Betrayal Before the Altar

The night before the wedding, I found out that Cason Marshall and his ex-girlfriend Audrey Castro had been in touch sporadically. Regardless of the distance, they always made time for each other when it was necessary.

His friend Arlo asked him, "What's on your mind, man? You're about to marry Liliana, yet you're still involved with Audrey. If you weren't over her, why did you even break up?"

Cason lit a cigarette, his voice rough, "With Audrey, it's purely physical. We don't connect on any other level. But with Liliana, it's the exact opposite."

"Don't worry," he added with a sigh, "I've got it under control. It's just physical, no cuddling, no spending the night. It won't interfere with my marriage to Liliana."

---

With just two days until the wedding, I was rushing around picking up packages. Today alone, I'd made five trips.

I couldn't help but sigh with my hands on my hips, "I'm exhausted."

"Thank you, sweetheart," Cason smiled as he walked over, kindly giving my shoulders a comforting squeeze. "Did you grab my package?"

"Of course I did." I sifted through the pile of parcels and handed him a large box. "Here you go."

He didn't take it, just smiled at me. My curiosity got the better of me. "What did you get?"

He's not usually one to shop online, so this intrigued me. But his smile had a mischievous edge to it.

"Open it and see."

I hesitated but eventually gave in. Inside was a set of cat costumes, complete with realistic ears and a tail, along with a remote control. Embarrassed, I dropped it immediately.

"Why did you buy this?"

He wrapped his arms around me, whispering with a teasing tone, "Just for our wedding night, one time."

My whole body stiffened, my mind went blank. He started to kiss me again, "Please, my love."

It took me a moment to find my voice again. "No, I don't want to."

His displeasure was obvious as he let me go, and I mirrored his expression. We were at a stalemate for a moment.

Eventually, he conceded, "Let's not talk about it. Time to eat."

At dinner, he made a new dish: sweet and savory spiced honey meatballs. He loved experimenting in the kitchen, often delighting in having me taste his creations and eagerly awaiting my praise.

I thought about it and said, "It's delicious, sweet and flavorful."

He merely responded with a casual "Oh."

Neither of us spoke after that. When we first met, our connection grew over countless meals. This was the first time a meal felt so tense.

Throughout our seven-year relationship, we were the couple everyone admired. We always got along well, never had a serious argument, except for the one time, which was similar to today's disagreement.

It was our first time together, and he suddenly called me a horrible name. I couldn't accept it and got upset. He couldn't understand why I was so bothered.

He said guys were like that, picking it up from watching things online. To him, it was normal, and he thought I was making a big deal out of nothing.

I was so mad I cried and broke up with him. A few days later, he came to campus to apologize, admitting he was wrong and promising it wouldn't happen again.

We were in a passionate phase of our relationship then, and aside from that incident, there were no other conflicts. So we quickly made up.

Over the following years, he kept his word. But now, as we were about to get married, I didn't expect this issue to crop up again and put us at odds.

"Enjoy your meal. I'm heading out for a bit."

Cason's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up, asking, "Where are you going?"

"Arlo wants to go grab a few drinks."

He explained as he quickly grabbed his jacket from the couch.

I stared at him, puzzled.

For some reason, I blurted out, "Are you coming back?"

He turned back, amused, "What do you think? Have I ever not come home?"

Before leaving, he came over and kissed my forehead, a smile in his eyes. "You're adorable."

"I'm heading out. I'll be back soon."