My Best Man Proved I Shouldn't Marry

On the day of my wedding, my groomsman, Steve Hayes, asks my bride, Vera Johnson, three questions. Both she and her bridesmaids will get money and a gold necklace each if she answers the questions correctly. I assume that she's determined to win, but surprisingly, she gets the first question wrong. "What's Colin's shoe size?" "Size 9," Vera replies without hesitation. "What's Colin's favorite color?" "Blue." Everyone exchanges glances with each other, feeling a little awkward. Steve asks Vera the easiest question. "When did Colin graduate from university?" Everyone believes that Vera won't get this question wrong. After all, we are university classmates. "2013," Vera answers. "I gave him a protective charm from Mt. Cloudpeak as his graduation gift. There's no way that I'll forget that." Panic grips my heart at that moment. I glance at my best friend, Steve, who's dressed in a blue groomsman suit. There's a protective charm hanging on the necklace around his neck. Steve's eyes flash before he whispers, "Colin graduated in 2012. The one who was held back was me." I'm struck by a realization. The last hint of hesitation in my heart disappears. The corners of my lips curl up into a smile as I look down to send my family a message. "Mom, Dad, can you drive the car over? I'm not getting married anymore." Chapter 1 Colin's POV The room was so quiet that everyone could hear each other's breathing. "Oh," my bride, Vera Johnson, said. "I must have misremembered. Colin graduated in 2012." She coldly corrected herself as if nothing happened. My best friend, Steve Hayes, smiled and tried to smooth the situation over. "Vera's been really stressed for the past few days. It makes sense that she misremembered. Don't make things difficult. Your friends and family are watching." Everyone else chimed in to convince me to let Vera's mistakes slide. "It's supposed to be a happy day. Don't make such a long face. You should smile more." "You can just punish Vera in bed later since she got the questions wrong. Don't delay the ceremony!" Everyone thought that I was making a mountain out of a molehill, but only I knew that Vera had changed. In the past, she would immediately ask me what was wrong if I looked upset. She would also tell jokes and give me presents to appease my anger. However, at that moment, Vera kept her eyes on Steve and refused to look away. "Alright then. Let's go." I didn't want to put my friends and family, who had come from out of state, in an awkward situation, so I piggybacked Vera like I was supposed to. Vera pinched the muscles on my back and said with a smile, "Your body fat must be over 25%. Your muscles aren't tight at all." I frowned at how she mentioned 25% instead of any other number. It was the exact same number that Steve had posted on his social media account when he was showing off. "Were you piggybacked by someone with 25% body fat?" I asked nonchalantly. Vera stiffened before she shook her head. "Of course not. Don't overthink things." Just then, Steve rushed to explain himself. "My body fat is 26%. It wasn't me." My lips twitched. It was blatantly clear that they had let the cat out of the bag without meaning to. However, I didn't expose their lies. I wanted to see how much longer they were going to keep the act up. Steve insisted on joining Vera and me in the cramped sports car, squeezing himself in between us. "You don't mind, right, Colin? There's no space left in the other car. We'll just have to squeeze together." I didn't say a single word. Steve chattered away during the car ride. He seemed even more excited than me even though I was the groom. Vera responded to everything he said, making me seem like I was the one who wasn't supposed to be there. Steve suddenly patted Vera's back when the car turned the corner. "Do you remember the bakery in Northshell that sells those honey cakes, Vera?" Vera nodded immediately and said with a smile, "Of course. Let's buy some." She then ordered me to turn the car around and drive in the opposite direction of the church. I frowned and stopped the car just in time, saying, "There's not enough time, Vera. That bakery is nine miles away. The wedding ceremony's starting in an hour. What if it gets delayed?" Vera glared at me and snapped, "It's on the way. We're not going to waste too much time buying a few slices of cake. You're just being petty and taking revenge on me because I didn't get those questions right." I bit my lip and clenched my fists. So if I gave Vera the cold shoulder for answering the questions wrongly, I would be delaying the ceremony. Meanwhile, the bakery was "on the way" when Steve wanted to buy cake from a bakery that was out of the city. If that was the case, I wasn't going to rush to the church anymore. Besides, I had no intention of marrying Vera. A message popped up on my phone a few seconds later. It was from Mom and Dad. "The car's waiting outside the church, Colin. We can leave anytime." Chapter 2 Colin's POV I wasn't fond of sweets, so I quietly waited for Vera and Steve at the bakery's entrance. The bakery owner was very friendly. She cut a slice of her new product and gave it to Steve, saying, "It's been a while since you and your girlfriend dropped by. Why are the two of you dressed so formally today? Are you going to a ball?" Steve's ears turned red. He pointed at the entrance and said, "It's my best friend's wedding. I'm his groomsman." The bakery owner's smile stiffened as her eyes darted between the three of us. In the end, she said, "I'm sorry. I assumed that the two of you were a couple since you drop by for tea quite often. I didn't know that there was another person." It was obvious that the "other person" that she was referring to was me. I hoped that Vera would speak up and explain