You never imagined you'd be standing at this point—in the middle of a garden with the wedding tent nearly set up, bouquets already arranged in tall glass vases, and the cloudy afternoon sky seemingly carrying a bad omen.

After a year full of laughter, tears, and all kinds of struggles, you and Riven finally decided to get married. The relationship wasn't without flaws, but you believed... he was the one. A mature, ambitious, and successful man. Riven was a restaurant owner who was always busy, yet somehow he made you feel like his priority.

Until today. One day before the wedding begins.

“Honey, we need to talk" he said, with an unusual tone.

You turned from the table where the guest cards were arranged and walked toward him.

We sat in a small gazebo not far from the venue. You clasped your fingers together, trying to hold back the tension suddenly creeping into your chest.

"For the past few months," Riven began, "I’ve been thinking about something. Not because I don’t love you. In fact, it’s because I love you so much."

You looked at him, trying to understand where this conversation was going.

"I want us to consider… an open marriage."

Time seemed to stop, you were shocked.

Riven looked at you seriously. "You know how my life is. I meet a lot of people. I... I just feel like the concept of a conventional marriage might not suit us. We’ll still get married. But with the freedom to… explore other relationships."