Abandoned in a Wedding Dress, I Found My Real Prince

On our fourth anniversary, Julian Vance finally agreed to go to Haidilao with me.

I brought the custom, oneofakind diamond ring I had saved up for, put on a white wedding dress, and prepared to give him the surprise of his life.

But when I arrived at the restaurant, he sent me a text saying there was an emergency at the office and he had to fly out of town. He stood me up.

As I sat there like an absolute idiot, eating hot pot in a wedding dress, I scrolled past an Instagram post from his childhood best friend, Tiffany Miller.

The background of her photo was the exact same Haidilao.

A group of friends was cheering around them, Julian was holding her tight in his arms, and a diamond ring was sparkling on her finger.

Her caption read: "So this is what happiness feels like." Everyone at the restaurant was looking at me, whispering and laughing.

But they didn't expect me to post my marriage certificate with a gorgeous younger guy right under her feed. My comment: "True love is hard to find.

Wish you two a long, happy life together." Julian knew how much I hated being the center of attention.

For years, he used this as an excuse to never bring me to any dinners or parties with his coworkers or friends at Haidilao, a place notorious for its loud, overthetop public celebrations.

But this was our fourth anniversary. I had begged him for weeks just to get this one dinner date.

I invited my closest friends, wore a wedding dress, and brought the ring, planning to surprise him. Over our four years together, he always complained that I was too passive.

I wanted to show him that I could be brave for us. In the end, he bailed. I sat in the bustling, noisy restaurant, surrounded by families and couples. Panic washed over me.

I had no idea how to explain this to my friends. It felt like every eye in the room was on me. In that wedding dress, I looked like a clown putting on a free show.

I quietly paid the bill, told my friends to enjoy the food without me, and practically ran out of the restaurant. Even then, I didn't blame Julian.

I actually thought it was my fault for not telling him my plans beforehand, causing this embarrassing mess. That was until I saw Tiffany’s Instagram post.

Seeing their group of friends celebrating at Haidilao, with Julian holding Tiffany so close... It finally hit me.

Julian didn't refuse to take me there because he wanted to save me from "public embarrassment." He did it to draw a clear line between us.

I was never meant to be in his inner circle. I couldn't take it anymore. I called him, and we got into a massive fight. He used the same old lines.

He didn't even bother to make up a new excuse. "We grew up together, Chloe. She thought the ring looked pretty, so she asked me to get her one.

What's the big deal?" "Can you stop being so paranoid?

You're acting crazy." In the background of the call, I could faintly hear his friend's voice: "Julian, come handle your princess.

She’s drunk and making a scene." "Julian, hold me..." Tiffany’s slurred voice whined. Without another word, Julian hung up. Is this normal? I stared at my bare fingers. Four years.

I had never received a single ring from him. I opened the custom jewelry box, took out the women's ring, and slipped it onto my finger. It looked much better on me anyway.

I texted Julian: "We need to talk." I waited for a long time. No reply. I wasn't surprised. He was always like this. If he wasn't interested in the topic, he wouldn't reply.

If he found the conversation boring, he wouldn't reply. If it was an urgent text, he'd ignore it; if it wasn't, he’d block me.

Usually, I would send a whole screen of green text bubbles, and he would only spare me a few cold words. Besides, he was probably too busy taking care of his "princess" right now.

I tossed my phone aside, took a melatonin pill, and finally fell asleep. It wasn't until the next morning that I saw two new messages from him. "..." "..."

This was Julian's favorite way to reply. It was his way of showing his annoyance and dismissiveness.

He probably thought I would do what I always did—that after he ignored me for two days, I would crawl back, apologize, and beg for his forgiveness. I didn't reply.

In the past, even if he just sent a single punctuation mark, I would be thrilled. I would rack my brain to find topics to keep the conversation going.

But now, I didn't care anymore.

Sensing my coldness, Julian texted again half a day later. "Are you mad?" "How about I come over tonight so we can talk?" I replied: "Okay." While I was working in the afternoon, the power went out.

I just sat in the living room, waiting. The darkness felt like a giant monster creeping up on me. I have severe nyctophobia—a crippling fear of the dark.

The pale light from my phone screen was my only lifeline. Julian had texted saying he didn't have overtime tonight and would be home by 9:00 PM at the latest.

My phone alarm went off over and over. 11:30 PM. 12:00 AM. 12:30 AM. Still, there was no sign of him, and no messages. I needed to sleep.

My doctor had warned me repeatedly that I couldn't keep staying up late. I took another melatonin and went straight to bed.

In the middle of the night, I felt a shadow hovering over me. Julian was standing by the bed.

He turned on the nightstand lamp, his voice laced with irritation as he called my name. "Chloe." Drowsy from the sleeping pill, my brain was slow to react.

His annoyance grew, his voice louder this time. "Chloe!" I rubbed my eyes. "You're back?" He froze for a second, then let out a cold scoff. I felt confused.

I had no idea what he was angry about. Was he mad because I didn't wait up for him on the couch until midnight like I used to?