the situation on my behalf, but she didn't. Instead, she bought all the different-flavored honey cakes in the bakery and had the staff members place them in over a dozen bags. "Don't waste the food if you can't finish it," I said. However, my words seemed to send Steve into a panic. A troubled expression appeared on his face as he said, "I know that you don't care about the cakes, Colin. You must be mad that Vera spent her money on me. I admit that I'm in the wrong here." He was shaking when he pulled out a 100-dollar bill from his bag and pressed it into my palm. Meanwhile, Vera had run out of patience with me. She pursed her lips and snapped coldly, "Can you look at the bigger picture, Colin? It's our big day today. Do you have to cause a fuss? Besides, Steve is your best friend. It's perfectly normal for me to buy things for him." Normal? I shook my head and barked out a self-deprecating laugh. Vera was the one who bought the expensive watch, belt, and limited edition sneakers that Steve was wearing. On the other hand, although we had been dating for seven years, the most expensive gift that she had ever given me was an electric shaver set. In fact, I had personally bought the suit I was currently wearing. I had basically never spent a single penny that belonged to Vera. At first, I thought that I could earn her love if I showed that I had no interest in her money. However, I had failed to earn both her love and her money. "Don't blame Colin, Vera," Steve said, thoughtfully speaking on my behalf. "He doesn't know how to act since it's his first time as a groom. Don't mind him. The two of you living happily together is more important than anything else. Don't argue with each other because of me. "As you know, my parents are divorced. I'm terrified that the two of you will end up unhappy together." I looked up at Steve. The pain in my heart felt worse than if I had been stabbed by countless needles. Steve had stayed awake for countless nights after his parents divorced. I was the one who stayed by his side and took care of him during those difficult months. I never would have imagined that he would repay my kindness by stabbing me in the back. "Alright then. I'll listen to you," Vera said. A long time passed before I managed to pull myself out of my memories. The pain in my heart slowly faded away. All three of us were silent after we got back into the car. However, the silence didn't last long because Steve was suddenly thirsty. "The honey cakes are too dry, Vera. I can't swallow them. I want to drink some iced soda," Steve said, his voice becoming gradually smaller at the tail end of his sentence. He carefully snuck a glance at me when he said the last three words, wanting to gauge my reaction. However, my expression remained unchanged. There wasn't even a trace of unhappiness on my face. Vera hesitated for a few seconds. "Steve… It's getting a little too late," she said before immediately changing her tune. "But I'll buy one for you if you're thirsty." Her phone began ringing nonstop the moment her words left her lips. "When will you get here, Vera? Most of the guests are already here! We're just waiting for you and Colin!" Vera's chest tightened, but she still ordered me to drive to the nearest convenience store shown on the navigator as fast as possible after she hung up. Chapter 3 Colin's POV Vera had a bright red mark on her neck when she and Steve came back. A hint of panic flickered in her eyes when she noticed my gaze. She hastily covered the mark and tried to explain herself, saying, "There was a mosquito in the store…" Steve nodded with flushed cheeks. "There really was a mosquito, Colin. Don't tell me that you're suspecting me?" I shook my head and said, "It probably was a mosquito. After all, it's a beast that likes to sting people." The color drained from their faces upon hearing my words. "Excuse me. I'm going to leave the car to smoke." Vera and Steve stood about ten feet away from the car. Vera had a panicked expression on her face as she warily asked Steve, "Do you think that Colin has noticed that something's amiss?" "That's impossible," Steve answered while stubbing out his cigarette. "He loves you so much. He'll forgive you even if he finds out. I know him better than anyone else. He's stubborn on the surface, but he's soft-hearted. "When I told him that I was heartbroken a few years ago, he skipped his finals and went drinking with me until he developed a stomach ulcer. I didn't want things to end up like this, but I had no other choice after I met you." Steve's words were too moving. Vera couldn't take it, and a flush spread from her face to her neck. I quietly watched them through the car window. Steve's silhouette was taller than Vera's. The sunlight elongated their shadows. The two people who I loved the most were also the ones who hurt me the most. I had spent so many years trying to please them, but it was time for me to wake up from my dream. I looked down and called Willow Bastings, who worked at my company's HR department. "Didn't you say that you want to give me a wedding present, Willow?" I asked. "I want Steve to be fired." Steve couldn't find a job because he had failed his classes and was forced to delay his graduation. I was the one who did everything that I could to secure a position for him in my family's company. He was promoted from receptionist to chief engineer in the short span of three years. His annual salary increased from 20 thousand dollars to 200 thousand dollars. I had a hand in all his promotions, but I kept my involvement a secret because I didn't want to hurt his pride. Instead, I praised him, telling him that he had earned all those promotions through his own efforts. It was time for things to return to their actual course. Steve finished smoking his