Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Three years ago, Landon told me he had to attend a grueling week-long corporate retreat in another state.

In reality, he was kissing Maisie under the arctic sky.

Whenever I begged him to take a vacation abroad with me, he always brushed it off, claiming travel was exhausting and pointless.

It turned out traveling was only exhausting when it was with me.

I swiped to the very last picture in the carousel.

"Happy 999th day of marriage, my love. Forever to go."

A hollow, self-deprecating laugh escaped my frozen lips.

No wonder he stood me up today.

He was busy popping champagne for his real wife's anniversary.

Why would he remember the girlfriend he kept hidden in the shadows for five years?

Even if today weren't their anniversary, he never would have shown up at the courthouse anyway.

He was already married.

He could never legally marry me in the first place.

The reality hit me with such dizzying force that the room began to spin.

All around the lobby, couples were smiling and holding hands, radiating pure anticipation.

Only I sat alone on the cold plastic chair, numb and hollowed out.

The phone in my lap kept looping Maisie's video.

The background music was an acoustic love song Landon loved most.

He had once rested his chin on my shoulder and whispered that it would be our bridal entrance song.

Because of that promise, it had been at the top of my daily playlist for years.

Every time the melody played, I used to picture walking down the aisle toward him in a white dress.

Now, every chord sounded like a mocking slap, turning our sweetest memories into razor-sharp shards.

The automated voice called my queue number three times over the loudspeaker before a clerk finally walked over and tapped my shoulder.

"Ma'am? Is your fiancé still not here?"

I nodded mechanically.

She pointed toward the paper ticket in my trembling hand.

"Your number has expired. If you still want to register today, you will need to pull a new ticket."

Looking down at the crumpled slip of paper I had guarded so carefully, a wave of bitter agony rushed through my veins.

I crushed the ticket in my fist until my knuckles turned white.

"There won't be a need for that," I whispered. "He's never coming. He's already someone else's husband."

I tossed the mangled paper into the nearest trash can and walked out.

The courtyard was bustling with couples stepping into their new lives with bright smiles, clutching their freshly signed folders.

My mind drifted back to the previous six times I had come here.

Every single time, I arrived full of hope and left alone with a sinking heart.

A place meant to celebrate lifelong devotion had brought me nothing but humiliation and heartbreak.

For three years, through every failed attempt, I had stayed optimistic, believing our future was guaranteed.

Yet the moment I saw Maisie's video, I heard something inside me shatter into dust.

Landon and I had no future left.