He Pushed Me Away, Then Crashed My Wedding

1 At the high school reunion, someone introduced me to my secret boyfriend of five years. "Director Coop, Beth is an associate researcher in your department. Why don't you two give it a shot?" I stepped toward him, wanting to use this moment to finally come clean. But Coop took a step back and gestured toward his childhood sweetheart, who had just returned from abroad. "No need. I already have someone I love." To avoid suspicion, his face was cold and distant. "If you're eager to get married, I can introduce you to someone. He'd suit you quite well." Looking at the three-foot gap he put between us, I let out a dry, hollow laugh. Five years in the dark. Five years where Coop was perpetually single to the world, perpetually keeping his distance from me. I waited five years for him to go public. I wasn't waiting anymore. "Sure. Send his contact over." … The air went dead silent. Coop looked stunned, clearly not expecting me to actually agree. He frowned, about to ask something, but under the expectant gazes of his friends, he pulled out his phone and pushed a contact card over. He called the guy right then and there. "Didn't you say your family is pressing you to settle down?" "I found a blind date for you. Beth, a Ph.D. graduate, senior researcher in our lab. You guys should chat." After listening to the guy's profuse thanks, Coop hung up. If a mutual friend hadn't called him over, he would have treated me like a ghost, just as he always did, maintaining that strict three-foot perimeter. The bitter burn of bourbon exploded in my mouth. I dug my fingernails deep into my palm just to keep my face composed. Another friend, seeing my willingness to date, pushed a second contact card to my phone. "He's been asking me about you for ages, but you always refused. His background is solid, Beth. Give him a chance." Instinctively, I glanced toward Coop. He was standing beside Sienna, a soft smile on his lips, not sparing me a single look. Coop's buddy chuckled, teasing him. "Coop, everyone knows Beth clings to you because she's crazy about you. Giving her a matchmaker setup is brutal." "Yeah, she bought thousands of dollars worth of boba and coffees just to butter us up over the years, and you never gave her an inch." Sienna swirled her wine glass, raising an eyebrow at him. "Were you waiting for me to come back from overseas all this time? If so, why haven't you confessed yet?" Coop looked at her dotingly. "Because the ceremony isn't ready yet. My Sienna deserves the best." Sienna was beaming. My throat tightened at his words. When we got together, there was no grand gesture, no ceremony. Coop had simply asked me, "Beth, do you like me?" I had harbored a crush on him for three years. When I nodded, he said, "We can be together, but we stay secret. If a single person finds out, we're done." Back then, blinded by the pure joy of being with him, I thought he recognized my sincerity. I believed our hidden love would one day see the light. I squeezed my way into his social circle, enduring cold shoulders, holding out hope that he would one day introduce me as his girl. Instead, he pushed me off to another man just to draw a line between us. I smiled, a bitter sting behind my eyes. Seeing me add the second guy, my friend sighed in relief. "You used to reject me saying you had someone you loved, but that guy kept you on a leash without making it official. It's high time you moved on! Trust me, this guy won't disappoint!" I kept my head down. He was right. I should have moved on long ago. The friend lowered his voice and glanced at Coop. "By the way, the guy Coop pushed to you is Garrett from the corporate side. Skip that one. He's a notorious player, sleeps around with models. Everyone knows his family is desperate for him to marry. He'll take anyone willing." Before leaving, my friend muttered under his breath, "How could Coop say you two are a good match?" The smile froze on my face. So Coop's idea of a good match was simply two people desperate to tie the knot. A while back, when my parents pressured me about marriage, I texted Coop. I thought he'd finally agree to meet my parents and go public. Instead, he ignored my message and didn't come home for a month. If Coop had no interest in entering my world, I was done forcing my way into his. I turned and left, submitting an official request for a transfer out of Boston. Just then, a text popped up from the second blind date: [Are you free to meet tomorrow?] After replying with a time and place, I saw Coop's latest post on social media: My best friends around me, and the love of my life right across the table. The photo showed him surrounded by friends, with Sienna occupying the center spot. In the group chat, messages flooded in: [Nice, Coop! Sienna's finally back! Congrats to the old flames going official!] [What do you mean going official? Coop loving Sienna has been common knowledge forever.] [What about Beth? Didn't she chase Coop for five years?] [Chase? That was pure desperate clinging. Now that the true queen is back, why would Coop waste time on her?] [Even before Sienna landed, Coop had a proposal ceremony and a diamond ring prepped. Is it that hard to see who he really loves?] [Wait... did we post this in the group chat where Beth is in?] A second later, I was removed from the group chat. A dull, suffocating ache swelled in my chest. To fit into his world, I had begged him to add me to that group. I sent