I Canceled Our Wedding the Day Before, He Was at His Ex’s Somewhere in the Alps Chapter 01
After seven years together, I called off my wedding to Caleb Thornton the day before it was supposed to happen.
The event coordinator looked confused. “The wedding is tomorrow. Don’t you want to wait until the groom gets back to discuss this?”
I smiled and took one last look at the venue I had spent three months decorating myself.
My voice was calm and light. “I’m not waiting. He doesn’t have time, he’s in Cancun right now, marrying his first love.”
***
For seven years, Caleb never let me touch his computer.
This time, he went on a business trip and forgot to shut it down.
While I was straightening up the home office, I noticed the screen was lit up.
[Dude, did you really go through with the wedding with Jessica in Cancun today?]
[I know you didn’t sign a legal certificate, but aren’t you afraid Emma will lose it when she finds out?]
[Your wedding here is in three days.]
[Get a grip, man.]
Caleb’s best friend Derek was grilling him over text.
I gripped the edge of the desk, wondering if I was dreaming.
Jessica Hartwell, Caleb’s first love when he was eighteen.
They broke up because of long distance. That was eight years ago.
There was no way Caleb would marry her right before our wedding.
My knuckles went white as I stared at the screen, waiting to see what he would write back.
Caleb replied quickly.
[It’s true. And I’m perfectly sober.]
[This was a promise Jessica and I made when we were eighteen. She only asked me for this one thing. I had to do it.]
[As for Emma…]
The chat box displayed “typing…” for a long time.
[She won’t find out anyway. I’ll act like nothing ever happened.]
I stared at those words in disbelief. Then a bitter smile crossed my face.
Not anymore, Caleb. I already know.
I pulled up a chair and sat down. With shaking hands, I grabbed the mouse and scrolled up through the conversation between Caleb and Jessica.
After seven years together, I never knew.
They talked every single day.
Jessica sent a photo of a cat she saw. Caleb replied: [Just as cute as you.]
Jessica complained about work stress and her annoying boss. Caleb typed back seriously: [Stress means you’re growing. Don’t overthink it. I’m here for you.]
Jessica’s apartment building lost power and she sent him a scared emoji. Without hesitating, Caleb answered: [Wait for me.]
That same night, I was curled up in bed with bad cramps. Caleb rushed out the door without even getting me a heating pad or some ibuprofen.
I read through every small detail, and each one showed how much effort Caleb put into her.
But what broke me the most was the past month.
Caleb and Jessica were “planning their wedding.”
He asked her: [What kind of ceremony do you want? Mountains or beach? Or both?]
He sent her photos of different wedding dress styles. [Which of these do you like? Simple, satin, or intricate lace? I’ll cancel my afternoon meeting and pick you up at 3:00 to try them on.]
From the big things like the venue to the small things like confetti or ribbons, Caleb handled everything.
He was so busy he barely had time to breathe.
And our wedding?
I asked Caleb whether we should have it in our hometown or in the city. He said, “Whatever you want.”
I wanted him to come with me to try on wedding dresses. He said he was too busy and told me to pick whatever.
I drafted the guest list and asked him to give it a final look. He said, “You decide. I don’t care.”
I really thought Caleb was just a “whatever” kind of person.
That was until today, when I saw his chat history with Jessica.
Because Jessica couldn’t decide between a veil or a crown, Caleb spent an entire weekend driving her to three different bridal boutiques across two states so she could try on every option.
Looking at all that effort, I finally had to admit the truth.
Seven years with Caleb. All of it meant nothing.