Abandoned at the Altar, Goodbye World1 / 3

Chapter 1

It was the third time Declan abandoned our wedding for his college junior.

And once again, he left me standing alone at the altar just to chase after her.

"I am just indulging Hailey this one last time," he told me before leaving. "I cannot let her humiliate herself in front of so many people."

That night, Hailey posted an update on social media.

"My leading man ran away from the altar for me a third time. True love is inevitable."

I did not cry, nor did I throw a tantrum. I simply unzipped my wedding dress in silence.

I spoke to the System in my mind. "I am exhausted. Please pull me out of this world."

...

When Declan left me stranded at the altar for Hailey the third time, I did not chase him.

Instead, I picked up the microphone and announced to the entire room that the wedding was officially off.

The guests were all his family members and business associates anyway. He was the one who deserved the humiliation, not me.

Declan did not come home until the next morning. A faint smell of liquor still clung to his designer shirt.

He carried a box of freshly baked pastries from my favorite bakery downtown. He carefully watched my expression as he spoke.

"Peyton, you saw how chaotic it was yesterday. I really had no other choice."

"I swear to you, this was truly the last time. There will not be any accidents at our next ceremony."

Right.

He could not bear to see Hailey lose face in front of a crowd, but he had no problem leaving his bride completely humiliated.

How laughable.

We had been together for seven years, and I had waited so long for his proposal.

Yet at our wedding, he ran off with the girl who crashed it, turning me into a town joke.

All because Hailey had chased after him for five years, and he felt he owed her.

Back in college, Declan had helped her with a minor favor, and Hailey had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

She brought him breakfast every single day, rain or shine. Even knowing he had a steady girlfriend, she pursued him boldly.

Declan went from initially finding her annoying to eventually wearing a helpless, fond smile whenever someone brought her up.

At our first wedding, Hailey sprayed beer all over my custom dress, ruining the gown I spent months choosing. Before I could even speak, she burst into tears and ran outside, and Declan chased after her while accusing me of overreacting.

At our second wedding, just as we were about to exchange rings, Hailey staged a sudden fainting spell. The venue turned into an emergency room, and Declan panicked, scooping her into his arms to rush her to the hospital.

At our third wedding, Hailey showed up in a full white bridal gown to steal the groom.

She stood at the end of the aisle, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Declan, I have spent five years running after you. Every time I gathered the courage to confess, I failed."

"But today, I want to fight for myself one last time! Declan, I love you."

"Just for today, won't you let me win once?"

Declan turned to look at me, a flicker of guilt and hesitation flashing across his eyes.

"Peyton, I am sorry," he whispered.

"I am just indulging Hailey this one last time. I cannot let her make a fool of herself in front of everyone."

With that, he stepped off the stage, took Hailey by the hand, and declared her victory to the world.

I watched their retreating figures, running hand in hand like characters in a teen drama.

I thought I would chase after them and scream at him through tears, just like the previous times.

Instead, an eerie calm washed over me. I stood there like an outsider, watching them leave.