countless digital gift cards to liven up the atmosphere, but Coop had only frowned. "Don't bother sending money, they don't care about a few bucks." After that, the group went quiet. Coop told me, "Everyone's busy with work, nobody has time to chat." Turns out they weren't busy; they just had a separate group without me. And the grand public reveal and ceremony I had yearned for? Sienna merely had to exist, and Coop handed it to her on a silver platter. I sat by the river, replying to messages before finally heading home. Exiting the elevator, I ran right into Coop and Sienna following close behind him. Seeing me, his brows furrowed in immediate guarded hostility. "Beth, what are you doing here?" I opened my mouth to say I was just coming home, but remembered his strict rule: never reveal we lived together. To avoid suspicion, he had set rigid schedules for when I could enter and leave. Even living under the same roof, we had never walked through the front door together. Afraid Sienna might suspect something, Coop cut in sharply before I could speak. "Can you stop following me around? I don't want people getting the wrong idea." I stood frozen in place. My phone buzzed with a message he had just sent: [Don't come back for a while.] [Sienna just got back and has nowhere to stay, so I'm letting her stay here.] [I had your stuff packed and sent to the outer suburbs. Move there for now.] I stepped aside toward the elevator. Sienna asked him who I was. Coop's tone was dismissive and flat. "Just a persistent admirer. Can't believe she followed me all the way to my front door. Go ahead inside. I'll have security tighten up the floor." Before the elevator doors slid shut, Sienna's cute laugh echoed out. "Coop, you haven't changed the door code in five years! It's still the exact day I went abroad!" "I told you to wait five years for me, and you really counted down every single day?" My hand froze on the elevator button. When I first moved in and learned the door code, I had been secretly thrilled. Coop refused to make our relationship public, but the door code was the exact date we got together. I thought it was his silent way of showing love, that he was just bad at grand gestures. Turns out even that tiny bit of joy belonged to someone else. Heavy-hearted, I went to the outer suburb apartment and unpacked my things. Late at night, seeing that I hadn't replied, Coop sent another text: [Don't overthink it. Sienna just returned, and I'm just helping an old friend as best I can.] [As for going public, give me a little more time.] I didn't reply. I just removed him from my pinned contacts. The next morning, I went to work as usual. My assistant mentioned a new addition to the department. When I walked in, I saw Sienna. Coop introduced her to everyone without an ounce of hesitation. "Sienna is a close friend of mine. Her research abroad aligns with our lab's focus, so she's here to observe and collaborate. Please take good care of her on my account." Although Coop was the Director of the research institute, he was notoriously strict about nepotism. When his own mentor's son wanted to tour his research lab, Coop had bluntly shut him down. Wealthy donors trying to buy research spots were turned away without exception. Hearing him personally ask the team to favor Sienna, whispers rippled through the room. "Director Coop is usually strictly by the book! For him to say that, their relationship must be crazy deep!" "Sienna, are you two an item?" "Come on, tell us! We promise not to spill!" Sienna glanced sideways at Coop, a knowing smile at the edge of her lips. "Us? Well, we grew up together. Childhood sweethearts, you could say." At her words, Coop's ears flushed red. Someone cheered with a chuckle, "Childhood sweethearts! Match made in heaven!" Coop's smile widened. He cleared his throat lightly. "To welcome our newcomer, lunch today is on me. Pick the most expensive place." The rest of the staff started loudly teasing Sienna, calling her "Mrs. Director" and "the boss's lady." I stood still, quietly watching Sienna. The spot right beside Coop, three years of crushing, five years of dating. I had dreamed of this exact moment, dreaming of the day Coop would proudly introduce me as his girlfriend. I was done waiting. Ignoring the noise, I turned and walked away. After work, Coop invited the team out for dinner. Noticing I wasn't there, he asked, "Where's Beth?" My assistant gave a vague answer. "She left right after her shift. Heard she had a blind date to catch?" Hearing that I went on a blind date, Coop's tense shoulders visibly relaxed. He knew the guy's reputation in their circle. He was certain I wouldn't waste time with someone like that. At ten that night, right after I got home, the department group chat blew up with several videos. Coop stood holding a bouquet of flowers in his left hand and a diamond ring in his right, framed by a massive backdrop of champagne roses and a heart formed by glowing candles surrounding Sienna. The camera angles were perfect, capturing every bit of emotion on their faces. Coop knelt on one knee, eyes overflowing with passion. "Sienna, the day you left, you told me to wait for you. I waited five full years. Now that you're back, I finally have the chance to tell you how I feel." Sienna nodded through tears. Passersby marveled at the lavish setup, and congratulations flooded the chat. I stared fixedly at the video, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. Because