Trading My Forever For A Ten Year Lie

The night before my wedding, I slept with the woman I’d loved for ten years. When the dawn light spilled across the deep crimson stain on the white sheets, I knew I was ruined. A day later, I broke my vow, canceling the society wedding of the year in front of a ballroom packed with every friend and family member we knew. Everyone was waiting—waiting for Sarah, my fiancée, to slap the arrogance right off my face. But she didn’t. She simply walked toward me and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Gabe,” she whispered, her voice barely a breath. “You have to be happy.” I had no way of knowing then, standing numb on the stage, that this hurried, forgiving hug would become a luxury I would spend the rest of my life desperate to touch again.

1 The snap of a lighter breaking the silence woke the woman sleeping next to me. Emily Hale rolled off the bed, stumbling as she scrambled to find the heap of tangled clothes on the floor. “Gabe…” Her voice trembled. “We were drunk last night. We have to bury this, okay? Just go. Please, I’m begging you.” The smoke curled up, weaving a translucent curtain between us. I looked at the woman I had loved—unconditionally, obsessively—for a decade. From eighteen to twenty-eight. My gaze, my heart, every single sober and hazy thought I’d ever had, they all pointed back to her. She had no idea the kind of seismic damage she was capable of. Just standing there, pulling on a shirt, she was more potent than everything else in the world combined. I stubbed the cigarette out in the saucer and gripped her wrist, her pulse fluttering beneath my fingers. “Do you want to leave with me? Right now.” “You’re out of your mind…” Her pupils reflected a kind of wild-eyed panic I’d never seen from her before. “Yes, I am. I don’t want to spend the next few decades regretting why I didn’t take you with me today.” I picked up my phone and dialed Cameron Foster’s number. His laugh was quick and easy on the receiver. “You finally picked up! I just dropped the fireworks off at the hotel. The crew is leaving for your place any minute. Get ready, man, don’t hold up the motorcade.” My hand was sweating around the phone, my throat constricted. The practiced speech I’d rehearsed in my head suddenly felt impossible to deliver. “Cam,” I cut him off. “The wedding… can we stop it now?” The line went silent for two agonizing seconds. “…What are you talking about?” “I said, I want to cancel the wedding. Is it too late?” “Gabriel Ashton!” Cam’s voice became immediately grave. “Where the hell are you right now? Your parents are here, Sav’s parents are here, all your family, every friend you’ve ever had! This is not the time to debate whether you’re in love! You chose the date, you sent the invitations, you proposed! This is about responsibility! This is a commitment to everyone! Whatever massive crisis you’re having, deal with it after the ceremony! Get your ass home now!” “I cheated.” The other end went dead quiet. “What?” “I cheated on Sav.” I repeated it, the words tasting like ash. “I can’t lie to her anymore. And I can’t lie to myself.” “Gabe… you selfish son of a bitch!” Cam’s voice twisted with fury. “You’ve been distracted since you took that goddamn phone call at the bachelor dinner last night! I shouldn’t have let you leave! I can’t fix this! You need to go talk to the bride!” He slammed the phone down. Sarah. The bride today. My hands were shaking. I couldn’t even bring myself to scroll to her contact. “Stop, Gabe. Just stop.” Emily’s voice sounded, closer now. She was fully dressed and standing by the door. “Last night was… an accident. Neither of us meant for it to happen. I don’t need you to be responsible for me, and I certainly don’t need you to destroy your life as penance.” She lowered her gaze. “This is where it ends. I’m leaving.” Before I could process it, she opened the door and hurried out. “Emily… don’t go!” I frantically scrambled on the carpet, gathering my clothes. When I charged down the stairs, throwing on my jacket, the street was already empty. She was like a cool gust of wind through a hallway, vanishing before my eyes yet again. The sudden chime of my phone made me jump. It was Sarah. My fiancée. My finger hovered over the screen, but I hit Decline. I immediately pulled up Emily’s number. Before I could dial, a text from Cam slid across the screen: Sav is here. My heart plummeted. “Where?” At your place, the reply came. She said she couldn’t get hold of you all morning, worried you were too stressed with planning, so she came herself. Gabe, I’m giving you one last piece of advice. Don’t choose the path that will make you regret everything. The phone slipped from my sweaty palm and clattered at my feet. Regret? Yes. I’d regretted this wedding since the day I first said yes to it. 2 Emily Hale was the only light that had ever pierced my dark years. I was eighteen. My parents had just finalized their vicious divorce, and I was diagnosed with severe depression. Our first meeting was at a specialized treatment facility outside the city. She was a volunteer. I was a patient. She carried a unique, steady energy. I found that just being near her could quiet the frantic static in my mind. She was patient and relentlessly genuine. She