Trashing My Wedding Dress? Enjoy Being Single and Broke!

I got pregnant before our wedding. I specifically warned Ethan that his friends weren't allowed to play any stupid pranks at his bachelor party or on our big day. But on the day of the wedding, those frat bros of his splashed paint all over us. Shocked and furious, I lost my temper on the spot. Yet, to avoid offending his precious friends, Ethan turned around and started blaming me. "It’s just a joke, Chloe. Is it really that big of a deal? Just clean it up." I took a deep breath, booked an appointment at the abortion clinic, and coldly shook off his hand. "This wedding is off!" 1. After the unexpected pregnancy, Ethan rushed to propose to me. When our families sat down for dinner, his mother suddenly said, "Since she’s pregnant, we need to get married quickly. It’ll be inconvenient once her belly starts showing." My mom obviously shared the same concern. She exchanged a look with me and nodded in agreement. Seeing my family relent, Mrs. Davis abruptly shifted the topic to a prenup. "Even though we’ll be one family after marriage, it’s still better to keep our finances separate." I frowned, feeling a tight knot of frustration in my chest. My family wasn't short on money, but being rushed into marriage just because of a pregnancy already made me uncomfortable. For a moment, the room fell dead silent. My mom sighed, trying to smooth things over. "We aren't after your money. As long as Ethan treats my daughter well, nothing else matters." I glanced at Ethan. After a moment of thought, for the sake of the baby, I chose to back down. The conversation then turned to the guest list. Thinking of Ethan’s core group of friends, my right eyelid began to twitch. "Ethan, you know I can't stand people who don't know their boundaries. Make sure your friends behave. I just want a simple, quiet wedding." He smiled and pulled me into his arms. "Yes, yes, whatever my beautiful wife says. My boys aren't that clueless. Don't worry." I didn't say anything. On Ethan’s last birthday, his friends got dead drunk, trashed the VIP lounge at the bar, and left me to bail them out of the precinct at midnight. But since he repeatedly promised that the wedding would go smoothly, I finally nodded, letting my guard down. For this wedding, I ran myself ragged, personally handling everything from the photographers to the venue decor. The night before the wedding, I went over the schedule with Ethan one last time. Ethan suddenly mentioned he wanted to plan a surprise for me during the ceremony. Being naturally introverted, I rejected the idea immediately. I didn't want to be put on display like a circus animal. Seeing that I disagreed, he went to my parents. My parents, who loved a lively atmosphere, persuaded me, "You only get married once, Chloe. You’re all young. A little fun is good." Ethan promised me multiple times that it wouldn't cross any lines. So, I compromised. Knowing I was getting married the next day, I couldn't sleep at all. I ended up staying awake until 4:00 AM. I had hired the most expensive makeup artist in town, and the session took over two hours. But thinking that I was marrying the love of my life, no amount of exhaustion felt bitter. The makeup was perfect. I finally put on my custom wedding dress, which had been ordered six months ago. Before Ethan came to pick me up, I mentally rehearsed every possible mishap to prevent any chaos. But I never, in my wildest dreams, expected that the biggest disaster would come from Ethan’s own friends. At the venue, his group of friends swaggered in, looking rowdy. I thought they were going to cause trouble right away. But they just looked at me with smirks full of hidden meaning. Nothing happened even after we exchanged rings. I finally let out a small sigh of relief. But just as I was about to sit down and rest, Tyler, one of his friends, suddenly spoke up. "Hey, according to our college tradition, the bride has to feed the groom's best buds cake. One bite for each of us, or you don't get to leave!" 2. The guys exchanged glances and looked at me with creepy, knowing smiles. Thinking they were just joking, I forced down my disgust. "We grew up in the same town, Tyler. I’ve never heard of such a tradition." I didn't want to play along, so I turned to walk away. To my surprise, Ethan grabbed my hand. "Come on, Chloe, it’s just feeding them some cake. Everyone is watching." Before he even finished, Tyler brought over a plate of cake, grinning like a fool. "Come on, Chloe! Don't be a party pooper!" Ethan’s parents stood to the side, completely silent. His seven or eight friends watched me with mocking smiles. I took a deep breath. Not wanting to throw a tantrum on my wedding day, I suppressed my rage and began to feed them. Tyler opened his mouth with a suggestive expression and deliberately licked the fork. The next two guys did the exact same thing, making vulgar double entendres. "Wow, the cake Chloe feeds us tastes so much sweeter!" After saying that, they burst into loud, obnoxious laughter. I slammed the fork onto the table. "I’m done!" Everyone stared at each other in awkward silence. The atmosphere froze. I was burning with rage. Ethan’s mom squeezed out of the crowd, grabbing my hand to play peacemaker. "Chloe, sweetheart, don't be mad. Everyone is waiting. You’ve already fed a few, so let’s call it a day. You guys, stop standing around! Did you really expect Chloe to feed every single one of you?" Ethan also walked over to apologize. "Chloe, it’s our wedding day. They were just trying to hype up the crowd. Please don't be mad..." Seeing this, the friends walked over with fake smiles and offered half-hearted apologies. My parents sighed, stepping in to smooth things over, and gently patted my hand. Looking at Ethan standing next to me, for the first time, I wondered: "Is this marriage really worth it?" I was incredibly annoyed, but since I didn't want to cause a scene, I gave a tense nod. However, I didn't realize that my tolerance would only invite worse treatment. Ethan took my hand and led me toward the backyard garden. I noticed his friends suddenly getting excited, rushing to the front of