13May
I never imagined Id be back after a decade, but here I am, standing on the doorstep of Emilys family home in Bath, her laugh ringing in my ears as she greeted me.
Did you really think Id wait for you all ten years? she said, eyes sparkling. All that time?
I glanced down, ashamed. Of course not, I muttered, avoiding her stare.
What are you complaining about, then? she snapped. Why have you turned up now? You vanished for ten years and nobody missed you. No one felt the loss.
I came to see my parents, I tried to explain.
And why come to me? Emily pressed. Your sudden disappearance a week before our wedding seemed to settle everything for you, didnt it?
Emily, try to understand my side, I pleaded. You whirled everything around so fast. I barely had time to look up before the marriage licence was filed and the registration fee paid.
She rolled her eyes. Youd already started planning the wedding, involved our families
Exactly, she shot back, tongue clicking. So you run off, and now, ten years later, you return to tell me I was hasty? I took your flight as a sign you never intended to be my husband!
I didnt expect it to move so quickly, I admitted, shaking my head.
Fast or slow, wed been seeing each other for two years already, Emily said, shaking her own head. You could have thought the wedding was the only thing on the horizon, or that I was just a diversion for you. Oh, rightyou thought that all along!
I didnt plan any of that, I stammered. I was just scared I wasnt ready to be a husband.
Ready after ten years, and the brides already married? You show up to sort out a relationship now? she laughed.
No, I knew you wouldnt wait forever
You fled without a call, a note, a message, and then expect me to have waited? Emily exploded. James, youre not a fairytale prince for me to keep in a tower for ten years!
In your eyes Im nothing. In my familys eyes youd better stay oblivious!
I reached out, avoiding her gaze.
What do you want, Emily? she demanded, voice sharp. What more do you expect from me? When you ran, I erased you from my life. No more, no second thoughts.
Now you pop up, moaning that I didnt wait, that Im married, that I have a child. Who do you think you are?
Her tirade provoked my own, and I managed to say what Id been holding back.
Yes, I see my part in this mess, but youre not a pristine lamb either! I snapped. Your marriage was inevitable, I get that.
But you married the day we had setjust a week after I left! You found a replacement in a flash!
Did you have a backup plan all along, or was it a parallel track?
Emily was left speechless.
You juggled two men at once! When one vanished, you steered the other straight to the registry office!
Her hand came down hard; the slap echoed. My ear swelled instantlyEmilys fury had landed with the force of a fullsize broadsword.
I didnt linger on the wet pavement; I stood upright.
Your reaction says it all. If you werent sincere, you wouldnt have fought back.
Youre lucky ten years have passed. Had I caught you then, Id have smashed you flat, she hissed. Do you realize you didnt just bail on a weddingyou set me up for a disaster!
A week remained. The dress was bought, the restaurant booked, the cars hired, the deposit paid. The caterer had already collected the advance. No one intended to return any of it.
The hotel for distant relatives was booked, half the family had already arrived and checked inincluding your side, James.
I felt my heart tighten.
The funniest part, Emily said, trying not to laugh, was watching the guests settle, glasses raised, and my relatives kept asking, Wheres our James? How did I explain that hed bolted? And then theres Greghe loved me truly, agreed to be my husband on the spot, hoping love would blossom. He was a good man, and Im grateful he ended up as my spouse. I never regretted becoming his wife. I still cant fathom why I chose you over him.
You think Gregs a good bloke, I replied with a sneer. But you never learned why I left!
Im not interested, Emily shot back, tone icy.
Its time you knew, I said arrogantly. Greg gave me money to leave, and before that Id already torn my brain apart, wondering if I truly wanted marriage.
—
Id only ever seen runaway grooms in movies. In real life, I never imagined such drama could happen. Yet watching friends scramble through wedding costs made me realise the financial burden falls on both sides, parents included. If a young man bailed, his own parents would be livid at the waste of money.
I never thought Id be the bride whose groom vanished on the eve of the ceremony. Yet here I was, caught off guard by James, not Greg.
Ive always approached relationships seriously, never letting fleeting feelings dictate my future. I value reputationonce tarnished, it never fully recovers. My early university romances were harmless; only after graduating did I start looking for a lifelong partner, and even then I took my time.
My parents, whod been together for thirtyodd years after a sevenyear courtship, taught me patience and perseverance. I never wanted to be the one pulling the weight alone in a marriage.
By twentythree, I chose James. He was three years older, pragmatic, a bit dull, but reliable. We moved into a flat together to test our compatibilitymost marriages crumble over everyday life, after all. The twoyear trial went surprisingly well.
Greg, my other suitor, was a restless entrepreneur, always on the go, never idle. His ambition scared me; life with him would have been comfortable but chaotic. He kept sending flowers and gifts, never giving up, but Id already decided.
When the wedding plans finally kicked off, we had three months to sort everything. Greg, unaware of my feelings for James, tried to tempt James with money, offering £100,000, then £500, then a million, then three million, all to make me abandon James.
James, shaken, could only whisper, Our wedding is next week
Greg laughed, He bought you, didnt he? Like a trinket!
Emily replied, He paid for everythingrestaurant, hotel, drinks. He even reimbursed my parents. He fought for us.
I realized the truth: Gregs lavish offers were empty; Jamess steady love was real.
In the end, I married James. He proved his devotion, and our family is happy.
Looking back, I see that pride and stubbornness can turn a man into a villain in his own story. I came back seeking revenge, but I only ended up exposing my own flaws.
The lesson I take from all this is simple:honesty and commitment matter far more than grand gestures or fleeting doubts. If you value someone, stay true to the promise you made, even when the road gets rough.
