The Day I Marry Without You

The elders in the family are big on good omens, insisting we pick a nice date for the wedding for good luck. But after a fortune teller proposes nine potential wedding dates, Edward Colton turns every single one down. It's the tenth time now. Edward shakes his head yet again. I gaze at his handsome face and blurt out, "I think this date is perfect." Edward is busy scrolling through messages in his group chat, not even bothering to glance up at me. "This date won't work. Jolene and the others just mentioned they want to go to Hallibay for vacation. Turn down your mom's suggestion." I curl my fingers tight. His eyes remain fixed on his phone screen, as if he has endless conversations to tend to. I call his name abruptly, "Edward Colton." He lets out a distracted hum in response. "This is the tenth suggestion. It's perfect. I don't want to miss this date. I'm getting married on this day." He finally spares me a glance, studying me intently for a few seconds before letting out a soft chuckle. "I won't even be around on that day. Who are you going to marry?" He then brushes me off dismissively. "Alright. Stop throwing a fit. Tell your mom to pick another date. None of the dates she picked are good." I smile faintly. After suggesting ten supposedly lucky dates, Edward thinks none are good. So, I decide not to push him further. I lower my head and reply to my mom, "This date is good. We'll hold the wedding on this day." Chapter 1 "My mom picked this date after endless research, consulting a fortune teller, and even praying in church. I don't see what's wrong with it. It's always you and Jolene's group coming up with one excuse after another," I said. Edward Colton had a friend group made up of two men and two women, with their own private group chat. Every time a wedding date was suggested, Edward would send it to the group, and suddenly, they'd have some plan pop up on that exact day—tickets to a musical, a yearly getaway, or a group vacation. They'd have a plan for anything on that date, except a wedding. Over two years, ten carefully selected dates had all ended with Edward saying, "Pick another date. We'll do it next time." Watching me set my phone down after replying to my mom, Edward stood up from the couch. As he walked past me, he ruffled my hair in a patronizing way. "Good girl." I suddenly felt the urge to ask, "Can you really never turn them down? Are your plans so important that you can't even spare a single day for us?" He brushed off my question, so I pressed him twice more. "Have you lost your mind?" The lazy look faded from his face. He let out a cold scoff, as if I'd crossed a line, and said, "My bond with Jolene and the others is nothing like those meaningless friendships you have." He sneered and continued, "Do you have any idea how many business deals we've closed on our past trips together? I'm not foolish enough to pass up millions of dollars just to marry you. My time is too valuable. I'm not going to sacrifice my career and friends for a wedding. Don't burden me." "When have I ever burdened you?" My voice was so soft that it dissipated the second the door swung open. Just then, Jolene Cooper casually strode inside. Her fingerprint was registered on the smart lock of our home. I'd expressed my discomfort before. After all, there had been multiple occasions when she'd walked in on Edward and me being intimate. "Jolene is like family," he'd told me. "Don't bring this up ever again." So, she always came and went freely as if this were her own house. "Eddie, the self-cleaning function on your bathtub seems broken. Come help me take a look." She gave me a quick nod before grabbing Edward's arm to pull him away. "Sorry to borrow Eddie for a moment, Alison. I really can't handle this on my own." There was an endless list of things she couldn't handle on her own. She needed rides home after overtime shifts. She needed someone to stay up with her when she couldn't sleep. She needed a helping hand whenever she had a problem. Yet, Edward never once thought of her as a burden. Chapter 2 Edward had fallen asleep beside me. However, his phone screen kept lighting up every now and then. We'd been together for five years, and I'd never once snooped through his phone. But that night, I had a sudden urge to know just what they chatted about every single day. Most of the time, only Jolene spoke in the group chat, with the other three just agreeing with her. In the latest messages, Jolene was planning which outfits to bring to Hallibay and what kind of photos she wanted to take. Edward picked out a few sets for her, saying, "I've got meetings all day tomorrow and can only reply when I have a spare minute. Try these outfits on and send us photos. I'll pay for whichever you want." The edge of his phone dug uncomfortably into my palm. In the past, whenever Edward was busy, I could stare at my phone all day long and never receive a single message from him. When we'd settled on the ninth wedding date, he'd surprisingly replied within seconds during working hours, "Okay." I'd stared at that single word for ages. But the moment I called my mom to confirm the date, he changed his mind again. "Forget it. This date won't work." I froze, only able to mechanically and repeatedly ask, "Why? You already agreed to it. Did I make a mistake in the arrangements somewhere?" I called him over and over again, only to get sent straight to voicemail each time. Finally, he snapped irritably, "I'm busy. Stop getting in my way." This man, who claimed to be the busiest