Left at the Altar, Like I Wanted

On the day Susie Smith and I are supposed to get married, her childhood sweetheart crashes the wedding. He says he is struggling with severe depression, and his only regret is never having gone through a wedding ceremony with someone. Susie immediately pulls her hand away from mine and announces that she'll go through the ceremony with him. She explains, "Mason, he's ill. Get off the stage and take a ten-minute break. I'll go through the ceremony with him." All 300 guests fall silent, and my parents are trembling with anger. With everyone looking at me like I'm a laughingstock, I calmly remove my groom's boutonniere and pin it onto her childhood sweetheart myself. I say, "Since you two are so deeply in love, I give you my blessing. May you have a happy married life together." Little does Susie know that I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Chapter 1 Mason's POV It was time for us to exchange rings, and I had just taken out the one belonging to my bride, Susie Smith. However, her childhood sweetheart, Jeremy Cadwell, barged into the scene in an all-white suit. "Susie! I'm here to steal you away!" His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was a mess, as if he'd just escaped some kind of disaster. Hundreds of guests turned to look at him. Without a moment's hesitation, Susie wrenched her hand free from mine. She gathered the train of her white wedding gown, which trailed more than two yards behind her, and hurried toward the edge of the stage. "Jeremy, why are you here?" she asked. Jeremy climbed the steps and grabbed Susie by the wrist. "Susie, you promised me we would have a wedding of our own." Susie's eyes welled up with tears, but she made no move to pull away. Mom and Dad were seated at the main table, their faces livid. Mom clutched her chest, her hands trembling. Susie led Jeremy over to me. She explained, "Mason, Jeremy's depression has relapsed. He is very emotionally unstable today." I looked at her silently. "You know he's against marriage. He'll never get married. His biggest regret is that he'll never get to experience what it's like to have a wedding ceremony," she said. I slowly closed the ring box in my hand. Susie frowned and continued, "Why don't you step off the stage and take a break? Let me go through the ceremony with Jeremy first. Once we've fulfilled his wish, we can continue with our own wedding." I asked in a low voice, "Are you sure you want to do this?" Her expression shifted, and her voice turned cold. "Mason, he is sick. Can't you be a little more understanding?" I had heard those words countless times during the three years we had been together. When Jeremy had stomach pains in the middle of the night, she had left our bed to take him medicine and told me to be more understanding. On his birthday, she had left me behind with a high fever to watch the fireworks at the amusement park with him, telling me to be more understanding. And now, at our own wedding, she wanted me to step away so her childhood sweetheart could experience what it was like to be the groom, right in front of all my relatives, friends, and colleagues. However, I didn't get angry. I didn't confront her or argue with her like I used to. I simply removed the boutonniere pinned to the left side of my chest. Then, I walked over to Jeremy and pinned it to his white suit. Finally, I patted his shoulder. "Congratulations on your wedding." Turning around, I took the microphone from the emcee and announced to the stunned guests below the stage, "Attention, everyone! I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting. The bride has made special arrangements for today. She has swapped grooms." I handed the microphone back to the emcee, who looked ready to burst into tears. I looked at Susie on the steps, her expression suddenly frozen, and smiled. "I wish you both a happy married life." Chapter 2 Mason's POV I took off my suit jacket, draped it over my arm, and turned to leave. The deathly silence behind lasted only two seconds. Then, I heard Susie's piercing scream. "Mason, have you lost your mind? Stop right there!" Yet I never looked back. The guests on either side of me wore all kinds of expressions. Some looked shocked, some seemed sympathetic, and others were holding up their phones to record everything. When I reached the entrance, Mom and Dad followed me out. Mom's eyes had welled up with tears. She grabbed my hand, trembling with rage. "Mason, h-how could this happen?" Dad was livid, but after glancing at me, he put an arm around Mom's shoulders. "Mason did the right thing," he said in a low, steady voice. "If we had gone through with this wedding, the Montgomery family's reputation would have been dragged through the mud." Looking at my parents, I felt a sharp pang in my heart. I said, "Mom, Dad, you should head home first." They had spent the past six months preparing for this wedding. They pulled strings to book the best hotel, hired the best wedding planners, and chartered dozens of buses to bring our relatives from our hometown. And yet, everything had ended in such a farce. … Third-Person POV Meanwhile, the wedding was still going on. Susie had taken Jeremy by the hand and was continuing the ceremony onstage. Her relatives sat there awkwardly, unsure whether to stay or leave. She thought that Mason would sigh and let the whole thing slide, just like countless times before. After all, they had been together for three years and had even gotten their marriage certificate just