cigarette. Perhaps Vera felt a little guilty. Shockingly, she offered a canned coffee to me after she got into the car, saying, "I got this for you when I was buying the soda. I know that you don't like sweet things." I didn't accept the drink. She looked a little impatient as she waved the can and said, "Stop dragging things out. We're going to be late." I didn't respond. "Are you that mad just because I bought cake and soda for Steve?" she demanded. "He's your best friend. Why would you get jealous because of him?" Vera was always exceptionally harsh on me. She never spoke to Steve like that. "I worked myself to the bone for the last few days because of the wedding, honey," she said. "Can you be a little more understanding? Don't force me to deal with your moods even on my happy day." I nodded and swallowed the words that were on the tip of my tongue. "Thank you," I said. A wave of relief washed over Vera despite my polite but distant tone. She looked utterly untroubled as she listened to rock music and chatted with Steve until we reached the entrance of the church, failing to notice a black Maybach parked next to the church's side entrance. Although the Maybach wasn't particularly conspicuous, it should have been familiar to her. Unfortunately, Vera's attention was completely monopolized by Steve. She didn't care about the details that were related to me. "What's wrong, Vera?" Steve asked. "The wedding dress is too long," Vera answered with a pout, looking troubled. "I keep tripping over it." The moment the words left her lips, Steve picked Vera up before I could even move. "I'll carry her to the dressing room since she keeps tripping over her dress. You can join us later." With that said, he entered the elevator straightaway. Chapter 4 Colin's POV I pressed a hand against my aching heart and made my way toward the dressing room, one step at a time. A long time passed before I finally reached the room. I could have just ended things right then and there by leaving the church. However, I couldn't just abandon the stylist who I had hired even though I planned to skip my own wedding. I was breathing heavily when I pushed the door open. I was then stunned by the sight before me. The famous stylist who I had booked two years in advance was being scolded by Vera like a child. Tears had welled up in her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. "You came at the perfect time," Vera said while pushing a pile of makeup products toward me. "Steve said that you're being unfair. You're using high-grade products while forcing him to use unregulated ones. You also plan to change his styling and replace his groomsman suit with an old, tattered one later." I frowned but didn't say a single word. Were they trying to cause a fuss again? Steve scratched his head before apologizing to me out of the blue. "I'm sorry, Colin. I shouldn't be here, and I shouldn't have tried to steal your spotlight. I didn't think things through. I'm willing to change out of my current outfit. In fact, I can even go naked!" I scoffed and said, "I never told the stylist to do such things, and I would never do anything of the sort!" However, Vera didn't believe me. She was certain that I wanted to take revenge. "Your way of playing hard to get is so despicable, Colin Graham. Did you think that I would coax you if you behave like this?" I shook my head, saying, "I don't need you to coax me." "What's with the attitude?" Vera snapped. "You want to take revenge just because I bought cake and soda for Steve? You must apologize to him." "Why would I apologize for something that I didn't do?" I retorted. Vera ran a frustrated hand through her hair before she stormed over to me. Her painted nails were very long, making me hiss in pain when she dug them into my flesh. "I don't have time to mess around with you, Colin. The wedding ceremony is starting in half an hour. Apologize now, or I'll refuse to show up for the ceremony." A genuine laugh that came from the bottom of my heart burst through my lips. Vera was still under the impression that she could threaten me, but I no longer cared about what she did. My frosty attitude thoroughly angered her. She was about to lose her temper when Steve hastily stopped her. "Stop it, Vera. It's supposed to be your big day. I'm the one who's at fault here. You should hurry to the hall to entertain the guests. Leave the rest to me." Vera was briefly stunned before she nodded. However, she didn't forget to make a scathing remark about me before she left, saying, "Just look at you. You're not even half the man that Steve is." I approached the stylist after she left and spoke to her in a hushed voice. The stylist swiftly packed her things and prepared to leave with me. Assuming that we were going next door to get me ready for the wedding ceremony, Steve waved his hand, pretending to be magnanimous as he said, "I won't take your actions to heart. You can go ahead and get the groom ready first." The stylist was rendered speechless by his words and helplessly shook her head. … Third-Person POV Half an hour later, the hall was illuminated by dazzling lights. Excitement began to build among the crowd. The host read from his script as planned. He fixed an excited expression on his face as he looked at the sealed doors and said the words that everyone had been anticipating. "Next, let us give a round of applause to the most handsome groom! "Three… Two… One!" The doors swung open, but there was no one waiting behind them. The host was flabbergasted. He rushed to the dressing room backstage to look for Vera. His voice was shaking when he asked, "Where's the groom?" Vera lifted her skirts and began searching for Colin everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found in the church. Panic gripped her heart at that moment.