They say your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. A beautiful dream come true. But for me, it turned into an absolute nightmare.
I spent six months planning every detail of my wedding. Six months of venue tours, dress fittings, menu tastings, and endless phone calls. I wanted everything to be perfect. I thought that, at the very least, I would be able to relax on my big day.
I was wrong.
Four hours before the ceremony, I was already on edge. My florist wasn’t answering her phone, and my wedding flowers were nowhere to be found. My bouquets, the table centerpieces, the floral arch—gone. Just vanished. I had called five times. No answer. No voicemail. Nothing.
I was pacing back and forth in my bedroom, gripping my phone so tightly my fingers hurt. My pulse pounded in my ears. My hands curled into fists. I was ready to scream, throw my phone, maybe even flip my vanity table over.
Then, a knock on my door snapped me out of my rage.
I yanked it open, expecting one of my mischievous nephews playing a prank, but the hallway was empty.
“Ugh,” I muttered. Probably one of the kids running around. The house was packed with family—parents, grandparents, my sister’s family, cousins, and friends. Chaos.
As I was about to close the door, something caught my eye. A plain white envelope sat on the floor.
Curious, I bent down, picked it up, and stepped back into my room, locking the door behind me. Inside the envelope was a flash drive with a note attached.
Watch me.
My stomach tightened as a wave of unease washed over me. My fingers trembled as I plugged the flash drive into my laptop. A single video file appeared on the screen.
Are you sure you want to marry him?
A chill ran down my spine. I hesitated, then clicked play.
The video started inside a limousine. My fiancé, Ted, and his groomsmen were already drunk, laughing and toasting their glasses.
“Last night of freedom!” Max, Ted’s best friend, shouted, filming everything with his phone.
Ted shook his head, smiling. “I’m already taken.”
“You don’t get it,” Max said with a smirk. “Tonight, anything goes.”
“But I love Tracy,” Ted argued.
Max rolled his eyes. “Your Tracy is a piece of work. She’s got you under her heel.”
The guys laughed, clinking their drinks. Ted frowned, gripping his glass tighter.
“That’s not true,” he muttered.
Max leaned in, his grin widening. “Then prove it.”
Ted hesitated.
“Come on, man,” Max urged. “It’s just one night.”
Ted exhaled sharply, then downed his drink. “Maybe tonight I’ll prove you wrong.”
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach.
A knock at my door made me jump. My heart pounded as I quickly paused the video and shut my laptop.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, then walked over and opened the door.
Max stood there, smiling casually, as if he hadn’t just been caught insulting me in the video.
“Hey, Tracy,” he said smoothly.
I couldn’t smile. My mind was still spinning. “What do you want?”
“Ted can’t find his shoes,” Max said, leaning against the doorframe. “Said they might be in here.”
I crossed my arms. “Maybe I should give him my heels instead,” I muttered under my breath.
Max frowned. “What?”
“Nothing,” I snapped. “I’ll check.”
I walked over to the closet and pushed aside my dresses. The shoebox sat on the top shelf, right where Ted had left it. I grabbed it and turned back to Max.
“Here.”
Max took it and smirked. “If you’re worried, Ted isn’t planning to run from the wedding.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why would I be worried?”
He shrugged. “Just a joke. Relax.”
I didn’t laugh.
As soon as Max left, I locked the door and went back to my laptop, pressing play again.
The video switched to a hotel room. Ted sat in a chair, blindfolded. His friends cheered as a masked woman walked toward him, moving to the music.
She placed her hands on his shoulders, circling him slowly before dancing in front of him. Then, without hesitation, she removed her mask and pulled off his blindfold.
Sandy.
Ted’s ex-fiancée.
“I know you missed me,” Sandy whispered, leaning in close.
Then, before I could process what was happening, she kissed him.
And he kissed her back.
I slammed the laptop shut, my breath coming in quick gasps. My vision blurred with tears. He kissed her. No hesitation. No resistance. Just like that, everything we had built was gone.
Before I could do anything, my mom called from downstairs.
“Tracy! We have a problem!”
I wiped my face and rushed downstairs.
The wedding cake—the beautiful, expensive cake—was destroyed. The top layer had collapsed, frosting smeared across the table.
“The wedding is in less than three hours!” Mom cried. “What do we do?!”
I wanted to scream, to cry, to throw something. Instead, I whispered, “I don’t know.”
Melanie, my best friend, walked in. “What happened?”
Mom pointed at the mess. “Disaster.”
Melanie inspected the cake. “I can fix it.”
Mom’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
Melanie hesitated. “I think so.”
Mom turned to me. “Tracy?”
I swallowed hard. “Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”
I turned and walked away. I couldn’t pretend anymore.
I went back to my room, opened the window, and climbed out. My feet hit the ground, and I ran to my car.
“Tracy!” my mom shouted from the porch.
I ignored her. I needed to get out of there.
I parked at a quiet spot in the park, gripping the steering wheel.
I didn’t know how long I had been sitting there when a car pulled up.
Ted.
He stepped out, adjusting his suit. “Tracy, what are you doing? We’re supposed to be getting married.”
I met his gaze. “Because of what’s on this flash drive.”
Melanie stood behind him, holding my laptop. “We tried to watch it,” she said. “It needs your password.”
I typed it in. The video resumed.
Ted watched himself blindfolded. His face paled when Sandy kissed him.
Then, he shoved her away.
I gasped. “So you didn’t cheat?”
Ted stepped closer. “I love you, Tracy. I would never cheat.”
Melanie hesitated. “Maybe we don’t need to watch the rest.”
I frowned. “Why?”
The screen changed. A hotel hallway.
Melanie and Ted.
Kissing.
I turned to them, my heart pounding. “Is that why you didn’t want me to watch?!”
Melanie’s eyes filled with tears. “Because I liked Ted first!” she screamed.
Max stepped forward. “That’s why I gave you the flash drive.”
Ted’s face turned red. “You set me up!”
Max smirked. “You did this to yourself.”
I exhaled. “I’m done.”
I turned to Max. “Can you drive me home?”
“Of course,” he said.
And just like that, the day that was supposed to be the happiest turned into the worst. But at least I found out the truth before it was too late.
