Stood Up At My Nine Weddings, I Blocked the Billionaire CEO

On the day of my ninth wedding with Julian, his childhood friend, Clara, had another manic episode and trashed the venue. Seeing my furrowed brows, he shielded Clara protectively and said apologetically: "Amber, Clara's condition is serious. I have to take her to the hospital. I promise I'll give you a grand wedding next time." I had heard this exact line eight times before. The first eight times, Clara went as far as slitting her wrists to stop the wedding. This time, the wedding I spent six months planning was reduced to ruins once again. Years of endless compromise had left me completely exhausted. I stared at his retreating back and said quietly, "Julian, let's call off the wedding." He paused for a second, his voice coaxing. "Amber, stop throwing a tantrum. Just be good and wait for me to come back." My heart turned completely cold. I touched my belly and booked a one-way flight out of the city. When I got home, Clara was lying on the couch, wearing the silk pajamas I had just bought. Julian was gently patting her back, comforting her like a child. Seeing me enter, she stood up in a panic, not even putting on her slippers. My gaze fell on her. She hurriedly explained, "Julian just grabbed something for me to wear. Amber, I hope you don't mind." I just stared at her and said nothing. Julian gently slipped the shoes onto Clara's feet. "It's just a pair of pajamas. Amber has plenty of others." Then, he casually explained to me, "Clara's mental state has been unstable lately. I'm going to stay with her for a while." Clara’s eyes turned red, her face full of guilt. "I'm so sorry, Amber. It's all my fault that your wedding was ruined today." "But don't worry, I've already asked Julian to plan another wedding for you. Next time, I will do my absolute best to control my emotions." Julian chimed in from the side. "It's just a wedding ceremony. Stop holding onto it forever." The two of them played off each other so perfectly, making it seem like I was the one being unreasonable. Eight promises, eight broken vows. He had cried wolf too many times. I didn't want to believe him anymore. I walked past them and went upstairs to pack my bags. A moment later, Julian pushed the door open in anger. He slammed my suitcase shut with a loud bang. "Amber, what was that supposed to mean?" "You know Clara is extremely sensitive right now. She already feels terrible about the wedding. Stop being so passive-aggressive." Hearing his accusatory tone, I suddenly wanted to laugh. "Julian, my wedding was ruined, and you expect me to smile at the person who caused it?" Julian sighed in frustration. He took out his phone and sent me ten thousand dollars through PayPal. "Clara is sick. As my fiancée, you should show her some understanding." "Take this money and buy yourself a nice bag. Consider it my apology." "I promise you, this won't happen again next time." I clicked refund and looked straight into his eyes. "Julian, let's break up." He froze. Then, he shook his head with a sigh, as if he had just heard a joke. "Amber, we've been together for so many years. Do you really think you can just walk away?" Just as I was about to speak, there was a knock at the door. Clara stood there, tears clinging to her eyelashes. "Julian, if Amber doesn't want me here, I shouldn't bother you guys." With that, she dragged her massive suitcase and started walking out of the house. At the door, the heavy suitcase caused her to trip and fall to the ground. Her knee was scraped and bleeding. Julian rushed to scoop her up in his arms, carefully applying medicine to her wound. He shot me a look full of blame. "Clara just wanted to stay here for a while. She already apologized for the wedding." "If you hadn't made such a big deal out of it, she wouldn't have gotten hurt." "Apologize to her!" His harsh demand echoed in my ears. In the past, I would have argued with him. But now, I just felt bone-deep exhaustion. "I'm sorry. She can stay here as long as she wants." "Are you satisfied now?"Julian froze slightly when he heard me apologize. Clara’s tears fell onto his hand. "Julian, my ankle hurts so bad. I think it's broken." His attention was instantly pulled back to her. He grabbed his car keys and carried her out to the hospital. His silhouette quickly vanished from my sight. I took one last look around the house, wondering how our relationship had deteriorated to this point. At the very beginning, when Julian and I started our business, we lived in a tiny, cramped studio apartment. He would give me the only egg in our instant ramen, and he would stay up all night taking care of me whenever I felt sick. Later, when we bought this suburban villa, he put it under my name, and the entire place was decorated exactly how I liked. But ever since Clara showed up, the decorations in the house slowly began to change. The matching couple slippers became a pair for him and Clara. The matching toothbrushes, the matching mugs... Even their pajamas were matching sets. The house was dozens of times larger than our old studio, and our life looked perfect from the outside, but my heart only grew more bitter. I took off the cheap ten-dollar silver ring on my finger and left it on the shoe cabinet. Goodbye, Julian. The next day, I went to the hospital. The doctor advised me once again, "Amber, have you really thought this through?" "If you terminate this pregnancy, you might never have the