City Hall Freeze-Out

I had been dating my boyfriend, Chris, for three years, and after all his indifference, he finally proposed. I was ecstatic. But when the day came to register our marriage, I stood outside City Hall for 12 hours, eagerly waiting, but he never showed.

Just as I was starting to lose hope, my phone buzzed with a notification. It was a post from my best friend.

"Someone came to comfort me as soon as he knew my wedding was canceled~ Thank you for always waiting for me!"

In the photo, her hand was intertwined with someone else's, and I instantly recognized the ring tattoo. Chris had left a comment: "Good girl~ It's always been you."

The realization hit me like a slap to the face. The day Chris proposed to me was the same day my best friend officially announced her wedding date. That's when I understood. I'd been a fool, strung along by the two people I trusted the most, completely unaware of what was really going on.

I stood there in the cold wind, my makeup running down my face, and my phone, nearly frozen, buzzed again. It was Chris.

"I forgot to mention, I've got something going on today. Can't make it. Let's do it another day. No more talking, I'm a bit busy," he said dismissively.

"Busy?" I could feel the bitterness in my voice. "Busy with what? Busy with my best friend?"

Silence. Then Sharon's voice came through, shaky.

"Maggie, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I'm the one in Chris's heart," she said, almost whispering. "Don't get me wrong. Chris was just helping me today. He didn't mean to break the appointment. I swear, I'm really sorry… You can yell at me if you want, but please, don't take it out on Chris."

In the background, I heard Chris comforting her in that soft, gentle voice that I had never heard directed at me in three years.

I felt like a complete idiot. It was all so obvious now. Chris and I had met through Sharon, and I'd been drawn to him the moment I saw him. He was exactly my type, and when I made my feelings known, he was cold and distant, until I almost gave up. That's when he suddenly confessed, and I thought we were good.