How to ruin your ex's wedding: fake date a hockey player novel - Chapter 123

Chapter 123 "You're right. But I was someone who stayed in a relationship long after it stopped working because I thought leaving meant failure. And I'm telling you-staying in something broken isn't strength. It's just fear with a different name." Brianna was quiet for a long moment. "Why are you being nice to me? I slapped you. My father tried to send you to prison." "Because holding onto anger was hurting me more than it was hurting you. And because you're not my enemy. You're just another woman who made choices based on fear instead of self-respect.

I know what that's like." I stepped back. "Good luck, Brianna. I genuinely mean that." I returned to Crew. "Now we can leave." We collected our things from the table. Said quick goodbyes to Todd from accounting, who drunkenly told us we were "the real love story of the evening." Made our way toward the exit. We were almost to the door when Joel intercepted us. He looked wrecked. Hair disheveled, shirt untucked, eyes red. "Harper, wait. Please." "Joel, go back to your wife." "I can't. I can't do this. Any of this." He was talking too fast, words tumbling over each other.

"This whole wedding is a lie. The marriage is a lie. I'm standing up there making vows I don't mean to someone I don't love while the person I actually love is walking out the door. How is that fair?" "Life isn't fair. You taught me that when you dumped me six months ago." I looked past him toward the reception, where guests were starting to notice this conversation. "Joel, you made your choices. You proposed to Brianna. You planned this wedding. You said vows in front of three hundred people. Those were your choices. And now you have to live with them." "What if I don't want to?

What if I want to leave? Get divorced. Come to Vancouver. Prove I can be the man you deserve?" "Then you're still making it about what I want instead of what you want. And that's the problem, Joel. You've never known what you want. You just know what you think you should want. What other people expect. What looks good." I felt surprisingly calm saying this. Clear, "I'm done being part of your identity crisis. Figure out who you are. What you actually want. But do it without me." "Harper- "Goodbye, Joel, I mean it this time. Actually goodbye. Don't text. Don't call.

Don't show up in Vancouver in six months with some gra. romantic gesture. We're done. Forever. Accept it.". I walked past him, Crew at my side. We pushed through the doors into the cool evening air. 1/3 Behind us, I heard someone call Joel's name. His mother, probably. Or Brianna. Someone pulling him back into the performance. We got in the car. Crew started driving. I waited for the tears. For the breakdown. For the overwhelming emotion of closing that chapter. But it didn't come. I just felt... empty. Wrung out.