Married to the man from that night

Victoria POV The wedding ring was still on my finger when I saw the message. "I'm sorry, Victoria. I can't marry you" I stared at my phone. For a few seconds, I honestly couldn't understand what I was looking at. Then I looked toward the church doors. Still closed. No Ethan. No groom. No explanation. Just hundreds of people sitting behind me, waiting for something that clearly wasn't going to happen. My fingers tightened around my phone. I read the message again "I’m sorry Victoria I can’t marry you" That was it. No reason. No phone call. No goodbye. Just five words that had managed to destroy the life I thought I was about to have. “Where is he?” I whispered. The bridesmaid beside me looked uncomfortable. “I don't know.” “You were with him this morning.” She looked away. That was strange. Everything about this morning was strange. Ethan had promised he'd be waiting for me at the altar. He had called me before I left home. He had told me he loved me. He had told me to hurry because he couldn't wait to see me walk down the aisle. And now he wasn't here. I called him. The call went straight to voicemail. I called again. Nothing. My stomach twisted. “Ethan, pick up.” I tried a third time. Nothing. Behind me, people had started whispering. I could hear them. “What's happening?” “Where's the groom?” “Has anyone spoken to Ethan?” “Maybe something happened.” I wished something had happened. Anything would have been better than what I was beginning to suspect. Then my mother appeared. Her face was pale. “Victoria.” I turned. “Where's Ethan?” She stopped in front of me. “Come with me.” My heart dropped. “No.” “Victoria, please.” “No. Tell me where he is.” She looked at my father. He was standing several feet away. He looked like a man who had just received terrible news. I stared between them. “What happened?” My father finally looked at me. “Ethan isn't coming.” I laughed. It came out before I could stop it. “What?” “He left.” “Left where?” Nobody answered. I looked at my mother. “Mom?” She started crying. That was when my heart broke. Not because Ethan hadn't come. Not because the wedding was ruined. Because my mother was crying before I even knew the truth. I unlocked my phone again. A notification appeared. Then another. Then another. My hands went cold. BREAKING: ETHAN KINGSLEY'S WEDDING TO VICTORIA BENNETT IN JEOPARDY I clicked it. A photograph loaded. My breath caught. Ethan. And Amelia. My best friend. They were standing outside a hotel. Her body was pressed against his. His hand was around her waist. And she was looking at him the exact same way she had looked at me whenever she talked about love. I stared at the photograph. “No.” I zoomed in. It was them. There was no mistake. My best friend. My fiancé. Together. On my wedding day. My ears started ringing. I looked at my parents. “You knew?” Neither of them answered. “You knew?” My father's jaw tightened. “Victoria, this isn't the place….” “This isn't the place?” My voice rose. “You're right. Maybe the church isn't the place to ask why my fiancé is sleeping with my best friend.” The whispers around us grew louder. People were turning. Phones were coming out. Someone gasped. My mother grabbed my arm. “Please.” I pulled away. “Don't.” My voice broke. She froze. I looked at her. “Did you know?” She couldn't answer. That was enough. I laughed again. I didn't know why I kept laughing. Maybe because if I stopped, I would start screaming. “How long?” My father looked away. “How long have they been doing this?” Silence. My chest tightened. “Months?” Nothing. “Weeks?” Still nothing. I swallowed. “Since before the engagement?” My mother covered her mouth. I stepped backward. “Oh my God.” Everything suddenly made sense. The secret conversations. The excuses. The times Amelia had disappeared. The strange way Ethan had started guarding his phone. The nights he'd told me he was too tired to see me. I had been the only i***t who hadn't noticed. I looked down at my wedding dress. White lace. Long train. Thousands of dollars spent on something I had worn for less than an hour before my entire future disappeared. A reporter suddenly pushed through the crowd. “Victoria! Is it true that Ethan left you for Amelia?” Another camera appeared. “Did you know about their relationship?” “Are you still planning to marry him?” “Victoria, look this way!” I stepped backward. “Stop.” The cameras kept flashing. “Please stop.” Nobody listened. One reporter