Or was he mad because I wasn't screaming at him about Tiffany this time? "I'm going back to sleep then." I pulled the blanket over my head, wanting to drift back to sleep.

Julian frowned and yanked the blanket away. "The power went out at Tiffany’s apartment tonight, and she’s terrified of the dark.

So..." "Okay." I didn't even let him finish. "I get it." Julian paused, then continued, "Stop picking fights with her.

She's just a young girl." "When we get married, she’ll basically be your family too." The sleepiness from the melatonin was fading. I forced a smile. "Can we talk tomorrow?

I'm really tired." Julian stared deep into my eyes.

After what felt like forever, he finally backed down. "Go to sleep if you're tired." "I'll turn off the light for you." "Don't!" I smacked his hand away just as he reached for the switch.

My phone, which I had been using as a flashlight, had already died.

This lamp was my only light source. "I don't like sleeping in the dark." Julian stood there, stunned for a moment. "Fine.

Sleep then." As I drifted back into a light sleep, I faintly heard the sound of the front door closing. Whatever. At least the light was on.

The next day, I slept in until I woke up naturally. I plugged in my phone and turned it on. Messages started flooding in. Apparently, Julian had tried to text me last night.

Around 2:00 AM, he wrote: "I'm coming back now." That was his habit. Every time he came home late, I would always have a cup of warm chamomile tea waiting for him.

It slowly clicked in my mind. He was mad last night because his warm tea wasn't waiting for him. I ignored it. I clicked on the chat with my best friend, Maya. "Pack your bags!

We're going on a trip!" "I'm going to help you find a hot new guy!" Maya was there that night at the restaurant. She knew exactly what had happened.

She always used to tell me that I was too blinded by love. Luckily, I had a flexible freelance job that I started right after college.

During our four years together, my schedule revolved entirely around Julian. Yet, he didn't even know I was terrified of the dark. I replied: "Sure. When do we leave?"

While I was texting Maya, my bedroom door pushed open.

To my surprise, Julian hadn't left for work yet. "You're not working today?" Julian offered a warm, gentle smile. "I took the day off to spend it with you." He pulled me out of the bedroom, covering my eyes with his hands, whispering that he had a surprise.

The sudden darkness triggered my reflex, and I grabbed his hand tightly. He whispered in my ear, "Almost there.

Don't worry." I had no choice but to walk forward, my heart hammering against my chest in pure panic. "Silly girl, I told you there's no rush." When he finally took his hands away, I gasped for air, trying to calm my racing heart.

On the coffee table were fresh flowers, a cake, and a small, elegant jewelry box. I instinctively looked at his hands. The ring he wore in Tiffany's photo was gone.

Noticing my gaze, he subtly hid his hand behind his back. "Happy fourth anniversary." "I planned this surprise just for you. Do you like it?" I said nothing.

If I had received this a week ago... Actually, even three days ago would have worked. I couldn't even imagine how happy I would have been. But now...

I stared at the cake for a moment, then turned to him. "Julian, I think we should break—" "Eat some cake first. You must be hungry." He cut me off, handing me a slice.

I took a tiny bite. Ugh. Matcha. My absolute least favorite flavor. It was Tiffany's favorite. "What's wrong?

Isn't this from your favorite bakery?" He took a bite himself. "Oh, sorry. The cashier must have given me the wrong flavor.

I didn't mean to buy this one." He seemed flustered, quickly trying to explain himself. "That night, my friend called me about an emergency.

I didn't know it was a party until I got there." "Tiffany got drunk, and she's always been a messy drinker..." I picked up the flowers and took a light sniff. "Are these for me?

They smell nice. Thanks." The rest of Julian's explanation died in his throat. His expression shifted.

He took a deep breath, picked up the small jewelry box, and began to drop to one knee. "Chloe, I know you were hurt..."

I quickly caught him by his arms, stopping him. I smiled. "You're right.

We shouldn't do things on impulse." The grand proposal I had planned at Haidilao had been leaked to Tiffany by our mutual friends.

She had posted an update on her Instagram Story later that night: "I feel so bad for some people. Always doing desperate, brainless things." She hadn't blocked me from seeing it.

And I saw that Julian had liked her post.

Julian stood back up, his eyebrows furrowing deeply, his face turning pale. "Chloe, isn't this what you've always wanted?" "If there's something I'm doing wrong, just tell me..." His phone buzzed, cutting him off.

I saw the caller ID clearly: "Tiffany." He instinctively took two steps back. His voice murmured softly.

Unlike the cold, dismissive tone he used with me, he was incredibly gentle and patient with her. "Yeah, okay. Don't panic.

I'm on my way." Hanging up, he walked back to me. "Chloe, something came up at the office." I smiled. "It's fine. Go ahead." "Tiffany is overwhelmed.

I... need to go help her." Julian looked confused. "You're not mad?" In the past, I would have lost my mind. Julian had hired Tiffany at his company, bypassing standard procedures.

When Tiffany and I had applied for the same position, Julian rejected me and hired her. He had told me, "Tiffany has a weak resume.

It's hard for her to find a job out there." "You have a great degree. Can't you just let her have this one?" We had countless fights over this.

