Called Off the Wedding, Walked Into My New Life

While I was trying on the wedding gown, one of Felix Gilbert's best buddies suddenly tagged me in the group chat:

Hey, the invitations go out the day after tomorrow. You still haven't noticed the bride's name isn't yours?

I stared at myself in the mirror, wrapped in white, and for a second my mind went blank.

The next second, a voice message from Felix's childhood friend popped up:

"I bet Felix you wouldn't figure it out until you got the invitation. He changed the bride to Kate Pruitt."

"You're way too laid-back about this. Better make him change it back, or is this wedding even happening?"

I slowly peeled the gown off, and a wave of cold revulsion swept through me.

Kate Pruitt was Felix's first love, the pure, untouchable ideal of their whole circle.

But marrying me was something Felix had sworn to, on his own, in front of both families.

And now, in the middle of planning our wedding, they'd turned my dignity into the stake of a bet.

"Felix, that's a rotten move. I bet she'll come crying and begging you once she finds out."

"I bet she won't even dare get mad. Loser covers the whole yacht party next month."

A notification from someone I'd flagged for special alerts jumped onto the screen.

Kate had posted a set of photos in a limited-edition wedding gown.

Thank you to a certain someone who stayed up three nights and pulled strings to borrow this Dream Dress for me. Dream come true~

Underneath, Felix had replied with a heart.

Calmly, I liked the post.

Then I disbanded the wedding-planning group chat and bought a ticket on the slow train to the highlands.

No wedding, then. Going to feel the wind up in the highlands, clear my eyes outthat sounded good.

The cold overhead lights of the bridal shop glinted off the mirror. I gathered the skirt up bit by bit and handed it back to the clerk.

The clerk hurried after me with a measuring tape, smiling. "Miss Fox, do you want the waist taken in another half inch? Mr. Gilbert said the wedding has to be perfect."

I looked at the white gown in her hands, my voice flat. "No more alterations. The wedding's off. Give this gown to your next customer."

The clerk froze, then chased after me clutching the contract. "Miss Fox, if you cancel, the fitting fee and deposit are non-refundable."

I pulled the card from my bag and pressed a pen to the paper. "Deduct whatever you need to. Don't contact Felix again, and don't contact my parents either."

Stepping out of the shop, the sunlight was blinding, washing everything white in front of me. On my phone, the wedding planner was still asking about the flower-wall color scheme.

I leaned against the roadside railing and canceled it all, one line at a timethe hotel banquet, the makeup, the car fleet. The thirty-thousand-dollar cancellation penalty went through fast.

The planner's voice was hesitant. "Miss Fox, does Mr. Gilbert know about this? This morning he had us swap the bride's name card over to Miss Pruitt. Said it was a joke, you know."

I stared at the payment successful line on the screen and said quietly, "He likes his games. Let him plan it himself, then."

My mother's call cut in, the neighbors' laughter filling the background. She lowered her voice, but the delight in it leaked through anyway.

"Stacy, Felix sent someone over with fish maw and sea cucumber. The whole neighborhood's saying how lucky you are."

"He even promised you the grandest wedding in the whole city. Stop being so stubborn. Men have their social obligations, that's normal. Just grit your teeth and it'll pass."

I asked her, "Mom, what if the bride on the invitation isn't me?"

She paused, and her voice dropped at once. "Don't talk nonsense. A man like Felix willing to marry youthat's your good luck. Don't blow some little thing up and make both families look bad."

I let out a small laugh. "Got it. You go put those gifts away."

After I hung up, I dialed Felix. The second the call connected, Kate's soft, coy laughter slipped into my ear first.

Someone egged him on. "Felix, your wife's checking up on you, huh? Better sweet-talk her, don't actually let the wedding slip away."

Felix's voice was lazy. "Stacy Fox, what's the matter with you now?"

I watched the traffic and asked him, "Betting with the name on the wedding invitation. Was that fun?"

There was a beat of silence on his end, then the clink of glasses again. Felix sounded like he was laughing. "The invitations haven't been printed yet. I'll change it back tomorrow, it's nothing. Kate just got back from overseas, everyone was only teasing her for fun."

I said, "So my dignity is just a chip you all throw down to keep her happy?"

Felix clicked his tongue. "You're about to become Mrs. Gilbert, and you can't even find this much room in your heart? Kate's health is fragile. She only wanted to wear a wedding gown once, to have that dream come true."

On the other end, Kate spoke up softly. "Felix, please don't fight with Stacy because of me. I'll just take off the gown and give it back to her."