chance to be a mother again." I paused. On our very first night after moving into this villa, Julian and I lay on the rooftop terrace. He told me that we would have a beautiful baby in the future and live happily ever after. He had even designed a nursery in the villa, buying all the furniture and decorations himself. But during those early years of building the business with him, running around and drinking at endless corporate dinners, my body had already been ruined. And now, after being stood up at the altar nine times, what right did I even have to bear his children? I swallowed the bitterness in my throat and signed the consent form. Seeing that I wouldn't change my mind, the doctor sighed and handed me the paperwork. "Alright, the surgery is scheduled for this afternoon. Get yourself ready." I sat on a bench outside the hospital to rest. A shadow suddenly cast over me. It was Julian. He was holding a bag of gourmet pastries from the uptown bakery and specialty bagels from downtown—all of Clara's favorite foods. He used to hate going out of his way to buy things for others, but now, he was willing to compromise his principles for the woman he loved. He shielded Clara behind him, looking at me warily. "What are you doing here?" Then his eyes fell on the medical chart in my hand. "Are you sick?" I didn't want to deal with them, so I stepped aside to leave. Julian was quick. He snatched the report from my hand. As he read the contents, his eyes widened in shock and excitement. "Amber, you... you're pregnant?" "Yes," I replied flatly, nodding. The joy in his eyes was unmistakable. He looked like he wanted to wrap his arms tightly around me. "That's amazing! Amber, I'm going to be a—" Father. Before he could finish the sentence, a piercing scream rang out behind him. "Amber!" Clara looked as if she had been severely triggered. She began frantically hitting her own head. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at me. If Julian hadn't grabbed her, her palm would have slapped across my face in the next second. By the time Clara finally calmed down, half an hour had passed. Julian's hand was covered in teeth marks from Clara biting him during her episode. Her eyes welled with tears as she sobbed, "Julian, I'm so sorry. I lost control again." "Just send me to a sanatorium. I don't want to make things hard for you anymore." He patiently comforted her, asking what had triggered her sudden episode. Clara tried to recall what happened, falling back into distress. After a long pause, she choked out, "Preg... pregnancy..." Julian froze for a moment. He looked at Clara, who was struggling to control herself, and then at me, as I stood there trembling slightly. After a long, suffocating silence, his lips parted. "Amber, you... I..." Seeing that Julian wasn't immediately taking her side like before, Clara screamed and lunged at me like a madwoman, striking me wildly. My stomach was kicked hard over and over again. "Julian, save the baby! Please!" Julian reached out to support me. But Clara started screaming hysterically again, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" "I can't control myself! I'll pay you back with my life!" With that, Clara ran away crying. Julian looked at the retreating Clara, then back at me. He said, "Amber, we're still young. We can have another baby later. But Clara's condition is urgent." "I need to go after her first." Even though I had already resolved to leave him, hearing those words still made my heart ache with sharp, uncontrollable pain. "Okay," I said.The doctors and nurses rushed over and wheeled me straight into the operating room. Only after seeing me wheel out with a deathly pale face did Clara finally calm down. She came over holding a bag of newly purchased baby supplies and said apologetically, "Amber, I'm so sorry. It's my fault you lost the baby. Please take these as my apology. Can you forgive me?" I stared at her, my eyes completely blank. Clara pulled out some baby clothes and shoved them into my hands. "Save these clothes. It won't be too late to use them when you have another baby in the future." "If you're still mad, I can tell Julian to make another baby with you right now." She sounded so sincere, yet every word grated on my nerves like scraping metal. I forced my trembling hand up and pointed toward the door. "Get... out..." Clara's eyes welled with tears instantly. She stumbled back a few steps and fell hard onto the floor. Julian walked in right at that moment. Seeing the scene, he glared at me furiously. "Amber, can you stop causing trouble for once?" "Clara came all the way here just to comfort you. Why are you taking your anger out on her? Apologize." I suddenly wanted to laugh out loud. Ever since Clara got sick, if the food I cooked didn't suit her taste, it was my fault. If I didn't give her the clothes she wanted right away, it was my fault. And now, even when she came to mock me over my miscarriage, I was expected to bow down and apologize to her. I had heard this kind of nonsense too many times. I was completely numb. But thankfully, it was almost over. Clara threw all the baby clothes into the trash can and sobbed softly. "I'm sorry, Julian. It's all my fault. I upset Amber again." "I'll leave right now. Please don't fight because of me, okay?" It took Julian a long time of sweet-talking to finally dry Clara's tears. Before leaving, he didn't forget to warn me, "Take those baby clothes back and hang them