The Heartbeat I Didn't Want to Hear

I had this weird gift, a kind of twisted superpower: I could hear the thoughts of people who didn't love me.

But on the eve of my wedding, I suddenly heard my fiancée’s thoughts: “If he tries to pull a ‘runaway bride’ move tomorrow, I’d better not be wearing heels. Gotta make a clean getaway.”

I didn't say a word. The next day, I hopped on a flight to Europe.

Later, the wedding became the talk of the town – both the bride and groom had bailed.

...

I’ve always had this freaky ability – I can hear the innermost thoughts of anyone who doesn’t love me.

It’s made it super easy to spot fake affection. I could ditch fair-weather friends without a second thought and remained unmoved even when the girl I had a massive crush on confessed her feelings. It even made buying groceries easier - I knew which produce vendor was giving me the best deal by listening to their mental sales pitches.

Because I heard every single thought, loud and clear, I typically avoided eye contact with strangers to keep the noise down.

But then I met Tiffany Sterling, and suddenly, the world went quiet. It was like we were the only two people in the room, and I heard our actual conversation as clear as a bell:

“Hi, would you mind if I introduced myself?” No mental chatter.

I looked into her eyes, and I couldn't hear a thing.

"Hi," I replied.

During the time that Tiffany pursued me, the inner sounds around me were simple and pure.

I was certain that she loved me.

So, we fell in love, dated, and eventually got engaged.

For two whole years, I never once heard her thoughts.

But then, right before the wedding, I suddenly could hear her.

Tiffany had been working overtime lately because of the wedding, she was in charge of her family's venture capital firm.

The wedding planning process meant we had a lot of last minute stuff to handle, especially in the past couple of months.

I had my own business to run and respected Tiffany’s ambition, so we had barely seen each other. Still, today when we met for dress fittings and finalizing the attire, I couldn't help but feel a warmth inside, knowing this was a rare moment together.

I arrived at the studio on time, but she was already there, trying on shoes.

She spoke to the staff, then walked out talking on her phone, her voice calm and reassuring.

I understood her stress. Running a firm wasn’t easy, especially with Tiffany’s siblings breathing down her neck, trying to take her position.

We shared a knowing glance.

But then, I heard Tiffany’s voice, loud and clear in my head:

"If Mark tries to stop the wedding tomorrow, I’d better switch to sneakers. These heels are definitely not gonna work.”

Mark? Stop the wedding?

I froze, my eyes fixed on her mouth, confirming the voice was hers. I didn’t know how to react.

Even though it was a hot summer day outside, a chill ran through me.

I could hear her now – that meant only one thing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the assistant following her instructions, placing a pair ...