Alex's messages came every day. Naomi went from demanding answers to sweet-talking me. I didn't know how much of it was real anymore.
It didn't matter.
I told Alex the wedding would proceed as planned. He was thrilled, wanted to see me immediately. I refused.
"Alex. In my family, the bride and groom don't see each other before the ceremony."
My parents backed me up. "That's how it's done."
So Alex sent flowers daily, texted constantly—every half hour, reporting his location to prove his devotion. "Babe, with a wife as beautiful as you, how could I ever look at anyone else?"
He thought it was over. He even joked about it.
"Someone like Naomi? She can't compare to you. What does she even have?"
I saved every message. Then I asked my friend, "Is everything ready?"
"Ready. Just waiting for the wedding."
The day arrived.
To show how much he cherished me, Alex hired photographers to capture everything. Even random coworkers got invited to toast the happy couple.
The venue was packed, buzzing with celebration.
I watched Alex, beaming, tell the event manager, "Let's begin."