"Naya, you need to see this." Reese, my best friend, shoved her phone in my face for the third time. "Please. Just watch it."
I closed my eyes and tilted my head back so she could finish the eyeliner. "Reese, I'm getting married in an hour. Can we not do this right now?"
"That's exactly why we need to do this right now!"
The dressing room at the Grandview Hotel wasn't fancy.
Nothing about this wedding was fancy. The gown I wore was thrifted from a vintage shop downtown. The makeup artist was my best friend who'd watched a bunch of NetTube tutorials last week. Even the flowers were wildflowers I'd picked myself yesterday.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was that in one hour, I'd finally become Mrs Naya Moore. After five years of waiting, sacrificing, and standing by his side while he chased his dreams, we'd finally be together. Officially.
"I'm serious, Naya." Reese put down the eyeliner and grabbed my shoulders. "You need to watch this video before you walk down that aisle."
Something in her voice made me open my eyes.
She looked angry. Her jaw was tight, and her eyes were bright and filled with rage.
"What video?" I asked quietly.
She pressed play.
The screen showed Caleb. My Caleb. Sitting on a fancy couch on the 'Celebrity Hot Gist' talk show and a live audience cheering in the Regal Heights hotel, one of the fanciest hotels in Luxford
This was from last night at his Bachelor's Eve Party.
All his actor friends had thrown him a surprise, extravagant party. 'Celebrity Hot Gist' anchored the event. So it wasn't surprising that the interview yesterday was trending on every social media platform.
"So, Caleb," the host asked with a big smile, "any regrets as you prepare to tie the knot tomorrow?"
Caleb laughed. That easy, charming laugh that made everyone fall in love with him. "You know what? Yeah. I do have one regret."
My heart started beating faster.
"My biggest regret," he said, looking straight at the camera, "is not ending up with Isabella Rivers."
The studio audience went wild with hooting, cheering and clapping.
"Isabella is an incredible woman," Caleb continued. "She's talented, beautiful, and she's been through so much. She just got diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer, and the doctors are saying she has ten, at most twelve months to live."
"Oh no!" The host put her hand over her heart. "That's terrible!"
"It is." Caleb nodded. "And her biggest wish—her dying wish—is to get married and try to have a baby before she goes. If I could, I'd want to be the one to make that happen for her. She deserves that happiness."
The crowd went wild. The camera panned to the audience, and I noticed most of the women were crying; even the men couldn't help but be emotional.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the host announced, "Caleb Moore, everyone! The best man in Luxford City!"
The video ended, and I just stared at the black screen.
"It has ten million views," Reese said. "Ten million, Naya. The comments are going wild. Everyone's calling him a saint. A hero. The perfect man."
I couldn't speak.
"He humiliated you," Reese continued. "On live television. The night before your wedding. In front of the entire world."
"He was drunk," I heard myself say. "He didn't mean it."
"Drunk?" Reese's voice got louder. "That's your excuse? Naya, listen to yourself! You've been together for five years. Five years! And in all that time, has he ever introduced you to the world as his girlfriend? Has he ever posted a single picture of you? Do you think that is love?"
I didn't answer.
"Is it?" she demanded.
"He wanted to wait until—"
"Until what? Until he was famous? Well, guess what? He's famous now! He got that lead role. He aced it. He's this year's breakout actor. And you know what he did? He went on TV and told the world he wished he were marrying someone else!"
"Reese—"
"And that ring!" She pointed at the simple band on my finger. "He got you engaged with a random ring he pulled off a shelf at the store! No thought. No planning. Just grabbed whatever was cheap and easy! That is why he won't flaunt you."
"It doesn't matter," I said, trying to force a smile.
"It does matter!" Reese grabbed my hands. "You deserve better than this. You deserve someone proud to have you. Someone who doesn't hide you like you're some secret."
"Today he'll introduce me," I said firmly. I pulled my hands away and turned back to the mirror. "When I walk down that aisle and become his wife, the whole world will know. That's all that matters."
Reese opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment, the door opened and Caleb walked in. My father and my stepmom were right behind him.
"Caleb!" I ducked down behind the chair, laughing. "You can't be here! It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!"
My stepmother laughed dryly.