the entire setup, the roses, the candles, the diamond ring, the kneeling, was identical to the proposal ceremony Coop had promised me a month ago. A month ago, he had asked me what kind of proposal I wanted. Thinking he was finally going to go public, I enthusiastically described my dream setup: classic roses, candles, a diamond ring, and him kneeling before me. Coop had noted down every single detail. I thought he was preparing to reveal our relationship, so I spent an extra hour every morning doing my makeup, waiting for the day. Turns out he only asked so he could use my dream on Sienna. Tears spilled uncontrollably onto my phone screen. In that precise moment, I cut myself completely free from this hidden, humiliating nightmare. The next day, I started organizing my work handovers, passing experimental data to my assistant. Since the new lab in Seattle was short-staffed, my transfer approval came through almost immediately. Sienna walked up to my desk out of nowhere. "Beth, right? Why didn't you come to Coop's dinner party yesterday?" I replied with professional detachment. "I had personal business." She let out a sudden, mocking laugh. "Personal business? Or did you stay away because you knew Coop was proposing to me?" I frowned, catching the blatant hostility in her eyes. She curled her red lips into a venomous smile. "After all, while I was away, you were basically Coop's little side piece, weren't you?" The moment the words left her mouth, nearby colleagues turned to look, their eyes filled with curiosity, confusion, and disgust. "I wasn't," I denied instinctively. Sienna pulled out her phone and played a voice recording from one of Coop's friends: "Beth? Yeah, she's been taking care of Coop's physical needs for the last five years. Knowing Sienna went abroad, she practically crawled into his bed that very night. Everyone in our circle knows Coop and Sienna are childhood sweethearts. Only Beth was thick-skinned enough to force herself into his life." The recording stopped. The cruel words sliced through my nerves like blades. Sienna smirked at me. "Still want to deny it, Beth?" The looks from my colleagues shifted to pure contempt and disgust. Whispers broke out. "Unbelievable. Professional researcher by day, side piece by night." "Who knows how many times she's done this? Maybe she slept her way through her Ph.D. too." "No wonder Director Coop always kept his distance from her. He probably found her disgusting." I clenched my hands tightly, striving to stay composed. "I was never a side piece. We were..." A few colleagues who had always disliked me rolled their eyes. "Were what? The recording spelled it out clearly! The moment Sienna left, you crawled into his bed. Are you really trying to pretend you're innocent?" "Someone like her belongs in a lab? Don't even bother transferring her, just fire her!" I dug my nails into my palms, trying to defend myself. "Coop and I were in a legitimate relationship!" Before the words fully faded, Coop walked over in a hurry, anxiety clearly written across his face. I pinned my last shred of hope on him. "Coop, you came at the right time. Tell them, haven't we been together for five years?" He walked right past me, stepping straight to Sienna's side. "Are you okay, Sienna?" Seeing this, the mocking laughter around us grew even louder. "Beth, this is the relationship you're talking about?" "Legitimate? Or delusional? It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" A colleague pointed back and forth between Sienna and me, her tone laced with mockery. "Did Director Coop even spare you a single glance?" Refusing to accept it, I kept my eyes locked on Coop. He looked uncomfortable. After a brief pause, he finally opened his mouth. "What could there possibly be between us?" "Sienna and I grew up together. How could I ever be with you?" The surrounding sneers crashed over me like a wave. "Hear that, Beth? The relationship you imagined was just your own one-sided obsession after sneaking into his bed. The Director didn't even know what you were talking about." I bit my lip to hold back tears, a metallic taste of blood spreading in my mouth. Meeting my gaze, Coop looked as if he had been burned, quickly averting his eyes. In a cold voice, he revoked my transfer request on the spot. "Beth, suspend your work and go home for now." I curled my lips into a bitter, sarcastic smile. "Coop, we are never seeing each other again." The snickering from colleagues continued: "Listen to her, 'never seeing each other again'!" "Director Coop was cursed to have someone like her spreading filthy rumors about him." I didn't reply. I silently packed my belongings and walked out. After I left, Coop pulled Sienna back into his office, his voice unusually cold. "Sienna, you said you wanted the proposal announcement so you could fit in with the team as my girlfriend. Why did you go out of your way to harass Beth?" Sienna pouted. "Coop, I was just trying to test her for you! If she really cared, wouldn't she come back and fight for you?" Hearing her excuse, Coop sighed and dropped the subject. A week passed. Then two weeks. He received no calls, no messages from me. Unable to hold back any longer, Coop finally dialed my number. When the call connected, all he heard was a chaotic, noisy background. Through the loud crackle of firecrackers and festive music, a voice boomed clearly: "Beth, sweetie, how could you leave your phone behind when stepping into the bridal car?"