My Fiancé Chose My Sister Over Me, So I Let Him Pay the Price

Bachelorette party. My fiancé, Liam Rivera, and I were playing the Look-Back Crush Challenge. The bridesmaids and I turned around, but the first person my fiancé looked at was my sister, Zara. The mood instantly turned cold. Someone started trying to smooth things over. "It's just a little game from the internet. You can't take it seriously." My sister chimed in too. "Liam was just joking. If there were really something between us, then it wouldn't be you marrying him, Maya." Even my mom put her foot down. "The hotel and the wedding are all booked. If you're going to make a fuss over such a small thing, then let Zara marry him in your place!" The private room went quiet. Everyone was waiting for me to apologize like I always did. I took off my engagement ring and nodded. "Fine. I don't want the wedding anymore. She can have the groom." A few seconds of silence. My mother scolded me, "Nonsense! Changing the bride before the wedding, if word gets out, people will laugh at us." My father's face darkened. "Our relatives and friends are all here. Don't throw a tantrum." I looked at my sister. "Wasn't that what you all said? If I say no, let Zara take my place." My mother replied, "Of course Zara doesn't want him. Liam is your fiancé. You're almost 30. If you really ruin such a good match, you'll be the one who regrets it!" I didn't argue. I simply opened the wedding planning group chat and transferred admin rights to Zara. If she wanted it, she could have it. I had spent 10 months preparing this wedding. From the seaside hotel to the seating chart, I had handled every single detail. All Liam did was criticize—the invitations were too tacky, the flowers too expensive, the outdoor ceremony too risky, the indoor ceremony too tacky. I asked him what exactly he wanted. He simply said, "If you can't even arrange a wedding properly, how will you manage a household in the future?" For those few days, I was so worried I couldn't sleep at all, night after night. He handed me a glass of warm water and said he loved me, that he genuinely wanted to build a family with me. And just like that, I was full of confidence again, throwing myself back into wedding preparations. A notification popped up in the group: Zara had accepted the admin rights. Liam's expression finally changed. "You serious?" I picked up my coat and prepared to leave. "The stylist will arrive at the apartment at nine tomorrow morning. Zara, don't be late." He grabbed my wrist. "Maya, even making a scene has its limits." "I know what I'm doing." "What about the apartment?" "I'll pack tonight and move out tomorrow morning." "Fine. Let's see how long you can keep this up." It was raining outside. I had just reached the restaurant entrance when I saw Liam's car parked by the roadside. He rolled down the window. "Get in." Zara sat in the passenger seat, the jacket I had given Liam draped over her shoulders. "Maya, you can sit in the back." I stepped back into the doorway. "No need." Liam's face darkened. "Maya! Can you stop making a scene? Who are you putting on this show for by getting soaked?" The moment he finished speaking, the car I had booked pulled up. I pulled open the door and turned back to look at him. "This time, there's no audience, and I don't need you watching me either." The apartment still had wedding decorations up. Liam's suit hung in the closet, and the tie I had chosen for him lay by the bedside. Liam came back. When he saw the suitcase, he stopped in his tracks. "Still not done making a scene?" I said, "I'll move out the rest of my things tomorrow morning." He loosened his tie. "What I said during the game is just a joke. Everyone there was family and friends. I said her name, and everyone laughed. She's never been in a relationship. You're my fiancée. How can you have so little trust in me?" Same as always. Whenever I was unhappy, it was because I didn't trust him enough. "When I had a high fever, you let me go to the ER alone. When she said her stomach hurt, you dropped everything and stayed with her all night." Liam frowned. "How is that the same? You only had a low fever—she couldn't even stand up from the pain." "Didn't you get the feeling she was faking it? Even the doctor said she'd just eaten too much." Liam frowned. "How was anyone supposed to know before the tests came back?" "And you gave her the only keepsake my grandmother left me!" "It's just a brooch—why are you being so petty? She's your own sister!" Every single thing, he had an answer for. He took a step closer, patted my head, and his tone finally softened. "Maya, let's just be good, okay? Stop making a fuss. After we're married, I'll be her brother-in-law. I'll be more careful about boundaries from now on." Just then, the phone rang. The caller was Zara. "Liam, the laces at the back of the wedding dress are loose. I can't tie them." Liam turned to leave, then seemed to remember the promise he'd just made. He turned back to explain, "She just wants to experience what it's like to wear a wedding dress. I'll go help her out." I asked, "You know how to tie a wedding dress?" "I watched while you tried it on." So he did remember. But that attentiveness ultimately went to someone else. I continued packing. He stood in the doorway, seemingly waiting for me to stop him. Only when Zara urged him again over the phone did he finally leave in a hurry. The elevator doors slowly slid shut. This time, I didn't stay behind to wait for him to choose.