Felix's voice went gentle at once. "It's not your fault. She's been in a mood lately."

I looked down and saw Kate's post had updated again. Beside two movie tickets was Felix's hand resting on the steering wheel.

That Cartier watch on his wrist. I'd bought it after half a year of working side jobs on top of my hours at the pet rescue shelter, grinding through night after night.

The caption read: For all the days ahead, thank you for always being the one I can fall back on.

When Felix spoke to me again, his patience was gone. "Stacy, can you stop being such a killjoy? You're out of your mind."

The call cut off. Standing there at the corner, I wiped out three years of photos from our joint account in one tap.

My phone buzzed again. Felix had sent over five thousand two hundred dollars, with a note: "Buy yourself a bag. Quit making a scene."

Standing in front of the subway turnstile, I sent the transfer back, then set Felix's profile to Do Not Disturb.

A message came through fast. "Stacy, that's enough. I'm handing you a way out, so take it. Don't push me till I lose my patience."

I gave a cold laugh and didn't reply.

That night I went back to the newlywed apartment and started packing up my things.

Boxes were stacked in the corner. I tossed my shelter ID badge into one of them.

Because of one line from Marina"a Gilbert daughter-in-law hanging around with strays all day is beneath us"I'd handed in my resignation to Rachel just last week.

Looking back now, it was almost funny.

I was bending down to dig out the tape when Felix's video call suddenly popped up.

I hit accept. On the screen were the warm-lit shelves of an upscale pet store.

Kate stood beside him holding a ragdoll cat, and Felix had a bag of imported cat food in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed. "Why won't you take the money?"

I ripped off a strip of tape. "Don't need it."

Felix's voice turned cold. "You don't need it? Is that salary of yours enough to cover the breakup penalty? Don't make yourself look pathetic just to spite me."

Kate leaned in toward the camera, her eyes reddened at just the right moment. "Stacy, is it because I tried on the wedding gown yesterday that you're angry with Felix?"

I looked at the cat in her arms and said quietly, "There's discharge in its ear. You shouldn't just be busy taking pictures. Get it checked first."

Kate's expression stiffened for a second, and Felix immediately blocked the camera. "Can you not talk to a person like you're training some animal?"

My hand on the tape went still.

He used to love watching me tend to animals' wounds. He said that when I bent my head over them, my whole self seemed to glow.

Kate bit her lip. "It's all my fault. My health isn't good, and I got fixated on wearing a wedding gown. I'll delete the photos right now."

Felix reached up and pulled her in by the shoulder, his tone softening. "Delete nothing. You did nothing wrong."

When he turned back to me, he went cold again. "Stacy, look at how understanding Kate is, then look at yourself. So petty it wears everyone out."

I closed the box and said, "The two of you suit each other."

Felix acted like he hadn't understood. After two seconds of silence, he laughed. "Fine, keep up the act. Tomorrow I'll have my assistant reprint the invitations."

I hung up the video. A new message popped up in the Gilbert family group chat.

Marina Gilbert posted nine photos, captioned: "Finally got to meet the Miss Pruitt that Felix is always mentioning. So gracious and well-bred, no wonder everyone adores her."

The photos were from a private Gilbert family brunch. Kate Pruitt sat beside Marina, and Felix leaned in to place a shrimp dumpling on her plate.

Marina messaged me privately soon after: "Stacy, Miss Pruitt came all this way to visit, so we entertained her a little. Don't read too much into it. A Gilbert daughter-in-law should have a big heart."

I replied: "Ma'am, Felix and I have broken up. The wedding is canceled too."

Marina called at once, her tone turning sharp: "What kind of child are you? Felix is willing to settle down and marry you. He's already given you plenty of face."

I set the phone down on the table and went on sealing the cardboard box.

She kept her anger clamped down on her end. "Kate is the one who got away from Felix's younger years. It's perfectly normal for a man to carry a bit of his past. Hold on too tight and you'll only push him further away."

I said, "Then let him be pushed away."

The line went quiet for a moment, then Marina let out a cold laugh. "Don't come crying later. The Fox family took plenty of our gifts. If this really blows up, it won't be the Gilberts who look bad."

I hung up and swept the plush toy, the couple's mugs, and the photo album Felix had given me into a trash bag.

At the very bottom of the closet was a gray sweater, only half finished.

I'd been knitting it for Felix. His stomach was weak, and his hands always went cold in winter.

