1 On my wedding day, I waited and waited for my fiancé, Alex, to pick me up, but the wedding car was nowhere in sight. When it finally arrived, I saw that it was draped in black cloth. Inside, the seats were covered in white linen, transforming it into a hearse. Alex's young assistant, Chloe, sat in the passenger seat, clutching a small urn. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. "Evelyn," she sobbed, "please don't be upset. My little dog, Dot, died yesterday. The fortune teller said today was an auspicious day for a burial, so she could be reincarnated. Alex said we could give Dot a ride on the way. You don't mind, do you?" I stared at Alex, my voice cold. "For your assistant's dog, you turned our wedding car into a hearse?" "There's an old saying," he said, his voice laced with impatience. "Marriage is the death of love. A wedding car, a hearse... what's the difference?" I ripped off my veil, threw it to the ground, and made a phone call. "Are you free to get married today?" … The ceremony was in an hour, but Alex wasn't answering his phone. I pulled up his assistant Chloe's contact, planning to ask her what was going on. Alex had delegated all the wedding planning to her, telling me, "All you have to do is be a beautiful bride. Let your assistant handle the trivial stuff." Chloe had insisted on a "unique and modern" approach, forgoing the traditional grand procession. Instead, she suggested the bride and groom drive to the chapel together, hand in hand, for a more "romantic" entrance. Which meant that now, my only option was to wait for Alex to pick me up. I opened my messaging app and saw that Chloe had just posted a new photo. It was a black-and-white shot of her, dressed in mourning, a white camellia tucked into her hair. Her eyes were swollen, a picture of delicate sorrow. She was leaning her head on a man's shoulder, cradling a small urn. The caption read: "Mommy and Daddy will love you forever." The man's shoulder looked familiar, but I quickly closed the app before I could dwell on it. Seeing something like that on my wedding day was just bad luck. A question flickered through my mind—Chloe wasn't married, was she? Where did the "Daddy" come from? Before I could think any further, Alex called and told me to come downstairs. Clutching my bouquet, I rushed out the door, my heart full of joy. The smile froze on my face. Our wedding car was draped in black. Through the window, I could see the seats were covered in white cloth. It looked exactly like a hearse. Just yesterday, this car had been a vision. It was decorated with my favorite flowers and sparkling crystals, adorned with romantic symbols of love. I had poured my heart into every detail, all for this day. Now, it was all gone. In its place was a somber, lifeless hearse. My blood ran cold. "Alex," I stammered, "what is this?" From the passenger seat, Chloe rolled down the window, her voice thick with tears. "Evelyn, please don't be upset. My little dog, Dot, died yesterday. The fortune teller said today was an auspicious day for a burial, so she could be reincarnated. Alex said we could give Dot a ride on the way. You don't mind, do you?" She sniffled. "I just couldn't stand all the festive decorations on the car, so I made a few changes with some black fabric. Black and white are very trendy for weddings now, you know. I thought it would work. This way, we don't have to delay the wedding or Dot's funeral." Who in their right mind decorates a wedding car with black drapes and white sheets? The blood rushed to my head. My voice became shrill. "Today is my wedding day, Chloe. Are you doing this just to spite me?" "Alex, we're getting married today, and you've turned our wedding car into a hearse for a dog? Aren't you worried about the bad omen?" "All our friends and family are waiting at the hotel. Are you seriously going to drive this to the wedding?" Alex's brow furrowed in annoyance. "It's just transportation. As long as it gets us to the hotel, what's the big deal? Can't you have a little compassion?" 2 "There's an old saying," he continued, "marriage is the death of love. A wedding and a funeral, what's the difference? A hearse is perfectly appropriate." "Besides," he added, "Chloe couldn't even get a taxi while holding Dot's urn. If we don't help her, who will? You're usually so understanding. What's wrong with you today?" Tears streamed down my face. I lunged forward and started ripping the black fabric off the car. "Who gave you permission to touch my wedding car? What gives you the right?" Chloe rushed over to stop me. "Evelyn, please don't! Today is Dot's funeral. Please, let her go in peace." "Get away from me!" I shoved her. She stumbled back and fell into Alex's arms. He steadied her, then grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. "Haven't you had enough? Your wedding dress is white, isn't it? What's wrong with white seats? Is this some kind of double standard? Have some decency." My hand slammed against the pavement. A sharp pain shot through my palm, and blood began to well up. I pointed a trembling finger at the urn in Chloe's arms. "Alex, do you hear yourself? Have you even for one second considered my feelings?" "A woman gets married once in her life, and you want me to ride in a hearse? Do you even want to marry me?" Alex was about to argue, but Chloe stopped him. "Alex, it's all my fault. I was just so heartbroken about Dot, I didn't think about Evelyn's feelings. The wedding is much more important than Dot. And she was just my pet. I can handle this myself." Her tears fell onto the small urn. "I don't have any family in this city. Dot was all I had. She was like family to me. I'm sorry. I just wanted to give her a perfect funeral." Her voice cracked. "Even if I have to walk, I'll get to the cemetery." She opened the passenger door and stumbled out of the car, a fragile, pitiable figure in her black dress. She