Three Weddings and a Goodbye

Right before our wedding, my fiancé, Dylan, suddenly developed intermittent amnesia. He kept forgetting that he had already broken up with his ex-girlfriend. At our first wedding ceremony, he abruptly clutched his head, his eyes turning cold. "Who are you? Why would I marry you? I'm going to marry Taryn." With that, he turned and bolted, leaving me alone at the venue to face everyone's mockery. That night, he knelt before me. "Luna, please give me another chance. I swear I'll take my medication on time. It won't happen again." Thinking of our three years together, I forgave him. At our second wedding, during the toasts, he suddenly smashed his glass, scowling at me. "Why is it you again? Are you really that desperate for a man? Why won't you leave me alone?" The next second, he kicked over the banquet table and slammed the door behind him. I could barely keep my feet, while my parents shook with pure rage. That night, he knelt before me and my parents, slamming his forehead against the floor until blood trickled down. He even bought out every giant digital billboard downtown, flashing across the city: "Luna Vance, please forgive me." Softhearted once more, I compromised. At our third wedding, I watched his every micro-expression like a hawk. Sure enough, that familiar coldness flickered through his eyes again. I immediately ordered the bodyguards to take him to the lounge and make him take his medication. After soothing the guests, I walked up to the lounge door, only to hear his friend's voice inside. "Don't take this act too far. You can't afford to cross the Vance family." Dylan's voice sounded hollow and melancholic. "I have to give Taryn three chances to change her mind. As long as she agrees to run away with me, I'll go with her. If she doesn't, I'll accept my fate and marry Luna." In utter disbelief, I stumbled back a step. Three whole years of devotion, and I was just an expendable backup? After a long pause, I pulled out my phone. "Pull all investments from the Miller family. This wedding is off." The voices inside kept drifting out. "Luna is head over heels for me. When the time comes, I'll just sweet-talk her and hold another wedding." "Once my company goes public, I won't need the Vance family anyway. I'll live an even better life." My whole body shuddered, my fingernails digging deep into my palms. Every dime of seed money for Dylan's startup had come from me humbling myself and begging my family for backing. On countless late nights, I had sat beside him refining pitch decks until my eyes were completely bloodshot. And in the end, I was merely a pawn he could use and discard at will. I took a deep breath, forcing down the tears threatening to spill, and walked back onto the stage. "Everyone, today's wedding is officially canceled." Instantly, whispers broke out below the stage. "Canceled again? The Vance heiress got dumped three times by the exact same guy?" "Isn't she practically throwing herself at him? If I were her, I'd die of embarrassment." Those words pierced my battered heart like needles. I gripped the microphone, about to speak, when suddenly, the lounge door was kicked wide open with a loud crash. Dylan stormed out, shouting, "Taryn, where are you?" A second later, he slammed into the champagne tower. Glass shattered everywhere, spilling booze across the floor. Watching his pathetic performance, my patience completely snapped. I strode forward and slapped him hard across the face. The room went instantly dead silent. Dylan's head jerked to the side. Clutching his cheek, he froze in shock. Right then, a soft voice floated from the entrance. "Luna, please calm down. There's no need to go around hitting people." Taryn strolled up to me, a sweet smile playing on her lips. "I honestly didn't plan on coming, but I was worried that if I didn't show up, you'd never get married." My gaze turned ice-cold. Taryn looked at Dylan, her brow slightly furrowing. "Dylan, we're over. Just forget about me." Dylan's eyes welled with tears as he grabbed her wrist. "No, we're not over!" He spun around to glare at me, his eyes overflowing with disgust. "How much longer are you going to force me into this? Why are you so pathetic and vile?" Pathetic? Vile? Trembling all over, I stared back at him in sheer disbelief. A smug spark flashed in Taryn's eyes. She put on a show of offering advice. "Luna, if it's not meant to be, just let go. At least walk away with some dignity." She turned her gaze to my parents, who were shaking with fury, and offered a mocking