pushed a microphone toward my face. “Did your family know about the affair?” I looked at my father. He didn't answer. Something inside me went completely still. My family knew. Maybe not every detail. Maybe not everything. But they knew enough. And they had let me walk down that aisle anyway. I looked at the ring on my finger. The same ring Ethan had placed there months ago. I pulled it off. Slowly. My hands were shaking. I walked toward the altar. The entire church went quiet. I stopped in front of the priest. “I'm sorry.” He looked at me sadly. “There is nothing to apologize for.” I looked down at the ring in my palm. Then I placed it on the altar. It made a tiny sound against the wood. That tiny sound somehow felt louder than all the whispers. I turned around. Everyone was staring at me. I lifted my chin. “There's no wedding.” Nobody spoke. I looked toward the cameras. “Ethan Kingsley isn't marrying me today.” A murmur went through the church. “He's with Amelia.” Someone gasped. My mother whispered my name. I ignored her. I walked down the aisle alone. Exactly the way I had walked in. Except this time, there was no excitement. No smile. No future waiting at the end. Only humiliation. The moment I stepped outside, the noise followed me. Reporters crowded around the church entrance. “Victoria!” “Victoria, what are you going to do now?” “Is the engagement officially over?” “Do you blame Amelia?” I kept walking. I didn't answer anyone. I just wanted to get away. Then I saw him. My father's driver. He was standing beside the black car across the road. The moment he saw my face, his expression changed. He opened the back door before I even reached him. “Victoria.” I stopped. “Take me somewhere.” He frowned. “Where?” “Anywhere.” “Your father said I should take you home.” “I don't want to go home.” He studied my face for a moment. Then he nodded. “Okay.” I climbed into the back seat. The door closed. Silence. For the first time all morning, I couldn't hear the cameras. I stared at my reflection in the dark window. My makeup was ruined. My eyes were red. My veil was still attached to my hair. I looked like a bride. A bride who had just been dumped in front of an entire city. My lips trembled. I pressed my hand over my mouth. It didn't help. The first sob escaped. Then another. “Oh God.” I bent forward, covering my face. I cried until my chest hurt. The driver didn't say anything. He knew me. He had driven me around for years. He had watched me grow up. He knew when I wanted advice and when I just wanted someone to sit there and let me fall apart. “I hate him,” I whispered. “I know.” “I hate her.” “I know.” “They knew.” He glanced at me through the mirror. “I'm sorry.” I wiped my face. “I don't want to hear sorry.” “Then I won't say it again.” I laughed weakly through my tears. That was why I trusted him. He never treated me like the rich girl everyone thought I was. He treated me like his little sister. I leaned against the window. “Don't take me home.” “I won't.” “I don't want my parents.” “Okay.” “I don't want reporters.” “Okay.” “I don't want Ethan.” “Definitely not Ethan.” I laughed again. This time, it almost felt real. He started the car. “Where do you want to go?” I thought for a moment. I didn't want a quiet room. I didn't want someone telling me to calm down. I didn't want to sit alone with my thoughts. I wanted noise. People. Alcohol. Something strong enough to shut my brain off for a few hours. “A bar.” He looked at me through the mirror. “A bar?” “Yes.” “Victoria.” “Don't.” He sighed. “You're already upset.” “Exactly.” “Drinking won't fix this.” “I don't need it to fix anything.” I looked out the window. “I just need it to shut everything up.” He was quiet. Then he nodded. “Fine.” I leaned back. “For tonight, you're not my driver.” He smiled. “What am I?” “My brother.” He shook his head. “Then as your brother, I'm telling you not to do anything stupid.” I looked at him. “No promises.” He laughed. The car moved deeper into the city. Behind us, the church disappeared from view. My ruined wedding was already spreading across the internet. My fiancé was with my best friend. My parents had secrets. And I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. But right then, none of that mattered. I just wanted one night where I didn't have to be Victoria Bennett. One night where nobody knew me. One night where I could forget. And that was how I ended up heading toward a bar on the worst night of my life.