I pulled the yarn apart, the wool spilling loop by loop around my feet, like all the lines I'd surrendered over and over across three years.

The pickup guy from the local recycling service came fast. He hefted the bags and asked, "You don't want any of this, miss?"

I nodded. "No. Please just clear it all out."

The apartment emptied out little by little, until all that was left was the ring of keys still hanging by the entryway.

The door rattled twice.

It was pushed open from outside a moment later, and Felix stood in the doorway, wheeling two pink suitcases.

Felix swept his eyes over the living room and frowned at me. "Why'd you strip the place bare like this?"

Kate peeked out from behind him, the cat still cradled in her arms, her voice timid. "Stacy, is this a bad time for me to come by?"

Felix rolled the suitcases in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "A pipe burst in her rental. It's not safe for a single girl to stay at a hotel, so she'll stay here with us for a few days."

I asked, "Which room?"

Felix pushed the cases toward the master bedroom. "Kate's picky about beds. She'll take the master for now. You tidy up the spare room."

Kate hurriedly caught his sleeve. "Felix, don't be like that. Stacy will be upset. I can sleep on the couch, really."

Felix bent his head to soothe her. "You're not well. Don't put yourself through that."

He lifted his eyes to me, his voice cool. "You're going to be the lady of this house anyway. Can't you show a little grace?"

"This isn't my house."

Felix's brow relaxed. "Good, as long as you know it. I paid for the newlywed apartment. You arranged a few pieces of furniture. That doesn't mean you get to put on airs."

I reached over and lifted the keys off the entryway hook. The metal was cold against my palm.

Kate said softly, "Stacy, don't misunderstand. Felix just worries something will happen to me. In his heart he still cares about you most."

I looked at her. "That movie ticket you posted last night. Was it a good film?"

Something flickered in Kate's eyes. Felix stepped in front of her. "Are you done? What does Kate owe you?"

I said, "She doesn't owe me anything. You do."

Felix stared at me, a thin smile tugging at his mouth. "Here we go again. Stacy, every time you're unhappy you threaten me with a breakup. Is it fun for you?"

I pulled out the black suitcase I'd packed long before. The wheels ground across the floor with a faint sound.

The smile faded from Felix's face. "Where are you going?"

I changed my shoes at the entryway, my voice calm. "No need to tidy the spare room. The apartment is all yours now, take your time settling in. Felix, we're done."

Kate's eyes reddened at once. "Stacy, this is all my fault. I'll leave right now. Please don't joke about the wedding."

But Felix reached out to stop her, his gaze going cold. "Let her go."

He leaned against the doorframe, his voice pressed down over something hot. "The moment you walk out that door today, don't expect me to come coaxing you back. Come back and apologize within three days, and I can still pretend none of this happened."

I pulled the door open.

Felix spoke again. "Stacy Fox, I'm not going to smooth things over with your parents for you. When they ask, you can explain it yourself."

My steps stopped for half a second.

For three years, my mother had told everyone I'd married well, and my father had carried the cigarettes and liquor the Gilberts sent, his face flushed with pride as he laughed in front of the relatives.

Felix knew I was afraid of letting them down, so every time he could put his finger right on the tender spot.

Kate twisted the knife softly. "Stacy, Uncle and Auntie love Felix so much. Isn't it a little selfish of you, acting like this?"

I turned back and looked at Felix. "Changing the name on the invitation, bringing her to meet your family, letting her have the master bedroomis that me being selfish too?"

Felix was silent for a moment, then quickly slid back into arrogance. "We'll deal with all that later. Don't put on a show in the doorway. Who's it for?"

I set the key on the shoe cabinet.

Felix finally noticed. His brow twitched, almost imperceptibly. "You're leaving this behind too?"

I said, "You just said the apartment was paid for with your money. And since even the master bedroom has someone new sleeping in it now, it wouldn't be right for me to keep this key."

His face darkened in an instant. "Stacy Fox, do you really have to make it this final?"

I didn't answer. I wheeled my suitcase into the elevator.

Just before the doors closed, Felix's voice chased after me. "Stacy Fox, once you're out that door, don't even think about asking me to give it back!"

The elevator went down, and I dropped the spare access card into the trash bin.

On my phone, a message came from the head of the rescue shelter. "Stacy, a National Geographic documentary team is coming tomorrow to shoot some charity footage. Before you leave, could you help out for one more day? They happen to be hiring a highlands medical consultant, and I think you'd be perfect for it."

I replied with an okay.

