The wedding day abandonment
Sleep-smiling Sophia Bennett's hand slowly moved through the refreshing silk sheet as the last night's memories echoed in her mind.
She was a wife. After three years of love, many promises, and stretching the last months for wedding arrangements, she had attained the title of Mrs. Ethan Carter.
Her heart was so full of joy as she tried to catch her husband's warm hand on the other side of their bed. The bed was empty.
Her eyes opened gradually. The room was so quiet that it was almost unsettling.
Softly, she called, "Ethan?" with the hope of him being in the bathroom. There was no reply.
With the blanket wrapped around her, she sat up. Their beautiful honeymoon suite faced the sea, golden sun rays streaming through the huge windows. Wedding white roses decorated the room and every small detail was a reminder of the "happiest day of her life". Or maybe not...
This time she called, "Ethan?" but louder. Still silence.
Without thinking, she went out of bed, without even putting on her slippers, and went checking the bathroom. No one there.
Going to the balcony. No one there.
Going to the living room. No one there.
Her stomach churned with the growing anxiety in her chest. It didn't have to be so terrible, maybe he went out just to get some breakfast.
Maybe he just wanted to get her a surprise. Incessantly saying "don't panic" to herself, she grabbed the phone.
Three calls missed. Seven SMS.
Her lips were so tight when she saw that all messages had been sent by only one personEthan's lawyer. Shivering, she pressed on to open the first one.
-Please, find the documents on the bedside table that you and Mr. Carter need to sign immediately.- Sophia looked in the direction of the carefully stacked pile on the bedside table.
It was something she had completely missed. Her heart was pounding stronger.
She ripped it open. The first page said in huge font:
DIVORCE AGREEMENT She was dumbfounded.
"Oh no..." she breathed. Going from one page to another frantically, she did not know what to think.
Ethan's signature was found on every page. The marriage had supposedly been terminated even before it was consummated on paper.
A handwritten letter was between the pages and has fallen to the floor. Trembling, she took the letter.
Sophia, I never cared about you.
Marrying you was just a tool to get the money of your inheritance. I am grateful you have made it all so simple.
When you get this letter, I am already gone. Do not look for me.
Goodbye. Ethan
That letter fell from her hand after the reading.nHer knees gave way and she sat down on the floor. Tightening her chest as if it were a vise, she was so short of breath that her each inhalation was like stabbing with a knife.
This is not real. Only yesterday he had looked at her sincerely in the eye and had whispered the words of foreverness.
Only yesterday he had slid on a ring on the her finger. Only yesterday they had been kissed and there was a thunder of applause everywhere around them.
Had every smile been... Every touch be...
Every promise... A lie?
A knock loudly made the room wake up. Just before Sophia realized and was able to compose herself, the hotel manager came in with two security guards. He was breaking the bad news with all the politeness he could muster, "Mrs. Carter, " he started, "I'm sorry to tell you, but your husband has already left the hotel this morning..."Sophia looked at him with an expressionless face.
"He also shut down the bank account you used to book this suite, " the woman explained.
"What?!"
"The payment has been reversed. You will have to pay the outstanding amount before noon."
"I... I don't get it."
The manager seemed reluctant, then gave her one more envelope.
It came from the bank.
Sophia unfolded it.
Every single one of her bank accounts...
Locked down.
All the savings accounts...
Zero balance.
The trust fund bequeathed to her by her grandmother had even vanished during the night.
Everything started to get dizzy.
At that moment, her phone started ringing.
She didn't know the number.
She answered the phone with trembling hands.
"Is this Miss Bennett?" a harsh male voice asked.
"Yes..."
"This is the debt recovery team. Your husband was using your name to guarantee loans of around five million dollars without your knowledge."
Sophia felt as if she had been frozen.
"We require the complete sum to be paid within thirty days."
That was the last word.
Phone crashed.
She was standing by herself in the very room where she thought she would be living the rest of her life happily, when finally, it dawned on Sophia.
She hadn't brought the man of her dreams home with her after all.
It was the man who totally ruined everything who had gotten married to her.
