Love Arrived at the Wrong Time

Iris's POV

A month before my boyfriend Samuel and I were supposed to get married, he asked me to let another woman wear my wedding dress and move into my house.

It all started three months ago when his "old friend" Dahlia returned from overseas, supposedly with less than a year to live. A week ago, Samuel told me that Dahlia's dying wish was to become a bride before she passed away, and he was the chosen groom.

I kept saying no. But he brought it up every single day, insisting he had to help Dahlia because she had helped him when his company was in crisis three years ago, and he needed to fulfill her wish.

I was furious.

But in the end, I gave up the house and left him.

...

"You're insane." I looked at Samuel in fury. "We're getting married. Our wedding. The one I've been planning for six months."

"I know, and we will. But Dahlia—"

"No." I stepped back. "I don't care if she was your best friend. You don't get to take our wedding day and give it to someone else."

"She's the reason we have this house!" Samuel looked at me with some impatience. "That contract three years ago, the big one that let us buy the land, that was Dahlia. Her family's company was the client. I called her, asked for help, and the deal closed the next day. Without that money, we'd still be saving."

"Samuel, that deal—"

"It was Dahlia!" He cut me off. "Her family made one call, and everything fell into place. Don't you get it? We owe her. This house exists because of her."

"Owing someone doesn't mean giving them your wedding!"

"She's dying, Iris! She has one wish, and you're too selfish to—"

"Selfish?" I cracked. "I've spent three years building a life with you. I designed this entire house. I planned our wedding. And now you want to hand it all to another woman because you feel guilty?"

"Just the ceremony. One day. That's all I'm asking."

"No. Absolutely not. This is our wedding. Mine and yours. Not hers."

Samuel gave me a helpless look, grabbed his wallet, and headed out.

From that day on, he started giving me the cold shoulder. He didn't answer my calls or texts.

I came to the house alone this morning to finish the last details.

I used to ask Samuel what he thought when we were doing renovations. He'd always give me the same line: "You're the designer, whatever you think looks good, go for it."

I thought he trusted me, believed in my vision. Now I wondered if he just didn't care.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out. An email notification, the sender showed as "A Friend."

I frowned, I didn't recognize the address. But I tap it open instead.

The email had no text, just two attachments: a PDF file and a video file.

I clicked on the PDF file first. It was a prenatal checkup report, the pregnant woman was Dahlia, and the conception date lined up pretty much exactly with when Dahlia came back into Samuel's life.

I stared at the screen until the words all blurred together. Then I clicked on the video file.

The video was shaky, clearly filmed in secret. The angle showed Samuel sitting on a hotel bed, his face visible in profile. A woman's voice spoke from off-camera.

"What if Iris doesn't agree to let me have the wedding?"

Samuel sighed. "She won't find out. I'll keep planning everything with her like normal. But on the actual day, you'll be the one walking down the aisle. By the time she realizes what's happening, it'll be too late."

"You really think she won't notice?" Dahlia laughed. "That house she's been designing for so long... she's going to be so heartbroken when she finds out."

"She'll get over it." Samuel said casually. "Dahlia, you helped me when nobody else would. And now you're carrying a child, I have to help you. I'll handle things with Iris. She won't leave me."

"And I'll set up a room for you in the house. You can stay there during the pregnancy. Iris won't question it if I say you're sick and need help."

The video ended.

I stood there frozen, staring at the phone screen.

The phone slipped from my hand and clattered onto the floor, I didn't move to pick it up.

This house. Our wedding. All of it, my dream, my work, my heart, and he was planning to give it all to her. But he clearly knows what this house means to me!

My mother died when I was eight, and my father remarried six months later. My childhood was spent bouncing between relatives' couches and spare rooms because my stepmother made me feel like nothing but a burden.

After Samuel and I got together, I dreamed countless times about having a house of our own, but clearly he's forgotten all about that.

I blinked my stinging eyes, and tears immediately streamed down my face. Then I slumped powerlessly to the floor.

I didn't know how to process this news. In that moment, I finally understood that my opinion was insignificant, and his love for me was as tiny as dust.

Then I wiped my eyes and struggled to stand up.

I need to go ask him myself if he really feels the way he does in the video. This is the last chance I'm giving him.

If he doesn't choose me... then I'll choose to break up with him.