The screen had barely gone dark when Kate's feed refreshed.

She was standing at the master bedroom's floor-to-ceiling window, the caption reading, "After all the wandering, I've finally come home to the place that feels safest."

Early the next morning, I took my suitcase to the shelter.

I changed into scrubs, and the familiar smell of disinfectant washed over me.

I was bent over, dimming the heat lamp on the last post-op puppy, when a clamor suddenly rose from the yard.

The shelter head came into the treatment room wiping her hands, her face tight. "Stacy, the documentary team was supposed to be filming, but the people Kate brought cut right in."

My fingers stilled. "Who approved that?"

Rachel Bennett lowered her voice. "The sponsor gave us short notice, said she needs footage for her charitable image. Felix came too. The director of that documentary, Mr. Graves, has a face like thunder. He's got his crew standing off to the side, watching with this cold smile."

I walked out into the yard. Kate stood in front of the kennels in a white dress, the cameras circling around her.

She bent down to pick up a yellow puppy that had just been spayed, and I clamped my hand over the cage door at once. "It's been less than twenty-four hours since surgery. You can't hold it."

Kate looked up at me, her smile all innocence. "Stacy, I just want everyone to see how adorable it is. People will only donate if they fall in love with it."

Felix stood outside the frame, frowning. "Stacy Fox, don't make this ugly."

I stared into his eyes. "Its wound hasn't healed. If something happens, who takes responsibility?"

Kate dropped her gaze, wounded. "Felix, let it go. Stacy's probably still angry with me."

Someone on the livestream crew muttered under their breath, "This vet's so fierce. No wonder people online say this shelter has no standards."

Felix's hand closed around my wrist. Not hard, just enough to make my grip on the cage door slip. "Two minutes for a photo. Don't blow this out of proportion."

Kate seized the chance and dragged the puppy out. It thrashed in pain, its claws snagging the hem of her dress.

Disgust flickered in her eyes, and her fingers suddenly let go.

The puppy hit the marble floor hard. The stitches tore open, and blood welled up fast.

I threw myself down and pressed on the wound, shouting at Rachel. "Gauze, epinephrine, now!"

Kate shrieked and stumbled back, the camera lurching wildly. Before the stream cut out, the comments had already flooded with accusations.

Felix's face went white, but the first thing he did was steady Kate. "Did it scratch you?"

Rachel came running with the first-aid kit, but the faint heartbeat under my hands had already stopped.

I looked up at him, my hands covered in blood. "Felix. It's dead."

He glanced at the blood on the floor, avoided my eyes, and dropped his voice. "Deal with the PR first."

Half an hour later, Kate posted a long statement, implying the shelter had mishandled things and that she'd only been an innocent bystander trying to help.

The abuse poured in online. The shelter's phone rang off the hook.

I went to pull the security footage, but the computer showed the file was corrupted. The tech's face was grim. "Someone got into the backend remotely."

Felix called right after, his tone perfectly even. "Stacy, you posted the statement, right?"

I gripped the mouse. "What statement?"

He was quiet for a moment, like he was coaxing someone who didn't understand. "Kate's about to sign a major brand endorsement. She can't have anything negative attached to her. You take the blame on this one for now."

I opened the shelter's work account and saw an apology posted under my name.

It said I'd been careless, that my training methods were rough, and that I'd frightened the puppy into a fatal fall.

Felix went on. "Once this blows over, I'll buy you a big place downtown. The wedding goes ahead as planned, and I'll change the invitations back too."

I hit record on the call and asked him, "My account. You logged into it?"

He said, "You only use a handful of passwords. I posted it for you. Comes off more presentable than anything you'd write yourself."

I laughed once. "You really think of everything."

Felix thought I'd softened. His voice eased. "Just be good. Once this is over, the position of Mrs. Gilbert is still yours."

The backlash kept building. Someone left a funeral wreath outside the clinic, and a sign was stuck to the glass: "Dog-abusing vet, get out."

Rachel shielded me toward the back door, her eyes rimmed red with worry. "Stacy, lie low for now. I'll figure something out."

I pulled my suitcase behind me and left, tugging out my SIM card on the way, snapping it in half, and dropping it in the trash.

I'd bought the train ticket to Lhasa long ago anyway. It was as good a time as any to go see that highland wildlife rescue project Rachel had recommended.

The train swayed. My phone, connected to the car's public WiFi, suddenly buzzed.

In the dark, someone sent me a high-definition video from an account I didn't recognize.