You Can't Afford My Happiness Now

You Can't Afford My Happiness Now

Gavin

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My wedding day. The music swelled at the Boston Yacht Club. I stood at the altar, eyes fixed on the aisle, waiting for Sarah, my fiancée. The woman I' d built my tech career around. The doors opened. There she was, beautiful, but her face was a hard mask I didn' t recognize. She took the microphone from the officiant. "Ethan," she announced, her voice amplified for everyone to hear. "I can' t marry you today." The silence was physical. "I' m pregnant," she continued, a small, triumphant smile on her lips. "And the baby isn' t yours, Ethan. It' s Mark' s." Mark. Her high-school boyfriend. A collective gasp swept through the crowd. "But don' t worry," she added, her voice dropping intimatel, yet still heard by all. "You' re a good man. I need that for my child. So, you wait for me. I' ll have the baby, Mark and I will get this out of our systems, and then, once my child has a stable home-your home-I' ll marry you." She was using my love as a weapon, demanding I be her reliable wallet after she was done playing house with the man she actually wanted. She was humiliating me in front of everyone, assuming I was that weak. That I was that devoted. The all-consuming fire of my love was extinguished, replaced by a profound, chilling emptiness. I turned, walked past the shocked faces, and didn' t look back. Hours later, a powerful man and his brilliant daughter made me an insane offer. Marry her. A cold, calculated business transaction to erase my public disgrace. It was exactly what I needed.

Introduction

My wedding day.

The music swelled at the Boston Yacht Club.

I stood at the altar, eyes fixed on the aisle, waiting for Sarah, my fiancée.

The woman I' d built my tech career around.

The doors opened.

There she was, beautiful, but her face was a hard mask I didn' t recognize.

She took the microphone from the officiant.

"Ethan," she announced, her voice amplified for everyone to hear.

"I can' t marry you today."

The silence was physical.

"I' m pregnant," she continued, a small, triumphant smile on her lips.

"And the baby isn' t yours, Ethan. It' s Mark' s."

Mark. Her high-school boyfriend.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

"But don' t worry," she added, her voice dropping intimatel, yet still heard by all.

"You' re a good man. I need that for my child. So, you wait for me. I' ll have the baby, Mark and I will get this out of our systems, and then, once my child has a stable home-your home-I' ll marry you."

She was using my love as a weapon, demanding I be her reliable wallet after she was done playing house with the man she actually wanted.

She was humiliating me in front of everyone, assuming I was that weak.

That I was that devoted.

The all-consuming fire of my love was extinguished, replaced by a profound, chilling emptiness.

I turned, walked past the shocked faces, and didn' t look back.

Hours later, a powerful man and his brilliant daughter made me an insane offer.

Marry her.

A cold, calculated business transaction to erase my public disgrace.

It was exactly what I needed.

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