Chapter 3No Secondhand Vows

We were in a private room at a Japanese restaurant. The image of him with that other woman was burned into my mind. While we waited for our food, I tried to sound casual.

“What do you think about getting married at that old chapel on the West Side in Charleston? It’s supposed to be beautiful. I saw a lot of pictures of it online.”

It was beautiful. A century-old church, grand and majestic, with stained-glass windows that stretched to a vaulted ceiling. To stand there would be like stepping into a dream. That’s why the photo, paired with her caption, had gone viral overnight.

His hand, which had been pouring me tea, paused.

“Charleston’s a bit far, don’t you think? If you want a church wedding, we can find a nice one here.”

It was the first time since we started planning the wedding that he had ever said no to one of my ideas.

Beneath the table, I twisted the hem of my shirt in my hands.

Before we had even finished our meal, my Pinterest notifications had hit 99+. My comment had over five hundred likes and had been pushed to the top.

The blogger had finally replied.

“Okay, I’ll post our story tonight.”