Part 1Love's Endless Resentment

I’ve always faced things head-on.

When I found my firefighter fiancé’s phone buzzing with flirty texts from a stranger, I didn’t hesitate—I confronted Cole.

After a heavy silence, he confessed:

“I rescued her during a call. She’s depressed. I was tempted, but…” His eyes pleaded. “Jasmine, we’ve been together since high school. I’ll keep my distance.”

Heartbroken but trusting, I forgave him. The wedding went ahead.

Then, as we exchanged rings, his teammate burst in:

“Captain! Raven’s on a rooftop—she’s going to jump!”

The ring slipped from my fingers, clattering to the floor.

Cole bolted like lightning, never looking back.

I screamed after him, voice breaking:

“If you leave, we’re done!”

He broke his promise after all.

…

The wedding hall dissolved into chaos. The whispers of the guests were like a thousand tiny needles piercing my eardrums.

Our parents rushed to my side, their faces etched with confusion.

Cole’s teammate, Sam, stood awkwardly to the side, his face beet red.

“Jasmine… Raven… she has depression. The last time she tried to jump, the Captain saved her. She… she really relies on him. He’s the only one who can talk her down… It’s a matter of life and death. The Captain had no choice. Please, don’t blame him…”

Sam had been on Cole’s team for three years. He’d always been respectful, calling me “Jasmine” with a warm, easy smile. Now, he couldn’t even meet my eyes.

I had no idea how many secrets he’d helped Cole keep from me, or what his connection was to this girl, Raven.

A dull, crushing ache spread through my chest. The betrayal was real, a physical weight.

My parents held my hands, their voices frantic. “What on earth is going on? Isn’t he on leave for the wedding? Who could possibly need him to save them right now?”

Cole’s parents, mortified, were already on the phone, trying to reach him. His mother kept muttering, “Don’t you worry, Jasmine, I’ll get that boy back here right now. If he doesn’t come back, I’ll break his legs!”

The diamond ring lay on the red carpet, kicked aside by the shuffling feet, a perfect metaphor for my shattered heart. I stood frozen, the train of my wedding dress pooling around me like a storm-beaten cloud.

The wedding I had dreamed of a million times had turned into this humiliating nightmare. The groom had abandoned his bride at the altar, for another woman.

Five hours. One hundred and eight missed calls. Cole didn’t answer a single one.

I watched my phone screen light up and dim, over and over, until it finally went black.

Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the chapel, casting mottled patterns of light on the floor, on my bare ring finger. The light felt ice-cold.

The guests gradually dispersed, leaving behind a mess of confetti and half-eaten food.

Suddenly, the world started to spin. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was my mother’s panicked scream.

When I opened my eyes again, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nostrils. A nurse was changing my IV drip. Seeing me awake, she spoke softly.

“You’re caring for two now. You can’t afford to get so worked up. You need to take care of yourself.”

I stared at the ceiling, silent tears tracing paths into my hair.

From the moment I’d accepted a love letter from Cole on the high school track field at seventeen, to the time he’d taken a twenty-hour train ride just to surprise me during our long-distance college relationship, to the day he became a firefighter, his eyes red-rimmed as he swore, “From now on, I’ll protect the people, but I’ll always protect you.”

Seven years. The memories flashed through my mind like a sped-up movie.

I looked at the poorly concealed excitement on our parents’ faces and managed a bitter smile. A fresh wave of tears welled in my eyes.

How was I supposed to tell them that this seven-year marathon of love had finally reached its end?