My Fiancé Left Me for a Widow

At the engagement party, the champagne tower is only half-built when Marcus Harrison answers a phone call. He glances at me and says, "I have to go. Lily collapsed at the airport."

I say, "If you leave, we're done."

He leaves anyway, in front of 200 guests.

He carries Lily Bardot in his arms, wearing the coat I gave him, as he drives away in my car.

The next day, he sends me an email that reads, "Lily will be moving into my apartment. She needs me, and I hope you can understand. Once Lily gets better, we'll get married. Please trust me."

I stare at the screen and suddenly laugh.

So what he wants isn't someone who loves him. It's someone who needs him. And I'm too independent, so I don't make the cut.

That evening, I scroll through my contacts and find a number I've never given a second glance to. It belongs to someone who's been waiting for me for 23 years.

I dial it.

"Tomorrow night, 7:00 pm. Meet me at the restaurant by the sea."

I didn't know until the engagement party that in Marcus Harrison's heart, a former girlfriend who "needed him" mattered more than his fiancee.

In the ballroom of the Royal Hotel, servers carefully stacked glasses onto the champagne tower. In ten more minutes, we would announce our engagement in front of 200 guests.

My mom and her friends occupied the lounge area on the left, comparing whose daughter married better. The board members from Marcus's family business sipped whiskey on the right, discussing the prospects of merging our two companies after the wedding.

The DJ tested the sound system while the lighting technician adjusted the spotlights. Everything was perfect, up until Marcus's phone rang.

I watched his expression change. I knew that look too well. His brow furrowed, his lower lip tightened, and his eyes flickered.

He said, "I... I need to step out for a moment."

"Where are you going?"

"Lily's at the airport. She collapsed, and the paramedics said it's serious."

"Marcus," I cut him off. "We're announcing our engagement in ten minutes."

"I know!" He grabbed my hand. "Claire, this is an emergency. Lily just lost her husband three months ago, and now she's collapsed. I can't..."

"She has family."

"Her mother's out of town. She can't get here in time!" Marcus's voice grew urgent.

"Claire, I can't just leave her there."

"What about our engagement?"

"We can announce it later! One hour. I promise I'll be back in an hour at most."

"Ladies and gentlemen." The DJ's voice suddenly boomed through the speakers.

"Please make your way to the main stage area. We're about to begin the most important moment of the evening."

Marcus looked at me. His eyes held pleading, anxiety, and something else I didn't want to acknowledge. It was almost like a relief.

"Claire, please. Just one hour, and I'll be back. We can announce it later. No one will mind."

"I mind."

"What?"