broken up. I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Mr. and Mrs. Louis sat in stunned silence. Lucian clenched his fists, staring at me without a word.

Liana, her eyes brimming with tears, asked in a weak voice, Wendy, Lucian treats you so well. Why are you breaking up Can't you stay together

Her innocent act made my stomach churn.

I could barely keep my composure as I replied with a faint smile, Don't you know the reason

Wendy! Lucian cut in, his face dark with displeasure. I've told you before, Liana is like a sister to me. Stop being unreasonable.

Liana's expression faltered, her smile fading.

I looked at Lucian calmly, suddenly feeling drained.

Slowly, I stood up and addressed the confused elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Louis, thank you for your kindness. I'd love to treat you to a meal sometime. I just remembered I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now.

Mrs. Louis, sensing the tension, reluctantly stood up. Alright then. I made some mango mille-feuille. Let me pack some for you to take home.

Before I could refuse, she hurried to the kitchen.

I left Lucian's house and took a taxi home with my suitcase.

I hadn't been there for two days, and as I entered, I noticed the corridor was spotless. There was no trace of the wedding preparations that had once filled the space.