Chapter 1 - The Shattered Vow
The crisp scent of white roses filled the sunlit sanctuary of St. Jude’s. Ethan adjusted the black bow tie of his rented tuxedo, feeling the reassuring weight of his gold watch against his wrist. He held the smartphone to his ear, his smile radiant and entirely self-satisfied.
"I’m getting married today," Ethan said into the phone, his tone a mix of amusement and finality.
Clara’s voice came through the speaker, thin and fragile, carrying the sterile echo of a hospital room. "Congratulations, Ethan."
Ethan’s smile faltered, replaced by a deep furrow in his brow. The ambient organ music from the rehearsal seemed to press heavily against his eardrums. He looked down the empty aisle where Claire was supposed to be walking in her white lace dress.
"Where are you?" Ethan asked, his voice dropping an octave, abandoning all playfulness.
"The maternity ward," Clara replied, her words steady despite the moisture welling in her eyes.
Ethan stared at the screen, his chest tightening as if an invisible hand had gripped his lungs. The reality of her words crashed against his polished shoes.
"What did you say?" Ethan whispered.
May you like
Before Clara could answer, Ethan dropped his smartphone. It clattered loudly against the polished marble floor of the church, the screen cracking in a spiderweb pattern. Without a backward glance at the altar, he turned and sprinted out of the sanctuary, bursting through the heavy oak doors and into his car, the engine roaring to life as he sped toward the hospital with a heart pounding in his throat.
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