The Lies We Marry For

The white lace of my wedding dress felt heavy on my shoulders.

This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

Then Mark' s voice, a mere whisper, shattered everything.

"I can't do this, Chloe."

He stood there, perfectly tailored, his eyes avoiding mine.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed, "I love Ashley. We're already married."

The world tilted. My bouquet fell, scattering petals on the cold stone.

A mechanical voice, only I could hear, boomed in my head: `[System Alert: Primary Life Mission 'Marry Mark Johnson' has failed.]`