Hidden Vows and the Third Wedding

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1.

After we secretly got married at City Hall, my lawyer husband would propose a formal wedding every time he and his childhood sweetheart unlocked a new position.

In three years, Jasper Thorne proposed to me three times.

And he stood me up three times.

The first time, his childhood sweetheart, Chloe, took a bottle of sleeping pills the night before our engagement party.

She was rushed to the ER to have her stomach pumped, and the doctors called it a suspected suicide attempt.

To take care of her, Jasper canceled our engagement party at The Plaza.

I was the one who had to stand on stage in my custom wedding gown and apologize to all our guests.

The second time was because Chloe had a sudden, severe panic attack on the day of our rehearsal dinner.

He turned the limo around and took her straight to New York-Presbyterian.

The third time was just last week.

Chloe happened to get into a minor car accident in Miami the day before the wedding.

Ive cried. Ive thrown fits.

But Jasper would just throw his hands up and feed me the same classic gaslighting bullshit.

Shes like my sister. Youre my wife, you should understand that our relationship is purely platonic.

After the third time, I was finally done.

I slid a divorce agreement in front of him.

The mandatory separation period is over. Lets go to the courthouse and finalize this.

The second time Jasper skipped out on our wedding, it was at the party celebrating his 999th case win.

A lavish affair at a hotel in downtown Manhattan, meticulously planned for him by Chloe.

At the party, everyone assumed Chloe was his real girlfriend.

Mr. Thorne and Ms. Brooks are childhood sweethearts. Theyre a picture-perfect couple. It just wouldnt be right if they didnt kiss!

Yes! We want to see Mr. Thorne and Ms. Brooks kiss!

The chants reached my ears.

I, the official Mrs. Thorne who had been legally married to him for three years but never publicly acknowledged, could only shrink into a corner.

I watched as he gazed at Chloe with affection before their lips met.

After the party, afraid of our relationship being exposed, I waited for Jasper on a street corner near the hotel.

A black Cadillac slowly pulled up. The window rolled down, revealing Chloes sleeping face in the passenger seat.

Jasper looked at me, his tone as entitled as ever.

Just grab a cab back to Long Island. I have to take Chloe back to her apartment first.

I looked down, saying nothing.

Jasper had severe OCD and mysophobia; he never allowed any foreign smells in his car.

Once, he pissed off a major Wall Street client with his stubbornness.

I was the one who had to drink until I nearly coughed up blood at a dinner, apologizing on his behalf.

But afterward, he frowned at me with disgust.

The smell of vomit on you is disgusting. Figure out your own way home.

That day, he left me alone in the middle of a blizzard in the suburbs.

It took me four hours to walk home.

But now, a drunk Chloe was sleeping peacefully in his passenger seat, her shoes even propped up on the dashboard.

So, his rules were only for me.

I forced a bitter smile, trying to keep my voice steady.

Are you still coming to the wedding rehearsal tomorrow?

Jasper hesitated for a moment.

Ill have to look after Chloe tonight, so I wont make it tomorrow. Lets just skip it.

My heart went cold, but I just nodded slightly. Okay.

I paused, then pulled a document from my Herms bag and handed it to him.

Sign this.

Perhaps out of guilt, Jasper didnt even look at it. He grabbed his Montblanc pen and signed his name.

Then he looked at me, promising softly.

Ill bring you a bagel from that place on the West Side you love when I come home tomorrow.

With that, he drove off.

It was noon the next day when Jasper finally came home.

He stood in front of the full-length mirror, peeling off the shirt stained with Chloes lipstick and tossing it into the hamper.

Suddenly, he froze. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine in the reflection as I sat on the edge of the bed.

What was that document you had me sign yesterday?

I looked up, a complex emotion flickering in my eyes before they turned indifferent again.

You didnt ask when you signed it, and now you remember?

It just popped into my head. Besides, youre my wife. Youre not going to hurt me, are you?

Jasper flashed that confident smile, the one he always wore in the courtroom.

I lowered my gaze to hide the sarcasm in my eyes.

Arent you afraid it was our divorce papers? Or a contract transferring all your assets?

Jaspers heart skipped a beat. His brows furrowed in a mix of panic and annoyance.

Honey, are you joking with me?

He walked over, gently cupping my face in his hands, his voice soft but firm.

You know Id go crazy if you ever left me.

