Leaving Me Alone at the Altar

On my wedding day, my boyfriend, Theodore Gunther, suddenly stops the wedding ceremony—all because Gwen Lithgow has updated her social media to say she's back.

Theodore throws away the wedding ring he designed. He leaves me at the altar without another look back.

I'm dumbfounded as I stand there in my wedding dress. My brother, Alvin Chilton, who's supporting me, lets go. "You've always been strong, Joycelyn. I know you can handle this alone. Gwen needs me more now."

With that, he also leaves.

He and Theodore have both left me for the same woman. They abandon me alone.

That night, after dealing with the fallout of the failed wedding, Gwen sends me a photo. In it, Theodore and Alvin are standing by her bedside.

She wears the necklace Theodore made himself and the wedding dress Alvin designed.

Those were supposed to be mine.

The image makes me lose hope in them. Tears stream down my face as I make a call. "Mom, Dad, I've changed my mind. I want to go home."

In the church, the pastor gently reminded, "The bride and groom may now exchange rings."

I, Joycelyn Chilton, extended my ring finger and waited quietly, but Theodore Gunther didn't move. He stared intently at the message on his phone before he suddenly tossed the ring and rushed out.

I took out my phone and saw that Gwen Lithgow had just posted something on her social media account. The photo was of a hospital bed, and the caption read, "Came back all alone for treatment. How sad."

The guests began to whisper about the groom suddenly running away from his own wedding when my brother, Alvin Chilton, stepped forward.

"Joy, you've always been strong, so I know you can handle this alone. Gwen needs me more than you right now."

With that, he was out the door as well.

Both of them had deserted me for the same woman.

I tried calling Theodore's phone, but it remained unreachable. Soon, I noticed that Gwen had updated her social media account again.

In her photo, both Theodore and Alvin were by her side.

The necklace that had been handmade by Theodore was around Gwen's neck, and the breathtaking gown my brother had designed was now also worn by her.

These had all originally belonged to me.

I had grown up at an orphanage and was later adopted by the Chiltons. That was how I met my brother's good friend, Theodore.

The three of us grew up together, and we were always close.

Even from a young age, Theodore had always said that he would protect me, chase off anyone who bullied me, and make all my wishes come true.

Alvin was great to me, too. He would deny himself his favorite Legos and, instead, save his money to buy me dresses that I liked.

Thus, when my birth parents, the Forresters, came looking a year ago and said that they wanted to take me away, I refused them. I couldn't