Colin and I walked slowly down the quiet street, the air thick with cut grass and barbecue. Wind chimes played Amazing Grace, sending chills through me. I wiped my palms on my dress and scanned every house, wondering which one was his.
We stopped at a white house with flower beds and a creaky porch swing. Colin smiled and squeezed my hand. “They’re going to love you, Anna.”
Inside, I met his warm, welcoming family—his mom, dad, brother Max. And then there was Jolene. She didn’t smile, just studied me with cold eyes. “She’s just old-fashioned,” Colin whispered.
At dinner, I tried to keep up appearances as questions flew—how we met, why we were engaged so fast. Jolene stayed silent until Colin left the table. Then, she leaned in and said, “You better run, girl,” slipping a note into my hand.
It was a phone number. That night, I called it.
A woman named Kayla answered. She’d been engaged to Colin too. Married him, even. Then he vanished, leaving her drowning in debt. Jolene had warned her once, too.
We met at a diner. She showed me their wedding photo. Same suit, same smile. Same trap.
The day of the wedding, I stood at the altar, hands shaking. When asked to say my vows, I looked Colin in the eye and said, “I will never marry a man like you.”
Gasps filled the church. I turned to the guests and told the truth. Jolene smiled for the first time.
I left the altar, the lies, and Colin behind. Outside, the sun warmed my face. And the air tasted like freedom.
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