sneer. "Mr. and Mrs. Vance, having a daughter like this, aren't you embarrassed?" A cold glint flashed in my eyes. I raised my hand and slapped Taryn squarely across the face. "Say one more word, and I'll tear your mouth apart." Taryn let out a sharp cry, clutching her cheek as tears instantly flooded her eyes. "Luna, are you insane?!" Dylan shoved me violently. Caught completely off guard, I stumbled into the edge of a banquet table, the sharp pain turning my vision momentarily dark. Bodyguards immediately rushed in, encircling Dylan and Taryn. Seeing this, Taryn immediately put on a victim act. "I was only trying to give you good advice. If you won't listen, I have nothing left to say." With that, she turned and hurried away. And Dylan, without giving me a single glance, chased after her without hesitation. The vast wedding hall was a chaotic wreck. Everyone's mocking, amused stares landed squarely on me and my parents. I stood there, nails digging so hard into my palms that they bled, but the physical sting couldn't match a fraction of the agony tearing through my chest. Suddenly, a panicked scream burst from my mother behind me. "Ah!" I spun around to see my father with his eyes shut tight, collapsing backward."Dad!" My pupils constricted. I threw myself forward to catch him. "Call an ambulance!" The ambulance raced through the city to the hospital, and Dad was rushed straight into the emergency room. Completely drained of strength, I leaned against the cold wall, exhausted in both body and soul. After a long time, I took out my phone and slowly typed: "Dylan, we're don—" Suddenly, an incoming call from him lit up the screen. "Luna, I'm so sorry." His voice sounded panicked. "Did my condition flare up again? I'm so terrible, I deserve to die." "You know I can't control it when it hits. I found a new doctor this time, and we're upping the dosage. Can we please hold the wedding one more time?" I rubbed my throbbing temples, knowing full well that Taryn had just rejected his advances again, which was why he was crawling back to me. I shook my head. "No." Dylan froze, his tone growing frantic. "You can't put all the blame on me. That's just how the illness works." "Cut the crap, Dylan," I cut him off. "I know everything." He went dead silent. After a long pause, he said slowly, "Luna, let me explain." "When Taryn and I broke up back then, we promised each other three chances to walk back before getting married. I was just keeping a promise from our past." "Those three chances are used up now, Luna. I swear I'll never do it again." Hearing those words, I felt a sick urge to laugh. He had dragged my dignity and my family's honor through the dirt just to keep a damn promise to another woman. I closed my eyes and whispered tiredly, "I don't want to hear it. Do you have any idea my dad is in the ICU right now because of this?" With that, I hung up on him. A second later, a breaking notification popped up on my screen. "Vance Family Heiress Slaps Innocent Woman at Wedding, Suspected Mental Breakdown." I tapped in. The video clip was maliciously edited to show only me slapping Dylan and Taryn. "Just because the Vance family has money, they think they can do whatever they want? Slapping people without reason now?" "Why does she get to act so entitled? Someone needs to do a deep dive into her family and investigate them thoroughly." "I've known about her for a while. She traded her body for business deals." A horde of trolls jumped on the bandwagon, filling the comments with vile, disgusting slurs. I shivered all over, my heart aching and freezing cold. I scrolled down and caught a few comments trying to clarify that Taryn had provoked me first. Before I could read further, the ICU doors swung open. The doctor shook his head grimly. "Mr. Vance suffered a severe heart attack. Resuscitation was unsuccessful. I'm deeply sorry for your loss." A loud ringing filled my ears. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the floor. After a long while, I forced myself to stand and handle my father's final arrangements. My mother had cried until she passed out, and relatives had to escort her home. All on my own, I signed the death certificate, contacted the funeral home, and picked out a burial plot. Right then, Dylan called again. Numbly, I answered. His furious voice barked through the speaker, "Luna, what is up with the video online? Why are people attacking Taryn? Did you hire a smear campaign against her?" I didn't say a word, but he kept ranting. "You've gone way too far! What did Taryn even do wrong? She was just being nice and trying to talk sense into you. Slapping her wasn't enough, so now you're organizing a cyberbullying mob?" "Do you know she's hiding at home too terrified to step outside? Do you know she's been crying all night?" Faint sobs filtered through from the other end. "So many people are telling me to die... It hurts so much, Dylan, I don't want to live anymore..." Dylan's voice instantly softened into pure panic. "Don't be scared, baby. I'll get PR on it right away." Holding the phone, my body grew colder by the second. My father had just passed away. I was broken and drowning in despair. Yet from beginning to end, he hadn't asked once if I was okay. He hadn't asked a single word about my dad. Instead, he was convinced I was running a vicious vendetta. Dylan's voice snapped through the receiver again. "Luna, when did you turn so wicked? If you have any shred of conscience left, post a video clearing her name right now. Tell everyone Taryn has nothing to do with this." Clutching the phone, my heart went completely cold and still. I spoke softly, "Dylan, my dad is dead." Dylan suddenly fell dead silent. "If you honestly believe that while handling my father's death, I have the time or energy to hire trolls to bully Taryn, then I have nothing left to say to you."Dylan froze on the other end, panic bleeding into his tone. "Luna, I'm coming to see you right now." Three days later was Dad's memorial service. I knelt before his casket, tears dripping silently onto the floor. While everyone was paying their respects, the sharp clatter of high heels echoed from the chapel entrance. Dylan walked in wearing a black suit, with Taryn trailing right behind him. She was wearing a bright, fiery red designer dress with heavy glam makeup, looking as though she were attending a red-carpet gala. Mom stood up abruptly, her face pale as ash. My eyes turned lethal. I stepped forward to block them. "What are you doing here?" Dylan parted his lips nervously. "Luna, I came to pay my respects to your dad." I glared at Taryn. "Why are you wearing that?" Taryn offered a breezy, careless smile. "I have a party to get to right after this and didn't feel like changing. Luna, you wouldn't mind, would you?" My fists clenched so tightly my joints popped. Dylan quickly stepped in between us. "Luna, please don't be mad. Taryn didn't mean anything by it." Mom suddenly rushed over, trembling from head to toe. Pointing a shaking finger at Taryn, she shouted, "Who do you think you are, showing up to my husband's memorial dressed like a circus clown?! Do you have any manners at all?!" Taryn smirked mockingly. "Mrs. Vance, instead of lecturing me, maybe you should keep an eye on your own daughter." She pulled out her phone and shoved the comment section from the viral video into Mom's face. "Look, everyone online says your daughter traded her body to get ahead in business." Dylan's brow furrowed. He shook his head at Taryn and tried to snatch the phone, but she dodged him easily. Mom stared at the vile comments on the screen. Her breath hitched, and clutching her chest, she swayed and nearly collapsed. "Mom!" My eyes widened in terror. I lunged forward to catch her. In the next breath, I ripped the phone from Taryn's hand and smashed it violently onto the marble floor. Taryn took a step back, her eyes wide with shock. With ice in my gaze, I brought my hand across her face with a deafening crack. "You—!" Taryn glared, but before she could finish, I backhanded her across the other cheek. Taryn fell to the floor, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her lip. Dylan shoved me away hard, rushing to scoop Taryn up. "Luna, what the hell are you doing?!" Stumbling back, I took a deep, ragged breath, my eyes rimmed with red. "Dylan, this is my father's funeral." "If you came here just to cause a scene, don't blame me when I have security drag you both out like trash." Dylan frowned. "I only came to pay my respects. How could you talk to me like that?" Taryn clung to his arm, whimpering, "I mean, her dad just died. It makes sense she's completely losing her mind." "Let's just go, Dylan. It's not like your own dad died anyway. There's nothing to see here." The moment those words left her mouth, every single mourning guest stared at her in utter disbelief. Even Dylan realized she had crossed a line. "You go wait outside. I'll stay for a moment." I looked at him flatly, my face completely expressionless. "Get out." Dylan pressed his lips together. He pulled a sympathy card from his pocket and pressed it toward my