looked at me, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Evelyn. Please, get in the car." Alex got out and grabbed her arm. "You're not going anywhere. I said I'd give Dot a ride, and I will. Don't you remember? I said I'd be her daddy, didn't I?" Suddenly, Chloe's social media post from this morning flashed in my mind. "Mommy and Daddy will love you forever." She was Mommy, and Alex was Daddy. And that familiar shoulder… it was his. Chloe had joined Alex's company as a secretary a year ago. He praised her for being meticulous and thoughtful and quickly promoted her to his primary assistant, entrusting her with many important tasks. I'd heard whispers from older colleagues, subtle hints that I should watch out for Alex and Chloe. But this was Alex, the man I had loved for years, the man who loved me deeply. I would have suspected any other man of cheating, but never him. Now, the truth was staring me in the face. Chloe was more than just a secretary, and Alex was no longer the man I knew. A sharp pain lanced through my chest. I choked, unable to speak. Today was supposed to be the culmination of our ten-year love story, and this was happening. Alex turned back to me. "Do you have to be like this? Do you know how far the cemetery is? Do you know how long it would take Chloe to walk there? You know no one will give her a ride while she's carrying an urn. Do you really have to pick a fight with her when she's at her most vulnerable?" As he got closer, I caught a whiff of camellia perfume. It was Chloe's scent. I felt a wave of nausea and took a step back, covering my mouth. He opened the car door and helped Chloe back in. "You don't have to get out. I said I'd take you, and I will." He got back in the car and looked at me. "Get in. The wedding is about to start, isn't it? I promised we'd have the ceremony first. You'll still be a beautiful bride. After the wedding, we'll go with Chloe to bury Dot." 3 Rage surged through me. I yanked open the car door. "Chloe, this is my car. Please get out. I do not consent to you taking this car to a cemetery. I can call a taxi for you, or have a friend drive you." "Alex, call the wedding planner right now and have them restore this car to its original state." Chloe looked at me, tears streaming down her face. She wiped her eyes fiercely. "Fine. I won't disrupt your wedding. I wish you both happiness." She gently pushed Alex's hand away and looked up at him, her face a mask of tragic beauty. "Go get married. I told you we weren't heading in the same direction. Why did you have to make Evelyn angry?" "Just let me take Dot myself." She pressed her face against the urn. "Dot, Mommy will take you." Alex exploded. He shoved me away, and I stumbled back into a flower bed. The sharp edge of the planter dug into my back. A searing pain shot through me, and my vision went black. The bouquet fell from my hand. "Enough! Are you done? How long are you going to throw a fit over a car? As long as I'm the one marrying you, that should be enough. What more do you want?" "You're about to be Mrs. Reed. You'll have everything. Why are you making things so difficult for Chloe? All she had was Dot, and now she's lost her too. Are you really going to push her to the edge?" "If I had known you would turn into such a cruel, unreasonable person, I never would have agreed to marry you." His words were a knife, twisting in my heart. Alex and I were college sweethearts. He was on a full scholarship, from a poor family, and had taken out loans to get through school. We fell in love on campus. To protect his pride, I hid my own family's wealth and started a business with him. After graduation, we struggled together, enduring countless hardships. Finally, things had started to look up. We had our own company. With my father's secret help, Alex's business grew, and he became a rising star in the city's business world. He had proposed, and today was our wedding. I had invited all our friends and family. I was going to reveal my family's identity to him at the wedding. I believed we could live happily ever after. But now, as I watched him hold his fragile secretary, as I looked at the car I had bought, now transformed into a hearse, I closed my eyes. Maybe things had changed a long time ago. Maybe I just hadn't been willing to see it. Alex looked at me coldly. "I'm giving you two choices. One, get in the car now, and we'll go to the hotel for the ceremony." "Two, if you're going to keep throwing a tantrum, then you can walk. After all, you're the one who doesn't want to ride in a hearse, right?" Through the car window, I could see Chloe still nestled in his arms, her eyes, when she glanced at me, full of triumph and provocation. She "helped" by saying, "Evelyn, don't be angry. I'll try to talk to Alex." Then she turned to him, her voice a coquettish whisper. I could just make out the words: "Evelyn has been dreaming of marrying you. Even if you leave her here, she'll forgive you. She'll find a way to the hotel. But can't you just humor her a little?" "You can't just assume she'll marry you no matter what and treat her like this." "I've spoiled her," Alex said coldly. "That's why she's so unreasonable." I stared at him, my eyes wide with disbelief. He gritted his teeth. "Fine. If you're not getting in, then walk." He stomped on the gas. The car sped off, leaving me standing there. My bridal bouquet was crushed under the tires, a mangled, unrecognizable mess. I sank to the ground, covering my face, and sobbed. A text message came through. It was from Alex. Since you're being so childish, you must not be in a hurry to get married. We'll postpone the ceremony until tonight. I'm taking Chloe to bury Dot first. You should take this time to reflect on your behavior. The Mrs. Reed I want is obedient, sensible, and understanding. Not a hysterical brat like you.
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