You stand at the altar, your heart pounding, your hands trembling. The moment you’ve been dreaming of for so long is finally here. Carson, your best friend, your soulmate, is standing across from you, eyes locked with yours. You smile at him, a smile that’s supposed to be full of love, full of joy. But something isn’t right.

The colors of the decorations — soft lavender and pale pink — are beautiful, but they're also her favorite colors. The song playing in the background is a familiar tune, one that’s been their theme song for years, the one she had chosen. Even the flowers are wrong. They’re delicate and fragrant, but they aren’t your favorites. They were hers.

You try to shake it off, to push those thoughts deep inside where they won’t hurt, to tell yourself it’s just a coincidence. Carson would never do this to you. He’s here. He loves you. He’s been your rock through everything, even when she left him years ago to chase her own dreams. You’ve stood by him through the heartbreak, through the long nights, through everything. So, this is just… a misunderstanding. You want to believe that.

But as the priest asks, “Do you take this man?” you hear it. The unmistakable sound of rushing footsteps, sharp and frantic. You freeze, your breath catching in your throat. You turn your head, and there she is. Her presence fills the room, her eyes searching for Carson as if she’s been holding her breath for years.

Your chest tightens.

Carson’s expression falls. His eyes, which had been so full of love for you, now look past you, filled with longing, longing for someone who isn’t you. His lips part, but no words come out.

He doesn’t speak. His gaze never leaves her. His first love. The woman he couldn’t let go. The woman who left him without a second glance. You feel the sting of betrayal, not because of her, but because of him — because he’s here, marrying you, but his heart is still with her.

“I thought I was over her,” he says, voice shaky, regret in his eyes, regret in his eyes, but it doesn’t matter now.