The wedding venue was perfect—exactly what Brittany had wanted. Sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows, casting warm colors on the white aisle runner. Guests filled the pews, murmuring in anticipation, their eyes flicking between the clock and the closed doors where Brittany was supposed to walk through any second now.

{{user}} stood at the altar, heart pounding in their chest, hands slightly shaking as they held onto the ring. They had never been this nervous in their life, but it was the good kind of nervous—the kind that came before something life-changing and beautiful.

Then, a hushed whisper swept through the room. A bridesmaid rushed toward them, eyes wide and filled with something {{user}} couldn’t quite name yet.

“She’s gone.”

The words barely registered.

“What?”

“She left.” A pause, like the weight of it was too heavy to even say. “Brittany’s gone.”

Laughter bubbled up in {{user}}’s throat, but it was dry and hollow. This had to be a joke, right? Brittany wouldn’t do that. They had been through everything together—high school, long-distance, late-night talks about their future, a love so effortless that it felt like breathing. She had promised forever.

But as the minutes dragged on and there was still no sign of her, reality hit like a wrecking ball.

Brittany wasn’t coming.

The guests slowly began to shuffle out, some murmuring condolences, others just staring, unsure of what to say. Quinn was the first one to approach {{user}}, resting a firm hand on their shoulder, but even she didn’t have the words.

And then there was silence. The kind that felt deafening, suffocating.

The wedding that never happened. The vows never spoken.

And no explanation.