up nicely. This was Clara's gift to you." After being discharged from the hospital, I went back to the suburban villa. This was the house I had purchased with my own hard-earned savings. But the entrance was surrounded by several burly bodyguards. The suitcases I had just moved back in were thrown onto the lawn. Just as I was about to demand an explanation, Clara walked out, holding their marriage certificate, and said self-righteously, "This is my husband's property now. Outsiders, please leave." I stared at the document in her hands and laughed mockingly at myself. So they had already gotten married behind my back. Julian avoided my gaze, his voice sounding incredibly strained. "The doctor said having a stable family would help with Clara's recovery." Then, softening his tone, he added, "I only married her for her treatment. Once she gets better, I will still marry you." I looked at Julian. We got together when we were eighteen, eloped at twenty-two, and now, it had been nine long years. I looked down at his finger. He was wearing a wedding band that matched Clara's. I took a step back and grabbed my suitcase, trying to walk past them. "Julian, we are broken up. I don't care who you start a family with." "But I bought this house with my own money. If anyone is leaving, it's you two." Julian rubbed his temples wearily. He sent me a hotel address over WhatsApp. "Clara is triggered. She thinks this is my house. Go stay at this hotel for a few days. Once I calm her down, I'll bring you back."I refused, but he went straight to the property management and had me thrown out. To my shock, the deed to the house had somehow been transferred to Clara's name without my knowledge. Staring at his familiar face, I suddenly felt like he was a complete stranger. My suitcase felt incredibly heavy. Inside were the scarf Julian had hand-knitted for me, the teddy bear he got me for my birthday, and the custom wedding ring he had spent six months getting designed in Italy. I threw them all in the trash. The physical weight of my luggage barely changed, but my heart felt immensely lighter. Julian saw me throw them away. His hand twitched as if to stop me, but in the end, he remained silent. I checked into a cheap motel. I only had three days left before my flight out of this place. However, I didn't expect what happened next. Someone posted a video of me being kicked out of the villa online. The footage was heavily edited, making it look like I was begging Julian for a marriage license. Since Julian was a prominent figure, he always drew public attention. And with my history of being stood up at the altar nine times, the video quickly went viral. I became a trending topic on Instagram once again. Before I could even process what was happening, my phone rang. It was Julian. His voice was dripping with disgust. "Are you only satisfied when you cause a massive scene? Clara already said she won't steal my heart from you, and that the wedding is yours. Why do you keep dragging this out?" "She saw the video, and now she thinks she's stolen your place. Her eyes are swollen from crying." "Come back right now, apologize to her, and clear this up online." I opened my phone. The rumors were spiraling out of control. The comment section was filled with venomous attacks against me. [I know her. She got dumped nine times and still won't let go. The actual couple is married now, and she's still acting like a desperate parasite!] [She deserves all the hate. Imagine being such a pathetic loser of a woman.] Actually, I couldn't help but agree with that last comment. Living like this was indeed a complete failure. Half an hour later, a photo of Julian and Clara was posted on his company's official Instagram account. The two of them were holding up their official marriage certificate. Even the official city clerk's database confirmed their legal marriage. I was dragged into the spotlight once again. This time, it wasn't just nasty comments; it turned into full-blown online harassment. Words like "homewrecker" and "bitch" flooded my DMs on Snapchat and Instagram. Wave after wave of vitriol hammered my phone, threatening my sanity. Amidst the chaos, a text from Julian popped up: "Clara is having another episode. Once the wedding venue is fully set up, I'll come get you." I deleted his message. Then, I blocked him entirely, picked up my suitcase, and headed to the airport. ... As the online rumors ran wild, Julian figured he was just teaching me a lesson, hoping to stop me from constantly demanding to be his wife. He had already told me he would marry me once Clara recovered. Why did I have to throw such a fit? He looked at our chat history, but didn't bother to reply. He planned to come find me only after the public backlash died down. Clara wrapped her arms around him from behind, her voice soft and pitiful. "Julian, you're getting married to Amber soon. Can you spend these last few days with me?" Looking at Clara's tearful eyes, Julian's heart softened once again. He figured it wouldn't make a difference if he just picked me up on the day of the wedding. ... On the day of the wedding, Julian, dressed in a custom-tailored suit, arrived at the motel to pick me up. He knocked on the door for half an hour, but there was no response. He walked down to the front desk. "Where is the guest in Room 666?" The receptionist checked the system and looked up. "I'm sorry, sir, but we have no record of anyone checking into that room."