The Man She Called "Boring"

ticing my vows. The words felt perfect, a reflection of the five years I' d pou

as from her "Finsta," her secret account I wasn' t supposed to know about. I only f

e better of me.

r hand was intertwined with another, a man's hand, covered in the kind of cheap, faded tattoos I recognized ins

taste of freedom before I'

arted to crack. Was this a joke? A stupid, last-minute prank? I held onto a slive

ately ca

ou want? I'm with

warmth, no hint of a bride-to-be talking

ennifer. The one on

ation palpable. "Don't be so clingy. We're

It was a familiar laugh, one I'd heard in old videos s

nxiety, suddenly felt heavy and dead in

said dismissively.

hung

over. I went back to her Finsta account. I didn't just

istory of my own relationshi

eet and reliable, but so... boring. Somet

ticket for Tyrone's band: "He still writes songs

gs to the music, but my life belongs to the money. It i

lows. Sweet but boring safety ne

alking bank account to her. The love I felt for her, so strong and pure just minutes ago, curdled into somet

the phone screen, blurring her smiling face in the photos.

y best man, Mark, calling to confir

omorrow. The convoy is ready to

silence of my shattered world. I wiped my tears,

Hundreds of guests were flying in. The venue was booked. T

havez would no

e plan forming in my min

e of plans. Don't go to Jennifer's hous

Then, I scrolled through my contacts unti

y Fu

ressure to settle down. I also remembered the time I helped her with a coding project for an interactive art exhi

button. She answere

at do I owe this bl

"I have a crazy, unconventional proposal for y

other end. I could almost hear h

she finally asked

g we need. For me, I avoid the public humiliation of a canceled wedding. For you,

se. Then, a

Ethan," she said. "Okay. I'

d. Just l

r on the mantelpiece, the one from our engagement party. I picked it up, looked at her smiling, deceitful