If I had to choose between the two, Id rather it be the asset transfer.

Jasper looked at me, his eyes filled with an undeniable passion.

I knew he meant it when he said he couldnt live without me. The emotion was real.

Which is why my joke was also real.

What I had him sign was, in fact, the legal agreement to dissolve our marriage.

Five years of pursuit, three years of marriage.

Jasper and I were finally over.

2.

That afternoon, I went straight to the HR directors office at the law firm and handed in my resignation letter.

The director looked up and saw me, her face a mask of surprise.

Stella, are you really sure about this?

Youve been Jaspers executive assistant the longest. We all used to say that youd never leave, even if the firm went under.

Why so suddenly

She trailed off. I lowered my eyes.

Before yesterday, I would have thought the same thing.

I helped Jasper build this firm from the ground up in Manhattan.

We worked hard together, we fought together.

When we landed our first case, Jasper used the retainer fee to take me to a fancy dinner at the Rainbow Room.

That night, we looked out over the city from high atop Rockefeller Center.

Jasper held me and said he was lucky to have me by his side for the rest of his life.

I gave a weak smile.

Everyone has their own career path. Ive already made up my mind.

The HR director looked at me, her eyes full of regret.

Well, since youve decided, I wish you all the best in the future.

I thanked her quietly and walked out of the office.

I had just gotten back to my desk when my phone buzzed.

It was an Instagram Story from Chloe.

A picture of Jasper sleeping peacefully in bed.

The caption read: Drank too much last night, lucky to have someone take care of me. Rewarding him with a little hickey.

To make sure I saw it, she had set the story to be visible only to him and me, and shed tagged me.

This wasnt the first time Chloe had done something like this.

Out of ten of her Instagram posts, three would mention me directly, and the other seven were set to be visible only to me.

In the past, her petty mean-girl tactics would have easily provoked me.

Id fought with Jasper about it. Id caused scenes.

And every time, he would brush it off.

My bond with Chloe is platonic. You wouldnt understand. Youre my wife, stop being so insecure.

Jasper was so sure that I loved him, that I would never leave him, so he hurt me without a second thought.

I laughed, though a storm of emotions was still raging inside me.

Suddenly, a colleague next to me gasped.

Look, the bosss girlfriend is here.

I followed her gaze.

Chloe was strutting into Jaspers office in her Jimmy Choo heels.

Soon, the blinds in his office were drawn, shutting out the world.

I looked down, my mind drifting back to the past.

Back then, Jasper had pushed me against that same desk.

A strange light danced in his eyes as hed smiled and said:

Dont you think this is exciting? Like a secret office romance.

His sweat dripped onto my skin as he held me, promising softly:

When we have our official wedding, Ill announce our relationship in The New York Times.

I laughed at how pathetic I used to be, falling for a lawyers silver tongue again and again.

Twice, to be exact.

But as I felt the divorce agreement and resignation letter in my bag

There wouldnt be a next time.

3.

Two hours later, as I was handing over my work to a colleague, Jasper sent me an iMessage.

[Bring me a coffee.]

He was incredibly picky. It had to be Jamaican Blue Mountain with two pumps of vanilla syrup and oat milk.

In the entire firm, I was the only one who could make it exactly how he liked it.

With a sigh, I got up to prepare his coffee.

I didnt expect to see Chloe in the breakroom.

Seeing me, Chloes lips curled into a disdainful smirk as she slowly stirred her own coffee.

Do you really think youre Mrs. Thorne?

She leaned against the counter, her eyes dripping with contempt. Honey, wake up. Jasper just needed a placeholder.

She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.

If he really loved you, why have you waited three years for a wedding that never happened? Face it, StellaDyoure just keeping my seat warm.

I looked down, grabbed the coffee beans, and started grinding them. My voice was terrifyingly calm.

Want a cup? Freshly ground Blue Mountain. Its pretty good.

My composure seemed to throw Chloe off. She looked me up and down as if I were some kind of freak.

Whats with the cool-girl act? Do you really think Jasper wont divorce you?

She stepped closer again, her voice laced with malicious glee.

Let me tell you the truth. Jasper only married you because of a bet I made with him.

I bet him he wouldnt dare get married before he turned thirtyDhe only married you to prove me wrong.

Otherwise, why would he get a marriage license with you but never actually have a wedding?

Chloe! Thats enough!

Jaspers tall frame squeezed into the breakroom, his voice echoing in the small space.

