Ditched the Groom

While finalizing the details of our engagement party, Sean Bennett couldn’t take his eyes off his first love's live stream. Just as I was about to say something, I heard him sigh with helpless indulgence. "She’s such a handful." Before I could even process that, he sent a request to join her live stream. Within seconds, the two of them were flirting on camera while virtual gifts flooded the screen. I froze in my seat, my fingers clutching the venue proposal so tightly my knuckles turned white. Ever since Sean agreed to play the role of Stella Vance’s fake boyfriend for social media clout, she had become his top priority in everything. The event planner gently tapped my arm. "Chloe... should we reschedule this for another day?" Sean hadn't looked at me once. I took a deep breath and stood up calmly. If I was always going to be the one cast aside in his choices, then I wouldn’t force it anymore. Seeing me stand up, Sean parted his lips as if to say something. Just then, Stella’s sweet voice chirped from the phone: "Babe, do you like my dance?" His attention snapped right back to the screen. The planner shifted her gaze between us in disbelief. I watched Sean in total silence. He was staring at his phone, completely mesmerized, as Stella pouted and begged him to whisper sweet nothings. I noticed the tips of Sean’s ears turning bright red. After a long pause, I found my voice and whispered, "Let’s go." Once we were outside Sean’s office, the planner hesitated. "Chloe, about Sean..." "Just stick to what he planned," I cut her off calmly. "Wait, but don’t you hate the ocean theme...?" The theme Sean had picked wasn't for me. It was for Stella. I let out a self-deprecating smirk and didn't bother explaining. Getting into my car, I slumped over the steering wheel, tears falling before I could stop them. How many times had this happened? Ever since Sean agreed to be Stella’s content boyfriend, she was always the first thing on his mind. I sat in the car for a long time until my phone screen lit up. It was a text from Sean. "When did you leave? You didn't even say goodbye." I clutched my phone, a heavy knot tightening in my chest. "The planner told me you agreed to the original theme. Why are you always making a fuss? What's wrong with an ocean theme?" Staring at his words, my tears kept falling. A year ago, Sean and I had gone out on a boat trip and were caught in a sudden storm. The boat capsized, and I fell into the churning water while trying to save Sean. Ever since that day, I had suffered from severe thalassophobia. I calmed my racing pulse and typed back a few simple words. "Fine. I won't make a fuss anymore." Sean replied instantly: "See? Isn't it much better when you're reasonable?" I laughed bitterly. Maybe in his heart, a compliant, sweet, clingy girl like Stella was who he really wanted. I closed the chat and opened TikTok. Her live stream had just ended. She was a fairly popular lifestyle influencer, and her team clipped her stream highlights fast. In the clips, Sean’s eyes were glued to Stella the entire time. The comments were going crazy over how in love they looked. Someone asked when they were getting married, and Stella gave a coy reply: "Big news coming soon!" I clicked into her profile. Three months ago, she posted a Q&A video answering top follower questions. One of the questions was: "What’s your dream aesthetic for an engagement party or wedding?" Her answer: "Definitely an ocean theme. I always dream of being the Little Mermaid lol." And today, three months later, Sean had delivered it to her on a silver platter. Sean and I had fought several times because of Stella. The worst blowout was when he agreed to be her "fake boyfriend." I couldn’t take it anymore and demanded to know why. Sean just frowned, annoyed. "Couple accounts get way more followers. I’m just helping her out for a bit. Why are you making such a big deal out of nothing?" I had stood there, numb. He called me unreasonable and childish for being jealous, and he gave me the silent treatment for over two weeks. But I loved him. So I was the one who caved and apologized. Little did I know, from that day on, everything went downhill. After sitting in the silence for a long time, I finally pulled myself together and drove home.After Sean proposed, we moved into this apartment together. I pushed the front door open, only to be greeted by utter chaos. The vase of fresh flowers I had arranged this morning lay shattered on the floor, and the culprit was hissing at me from across the room. I let out a tired sigh and walked over to clean up the mess. Mochi lunged forward, swiping his claws across my hand. I winced, threw my hands up in defeat, and backed away. Mochi was a stray cat Sean had brought home from God knows where. He had hated me from day one. I was never much of a pet person anyway, so I just let him be. I glanced at the roses Sean had given me, now covered in dirt, and tossed them into the trash can. After cleaning everything up, I collapsed into bed and fell asleep. I don't know how long I was out before hushed giggles woke me up. I opened my eyes to Stella’s teasing voice drifting through the door. "Ooh, this pose is so cute. Sean, you’re such a natural at this!" My ears rang. My mind went completely blank, followed by a sharp, suffocating ache in my chest. Not caring that I was still in my wrinkled loungewear, I shoved the door open and stepped out. Stella