last month. Unfortunately, she was wrong about one thing. This time, Mason wouldn't forgive her anymore. … Mason's POV After seeing my parents off, I returned alone to the lounge behind the banquet hall. The room was a complete mess. Susie's change of clothes for the toasts was hanging on a clothes rack. It was a white velvet gown I had accompanied her to Somerby to have custom-made. On the dressing table lay her gold bracelets and necklace. Mom had bought them as part of a three-piece jewelry set for her, following our hometown's wedding customs. I went to the corner and picked up the travel bag I had brought that morning. Just as I was tidying up, the door to the lounge was flung open. Susie strode in, holding up her wedding dress. When she saw that I had changed my clothes, she froze for a moment. Then, she snapped, "Mason, how much longer are you going to keep this up?" She slammed the door shut behind her. "Do you have any idea what everyone thinks of me now? My own relatives are condemning me behind my back!" I simply ignored her as I zipped up my travel bag. "I'm talking to you! Are you even listening to me?" She stormed over and grabbed my arm. "Jeremy almost jumped off a building just now, you know! He has severe depression! If I hadn't agreed to go through the ceremony with him, he could have died today! A life is worth more than your pathetic pride!" I turned to look her in the eyes. "Did he do it?" My words rendered Susie speechless. "W-what the hell did you just say?" "I asked you if he actually jumped," I said flatly, looking at her impassively. Susie's face turned pale, but she remained stubborn. "He just wanted to experience what it's like to get married! He's never going to get married in his life!" I chuckled and slung my travel bag over my shoulder. "Sure, since he's experienced a wedding, you can also register your marriage with him and let him experience what that's like, too." Chapter 3 Mason's POV Susie finally lost her patience and reached out to snatch my bag. "Mason, what's with the sarcasm? We already got our marriage certificate! I'm your legal wife! Fine, I admit I was at fault for not discussing what happened today with you beforehand. Is that what you want to hear?" Her tone softened as she stepped forward and tried to wrap her arms around my waist. "Stop making a fuss. The guests are still waiting outside. Let's go out and explain to everyone that it was just a prank. The toasts are about to begin, and my parents are still waiting for you." I took a step back, avoiding her hands. Her hands grasped at nothing, and she held them awkwardly in midair. "There's nothing left to explain." I looked at her. "Susie, it's been three years. I'm tired." She looked at me, stunned. "What do you mean by that?" "I'm saying the wedding is off. We don't have to toast the guests either." I pointed toward the groom's shirt lying in the trash can. "What you tell your parents' relatives is up to you." Susie widened her eyes, and her voice turned shrill. "Mason, what do you take marriage for? You can't just call off the wedding because you feel like it! We've already registered our marriage!" "Even so, we can get divorced." After saying that, I opened the door and walked out. Behind me, Susie screamed my name frantically. She chased after me in her high heels. "Mason, if you walk out that door, don't ever come back!" she screamed hysterically down the corridor. I didn't return to the new home Susie and I shared. The down payment on that apartment was 200 thousand dollars. My family had contributed 120 thousand dollars, while the Smiths had put in 80 thousand dollars. Both our names were on the property deed. And for the entire six months we had been living there, the monthly mortgage of 1200 dollars had come straight out of my salary account. I drove straight back to the studio apartment Susie and I had rented before getting married. I tossed my travel bag onto the sofa, sat down on the carpet, and lit a cigarette. When I turned on my phone, I found dozens of missed calls, all from Susie and her mother, Aria Stetson. On WhatsApp, Susie had sent me many messages. First, they sounded furious. Then, they were accusatory. And finally, they were bossy. "Mason, you sure have grown a spine. Did you turn off your phone?" "The hotel manager just came to ask me to settle the bill. The outstanding balance is 19 thousand dollars. Transfer the money to me." "The wedding planners are also asking us for three thousand dollars to dismantle everything." "Get back here and pay for everything! My parents are still in the hotel lobby! How are they going to show anyone their faces now?" The last message had been sent five minutes ago. "Mason, I'm giving you half an hour. If you don't transfer the money, I'll go to your parents' place and cause a scene!" I bit down on my cigarette and let out a scoff. She wanted me to pay 19 thousand dollars for the banquet and another three thousand dollars for the wedding company to dismantle the decorations. When we had chosen this five-star hotel, Susie had insisted on the most expensive package, saying it was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion and she wasn't going to settle for anything less. Jeremy had even helped pick out the menu. It was packed with expensive seafood and imported liquor. I had paid the five-thousand-dollar deposit before we got married. And the contract had clearly stated that the remaining balance had to be settled on the afternoon of the wedding itself. I stubbed out my