The Runaway groom

I always imagined I would wake up on my wedding morning feeling so excited with butterflies in my belly. If I had known today would ruin my life, I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed. People always talk about the moment your world shatters how it comes with thunder, lightning, and a scream. Mine came in silence. Here I am, wide awake before the sun, staring up at the soft champagne-colored ceiling of the bridal suite I designed myself. Every detail of this room holds a piece of me: the silk curtains I fought to import, the roses arranged exactly as I asked, the scented candles burning subtly in the corners. Everything is perfect. Everything except the fact that Damian Blackwood was late, not just late but he hasn't texted me. Not a good morning? I love you. Or I can't wait to walk you down the aisle? This was so unusual of him. I tried to calm myself as I stood inside the tiny bridal room of St. Augustine Chapel, staring at my reflection. My dress was so perfect, a silk that hugged my curves, a sweetheart neckline he insisted on because he loved how it “framed my heart,” as he once teased. I looked every bit the bride I had dreamed of becoming. Except that the bride in the mirror looked terrified. “Elena,” Sienna said, squeezing my hand. “He’s coming. You know Damian. He probably stopped to fix a building on the way.” I attempted to smile, but my lips trembled. Damian wasn’t just a man who showed up late. He was precise, disciplined, and obsessively punctual. He set alarms to remind himself to set alarms. He never missed anything, especially not something he wanted. And I was so sure he wanted me. At least… I thought he did. Sienna’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it and her smile slipped. “Okay. That was the wedding coordinator. No sign of him yet.” My chest tightened at this point wondering, “How late are we now?” I whispered. “Almost forty minutes.” Ice slid down my spine. In the hallway, the whispers grew louder. “Is everything okay?” “I heard he ran.” “Poor girl…” Sienna stepped toward the door, fury blazing in her eyes. “I’m going to shut them up. You stay here.” She left before I could reply, and suddenly the little room felt too small. I pressed my hand to my stomach, fighting the nausea building there. No! This can’t be happening. I have spent seven years loving him, seven years believing I was enough. He wouldn’t do this to me. Not Damian. Not the man who held me like he was afraid I’d disappear. Not the man who whispered promises against my mouth at 2a.m. Not the man who designed a penthouse kitchen specifically to watch me cook because he said it “felt like peace.” Damian loved me, didn't he? A soft knock broke through my spiraling thoughts. “Elena?” a deep voice murmured. It was Lorenzo’s. My pulse jumped. I didn’t know why Lorenzo Blackwood always made me so acutely aware of myself. Maybe it was his presence, very sharp, powerful, and controlled. Where Damian was warm and charming, Lorenzo was steel and winter. I opened the door, and he stood there in a tailored black suit, his expression was unreadable. His dark eyes scanned my face, then the empty corridor behind me. “You shouldn’t be alone,” he said quietly. A wave of humiliation washed through me. “Where is he, Lorenzo?” His silence crushed me. “Please,” I whispered. “Just tell me something.” He inhaled deeply, as if choosing his words. “We’re looking for him.” Looking? How? My knees nearly buckled. Lorenzo caught my arm, steadying me, his fingers curling with rough concern. “Elena. Breathe.” “He left me,” I choked out. “He left me at the altar.” Lorenzo whispered, “We don’t know that yet.” “Yes, we do.” My voice cracked. “He wouldn’t disappear on his wedding day unless he wanted to.” Lorenzo’s grip tightened. “Damian is many things. But being irresponsible isn’t one of them.” A tear slipped down my cheek, and I hated that he saw it. But today, he didn’t look away. “He hurt you,” he said softly. “I won’t pretend otherwise. But I don’t want you assuming the worst until we know the truth.” “The truth?” I let out a bitter laugh. “The truth is he’s gone.” Another murmur rippled through the church hallway. Another whisper: “Runaway groom…” The humiliation hit me like a slap. I stepped back, away from Lorenzo’s steady hands. Away from the pity in his eyes. “I need to go.” “I can’t stand here another second while people watch to see if I’ll fall apart.” Lorenzo’s eyes darkened. “I’ll clear the area.” “Don’t,” I whispered. “I don’t need bodyguards. I need answers.” He exhaled hard, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “We will find him.” “But will he want to be found?” I whispered. Lorenzo flinched. It was subtle, but I caught it. Before he could respond, Sienna rushed back, breathless. “Elena.” Her face was pale. “The coordinator just made an announcement.” My heartbeat increased. “What announcement?” “They… they’ve told the guests the wedding is postponed.” Postponed. A beautiful word ruined by reality. Lorenzo cursed under his breath. Then Sienna came closer to me and quietly said, “Elena… the media already knows.” My stomach dropped. “What?” Someone leaked it. They’re calling it a runaway groom scandal.” My breath stuttered. And just like that, my dream wedding became a public nightmare. I felt my lungs collapse, the walls closing in. The whispers, the pitying looks, the cameras waiting outside. All of it swirled into a choking storm. “Elena,” Lorenzo said, lowering his voice, stepping close enough. “Let me get you out of here. Let me protect you.” Protect me how? At this point, I wasn’t thinking clearly anymore. All I could see was the empty doorway where Damian should have been. The man I loved. The man who promised me a future. The man who vanished without a goodbye. My voice came out hollow. “Do whatever you want,” I whispered. “I don’t care anymore.” Lorenzo’s eyes softened, before he nodded once. “Stay behind me,” he murmured. “I won’t let anyone touch you.” He extended his arm slightly, a silent shield. And even though I felt broken… even though everything inside me screamed… I didn’t have a choice, I followed him. Not because I wanted to. But because I had no strength left to stand on my own. And the man I loved had already walked away.