person alive, somehow had the time to help Jolene pick out clothes. In the chat, Jolene exclaimed excitedly, "Eddie, I have to get photos with this kind of vibe. Take notes. If the shots turn out bad, I won't let you off the hook." Edward replied obediently, "As you wish." And at the top of his chat list, my conversation thread was muted. The words blurred and swirled before my eyes. I stared down at the floor, thinking about who lived directly below our apartment. Jolene and Edward's other two friends lived right upstairs and downstairs from us. Jolene had chatted with me about it once. "The four of us grew up together. We promised as kids that we'd live close to one another when we grew up. We want to see each other often and travel together at least twice every year. And—" At the time, I'd tuned out whatever she'd said next, my gaze drifting to our fridge. They went on trips together every year, and the fridge was plastered with photos of the four of them taken all over the world. I'd once asked Edward if I could join them on one of their trips. He pinched my cheek gently and said, "Couples need their own private space too. This is a trip just for our friend group. It'd be awkward if I were the only one bringing a partner along." I'd asked him again later, pointing at photos of snow in Syan and cherry blossoms in Jerio. "Edward, I want to travel there with you too." He always brushed me off with promises of "later" and "next time". When I asked too many times, he'd glare at me impatiently and say, "Alison, stop bothering me with this kind of thing. I'm busy and have no time. Besides, I've already visited all these places. There's no point going again." On the rare occasions he gave in and took me on trips, we'd barely take any photos together. Every picture he took of me was either crooked or blurry. I'd pleaded, "Edward, can you try a little harder? Isn't someone who loves you supposed to capture you beautifully?" Edward laughed dismissively. "Stop reading those cheesy online quotes. Alison, I'm just bad at taking pictures. You ask for too much. Stop troubling me. If you don't like the pictures I take, ask a stranger to take them for you." The group chat kept going, with the other two friends teasing them. "Aren't all your gorgeous travel pictures taken by Edward?" "Ed would never let anyone else do it." "He spends at least half an hour taking pictures for you every time, trying eight different angles just to get the perfect shot. What are you worried about?" A while later, Jolene replied with a smug emoji. I stopped reading and set his phone back down. Chapter 3 Edward had claimed to be working overtime every night these past few days and never came home. At noon, our client treated the entire department to lunch. Coincidentally, Edward and Jolene were dining in the private room right next door with their other two friends, Charles Jansen and Lynn Monroe. An elderly woman sat at the head of the table, whom they addressed as Mrs. Hobart. Edward and Jolene sat side by side, and he was asking a server to replace her drink with a cup of hot tea. "You're on your period. You shouldn't be drinking cold drinks." Mrs. Hobart watched them with a warm smile. "You've been together for so long, yet your bond is still so strong. I still remember back when you two were dating. Everyone said you were such a striking pair." I froze mid-step. Charles chimed in, "That's right, Mrs. Hobart. I've still got so much to learn from Edward. Lynn nags me all the time for not being as thoughtful and romantic as he is with Jolene. Honestly, I don't think I could ever put up with Jolene's fiery temper." Jolene gave Edward's arm a playful tug, causing him to reply in a calm, unhurried tone, "Who said that? Jolene has a lovely temperament." "Alright, alright." Charles held up his hands in surrender. "There you go, defending her again." They all burst into laughter. Mrs. Hobart placed Edward's hand on top of Jolene's and patted them gently. "You two must always stay together. That would put my mind at ease." Edward nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Mrs. Hobart. We will." His promise kept the lively atmosphere going. Charles and Lynn kept teasing them. I suddenly remembered that on the rare occasions I'd dined with their group, the seat beside Edward was always silently reserved for Jolene. "We've gotten used to this over the years. Hope you don't mind, Alison," they would say. They constantly chatted about inside jokes, leaving me no chance to join the conversation and forcing me to sit by with an awkward smile. Once, Jolene casually sighed that she craved fish but hated picking out bones, and the other two immediately replied, "Let Edward pick all the bones out for you." Whenever Edward cooked, I'd offer to help, only to be pushed back onto the couch by them. "Don't tire yourself out, Alison. Let Jolene handle it." I once asked Edward, "Do your friends dislike me? It always feels like they're deliberately reminding me how close you are to Jolene, as if they only want the two of you together. It makes me feel like an outsider." Edward brushed it aside and cut me off with a kiss. "You're overthinking. You are an outsider to them, after all. It's only natural they can't always look out for you. Don't be so petty." He had never told me that he and Jolene had once dated, nor that he'd been pretending to be her boyfriend for the sake of others. Charles went on reminiscing about the happy dates the two couples had shared years ago. Our large group was blocking the restaurant