He made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

When I met Ethan two years ago, I was convinced I had found my forever. He was charming, witty, and knew exactly what to say to make me feel special! Seven months ago, when he proposed, I felt like the happiest woman alive—but I didn't know I'd never become his wife.

Another thing I came to love about Ethan was how hands-on he was. We planned our wedding together, down to every last detail! From the elegant banquet hall venue with a garden; to the cascading white roses and other flowers.

We also went to cake tastings to find the perfect one and even chose the song we'd dance to as husband and wife! Every moment felt perfect, like a fairytale—until it all came crashing down a month before the wedding.

It happened on an ordinary Wednesday. I had left work early to surprise Ethan with his favorite takeout. It was something small, just a gesture to show how much I appreciated him.

I let myself into his apartment, already picturing the delighted look on his face when he saw me standing there with a bag full of burgers and fries.

But the moment I stepped inside, I knew something was wrong.

A woman's coat was draped over the back of a chair. At first, I thought maybe he had a guest—a relative or a coworker. But when I heard soft laughter coming from the bedroom, my stomach twisted into a knot.

I approached the door, every step heavier than the last. My hands trembled as I reached for the doorknob and slowly pushed it open.

There, tangled in the sheets, was Ethan. With my older sister, Lauren!

Time stopped as my mind struggled to process what I was seeing. My sister—my own flesh and blood—was in bed with the man I was supposed to marry in a month!

Lauren gasped and scrambled to cover herself, but Ethan? He just sat up, completely unbothered.

"Wait," I choked out. "What the hell is this?"

My so-called groom sighed, running a hand through his hair like I was the one being unreasonable. "You weren't supposed to find out like this."

"Find out what?!" I asked, my voice shaking. "That you're a cheating liar?! That my own sister betrayed me?!"

Lauren's face was pale, but she didn't say a word. She just clutched the sheets to her chest, avoiding my gaze.

Ethan, however, dared to look me in the eye and say, "I love her."

The words knocked the air out of my lungs. I wanted him to deny it, to say it was a mistake, but instead, he looked relieved—like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. I couldn't believe this was the same sweet man I had wanted to walk down the aisle with after he became my husband!

It was like he was two different people—the man I had gotten to know and this guy in bed with my sister.

"You love her?!" My voice cracked. "Then why the hell did you propose to me?!"

He exhaled like he was explaining something painfully obvious. "I thought I loved you. But things changed. Lauren and I… we've been seeing each other for a while."

For a while...

My stomach turned. This wasn't just a one-time thing. They had been sneaking around behind my back for who knows how long!

I turned to Lauren. "How could you do this to me?!"

She finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean for it to happen, sis."

I let out a hollow laugh. "Didn't mean for it to happen?! You didn't trip and fall into his bed, Lauren!"

Ethan stood up, wrapping an arm around her. "Look, I get that you're hurt, but we didn't want to keep lying to you."

My hands clenched into fists. "Oh, you didn't want to keep lying? That's rich!"

I stormed out, shaking with rage and heartbreak. I thought that was the worst of it. I was wrong.

A few days later, my parents called me over to talk. I had been bawling my eyes out since I made the discovery. My friends and bridesmaids came to comfort me, but I hadn't heard from my parents until then.

I foolishly believed they would be on my side for a change. Instead, I walked into an ambush.

"We understand you're upset," my mom said, her tone patronizing.

"But Ethan and Lauren are in love," my dad added. "You wouldn't want to stand in the way of true love, would you?"

I stared at them in disbelief. "True love? Are you serious?!"

Mom sighed. "Sweetheart, you've always been independent. You'll move on. But Lauren… she needs stability. And Ethan makes her happy."

I felt like I was drowning. "So, what? Are you just replacing me with her?! Pretending like none of this even happened?!"

"We're not taking sides," my dad said, though his tone made it clear they already had.

Then, the final blow.

"They're still having the wedding," my mom said. "And, well, Lauren will be the bride."

I blinked. "You can't be serious."

"It's already paid for," she said as if that made any of this acceptable. "It would be a shame to let all those plans go to waste."

I stood up so fast the chair screeched against the floor. "Unbelievable."

"We'd like you to be happy for them," Dad said.

I laughed bitterly. "You actually expect me to celebrate this?!"

Lauren had taken my fiancé, and my parents had taken her side—like they always did. They had always treated her better, and now they wanted me to smile as they supported her relationship with my fiancé?!

I walked out of that house and didn't look back.

When the wedding came, I obviously wasn't invited. That didn't mean I wasn't going to be there. I decided not to cause a scene. I wasn't going to scream or throw cake. I just wanted to sneak in and wait until the officiant asked for objections.

Then, I'd get up and tell their guests and our mutual friends that the man Lauren was marrying had been my fiancé first! I planned to embarrass them and make their "special day" the worst one ever!

But when I arrived at the banquet hall, things were… off.

There was no music. No laughter. Just silence, thick with tension. Guests stood frozen in place, and at the front of the room, uniformed officers swarmed.

"What's going on?" I asked the nearest cop.

Before he could answer, I spotted my sister—still in her wedding dress, tears streaming down her face. My parents sat at a table, looking utterly shell-shocked.

But Ethan was nowhere to be seen.

The cop turned to me. "Are you a guest?"

I hesitated before nodding. "Sort of. I was supposed to be the bride today."

He sighed. "We came here to arrest the groom, but he wasn't here. He was caught at the city bus station trying to leave town."

I blinked. "What?!"

The officer gestured toward a group of detectives speaking to guests. "Turns out, he's been running a long con. He's a scam artist. He never planned on marrying anyone."

I felt my heart race. "What did he do?"

"He even lied about having family coming from Europe. He has no family. No guests. Nothing," the policeman informed me.

Shock rippled through me. My parents were still frozen in disbelief. Lauren—the woman who had betrayed me—was now abandoned at the altar, sobbing while her last-minute bridesmaids comforted her.

And for the first time in weeks, I smiled as I stood there, taking in the chaos before me.

Justice had been served!

As the guests started leaving, one of the officers approached me. "Hi, I saw you arrive. I hear Officer James say you dodged a bullet."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Yeah. Guess I did."

He gave me a small smile. "Would you like to grab a coffee sometime? You know, with someone who isn't a criminal?"

I glanced at his name tag—Officer Matt.

For the first time in a while, I felt something other than anger and betrayal. Maybe a fresh start wasn't such a bad idea.

That was a year ago.

And tomorrow? I'm marrying him!

Life has a funny way of working out.

Sadly, Ethan's first bride wasn't the only woman ditched on her wedding day. In this story, the bride's groom fails to arrive on time and instead, she discovers he's been cheating. The heartbroken woman stands up tall and makes the most of the day.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided "as is," and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.