"Don't bother with the superstition, dear," she said coldly. "There's not going to be a wedding, at least not for you."
I straightened up slowly. "What?"
Caleb wouldn't meet my eyes. "Naya, we need to talk."
My heart was pounding now. "What's going on?"
"Caleb, what are you doing?" Reese stepped in front of me. "The wedding starts in forty-five minutes."
"Reese, can you leave us alone for a minute?" Caleb asked.
"No," Reese snapped. "Whatever you have to say, say it in front of me."
"Reese." I touched her arm. "It's okay. Please. Give us a minute."
She looked at me like I was crazy. "Naya—"
"Please."
She stared at Caleb with pure hatred, grabbed her purse and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
I turned to Caleb instantly, trying not to show fear. "I'm listening."
"Naya," Caleb said. He still wouldn't look at me. "I can't marry you today."
"What?" I whispered.
"The wedding is still happening," he said quickly. "Just... not with you. I'm going to marry Isabella instead."
My stepmother, from where she stood behind Caleb, met my eyes and flashed me a smug smile.
"Isabella wishes to get married to me," he continued. "She's dying, Naya, and this is all she wants. One last happy moment before she goes."
My throat tightened with hysteria that I managed to push down. "So, you're…what? Going to marry her out of pity?"
"It's not pity," he said quickly. "It is love and duty and family. Plus, she's your sister. I want to fulfil her wish. It's the right thing to do."
I felt like my lungs were slowly leaking out air because I couldn't breathe.
"After she passes," he added, "we can get married then. I promise. This is just temporary."
I stood there. Staring at him. This man I'd loved for five years. This man I'd sacrificed everything for.
Without a word, I reached up and pulled off my engagement ring and tossed it at his chest.
It bounced off and hit the floor with a small clink.
Then I grabbed the makeup wipes from the table and started wiping off the designs Reese had carefully painted on my face. I pulled out the pins from my hair and also took off the veil. I started heading for the door.
"Naya, what are you doing?" Caleb grabbed my arm. "Where are you going?"
I didn't answer. I tried to shrug off his hold.
"You can't leave," he said, tightening his grip. "We need you to stay. The ceremony's about to start, and we need someone to stand in as Isabella's maid of honour. This is not the time to throw a tantrum and—"
I stopped struggling and turned around to look him in the eye.
"A tantrum?"
"You think this is a tantrum?" My voice trembled as I jabbed a finger at him.
"Naya—"
"I dropped out of acting school for you. Did you forget that? I gave you my tuition money so you could stay enrolled. I gave you the money I raised on WeFundYou—money that was supposed to save my sick mother—so you could study hard and pass your exams, graduate from the academy and audition without stress"
Caleb rolled his eyes.
"I put my life on pause for you," I continued. "I worked three jobs so you could focus on your career. I stood in the shadows at every premiere, every party, every red carpet event while you walked with Isabella because she was the 'established actress' and I was just a nobody who never even finished school."
"For God's sake—"
"You threw birthday parties for her—expensive ones at that, with champagne, fancy cakes, and luxury gifts. You know what you gave me? Hugs. Kisses and sex. And a ring you grabbed from a charm packet at the corner store."
Tears were streaming down my face now. I didn't bother wiping them.
"I endured all of it because I loved you," I said. "When I saw that video, I told myself it was okay that you were drunk. That it didn't mean anything. I was willing to forgive you."
"I don't want to hear this, right now, Naya—"
"And now the whole internet is calling you the best man in Luxford City." I laughed bitterly as a tear slipped down my cheek. "They're praising you. Did you think about me even once? Did you think about my sacrifices? Did any of it mean anything to you when you broke my heart over and over again?"
"I do care about you—"
"I needed this marriage certificate," I cut him off. "I needed it to qualify for the government grant. It's the only way I can pay off my mother's hospital bills. The only way she can continue treatment. And you knew that. You knew how important this was."
"And you're marrying Isabella instead."
Caleb opened his mouth.
"Don't." I held up my hand. "Don't answer. I don't want to hear it anymore."
I turned and walked to the door.
"Naya!" he called after me.
I didn't look back.
I walked down the hotel corridor in my thrifted wedding gown. Leaving behind all the things that were supposed to make this the best day of my life.