possessed a kind of raw vitality that felt utterly out of place in the sterile environment. But I was too broken then to understand what love really was. Two years later, my condition stabilized. My father pulled me out and transferred me to a new prep school. We parted abruptly, without even exchanging numbers. We didn’t meet again for five years. It was at a stuffy business dinner—a blind date set up by my father—where I was a customer and she was a waitress. The moment I saw her face, my breath hitched. I stood up and pulled her straight out of the restaurant. That night, we talked for hours in the old parking lot of the treatment center, trying to piece together the five years we’d lost. The news eventually reached my father. After a thunderous rage, Emily disappeared from my life a second time. To the outside world, I was the gilded heir—great family, smooth path ahead. But only I knew I had no right to choose the woman I slept beside. Sarah Reed entered my life around then. She was intelligent, graceful, and impeccably mannered. Her family’s pedigree and social circle were flawless. Everyone—especially my father—agreed she was the perfect match. But I didn’t love her. Had Emily never existed, perhaps I would have eventually fallen for this kind, gentle woman. But then, the night before our wedding, she showed up. “Gabe!” A sharp shout came from behind me. It was Cam. “What are you doing here?” Before I could finish, he grabbed my collar. “You’re going straight back home to kneel and apologize! Sarah will forgive you for the sake of the family!” I forcefully pushed his hand away. “Cam, don’t casually interfere in someone else’s karma. I will never forgive you if you do.” I still remember saying that. They say a man is a boy until he dies. But the truth is, the path you didn’t take in your youth becomes the root of every regret and every fantasy for the rest of your life. As we stood there, deadlocked, my father arrived. He shoved me into his car and drove me directly to the hotel ballroom. I was pulled into a tux, had my tie straightened. A puppet pushed onto a stage. The moment the spotlight hit me, I was utterly disoriented. Then, the crystal doors opened slowly. Behind the lace, I was hoping to see a different face. A voice screamed in my head: You’ve lost her forever. This is your last chance. The officiant’s voice cut through the silence. “Whether in poverty or wealth, in sickness or in health, do you, Gabriel, take Sarah…” “No!” I cut him off. “I do not.” I pulled back the ring I was about to hand over. “I’m sorry, Sav. This ring… it’s waiting for its true owner. The person I love has never been you.” The ballroom fell into a suffocating silence. Everyone was waiting for it—waiting for the loud, satisfying slap to connect with my cheek. But the predicted blow never landed. She simply walked toward me and pulled me into a gentle hug. “Gabe, I’ll handle the aftermath. Use the side door.” She paused, her breath warm against my ear. “Promise me you’ll be happy.” 3 Time stopped right then. I looked down at her, dumbfounded. Maybe, in the last three years, I’d never truly understood the woman standing in front of me. The crowd began to stir. I didn’t think twice. I ripped the boutonniere from my lapel and ran, not looking back, toward the exit. “You idiot! Where are you going?” My father’s enraged roar followed me. I stopped, turning to face his livid expression. “Dad! I refuse to repeat the tragedy you and Mom created. This time, please let me choose for myself. For better or worse, I will take the full blame.” Then I turned and walked away. Outside, the skies were dark with storm clouds. I pressed my hands to my chest. My heart was pounding like a drum. It was that long-lost, visceral feeling of being truly alive. My first destination was the small town in the Asheville region. Emily had vaguely mentioned she was going back to visit her mother, who was ill. Just before takeoff, my phone rang again. It was Cam. I took a deep breath before answering. “No scolding, brother. Just wish me luck. I finally did one thing for myself in this life. Please, handle the fallout at the hotel for me. Tell everyone I’m truly sorry. I’ll compensate for all the losses, double.” Cam was silent for a few seconds. “What about Sarah? How will you compensate her?” “…Sav?” “She’s standing right outside the hotel, bowing and apologizing to every single guest who leaves.” His voice was heavy with disappointment. “Gabe, you have no idea what you just threw away.” My breath caught in my throat. The image of her gentle hug flashed in my mind. I closed my eyes. “Sav… I’m leaving her in your hands.” I hung up and set my phone to silent. No one and nothing would stop me from chasing that guiding light now. The plane landed, and the humid, earthy air of the South hit me. The moment I powered up my phone, a photo popped up. It was a desolate silhouette. A girl in a wedding dress, barefoot, walking through the rain, holding her high heels. The hem of the beautiful gown was stained with mud. I knew that dress. A couture gown, a limited-edition piece flown in from Milan. The wedding dress Sav had been most excited about. A dull ache started in my chest. I immediately called Cam back. “Why didn’t anyone get her? How could you let her walk