The night before our wedding invitations were sent out, Darian Olsen erased my name—and replaced it with his childhood crush's.

One of his friends asked in shock, "What about Roxanne? She's been working nonstop for this wedding. All she wants is to marry you. And you just switched the bride to Yvette?"

Darian laughed coldly.

"Yvie just wants to feel like a bride for one night. Tomorrow, I'll change it back.

"Even if Roxanne sees it, she loves me too much. She'll fix it herself—without me saying a word."

I stood outside the door, fists trembling, forcing my tears back. Pretending I hadn't heard a thing.

But I didn't fix the invitations.

If he could throw away seven years of love for someone else's whim, then I could throw him away too.

After all, my life has always been more than just him.

***

Hearing Darian's voice, I almost stopped breathing.

Just the day before, he was holding me, telling me how excited he was for our wedding.

But now, the name on the invitations was Yvette Hawley.

His friend kept asking, "You're really not gonna tell Roxanne you changed the name?

"What if she sees it and gets so mad she calls everything off?"

"Enough," Darian snapped. Then his voice cooled, heavy with annoyance.

"That's not possible. She's been stuck to me like glue all these years. She's not going anywhere."

His friends laughed. "Darian, you gotta teach us how to get a girl as loyal as Roxanne."

He smirked. "You don't want a girl this clingy. Trust me.

"Besides, she's always been jealous of Yvie. If she finds out, she'll make a scene. I'm just doing this to make Yvie happy."

I stood frozen outside the door, feeling cold all over.

I wanted to burst in, yell at him, and demand an explanation. But my heart hurt so much I had no strength left.

I went home and threw myself onto the bed.

We had grown up together for eighteen years, dated for seven. My entire twenty-five years of life were filled with him.

"If he fell out of love, why didn't he just tell me? Is it fun watching me plan a wedding he doesn't even care?" I thought bitterly.

My hands trembled. My eyes burned, but no tears came. I just stared blankly out the window.

After a long silence, my phone lit up.

It was a message from Darian.

"Roxie, come to the bridal shop. You should try on your wedding dress."

I held my phone, silent for a long time. In the end, I went anyway.

I told myself, "What if he was just showing off in front of his friends? What if he had a reason?

"If he apologized honestly, maybe all those years together still meant something."

Standing in front of the bridal shop, I took a deep breath.

I was about to push the door open when Yvette stepped out in a wedding dress. Darian looked at her with smiling eyes, exaggerating his praise.

"Yvie, you look stunning in that dress."

Yvette blushed and moved closer to him.

"Thank you. I'm really touched that you changed the name for me and came with me to try on dresses."

He gently adjusted her veil, his gaze full of affection.

"I just wanted to fulfill a dream we had when we were young. I could never say no to you."

Yvette smiled sweetly, lowering her voice. "Do you think Roxie will be mad at me?"

Darian's smile faded. "Her? She wouldn't dare be angry with me."

My reflection in the glass showed my red-rimmed eyes. The last bit of hope I had for Darian was shattered.

He didn't have a good reason. He had simply changed.

Since we got together at eighteen, I had always dreamed about what my wedding dress would look like.

Back then, Darian would always comfort me, saying, "No matter what dress you wear, you'll be the most beautiful bride."

I told him he had to keep a straight face when I tried on dresses, or we wouldn't be able to bargain properly.

But he just laughed, held me tight, and said, "I can't help it. Everyone who sees you will be amazed."

But now, the one who amazed him was no longer me. His love no longer belonged only to me.

In that case, it was time for me to leave.

After returning home, I told my parents I wanted to call off the wedding.

They asked me several times if I was sure. Each time, I nodded firmly.

"I'm sure."

Everyone knew I loved Darian with all my heart.

But they didn't know that loving someone didn't mean I would lose my dignity.

If his heart had changed, then I would let him go.

From now on, we'd go our separate ways.

That evening, Darian came knocking at my parents' door.

My mom thought we were just having a typical couple's argument and told me to go back with him to talk things through.

When we stopped outside our wedding home, he grabbed my hand.

"Why didn't you come try on the dress tonight?"