He looked flustered, shooting a reprimanding glance at Chloe.

But Chloe, instead of getting angry, just linked her arm through his coquettishly.

Was I wrong? Jasper, you know you only agreed to marry Stella to win that bet.

Jaspers expression became incredibly complicated. He seemed to want to defend himself, but he just opened and closed his mouth, unable to say a word.

His eyes darted around, avoiding my gaze, his face a canvas of guilt and confusion.

I stood there, stunned, Chloes words ringing in my ears.

In our relationship, I had always been the one to initiate everything.

I pursued him for five years, from my shy confession in law school to finally gathering the courage to propose.

He had always maintained an ambiguous stanceDnever rejecting, but never accepting.

The day Jasper suggested we go to City Hall, I was so happy I couldnt sleep all night.

I was ecstatic, thinking I had finally won him over, thinking he actually had feelings for me.

But now, the brutal reality sliced through all my fantasies like a sharp knife.

A bitter, self-deprecating smile touched my lips. I pushed the freshly brewed coffee toward Jasper.

Mr. Thorne, your coffee is ready. Ill be leaving now.

Without waiting for his panicked reaction, I turned and walked away in silence.

4.

That evening, just as I was getting ready for bed, my phone rang.

It was Jasper.

Stella, what Chloe said this afternoon was all bullshit. Dont take it to heart.

His voice was tinged with anxiety, as if he was afraid Id actually believe her.

Holding the phone, I replied flatly, Yeah, I know.

My excessive calm must have surprised him. There was a pause on the other end before he continued.

The Plaza has an opening on the 18th of next month.

Lets have our wedding then. This time, I promiseD

I gripped the phone, my fingers tightening unconsciously.

I hesitated, but I decided I had to tell him about the divorce.

Are you free tomorrow? About the divorce agreementD

Before I could finish, Chloes voice cut in from his end.

Jasper, are you going to pack or what? Come help me pick out a bikini.

Jaspers voice got quieter, sounding hurried.

Stella, what did you just say? The signals bad, I didnt catch that.

Look, I have to fly to Miami with Chloe for Art Basel tomorrow. We can talk about whatever it is when I get back.

The line went dead, replaced by an endless dial tone.

I let out a dry laugh. I had wanted to talk to him in person, but in the end, he never gave me the chance.

In the days that followed, I successfully resigned from the firm, packed up everything that belonged to me, and moved into a new apartment in Brooklyn.

Occasionally, Jasper would send me pictures of wedding decorations.

[I had no idea there were so many themes. Which one do you like?]

[I think a Hamptons beach wedding would be nice. What do you think?]

I looked at the beautiful designs with a sense of irony.

Three years of being legally married had brought me countless cycles of hope and disappointment.

And now that I was leaving, he was suddenly interested in the wedding.

Meanwhile, Chloes Instagram was updated daily.

One day it was a sweet photo of them on South Beach, the next it was a video of a surprise Jasper had planned for her.

The day before our supposed wedding, which was also the last day of New Yorks mandatory separation period, Chloes Instagram Story featured a proposal video.

In the video, Chloe wore a white wedding dress, standing in a field of flowers in Miami.

Jasper was on one knee, holding up a sparkling Tiffany diamond ring.

People in the background were shouting, Kiss him! Kiss him!

The video ended with a freeze-frame of Jasper smiling, holding Chloe tightly in his arms.

I watched it calmly, typed Congrats, and then blocked her.

A moment later, my phone rang. It was Jasper.

He sounded happy.

Stella, Ill be back in New York tomorrow.

Everything with the wedding planner is sorted out. As soon as I get back, we can have the wedding.

The next morning, I didnt go to The Plaza Hotel.

By noon, I still hadnt received a call from Jasper asking why I wasnt at the wedding.

It wasnt until that evening that a weary-looking Jasper finally showed up at our Upper East Side apartment.

He looked at me sitting on the sofa, his eyes flashing with guilt and shame.

Chloe wasnt feeling well, and the flight was delayed.

But its okay. I promise you, the next wedding will happen.

Hearing those words, I felt nothing.

As expected, he had missed the third wedding too.

I looked at him calmly and pushed the divorce agreement, which had been ready for a long time, across the table.

Theres no need.

The mandatory separation period is over. Lets go to the courthouse tomorrow and finalize the last of the paperwork.