On the day I married my boyfriend, his ex-girlfriend threatened to jump off a building, so I decisively chose to terminate our pregnancy to let them be together.
In the wedding hall adorned with emerald foliage and golden pathways reminiscent of a fairy tale, the air thrummed with joyous melodies and bubbling laughter. I stood poised at the altar's edge, ivory silk cascading around me, a bouquet of peonies trembling in my grasp. Today was my wedding day with Taylor Gill.
A shriek cleaved through the celebration like a blade.
All heads swiveled toward the entrance, where a figure in obsidian satin staggered forward, her pupils dilated with something beyond madness. "You marry her," the woman rasped, nails digging into her palms, "and I'll throw myself from the roof this instant!"
Taylor's face drained of color-not from fear, I realized with dawning horror, but from recognition.
This was Rita Cox, the specter who'd haunted our relationship for two years.
I held Taylor's hand tightly, offering him strength and reassurance. I said to him, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Then I turned to face the woman, attempting to talk to her.
I approached her and said as calmly as possible, "Rita, please calm down. We can sit down and talk about everything later. Today is our wedding day."
Her eyes were filled with anger and pain as she trembled and replied, "You don't understand. He's mine! He can't live without me, and I can't live without him!"
Trying to understand her feelings, I said, "I understand your past feelings, but we are about to get married now. We hope you can respect Taylor's decision."
She refused to listen, shouting, "You can't do this to me! I won't let you be happy!"
At this moment, Taylor stepped beside us and said in a low voice, "Rita, we've been broken up for so long. I did like you before, but the one I love now is Nora. You might not accept it, please don't cause a scene here."
However, she became even more emotional, forcefully pushing us away and continuing to shout, "You are all liars! You don't deserve to be happy!"
Her scream reverberated through the chandeliers, transforming the gilded hall into a pressure cooker of tension.
The wedding froze into a grotesque tableau-guests clutching champagne flutes like weapons, waiters mid-stride with canapés suspended in air.
Our assembled friends and relatives became a Greek chorus of gaping mouths and whispered judgments, documenting my humiliation in real-time.
I inhaled through my nose-four counts-tasting the bitter tang of adrenaline as I stepped forward. "We never intended to hurt you, but we can't give up our happiness because of your disapproval. Please, just leave."
Rita's tear-streaked face snapped up, revealing eyes that weren't just angry, but chemically unbalanced.
Her voice trembled as she said, "You don't understand. You haven't experienced our love. I gave up so much for him. But what do I get in return? Betray! Taylor, if you dare marry this woman, I'll kill myself right now!"
With that, she immediately disappeared from the banquet hall. Just when I thought this drama was over, Taylor shoved the bouquet at me, his tuxedo jacket flapping open to reveal a shirt, "Rita might really be committing suicide!"
I watched as Taylor rushed through the crowd, ignoring the gasps of the guests, and ran towards the exit of the hall, chasing after Rita's figure as she disappeared from our wedding scene. Taylor's eyes were resolute and sorrowful, and neither emotion was because of me.
I froze, filled with pain and helplessness.
Rita's arrival wasn't enough to break me, but what I couldn't accept was that at the moment she threatened to jump, Taylor resolutely left me to chase after her, unaware that I was already carrying his child.
My heart was torn apart by the intense shock, feeling a betrayal and loss I had never experienced before.
I once thought our love was unbreakable, but now, it was shattered by Rita, easily and completely.
The cathedral train tangled around my ankles as I pursued them to the rooftop, where Rita swayed.
She was standing at the edge, her face streaked with tears, like a leaf in the wind, ready to be blown away at any moment.
Taylor stood awkwardly not far away, bending over with his arms outstretched, pleading with her to come over, "Rita, please don't do it. We can still talk about it. It's dangerous over there. Please come to me."
"Call it off," she chanted, her manicured toes curling over the concrete. "Call it off or I let go."
I approached them calmly, glancing at Taylor and then at Rita, my voice trembling slightly as I said, "Please calm down. This won't solve anything."
Rita turned to look at me, her eyes filled with resentment and pain. She shouted hoarsely, "Taylor is mine! He promised he wouldn't leave me! You! You are the one who took him away from me!"
I struggled to control my emotions, trying to understand her feelings. I said, "I understand how you felt, but we can't change choices for others. The decision to break up was mutual, and Taylor has moved on. You don't need to dwell on the past; it will only hurt all three of us."
At that moment, Taylor rushed forward and held Rita tightly in his arms, his voice filled with conflict and guilt. "I'm sorry, Rita. It's my fault you've chosen such an extreme way. I can't just witness you hurting yourself." I promised to take care of you and help you through tough times. You can blame me, but don't use death to threaten me. What if something happens to you?"
Hearing Taylor's words, I felt immense pain. I asked, "Have you made up your mind now? Are you really going to give up on our marriage? Are you really going to give up on our future? Today is our wedding day, Taylor."
He nodded sadly, tears glistening in his eyes. "I know this is cruel to you, but I can't just stand by. She needs me, and I can't let her end her own life. Let's cancel the wedding first. I'll do my best to help her recover until she's well again."
Hearing his decision, my heart shattered into countless pieces. I couldn't accept this choice. Rita wasn't the only one who would be heartbroken; so would I.
Tears streamed down my face as I trembled and said, "You know Rita loves you, but what about me? Don't you understand how much I love you? Our wedding, our vows, do they mean nothing now? Are you leaving me because she's threatening her life? Is it my fault?"
He closed his eyes tightly, seemingly unable to face my sorrow and pain.
After a long silence, he spoke softly, "I love you too, but I can't just break the promises I made to her. She needs me, and I can't just stand by."
His cold words completely broke my heart. It turned out our relationship was always a joke. Just because I didn't act out, he could easily give up on me.
I fought to suppress my sobs and said with determination, "Since you've made your choice, I won't stop you. But remember, your decision has cost us our love."
I turned and walked away, step by step, away from them. The wind on the rooftop was strong, but Taylor would no longer put a cloth on me.
I could barely hear their conversation. I could sense Taylor's remorse and longing, and Rita's cries were more sorrowful than mine. As the one who got kicked out, I could only escape.
Sitting on a hospital bench, I looked at the ultrasound image in the doctor's hand, my mind in turmoil.
After hearing the doctor's words, my hesitation intensified.
I didn't know what to do, whether to keep this child or terminate the pregnancy. I had no experience or foundation to care for a child, nor the ability to provide everything it needed.
I remembered the conversations Taylor and I had. He said that after we got married, we should have a cute baby right away. I said I was still a baby, and Taylor assured me he would take care of both of us.
"Miss, have you made a decision? I think you should discuss with your family first." The young doctor's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Not yet. I... I don't know what to do," I said softly.
"You should take it into consideration. After all, it's a baby," the doctor comforted me.
"I... I don't know. I really have no idea," I said, frustrated.
"Why not make the decision with your husband? This shouldn't be a one-sided decision."
"He... he has abandoned me. He chose to stay with his ex-girlfriend to help her recover instead of being with me," I said, tears flowing uncontrollably.
"Then the decision to terminate the pregnancy should be yours alone. But still, this is a very important matter and needs careful consideration," the doctor said.
I was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. I thought of all the moments with Taylor, the constant entanglement with Rita, and the small life I was about to end.
I truly didn't know what to do, and I could only silently cry.
"Please give me some more time," I requested again.