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My wedding day was supposed to be perfect, just like Chloe and I planned it. White roses, fairy lights, and then I saw it: a giant photo of Chloe and her "best friend" Mark at the entrance, with "Congratulations Chloe & Mark" written beneath. I thought it was a terrible prank, but a hulking man blocked my way, laughing when I said I was the groom. "The groom' s name is Mark. Now get lost before you make a scene," he grunted. My heart pounded as I pushed past him, only to see Chloe on stage in her wedding dress, Mark' s arm possessively around her. "Thank you all for coming to celebrate the happiest day of our lives," Mark announced, as my mind went blank. I shouted Chloe' s name, and for a second, I saw panic in her eyes before it was replaced by cold annoyance. Mark smirked, pointing out a "wedding crasher" as his brother, Dale, stomped towards me, snarling about me getting lost. "This is a misunderstanding! I' m Alex! I' m engaged to Chloe! We were supposed to get married today!" I cried, looking desperately at Chloe, but she wouldn' t meet my gaze. Mark called me a "stalker," and Dale punched me in the stomach, then dragged me out, breaking my arm. I lay on the cold concrete steps, the pain nothing compared to the crushing weight in my chest. Just hours earlier, Chloe had woken me, worried she was pregnant, sending me on a wild goose chase for a test across town. She had kissed me, telling me she loved me. It was all a lie. She had stolen our wedding, our friends, and our life. My phone buzzed, a picture of Chloe and Mark, blissful in a hotel room, a smug message from him: "Thanks for setting everything up, buddy. She' s all mine now." Rage burned through me. I called, needing her to confirm the betrayal. "Things change. People change. I chose Mark. He can give me the life I deserve," she said dismissively. I realized then: I was just a placeholder. The entire five years was a lie. The devastating truth wasn' t just about a wedding lost, but a life stolen. I moved out, blocking her everywhere. It was over. But it wasn' t just about moving on. It was about reclaiming everything she tried to erase.