Runaway Bride: Unwed Wife and First Love

For ten years of our romance, I was in the dark about my girlfriend's first love, the one she held dear in her heart. Until, by accident, I stumbled upon a private message she'd sent to another man: "If you just say the word, I'll leave my wedding and marry you instead." What a joke, on the brink of our marriage, I found out my fiancée was contemplating a switch in grooms? Later on— It was I who became the one to run away from the wedding, and I heard she went mad with regret…… **** Three days remained until my wedding with Vanessa. Our journey, from acquaintance to love and finally to the precipice of marriage, had spanned a decade. I once believed marrying her would be the greatest joy of my life, until I saw the pinned message on her w******p: Just one word from you, and I'll elope. At the time, I was blissfully decorating our new home. Concerned for Vanessa's fatigue, I'd urged her to rest while I single-handedly managed the entire afternoon's work. It was during a rare moment of leisure that I witnessed her sending this message. My heart plummeted into an icy abyss. Incredulously, my trembling hands opened the chat log. I read the message repeatedly, my eyes stinging with the growing realization that this was real. Vanessa sat nearby, leisurely eating fruit, oblivious to the glacial chill that had taken over me as I held her phone. Confusion washed over me. Vanessa and I had known each other since childhood, our lives intertwined throughout our youth. From a nascent affection to the pursuit and eventual blossoming of our relationship, everything fell into place. We were the envy of everyone around us, a real-life childhood sweetheart's story. Our families, too, were delighted and comfortable with the familiarity and trust between us. Vanessa had always been good to me, caring and attentive. She even confided in me about unwanted advances from other suitors, firmly rejecting them. I had always believed this was a blessing from the heavens, to have found my lifelong love so young. But it was all a lie... Unbeknown to me, another man resided in her heart. Even at this pinnacle of supposed happiness, her thoughts were elsewhere... A sharp, persistent pain pierced my heart. Memories, once sweet, now revealed their deceptive nature, suffocating me under the weight of their falsehood. I couldn't pretend any longer. Suppressing my emotions, I opened their chat history. It was empty, save for that single, damning message. I then checked the man's Status. A comment under one post, from a mutual friend, referred to him as "Ethan". Ethan. The name clicked. He was Vanessa's university classmate. I only knew of him because Vanessa had once complained about her overly strict class monitor, who deducted points for even a few minutes of tardiness. That monitor was Ethan. I strained to recall Vanessa's attitude towards him. Her tone had been venomous, bordering on hateful. I had foolishly advised her to maintain a good relationship with the class representatives, to at least feign civility. She had clung to me, petulantly declaring her inability to fake affection. I tried to reason with her further, but she silenced me with a kiss. Now, I wondered if, even as I offered genuine advice, her heart belonged to Ethan. Scrolling further, I finally found Vanessa in one of his few photos. Although it was just a shadow figure, the familiar brown-black waves of her hair were unmistakable to me, who had spent thousands of days and nights by her side. For the first time, I cursed my memory, for etching her image so deeply into my mind that it now caused such agonizing pain to see her with someone else. I couldn't comprehend why she had done this to me. She had woven a beautiful dream of childhood love, while secretly harboring feelings for another. If they were truly meant to be, why did they drag me into this mire? My heart ached with a dull, throbbing pain. Trembling, I scrolled back to the date Vanessa had agreed to marry me. Although I anticipated what I would find, seeing the post still shattered me. That same day, Ethan had proposed to another woman. So that was it... A bitter laugh escaped my lips, the taste spreading through my mouth and settling in my heart. On the day of my ecstatic joy, Vanessa, heartbroken and resigned, had proposed marriage to me out of spite. But what had I done to deserve this? I dropped the phone and walked out of the apartment without looking back. In the garage, my hands trembled as I fumbled with the car keys. I drove in a daze, jolted back to reality only by the furious honking of the car behind me. I slapped myself hard, forcing myself to focus. I couldn't let this manipulative woman ruin my life. After what felt like an eternity, I finally arrived home, drenched in a cold sweat despite the short drive. My phone displayed dozens of missed calls, undoubtedly from Vanessa. I switched it off because I needed time to think. Sleep evaded me that night. I sat in silence until dawn, when a knock finally echoed through the apartment. It was Vanessa, back after her unexplained absence. The moment I opened the door, she grasped my hand, her voice filled with urgency. "What happened last night? I couldn't reach you. I was afraid to wake you, so I waited outside all night." Her concern seemed genuine. In the past, I would have been moved, embracing her without hesitation. But now, knowing the truth, I felt only revulsion. Had I not been awake all night, I might have believed her charade. But the vibrancy in her eyes, the faint lingering scent of men's cologne, betrayed her. I lowered my gaze, concealing my disgust. I had intended to let her go, but her continued manipulation and her blatant disregard for my feelings fueled a desire for retribution. I would make her pay for the past ten years. "Nothing," I said, forcing a reassuring smile. "I was just exhausted. I must have slept through your calls." Relieved by my seemingly normal demeanor, Vanessa relaxed. "Let's go. We have our wedding dress fitting today." She led me to her car, settling into the passenger seat. As I opened the driver's side door, I saw a man's cigarette butt beneath the seat. *****