hand. "Take this. I'll get out of your hair." With that, he turned and left with Taryn. After seeing off the final guests, I returned home and called my assistant. "Forward all the audit discrepancies and financial fraud evidence on Miller Enterprises to the SEC immediately. Keep it strictly confidential. I want his IPO blocked."My assistant paused briefly. "Understood, Ms. Vance. But there is one more matter I need to report." "The video online is still blowing up. Between that and your father's passing, our stock price is taking a hit. Six of our corporate partners have already requested contract terminations." I drew a slow breath, cold determination settling in my eyes. "It's fine. I'll handle it personally. As long as I'm breathing, the Vance family won't fall." After hanging up, I scheduled back-to-back dinners with all our major partners. Drinks followed drinks in an endless cycle. My stomach churned painfully, leaving me completely drained. By the time I stumbled out of the private dining room, it was nearly midnight. At the end of the hallway, I saw Dylan and Taryn walking side by side toward me. "Taryn, why did you bring me here?" "Your company goes public tomorrow!" Taryn smiled mysteriously. "I coordinated with your team and put together a private celebration for you." Dylan beamed with smug arrogance. "After all these years of slaving away for Luna Vance, I'm finally coming out on top." I stood rooted to the spot, my head spinning. Suddenly, Taryn spotted me. Her eyes drifted over my flushed face, and she chuckled mockingly. "I heard the Vance family lost a bunch of clients recently. What, are you out here drinking with men to beg for contracts?" Her sleazy, suggestive look made my stomach heave with visceral disgust. Seeing me sway on my feet, Dylan stepped forward to support me. Before I could speak, Taryn grabbed my wrist. "Luna, we're throwing a party for Dylan. He couldn't have achieved any of this without you. You should join us!" She dragged me toward their private room. Dizzy and weak from the alcohol, I couldn't pull myself free in time. The room was packed with employees from Dylan's company, a massive celebration cake sitting in the middle of the table. Taryn smiled sweetly, shoving me in front of the cake. "Without Ms. Vance, our CEO wouldn't be where he is today. It's only right that Ms. Vance gets the first bite." Suddenly, both of her hands slammed onto the back of my head, shoving my face violently down into the cake. Thick frosting blocked my nose and mouth, a wave of suffocation hitting me instantly. I fought desperately to pull up, but Taryn held me down with all her weight. Uproarious laughter erupted all around us. "Look at Ms. Vance enjoying the cake!" "Hold still, hold still, take a picture quick!" Dylan's expression shifted. Instinctively, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back, shooting a glare at Taryn. "Taryn, don't take it too far." I gasped violently for air, frosting smeared across my face, completely disheveled and humiliated. Taryn pouted playfully. "Everyone messes around like this at parties, it's just for fun!" As she spoke, she casually dabbed a smear of cream onto her own cheek. "See? I did it too." Dylan let out a soft laugh. "All right, all right, you look like a messy kitten." Turning to me, he handed me a few napkins. "Luna, clean yourself up." Trembling, I gathered the strength to stand and walk out, but Taryn stepped in front of me, holding a glass of wine. "Don't run off, Ms. Vance. You haven't finished your drink yet." She shoved the glass toward my lips aggressively. I frowned and tried to push it away, but she wouldn't let up. In the struggle, the wine splashed entirely over my face, soaking straight into my blouse. The last thread of my sanity snapped. With bloodshot eyes, I snatched the wine glass and smashed it onto the floor. Then, with a furious sweep of my arm, I sent every bottle, plate, and dish crashing down in an explosive mess. The room fell dead silent. Dylan's face instantly darkened. "Luna, what the hell is your problem?" He seized my wrist, his voice dropping into a harsh hiss. "My company goes public tomorrow. Everyone is just excited and wanted to share a drink with you. Why do you always have to throw a tantrum?" Looking at the blame in his eyes, I let out a mocking laugh. "You really think your company is going public?" Right as the words left my lips, Dylan's phone rang shrilly. "Mr. Miller, we have an emergency! The regulators just rejected all our IPO filings! The public listing is dead in the water!"