alone in the rain?” “Let her vent. After this, she’ll forget you.” Cam’s voice was flat. “Gabe, as of today, we are no longer friends.” I squeezed the bridge of my nose, frustrated. “Cam, you’ve never truly loved anyone, so you don’t get it. When you meet the person who makes your heart ache down to your bones, you throw everything away. She is the only reason you have to live.” “No, I don’t want to hear your philosophy right now.” He cut me off. “From now on, I’ll be the one protecting Sav. Which is why we can’t be brothers anymore.” “…What did you just say?” 4 He hung up instantly. I stood there, turning in a slow circle, phone in hand. Cam loved Sav? Since when? A spot in my left ribcage suddenly felt impossibly heavy. I dialed Sarah’s number, almost by instinct. She answered a few seconds later. “Where are you?” “Huh? Me… I’m almost home.” Her voice was muffled, wrapped in the sound of wind and rain. “Look behind you. Is Cam there?” Silence fell on the line. Then, I heard her quietly draw a shaky breath. “Gabe, did you find her?” “…Who?” “That girl in your heart. I’ve handled everything else, don’t worry. You might need to spend some time calming your uncle down, though. Anyway, I have to go. I’m almost home.” I could hear her faint shivers in the background. I could picture her soaked to the bone, standing in the cold rain, looking miserable. The words of apology caught in my throat. The most important thing now was to find Emily. I finally reached the small town Emily had described just before nightfall. When I went to pay the taxi driver, I found my bank account had been frozen. My father’s revenge. My first thought was to call Cam, but his attitude had infuriated me. After much hesitation, I had no choice but to call Sarah. The line was silent for a long time. “…Fine. I understand.” Soon, a text message came through. I accessed the account number she provided and quickly paid the fare. “Sav, thank you. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.” “No need. That money was your initial down payment to my family. Transfer it to a secure card as soon as you can. Then, we’re even.” Even? “Are you still mad at me?” “Gabe, I haven’t blocked you because those three years weren’t entirely a lie. But that doesn’t mean you get to hurt me endlessly. Go after the happiness you want. If we keep talking, we’ll both just get hurt more.” The cursor blinked in the empty input box. I didn’t send anything. She was right. A greedy man doesn’t deserve a full life. I took a deep breath and continued my search. After half a night bouncing around in an old pickup, I finally found the village Emily had mentioned. The moment I saw her, bending over a well in a dilapidated courtyard, drawing water, a sharp pang hit me. “Emily!” The sound was a raw, unfamiliar croak. She straightened up and looked over. “How… how did you find me?” How did I find her? I didn’t know myself. Later that night, we held each other, exchanging whispered confessions. But somehow, the solitary image of the girl in the ruined wedding dress, walking barefoot in the rain, intruded into my mind without warning. I froze, and my voice caught. “Gabe,” Emily’s voice was unnervingly clear in the quiet. “Do you… regret it?” I unconsciously tightened my embrace. “Of course not. I’ve waited for this day for ten years.” From eighteen to twenty-eight, nearly all my love, my devotion, my fixation, had been poured into the woman in my arms. But why was that lost, desolate silhouette flashing in my mind right now? After Emily fell asleep, I sat on the stone steps outside for half the night, smoking, ash accumulating around my feet. The burning heat of the reckless courage that brought me here seemed to have suddenly extinguished. I found her. Now what? A new, cold wave of confusion washed over me. My phone screen was still paused on Sarah’s contact. I wanted to call. Even just to hear her breathe, or to say I was sorry. But what right did I have? Perhaps, the moment I turned my back and ran, I lost all claim to comfort her. The next morning, I hired a car and took Emily and her mother to the nearest regional hospital. The diagnosis was mid-stage liver cancer. The cash I had quickly ran out. The bank accounts were still frozen. With nowhere else to turn, I had to swallow my pride and open Sarah’s chat window again. “I’m sorry to bother you again… Are you liquid right now?” She skipped the small talk. “How much do you need?” “Half a million. Emily’s mother was diagnosed with liver cancer. The surgery and follow-up care need immediate funding, so…” “Okay.” “Sign the authorization papers for the marital condo and send them to me. The wedding jewelry should liquidate to about two hundred thousand. I’ll wire you that this afternoon. Take care of yourself out there.” The text on the screen made my chest clench with a terrifying emptiness. I was watching her systematically, cleanly, and with the utmost dignity, erase every trace of our shared past. Soon, the condo we’d decorated together was swiftly listed on a real estate site. The first person to contact me about it, however, was Cameron. I answered the call. No pleasantries. “Give me the jewelry, and give me the condo. From now on, you will not have any contact with Sarah.” “Why?” “Because she’s my girlfriend now.”