was sitting right next to Sean, practically curled up in his arms. She had the cat in one arm and her phone raised high in the other. They looked like the picture-perfect couple. Then my eyes caught the ring on Stella’s finger, and my breath hitched. It was the engagement ring Sean had custom-ordered six months ago. When he slipped it onto my finger, it had felt slightly too loose. Now, sitting on someone else’s hand, it fit like a glove. My eyes burned with tears. It wasn't that I had lost weight like he claimed. The ring was never sized for me in the first place! I was supposed to be his fiancée. I leaned weakly against the wall, my legs giving out. They hadn't noticed me yet. They shifted into an even more intimate pose, the sound of the camera shutter blending with their laughter. My heart shattered into pieces. In the four years we had been together, Sean and I had barely taken a few dozen photos. He always said he hated the camera and was terrible at posing. They acted like nobody else was in the room, oblivious to me standing right at the bedroom doorway. In my own apartment, I felt like a trespasser. A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me. What was the point of any of this? My legs felt numb from standing too long, and I accidentally bumped against the door. The creak of the wood finally broke their bubble. A flash of guilt crossed Sean’s eyes before he called out, "You’re awake?" I swallowed my anger, my voice trembling. "Why did you bring her here?" Sean blinked, offering an easy smile. "Stella needed to shoot some couple content. Our place looks cozy on camera." I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. He sounded so casual, as if our future home wasn't ours at all, but just another rented studio for his girl. My voice came out hoarse. "What's next? Are you going to take photos in our master bedroom too?" Stella stuck her tongue out playfully. "Honestly, that could work!" Sean didn't say a word to stop her. I drew in a sharp breath, my eyes locking onto the engagement ring on Stella's finger. Sean frowned and dismissed it casually. "Stella needed it for the shoot. I just let her borrow your ring for a few pictures." Stella tilted her head, giving me an innocent smile. "Chloe, you're not mad, are you?" I didn't give her an easy out. My voice was ice cold. "What if I am?" Sean’s expression hardened. "Chloe, it’s just a ring. Do you have to turn everything into a drama?" A bitter laugh escaped my throat. Just a ring? Turning everything into a drama? With tears welling in my eyes, I fired back, "How is this nothing? Who the hell are you actually marrying, Sean?" Sean pressed his lips into a tight, frustrated line. Reluctantly, he told Stella to take the ring off. Stella’s eyes welled with tears. "Sean, I’m so sorry... I didn't know she'd..." He patted her shoulder softly, his voice gentle. "It's not your fault." My heart went completely cold. If it wasn't her fault, whose was it? Mine?After a few tense seconds, Stella took off the ring and set it on the coffee table. I didn't spare them another glance and walked straight into the kitchen. A moment later, I heard Sean's phone ring, and he stepped outside to take the call. Soft footsteps approached from behind. Stella stopped at the kitchen doorway and called my name. I turned around. Mochi was curled up in her arms, purring like an angel. A wicked, mocking smile spread across her face. "Chloe, I really have to thank you." Swallowing the bitter lump in my throat, I asked, "Thank me for what?" She glanced playfully at the scratches on my hand. "For taking care of my cat, of course. Don't tell me you didn't know? Sean and I adopted this cat together." I froze. She continued, her voice dripping with venom, "I was super busy back then, and Sean felt bad for me, so he brought him over to his place to look after him." Her smile was pure malice. In that single moment, I lost every shred of desire to confront them. The sound of the front door clicking open broke the silence. Stella suddenly lunged toward me. Before I could react, she violently threw the cat to the floor. Mochi let out a horrific shriek and clawed deep into my calf. Before I could even process what was happening, Stella burst into loud sobs. "Chloe... if you hate me, take it out on me! Why would you hurt an innocent animal?!" A second later, Sean barged in, glaring at me with eyes colder than ice. My voice shook as I instinctively tried to explain. "It wasn't me..." He looked at me with pure disgust. "Chloe, I know you never liked Mochi, but how could you be so cruel?" I grabbed his arm, shaking my head. "That's not what happened!" He shoved my hand away without hesitation, scooped up the cat, and walked out the door with Stella. I stood there, staring blankly at the empty hallway, tears streaming down my face. At that moment, I asked myself: was any of this worth it? I had thought Sean at least understood me. Even though I wasn't an animal person, I had bought treats and toys for that cat. Once, when I refused to feed him treats by hand, Sean had casually snapped, "Can't you have a little patience like Stella does?" Hearing her name triggered me, and I blurted out, "Can you stop comparing me to her?" Sean had just laughed it off, exasperated. "She's practically my little sister. Are you seriously jealous of that?" A little sister. How many affairs start under the guise of being "just a sister"? Every time