Seeing the hesitation and that flicker of guilt in his eyes, I suddenly felt like it wasn't worth it at all.

I pulled my hand back slowly and shut my eyes.

"I wasn't feeling well. Didn't feel like going."

"Did you see a doctor?"

"It's nothing."

The car fell quiet. My heart sank.

There was a time when just saying I didn't feel well would make him insist on taking me to the hospital, even when I said I was fine.

Now, there was only silence.

I told myself I wouldn't cry over him again, but the tears came anyway.

Darian saw my red eyes in the mirror. He scowled.

"What's with the drama, Roxanne? You skipped the fitting, said you're sick, but wouldn't get help, now you're crying? What am I supposed to think?"

Hearing his cold questioning, I felt completely hollowed out.

I finally realized that when I wasn't loved, even my tears were just a nuisance.

But before Yvette returned, he'd hold me and whisper, "Please don't cry. It breaks my heart to see you like this."

I couldn't take it anymore.

"You know exactly why I didn't go! You took Yvette..."

Before I could finish, I saw Yvette stepping out of our wedding home wearing Darian's shirt.

He looked uneasy and explained, "Yvie wasn't feeling well. I didn't want to leave her alone, so I brought her here."

I stared at Yvette wearing his shirt and laughed through tears.

"We're done."

"Don't be like that."

I could see the old impatience in his eyes, but he forced himself to sound gentle. "Come on, we're getting married soon."

I snapped and threw my bag down. "You remember that? Then what is she doing here? In your shirt?"

I felt like a volcano ready to erupt.

The strap of my bag scratched his cheek. He shot me an icy look.

"You're impossible. She had nothing to sleep in, so I lent her something. Is that a crime?"

Out of everything, she had to choose that shirt. Anyone could see what she was doing. But Darian refused to.

Yvette walked over, teary-eyed, the shirt hardly covering her hips.

"Roxie, please don't be mad at Darian. We're just friends. I'm sorry."

I smirked coldly. "Put some clothes on first. Wouldn't want you catching a cold or slipping into the wrong bed by accident."

Yvette went pale. Tears rolled down.

Darian grabbed my arm. "Enough. I brought her here. If you're mad, be mad at me.

"Now apologize."

I shook him off. "Why should I?"

Ever since Yvette came back, I have always had to give way. Every time she cried, it was always my fault.

I was my parents' daughter too. I didn't deserve this.

I turned and walked away, crying quietly. Darian didn't follow.

Trying not to sob, I didn't want to worry my parents, so I took a taxi to a hotel.

This wasn't the first time he chose Yvette over me.

Once, when we were camping, she scratched her leg on a branch. He carried her down the mountain and forgot I was still there.

I woke up alone after dark, wind howling. Terrified, I called him.

"Yvie's hurt. I'm at the hospital. I'm busy." That was his response.

Then he turned off his phone. I called again and again, but only a robot voice answered. I had to call the police to get down.

Later that night, someone knocked on my hotel room door. It was Darian, his eyes red.

He held me tight. "Roxie, stop, okay? Nothing's going on with me and Yvette. She just wanted to try on a wedding dress.

"All this distrust... It's exhausting."

He rested his head on my shoulder, pinching my cheek the way he used to.

"Don't be mad. You checked the wedding stuff yesterday, right? Don't forget the invitations."

Then he hugged me again.

"Even if you didn't, it's okay. Nothing will stop our wedding."

I looked into his eyes, my hand tightening around the invitation in my pocket.

He didn't know that I never changed the name on the invitations.

And I wasn't going to marry him.

Watching him act all nervous almost made me laugh.

I pushed him away and walked into the room without a word.

"We're over."

"Come on, don't be like that. Which photo should we put at the hotel entrance?"

He sat on the bed like everything was normal and tried to pull me into his arms. I shoved him off. I wasn't in the mood.

When I didn't respond, Darian assumed everything was fine again, just like before.

He randomly picked one of the photos, then happily dropped me back at my parents' house.

"Roxie, the wedding's just around the corner. I can't wait to marry you. I'll bring the dress over soon. All you have to do is wear it and be my gorgeous bride."

