My fiancé is in love with someone else

On the day Mark and I were supposed to get married, Lisa got out of jail.

Mark said he only felt truly alive with Lisa.

Even though Lisa was a wild child who smoked, drank, and had a criminal record, she made Mark feel free.

So, I had to… let them be together.

1

On our way to the courthouse, Mark received a call. His voice was thick with excitement. "Great! Wait for me, I'll be right there to pick you up."

He practically ignored me in the passenger seat, made a U-turn, and drove straight to the prison.

Lisa had changed quite a bit.

Mark, Lisa, and I were high school classmates. Mark and I were the quintessential good students, teacher's pets, if you will.

Lisa, on the other hand, was the notorious rebel. Her dad was involved with some shady dealings and her mom ran a nail salon with a questionable reputation. Her dad went to jail for assault, then skipped town with another woman after he got out. As for Lisa's mom... well, let's just say she wasn't exactly known for her upstanding character, always tangled up with married men. There were frequent screaming matches outside their house.

Lisa was wild, too. Heavy makeup, crazy hair, always skipping school to hang out with a rough crowd – smoking, drinking, and getting into fights. She was almost expelled several times. Right before graduation, she got into a brawl and hit someone with a brick, leaving them in a coma. That landed her in prison for six years.

Now, her hair was short, she was much thinner, her face scrubbed clean. She looked… almost normal.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the vibrant, untamed energy in her smile as she looked at Mark.

It wasn't until Lisa was in the car that Mark seemed to snap out of his reverie and remember me. He went quiet, then stammered an apology. "Sarah, Lisa got out today… Maybe… maybe we can reschedule the wedding?"

I glanced at Lisa, who looked momentarily stunned.

She turned to Mark, her voice laced with disbelief. "You're getting married?"

Mark avoided her eyes, murmuring a confirmation. "Our parents arranged it. And, well, I'm not getting any younger."

Hearing that, I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. So that's why he was marrying me? Just two months ago, on Valentine's Day, he was down on one knee, holding a bouquet of roses and a ring. He said he loved me, wanted to build a family with me. Now that Lisa was back, our engagement had become a burden, a shackle. He couldn't even bring himself to admit he loved me.

I stared at Mark, my voice steady. "Are we still getting married today?"

He still wouldn't look at me, hedging. "Maybe… in a couple of days?" He turned to Lisa. "It's Lisa's big day. We should celebrate."

Lisa tilted her head, studying me with that familiar mischievous grin. "It is a big day. But what if I only want to celebrate with you, not some… outsider?"

2

Lisa was a whirlwind of chaos. I'd known that since high school. Normal social conventions and common decency didn’t apply to her. She’d kick the kid in front of her in cl...