Since then, almost every holiday, Tiffany would find some "work emergency" to call Julian away. After all the screaming and crying, I was just exhausted.

I boxed up the matcha cake on the table and handed it to him. "You always say she's like a sister to you.

I understand, and I don't mind." "This happens to be her favorite flavor, and only a small piece was touched.

You can bring it to her if you don't mind." Julian’s gaze turned increasingly strange. He stood in silence for a moment before taking the box.

Before leaving, he pulled me into his arms, trying to comfort me. "Good girl.

I know I've let you down." "When I get back, I promise I'll give you a real, proper proposal." With that, he forced the jewelry box into my hand. After he left, I opened it.

Inside was a brilliant, sparkling diamond ring. It was beautiful. But even after all this time, he hadn't noticed that I was already wearing a ring on my finger.

He had spent so much time making excuses, yet he hadn't asked me a single question about how I had spent that miserable night alone. I left the box on the table.

I packed my things and walked out.

I drove over to meet Maya at the address she sent me. As a travel influencer, she spent the entire year jetting around the world.

She had flown back this time specifically for my planned proposal. When I arrived, I saw her standing next to a tall, incredibly handsome guy.

Before I could tease her about hiding a new boyfriend from me, she pushed him toward me. She looked at him and said, "Call her Chloe.

She's your boss now." "Hey, Chloe," the guy said, flashing a charming smile. "Hey there," I replied, a bit flustered. I knew Maya was just trying to cheer me up.

Besides, if Julian could have his "sister," why couldn't I have a "brother"? But I didn't expect the universe to pull such a dramatic stunt so quickly.

We went shopping, and I was holding up a shirt against the guy to check the size. He had an incredible build—broad shoulders, a narrow waist, a perfect model figure.

It had been a long time since I had shopped for a man, and I felt a bit out of practice. Ever since Julian hired Tiffany, all of his clothes were bought and styled by her.

I had complained to him about it before.

But he had just pinched my cheek and coaxed me, "I just don't want you to tire yourself out, babe." And Tiffany had sneered right to my face, "Some people just have zero taste in fashion." After that, I stopped buying clothes for Julian.

The younger guy looked stunning in a white buttondown. His collar was a bit messy, so I instinctively stepped up on my toes to adjust it for him.

His face flushed bright red, and he politely leaned down to make it easier for me. I chuckled quietly. He was actually pretty adorable and easy to tease.

Suddenly, a furious voice boomed behind us. "Chloe Bennett!

What do you think you're doing?" I turned around and saw the two people who were supposed to be "at the office." Tiffany was clinging to Julian's arm.

She gasped, covering her mouth in exaggerated shock. "Chloe, I know you're mad at Julian for spending time with me." "But you shouldn't use some random boy to put on a show just to make Julian jealous." She shot a meaningful look at Julian.

Julian scoffed, his face twisting in disgust. "Chloe, do you really think these pathetic games are going to work?" "If you're going to hire an actor, at least find someone in your league." "Even if you two hold hands, nobody is going to believe you're actually together." The sheer contempt on his face and the mocking curl of his lips stung.

I thought I had built an impenetrable wall against Julian’s insults. I thought I was completely numb to his sarcasm. But my heart still squeezed with a dull ache.

I swallowed the pain, let out a dry laugh, and was about to fire back when... The younger guy suddenly pulled me behind him.

His tall frame completely blocked Julian’s hostile gaze. "Thanks for the compliments on my age and looks, sir," he said smoothly. "But I don't think my personal tastes are any of your business." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me gently against his side. "And for the record, I love older women." "To me, Chloe is absolutely perfect." I stared up at him, completely stunned.

Internally, I was giving him a massive standing ovation. He was doing an amazing job keeping my pride intact. Julian’s face darkened instantly.

He glared at me, his voice sharp with anger. "This is pathetic, Chloe." "Have you had enough of this tantrum? If you have, get your things and come home right now."

But someone else reacted even faster.

Tiffany swayed slightly, clutching Julian's arm. "Julian, my head is spinning..." Julian immediately caught her, but his eyes remained locked on my face.

As if trying to prove a point, he pulled her tightly against his chest. "Don't worry. I'm taking you to the hospital right now." Yet, he didn't leave immediately.

Instead, he carried Tiffany a few steps closer to us. "Get in the car with us. Now!" His tone was incredibly hostile.

Maya, who had just walked back over, looked like she was about to throw hands. I held Maya back and gave Julian a calm, final smile. "Forget it, Julian.

There's no room for me in your world." Julian's expression grew even uglier. Without another word, he turned and carried Tiffany away.

He threw one last threat over his shoulder: "Don't regret this." "Regret my ass, you toxic piece of trash!" Maya screamed at his retreating back.

Julian hesitated for a split second, but he didn't stop. I pressed a hand to my chest. Surprisingly, I felt no pain.

Maybe I was just too used to it, or maybe my feelings for him had died a long time ago. I pulled out my phone, found Julian's contact, and sent him three words: "It's over, Julian."