I asked him to set boundaries with Stella, he turned around and accused me of being crazy. "Stella's brother was my best friend. Before he died, I promised him I’d look after her." Right. He had looked after her so well that every crossed line was excused as family duty. In silence, I dragged my suitcase out and began packing. My phone buzzed. It was a text from Sean. "The cat is badly hurt and needs to stay at the clinic. You went way too far this time, but I won't hold it against you." My fingers trembled. Before I could reply, another message popped up. "Stella has a brand deal shoot that needs me. I won't be coming home for the next couple of days. I'll see you directly at the engagement party." I stared at the screen. Not coming home? Where was he staying, then? All the fury and heartbreak boiled down into two words: "Sounds good." Whatever. No matter what I did, I would never measure up to Stella. Why keep humiliating myself? I finished packing, took one last look at the apartment, and walked out without looking back.The planner texted me the finalized floor plan for the venue. I forwarded Sean's contact card to her and told her to deal with him directly. She typed for a long time before simply replying: "Got it." Once everything was squared away, I blocked her number. Sitting in my car, a TikTok notification popped up on my screen: "People You May Know." I clicked it. It was Stella's profile. She had posted a photo set thirty minutes ago. "You said the best thing in life is having the right person by your side. Right now, I feel the exact same way. /heart" The first photo showed two hands tightly intertwined, wearing matching rings. The comments were flooded with congratulations. My eyes locked onto the pinned comment at the very top. It was from Sean: "Me too. /heart" A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Months ago, I had asked Sean to follow me on TikTok. He had frowned, claiming he hated the app, and refused. Yet right there on his profile, his following list proudly showed a count of one. I had known all along that they were crossing lines, so why was I still clinging to hope? I didn't scroll any further. I deleted the app from my phone. The next morning, I went to the office and handed in my two weeks' notice. My HR manager was shocked and teased me, "Chloe, what's going on? Are you quitting to become a full-time housewife? Take it from an older sister—always keep your own career." I gave her a small, sad smile. "No, I broke up with him. I'm taking some time off." Her smile faded, and she let out a long sigh without asking more. I had taken this job in the first place just to have more to talk about with Sean. Once the paperwork was done, I booked the earliest flight out of the city and drove to a viral bistro I had wanted to try for months. As the hostess led me to a table, my eyes landed on Sean and Stella. I had begged Sean for days to take me here. Every time, he told me he was swamped with work and didn't have a spare minute. And yet, here he was. They looked up and froze when they saw me. "Chloe? What are you doing here?" His tone dripped with suspicion, as if I had followed them. I met his gaze calmly. "It’s a public restaurant." Stella smiled sweetly. "Why don't you join us, Chloe?" I glanced at their table. Before I showed up, Sean had been peeling shrimp for her. I shook my head. "No, thanks." I followed the hostess to a table on the far side of the room, as far away from them as possible. A minute later, Sean’s text popped up on my phone. "Stop stalking me. If you want to know where I am, just text me. I'll tell you." I found it almost funny and typed back: "It was an accident." He left me on read. I took my time finishing my meal. When I finally looked up, Sean and Stella were already gone. Another text from him buzzed on my screen. "Stella and I are going to check on Mochi at the vet. Since you hate cats, you don't need to come." Fine by me. I was used to it anyway. Used to being left behind. Used to being alone. My flight was booked for the afternoon of our engagement party. Sean clearly hadn't set foot in the apartment for the past two days, or he would have noticed all my things were gone. Or maybe he just didn't care enough to notice. With a cold, mocking smile, I drafted a final text message. After hitting send, I popped out my SIM card, threw it in the trash, and boarded the plane without a single regret. Sean was driving with Stella sitting in the passenger seat, beaming. "Sean, we need to take tons of photos today!" Sean glanced at what she was wearing. "Stella, once you get your photos, change into something else. Today is my engagement party with Chloe, after all." Stella's smile stiffened for a fraction of a second before recovering. "I know, Sean! Chloe wouldn't be that petty, would she?" Sean didn't answer. At a red light, he checked his phone. He had texted Chloe this morning, but she still hadn't replied. An uneasy feeling tugged at his chest. He sent her another message. No response, all the way until he pulled up to the venue. The party was about to start. When he pushed open the double doors of the private dining hall, only his own family and relatives were seated inside. Sean stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing in irritation. He pulled out his phone to call Chloe. Just then, a new notification flashed on his screen. Sean clicked it, and all the color drained from his face.