cigarette and immediately called the hotel's sales manager, Joseph Walker. He picked up after just two rings. He sounded as if he were on the verge of tears. "Oh, Mr. Montgomery! Thank goodness you've finally answered! Where are you right now? What are we supposed to do about this mess of a wedding banquet?" "Joseph." I leaned back against the sofa, my tone calm and even. "Whoever enjoyed your services at today's lunch banquet is the person you should collect the outstanding balance from." Joseph grew anxious. "But sir, that's not how this works! You're the contracting party!" I replied coolly, "Who signed for the 20 extra bottles of imported liquor and those few additional seafood dishes that were ordered at the last minute?" There was silence on the other end of the line. Several seconds passed before Joseph finally drew a sharp breath. "I-It was the bride who signed for those." "Exactly," I replied coldly. "Whoever signed for them is the one who ordered them. Bill her. If she refuses to pay, your hotel can report it to the police or take legal action against her." Chapter 4 Mason's POV By the time I finished showering, it was already 4:00 pm. My phone was vibrating furiously on the coffee table. I picked it up and saw a voice message from Shelia Winslow, Susie's best friend and one of her bridesmaids. I tapped play, and Shelia's shrill voice filled the room. "Mason, how dare you call yourself a man? You left Susie all alone at the hotel to deal with the people asking her for money! Do you know that the hotel called the police and is keeping her in the lobby? She's a woman! How is she supposed to deal with the police? How could you be so despicable?" I couldn't even be bothered to reply. I immediately blocked her. Then came a call from Aria. I answered the call and put it on speakerphone. As soon as the call connected, her shrill, grating voice blasted through the phone. "Mason, you heartless bastard! Get your sorry ass to the hotel right now! The hotel is threatening to have her arrested! How do you expect our family to show our faces now? I'm warning you! If you don't cough up the money today, this wedding is off!" I sat on the sofa and poured myself a glass of water. I explained, "Aria, let me remind you of a few things. First, I have no intention of going through with this wedding. "Second, I'm not the one who humiliated your family. It was your precious daughter, the one who exchanged rings with her childhood sweetheart in the middle of her own wedding. "Finally, isn't Jeremy such a capable man? Isn't he a successful overseas-educated elite? Why can't he even cough up 20 thousand dollars for a wedding banquet?" On the other end of the line, Aria was panting with rage. "Jeremy is sick! How could he possibly have so much cash?" "If he doesn't have it, and Susie doesn't either, why did they order 20 bottles of liquor at the wedding banquet?" I took a sip of water, my voice turning cold. "Why don't you take your precious daughter and Jeremy to a loan shark instead?" "Mason! Don't you dare hang up on me! I swear I'll—" I immediately hung up and promptly blocked her too. Once again, everything was silent. I opened my laptop and plugged in my flash drive. It was time to settle things. Half a year ago, Susie and I had been planning to buy a home and get married. She had told me we would split the down payment on the house and save the remaining money for renovations and a car. We opened a joint account to save for the car's down payment, depositing a total of 25 thousand dollars. I contributed 20 thousand dollars, and Susie put in five thousand dollars. Last month, when I checked the account transactions before picking up my new car, I discovered that 12 thousand dollars had mysteriously disappeared. I asked Susie where the money had gone. She avoided my gaze and told me she had lent it to her cousin to help him get a business off the ground. She would pay it back the following month. I hadn't called her out on her lie back then. But the very next day, I asked a friend to look into it and discovered that she had used the money to buy Jeremy a suit. It had cost 11.88 thousand dollars. The white designer suit Jeremy had worn when he had stormed into the banquet hall was the very one she had bought with my car savings. And so, I called an old college friend of mine, Josiah Sterling, who was a lawyer. "Josiah, are you at your law firm?" "Yeah. What's up? Isn't today your big day?" I gave him a rough rundown of what had happened. Josiah fell silent on the other end of the line for a full minute before finally cursing, "Holy shit! How can someone be this shameless? What are you planning to do?" "I'm going after the marital assets she transferred without my consent." I flicked the ash from my cigarette into a paper cup. After hanging up, I went straight to the travel agency in the city center where I had booked our honeymoon. I canceled both plane tickets and the resort reservation. A few minutes later, Susie called me from an unfamiliar number. I put on my Bluetooth earpiece and answered the call. She sounded completely worn out. "The hotel staff won't let us go! They've called the police and won't stop demanding that we pay the 19 thousand dollars. Jeremy's card has been frozen, and I've maxed out all my credit cards. There's also nothing I can use in my credit line! I could barely scrape together nine thousand dollars! "The hotel says I have until noon tomorrow to pay the remaining ten thousand dollars. Otherwise, they'll file a complaint against me!"