the yard. My heart began to race. I turned to look at Ethan. His eyes were suddenly dodging mine. My heart sank, and I instinctively tried to stop walking. But it was too late. With a racing heart, I whispered fiercely to Ethan, "What the hell are your friends doing? Are they planning another stunt?" He stammered, "Don't overthink it, Chloe. They know their limits." Seeing him like this, a lump formed in my throat. I couldn't understand why Ethan turned into a spineless coward the moment his friends were around. Before this, Ethan had been a decent boyfriend. He once drove sixty miles back and forth just because I said I wanted a specific cupcake. When my mom hurt her leg, he stayed up all night to find the best doctor for her. He would blush when I kissed his cheek, and he would get excited like a kid over a simple gift I bought him. Back then, I truly believed he was the one. But now, standing at our wedding venue, looking at his shifting, guilty eyes, I suddenly felt a wave of panic. He gave a fake cough to hide his nervousness. "Let’s go in. Everyone is waiting." I pulled myself together, entering the yard with a heavy heart. Before I could even react, his friends suddenly marched toward us carrying buckets, triumph written all over their faces. From a distance, I smelled a horrible, chemical stench. In the next second, they lifted the buckets and splashed the contents right over Ethan and me. 3. What they threw at us was industrial paint! I screamed in pure rage, "Are you guys fucking insane?!" The custom wedding dress I had waited six months for, the makeup that took two hours—all of it was completely ruined! Yet, they showed absolutely no remorse. Instead, they held their stomachs and roared with laughter. "Hahaha! Look at Ethan! He looks like a drowned rat!" Ethan didn't react with the anger I expected. Instead, he let out a weak, apologetic chuckle. I felt like someone was choking me. I couldn't even scream. "Ethan! Do you not have a backbone? This is our wedding!" Ethan pulled my arm, winking at me desperately. "Chloe, it’s our wedding day. They just wanted to bring some good luck. It’ll wash off." The paint on my body was smelly and sticky. The guests were looking at us with a mix of pity and amusement. The wedding I had dreamed of for years was utterly ruined. I felt like I was going to explode. I shrieked, "What do you mean 'it'll wash off'? They threw paint on us!" My parents’ faces turned pale. They pointed at the guys in anger. "What is the meaning of this? How could you ruin a wedding like this!" Tyler was still laughing, waving his hand dismissively. "Mr. and Mrs. Sarah, relax. It’s just a prank. It’s not like she only has one dress. She can just change." "Ethan, buddy, we finally got you good today! Aren't you thrilled?" I stared at Ethan. He looked incredibly pathetic, covered in wet paint. "Alright, alright, you guys had your fun. I’ll get you back when you get married!" Ethan had absolutely no intention of holding them accountable. His calmness made me look like the hysterical one. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my heart turned ice-cold. With red eyes, I demanded hoarsely, "Ethan, is this how you handle things? Do you really not care that our wedding is ruined?" "They need to give me an explanation! They need to apologize to me right now!" Losing my mind, I snatched a half-empty paint bucket from the ground and flung it right back at them. The guys ducked, still smirking. "Whoa, Chloe, don't be so dramatic. It’s just a joke." All the guests stopped talking, pulling out their phones to record the drama. My mom’s eyes were red as she stomped her foot. "What kind of nightmare is this?!" All my dignity was stripped away today! But Ethan frowned at me, looking at me as if I was the one being unreasonable. "Chloe, seriously? My friends just wanted to liven things up. Look around, everyone else is having a good time. You're ruining the mood." I stared at him. "I am asking you one last time. Are you going to make them apologize to me?" His usual smiling face finally hardened. "Chloe! Enough! They didn't actually hurt you." Seeing how relentless I was, Ethan’s mom also lost her patience. "Chloe, they were just having some harmless fun. All the guests are waiting for the reception." I felt a deep, crushing disappointment. I hadn't even officially joined their family, and they were already trying to put me in my place. I thought Ethan would at least stand by my side, but he couldn't even comprehend why I was angry. Seeing me freeze in place, refusing to budge, Ethan’s face completely darkened. "Chloe, that’s enough! I’ll explain things to you after the reception. Don't leave everyone hanging." My mom wiped her tears next to me, whispering to ask what I wanted to do. My heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles. I remained silent. Mrs. Davis was now thoroughly annoyed. "Chloe, what on earth is wrong with you?" Ethan’s expression was incredibly tense. "Chloe, go clean yourself up. The dinner is starting soon." Hundreds of guests stared at us, enjoying the free show. Ethan’s friends looked smug, whispering among themselves. "Man, your girl has a nasty temper. She’s going to be hard to control." "Well, pregnant women are always hormonal! Ethan, what are you scared of? She’s carrying your kid, she has to marry you anyway. Why panic?" "Yeah, getting whipped by a pregnant chick? That’s embarrassing, bro!" They burst into another round of loud laughter. My mom’s face was incredibly grim. Concerned about the baby in my womb, she looked like she wanted to speak but held back. I looked around the room, finally locking eyes with Ethan’s impatient face. I let out a cold laugh. I took out my phone and, without a single shred of hesitation, booked an abortion appointment online. Then, I looked up at Ethan and forced a smile. "You know, I really wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." Hearing this, he let out a sigh of relief and reached for my hand. "That’s more like it. Now, let’s quickly—" Before he could finish, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face with every ounce of my strength. "But now, I’d rather die!"