“No, this can’t be happening!” My anticipation for our wedding night turned to horror when I revealed a shocking secret to my husband. I had been keeping it hidden all day, but the time had come to expose the truth.

Greg and I had what seemed like the perfect fairytale wedding. He stood at the end of the aisle, beaming with joy. Little did he know that our perfect bubble was about to burst. But not yet, not until I was ready.

The reception went on flawlessly — glasses clinking, laughter filling the air, and Greg’s parents playing the role of loving in-laws. They wanted our day to be perfect for their son.

And me? I played my part. I smiled at the right moments, laughed when jokes were told, and even danced with Greg like everything was fine.

Greg thought he knew me. He thought he had figured me out, but he was wrong.

As the night grew later, Greg’s anticipation for our wedding night became almost unbearable. He couldn’t hide it, even if he tried.

His touches lingered, and his smile was too wide. I felt like I was a performer on a stage, acting a part that was written for me long before I put on the dress. But I had my own script.

Finally, we said our goodbyes to the guests and thanked them for being a part of our special day. Greg’s parents gave us privacy by staying downstairs in the guest rooms, and Greg couldn’t wait to take me upstairs.

He led me to the master suite, the same room his parents kindly let us use for our first night as a married couple. The irony was not lost on me.

He closed the door behind us, and the room seemed to transform. The excitement was palpable. I could see it in his eyes and feel it in the air. He came toward me, his hands reaching for the zipper of my wedding dress.

“I’ve been waiting all night for this,” he murmured against my neck. His breath was warm and full of promise.

I smiled, a secret smile he couldn’t see. “Me too.”

He carefully unzipped my dress, and as it fell to the floor, I turned around slowly. The look on his face when he saw what was underneath was unforgettable. He seemed like a man on the edge of a cliff, struggling to maintain balance.

“No…” His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “No, no, no! This can’t be happening!”

Tattooed across my torso was the name of Greg’s ex, Sarah, along with the hurtful words he had spoken to her the night before our wedding:

“One last taste of freedom before I’m bound to the same body forever.”

It was temporary, but Greg didn’t know that. The tattoo appeared genuine enough to leave him speechless.

“How did you know?” he sobbed, fixated on the tattoo.

“Sarah was only too eager to rub your betrayal in my face,” I replied, my anger evident.

“I didn’t mean it,” he sobbed, his voice filled with regret. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it!”

Suddenly, we heard footsteps. Marianne and James burst into the room, their faces filled with concern.

“What’s going on?” Marianne’s voice trembled as she looked at her sobbing son and me. Her eyes then fell on the tattoo. She went pale.

“It’s simple,” I said. “Greg cheated on me.”

Marianne gasped, her disbelief filling the room. James, Greg’s father, stood frozen in the doorway. He was always the quiet, stoic one, but even he couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

He didn’t need words to convey his anger. The tension in his clenched fists and the tightness of his jaw said it all.

Silence hung heavy in the room. The weight of the truth suffocated us. Greg remained on the floor, his hands gripping his hair, trying to hold himself together.

Marianne’s gaze turned back to Greg, her voice trembling. “Greg? Is this true?”

She took a shaky step toward him, as if pleading for him to deny the reality, to tell her it was a lie.

Greg couldn’t respond. He couldn’t face the truth. His whole body trembled, shoulders shaking with sobs.

“Tell me!” Marianne’s voice cracked in disbelief. “Tell me it’s not true!”

James stepped forward, his face like stone, but the fury simmering beneath was clear. He loomed over Greg, his hands clenched, his anger barely contained.

“Gregory,” he growled in a low, dangerous voice. “Is this true?”

But Greg remained silent. He couldn’t bring himself to face it. That’s when I decided to step in.

“He slept with her the night before our wedding,” I said, my voice cutting through the tension. “He told her he needed ‘one last taste of freedom before he was bound to the same body forever.’”

Marianne let out a choked sob, collapsing onto the edge of the bed as her world crumbled.

James’s face darkened, his fury evident. “You’ve disgraced this family,” he spat, his voice seething with anger. “How dare you? How could you betray Lilith like this?”

Greg’s tear-streaked face turned toward me, desperate. “Please, Lilith… please, I love you. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I’ll do anything! Just please, don’t leave me.”

I laughed then, a cold, bitter sound that filled the room. “Love me? You don’t know the first thing about love. If you did, you wouldn’t have betrayed me like that.”

He reached out, trembling hands and pleading eyes. “Please… I’m begging you.”

I stepped back, letting him fall short, my eyes cold and unmoving. “I’m done, Greg. This is over. You destroyed us the moment you decided to go back to Sarah.”

James stepped forward, his voice low and filled with anger. “Get up,” he ordered Greg, his patience wearing thin. “Get up and face the consequences of your actions.”

Greg hesitated for a moment, then slowly pushed himself to his feet, his body still trembling. He looked pathetic, standing there in his wrinkled wedding suit, tears streaming down his face.

I turned to Marianne and James, who were still trying to process the aftermath. Marianne’s face was red and swollen from crying, while James’s expression was a mixture of disappointment and fury.

“I’m leaving,” I declared, my voice steady and final. “You can deal with him now.”

“Lilith, please,” Greg pleaded one last time, his voice desperate. “Please don’t go.”

But I had made my decision. I didn’t even bother to respond. There was nothing left to say.

As I walked out of the room, Greg’s pitiful sobs followed me. They echoed through the house, but they didn’t touch me. Each step I took down the stairs made me feel lighter. I was free. Free from him, free from the lies, free from the betrayal.

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