corridor, and a waiter politely spoke up. At the noise, Edward and the others turned their heads. Our gazes met calmly, but this time, I was the first to look away. "Let's go," I said. As we stepped outside, under the curious stares of onlookers, I let out a bitter laugh. I was laughing at myself. Edward was never one for explaining himself to me. He said, "Mrs. Hobart practically raised all of us. She moved back to her hometown a while ago. We never told her that Jolene and I broke up because we didn't want to break her heart. "Her daughter is bringing her to Madia soon, so I just wanted her to be happy before she left and not have to worry about our relationship." I nodded. "I see. Is there anything else?" Edward paused, letting out a faint laugh. "That's all. You're surprisingly mature today. I was worried you'd throw a fit and make things awkward for everyone. Since you're being so well-behaved, is there anything you'd like me to buy for you?" Leaning both hands on the bathroom counter, I stared at my exhausted reflection in the mirror. "I want to get married on the date my mom picked last time." The smile faded from Edward's face. His mouth pressed into a tight line. "Can you let this go already? I never said we won't get married. I just need your mom to pick another date. Is that so difficult?" Chapter 4 "My grandmother's health is deteriorating. She might not make it to the 'next time' you keep talking about. Before she passes away, she wants to see me get married," I explained. Edward fell silent. "Ask your mom to pick another nearby date. I'll agree to it this time." I splashed cold water over my face, waking myself up. "Another date? Aren't you afraid Jolene might suddenly have some plan again? Or that Charles and Lynn will try pushing you two back together again?" Edward sighed. "So, this is all you really care about. Why use your grandmother as an excuse? If you truly cared about her, you should go home and spend more time with her instead of being passive-aggressive with me here." His patience vanished completely, and cold indifference appeared on his handsome face. "If you want to get married so badly, go ahead." I stepped past him. "I will. I've already started looking at wedding venues and event plans." Edward yanked me forcefully back toward him before roughly shoving my arm away. I stumbled backward, swaying unsteadily. "Fine. I'd like to see who you'll marry. Alison Moore, you're 28 years old, not 18. Being so reckless and unreasonable, where do you think you'll find someone better than me? Don't even think about provoking me or forcing my hand with this kind of trick." … Within two days, I moved all my belongings out of the home Edward and I had shared. He leaned against the doorway, sneering coldly. "Where are you going?" I lifted my suitcase calmly. "I'm doing as you suggested. I'm going home to stay with my family, and also prepare for my wedding." Edward's dark eyes looked at me as if trying to stare straight through me. After a long pause, he clicked his tongue. "Fine. Don't forget to send me a wedding invitation." As I walked away from the place I'd lived in for years, I couldn't help glancing back. "Edward, who am I to you, really? Did you ever truly love me?" I once believed he did. I remembered that once, while sitting side by side, he suddenly called out to me. "Alison, say my name." I'd only just uttered the word "Ed" when his lips crashed down onto mine, leaving me too stunned to blink. "I can't help but want to kiss you when you say my name. From now on, whenever you call my name, I'll take it as you asking for a kiss." My face had flushed bright red. I'd glared at him, only to soften into a smile when I saw the fond amusement in his gaze. I waited for his answer, but never got one. Even after I walked out the door, he never said a word. … My wedding was a joyous occasion. My friend, Olivia Lane, alternated between snapping photos on her phone and her camera. She pulled me close with teary eyes. "Ally, you look absolutely breathtaking today." In the video footage, I smiled from ear to ear. My groom walked toward me and held out his hand. I gently rested my hand in his, our fingers lacing tightly together. The video ended there. Seated in the airport lounge, Edward was a restless mess. He mindlessly scrolled through his phone and stumbled across the video Olivia had posted online. He suddenly felt his mouth go dry, and his finger instinctively tapped the video open before he could process it. Cheers and well wishes for the newlyweds filled the background audio, and then the camera zoomed in on the bride's face. Edward shot upright in his seat. He closed and reopened the video over a dozen times, but the scene never changed. It was always me standing hand in hand with my groom, our gazes locked onto each other. Edward's hand trembled, and his phone nearly slipped. "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later…" He dialed my number over and over again. Panic quickly turned into a surge of irrational rage. He furiously opened our chat window. "Alison, who is he? Have you lost your mind? Did you hire some actor just to get back at me?" The message froze in the sending queue for a moment before a red exclamation mark appeared beside it. I had blocked and deleted him. The airport boarding announcement echoed through the terminal. Panic and fury froze across Edward's face, appearing as a strange, goofy expression. "Eddie!" Jolene and their friends shouted from behind him. But Edward suddenly sprinted madly toward the airport exit.