I didn't bother arguing. I didn't want to make a scene.

Watching him speed off like he couldn't wait to leave, I smiled coldly.

When I got home, I told my parents everything. They didn't hesitate, deciding to call off the wedding right away, and texted Darian's parents.

But Darian just called me like it was no big deal.

"Roxie, you're pushing this act too far. Last chance, okay? Don't test me again."

I was dumbfounded. It was almost funny.

My parents decided it was time for me to study abroad.

So I threw myself into applying to schools and packing my things.

Meanwhile, Darian was busy showing Yvette around town. My social media feed was full of their photos.

Then my phone dinged.

Yvette had sent me another video. They were playing Truth or Dare in a private room.

Yvette picked Dare: she had to make out with a guy for three whole minutes.

She glanced over at Darian, her eyes sweet and shy.

"Darian, you're the only one I'm close with here."

Without saying a word, he pulled her in by the neck and kissed her.

They kissed like they never wanted to stop. The way they looked at each other said everything.

I stood there frozen, phone in hand, feeling like my heart had been ripped out.

Then suddenly, a flicker of light caught my eye.

After searching the entire safe, I finally had to accept the truth: the wedding ring I had spent three years designing was on Yvette's finger.

How dare she?

I drove like a madwoman.

When I kicked open the door of the private room, Yvette was still curled up in Darian's arms.

Everyone fell silent.

Drunk, Darian grinned at me. "Roxie, the wedding's not till tomorrow. What are you doing here?"

Then he wrapped his arm around Yvette's waist.

I walked straight toward Yvette without even looking at him. "Give it back."

She avoided my eyes, still pretending not to understand.

"What are you talking about?"

"The ring I designed. Give it back. Or I'll break your finger."

I grabbed a bottle from the table and smashed it on the floor, my eyes fierce.

Darian's friends quickly slipped out. Yvette was scared, tears in her eyes.

She tried to pull the ring off, her hands trembling. "Here, take it."

But the ring was stuck. She went to the restroom to use soap to slide it off.

"I'm sorry..."

She always loved playing the victim.

Just as I reached for it, she suddenly let out a little "oops" and let go.

The ring slid straight down the drain.

I stood there frozen, staring at the drain.

Darian finally sobered up.

He pulled Yvette behind him, his voice panicked. "Roxie, it was an accident... She didn't mean to."

Furious, I slapped Yvette hard across the face.

"That was my ring! Who said you could take it? Who said you could throw it away?!"

That ring held all my dreams about love. It carried my whole youth. And just like that, she destroyed it.

Before Yvette could even speak, Darian shoved me hard to the floor.

"It's just a stupid ring! It's gone, but so what? Why did you hit her?

"I'll buy you ten rings to make up for it, okay? Now get out of here!"

I lay there in shock, pain burning across my back. Tears slipped down my cheeks before I even realized.

He was right about one thing—Yvette wasn't the problem. The real betrayal had always been Darian.

He basked in my love, yet could never choose me over her. And now, I was the one left broken, humiliated, discarded.

All those years, all those memories, every dream tied to that ring—just illusions.

And now even my last illusion was gone.

When Darian reached out, whispering, "Roxie, I went too far. Don't cry, I'll get the ring back," I shoved his hand away.

Slowly, I rose to my feet, my tears finally gone.

I looked straight at Yvette, who was smiling like she had already won. My voice was calm, razor-sharp.

"Keep it. I don't want it anymore."

Then I turned my back on them. In the rearview mirror, I saw what I needed to see—Darian holding her close, kissing her like I'd never existed.

That was the moment I let go.

I went home, hugged my parents goodbye, and carried my luggage to the airport.

With ten minutes left until the wedding that would never be, I boarded my flight.

As the plane climbed higher, Darian's call lit up my phone. His voice was full of warmth and promises.

"Roxie, don't be mad. Tomorrow you'll be my beautiful bride. I'll only love you from now on. I'll take you abroad. We'll be happy, I swear—"

I didn't answer. I just hung up.

"From this moment on, Darian..." I whispered, staring out at the clouds.

"We're strangers."