My fiancee is married, but the groom is not me

The Day I Was Diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, I Attended My Fiancée’s Wedding

The woman on the stage was radiant, a vision in a mermaid gown that perfectly showcased her figure.

I knew that dress intimately, because I’d made it myself.

Normally, seeing my fiancée wearing a gown I poured my heart into, marrying the man she loved, I’d be overjoyed.

But, when the groom said, “Through thick and thin, I’ll be by Sierra’s side for life,” it felt like a knife twisting in my gut.

My fiancée was getting married, but the groom wasn't me.

1

Sierra stood on the platform, looking so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes.

The wine glass slipped from my hand, and being seated in the front row, the dark red wine splattered onto the hem of Sierra’s dress.

It looked just like the blood I’d coughed up in the doctor's office earlier that day.

"Oh!" a gasp escaped her lips.

Sierra looked down, and our eyes locked. The words she’d been about to say caught in her throat.

I forced a weak smile, “Sierra, congratulations!”

Her mouth opened, trying to form words.

A man's voice cut in, "Sierra, don't worry..."

The discomfort in her eyes shifted to a look of hurt as she gripped the arm of Jason, her new husband.

“Liam, you…”

I tried to swallow the metallic taste in my mouth, my gaze flicking to the way she held onto Jason's arm. My anger and resentment rose up, but I didn’t say anything.

What was the point?

My fiancée, wearing the dress I’d painstakingly created for her, was marrying another man on the very day I was diagnosed with cancer.

2

The moment I stepped into my apartment, I couldn’t hold back the nausea and metallic taste.

A mouthful of blood splattered onto the cream-colored tile.

I panicked, desperately trying to wipe it away with my sleeve. But the more I scrubbed, the more blood appeared.

This was Sierra’s favorite color. During the remodel, she’d hugged my arm and pouted, “Liam, I just love this color.”

Looking at the blood stain on the tile, I felt like a total fool.

Back then, the designer had said, "Man, you're a lucky guy. Your fiancée is gorgeous. If I were you, I wouldn't let her suffer even a bit."

He had been right. That luck was now Jason's.

I was such a chump.

Out of all the construction companies, why did Sierra choose the one where Jason worked?

Of course. So while I was slaving away to fulfill her every detail of the wedding, she could be hooking up with another man.

I laughed at the stain on the floor, then I felt something wet running down the corners of my mouth. I looked up at the large engagement photo hanging in front of me.

It was ridiculous. The man in the picture was me, but the wedding today had nothing to do with me.

3

The first time I met Sierra, she was sitting on the steps outside my workshop, crying her heart out.

I didn’t ask why. I just brought her inside and offered her a cup of tea.

Some details shouldn’t be analyzed so closely.

Otherwise, I would've seen that she was never really happy or s...