My Wedding Invitations Became His Farewell Letters

The night I told my husband, Ellis Ryan I was pregnant, he shoved me out of the car. Rain poured down, soaking me to the bone as I banged on the window, begging him to at least take me somewhere safe. But he simply rolled the glass up, his voice laced with irritation. "You're always such a hassle, Eva. Now is not the time." These words sliced through my heart like a blade. Then, he sped away—straight into the arms of Laylani Pierce, his childhood sweetheart,his mistress. Hours later, a truck driver found me, but it was too late. The baby was gone, and with it, my ability to ever conceive again. For five days in the hospital, I called Ellis again and again. Forty times. Each call was ignored. And when I finally stepped out of my hospital room, I saw him in the lobby, standing next to Laylani. Her hand rested on her belly—the same belly that carried his child. "Take care, darling. We need to protect our baby." His voice was gentle, so suffocatingly tender that something inside me shattered. I disappeared for ten days after that, leaving no trace. And suddenly, the man who had abandoned me in the rain went mad with calls. But when I finally answered, his voice was sharp. "Where the hell have you been, Eva?" Oh, Ellis. You should have cherished me when you had the chance. ...... When I discovered I was pregnant, Ellis Ryan heartlessly pushed me out of the car. It was a night of pouring rain, and I stood soaking wet on the edge of an unfamiliar suburban highway while he whispered intimately with his childhood sweetheart inside. I banged on the window, begging him to at least take me somewhere safe, but he just coldly raised the window, his eyes filled with annoyance: "You're always such a hassle, Eva. Now is not the time." His car drove away, leaving me completely broken in the rain. Hours later, a kind truck driver found me, but it was too late—I had lost that unborn life, and doctors said the severe hemorrhage had taken away my ability to ever become pregnant again. During my five days in the hospital, I called Ellis not once, but over forty times. Each call was either unanswered or immediately declined. When I was finally able to leave my room, I saw them in the hospital lobby—Ellis and Laylani Pierce standing shoulder to shoulder in the waiting area, her hand gently caressing her slightly swollen belly. Ellis's voice was so tender it suffocated me:"Take care, darling, we need to protect our baby." In that moment, something inside me died completely. After recovering and being discharged, I took myself on a solo seven-day trip to the Alps. During the ten days of absolute silence, Ellis seemed to lose his mind, calling incessantly. Returning from the Alps, I finally answered Ellis's ninety-ninth call. "Eva, my tracker shows you're not at home. he demanded sharply, "Where have you gone off to?" , his voice a misture of anger and desperation. I didn't respond. Keeping my composure, I exited the airport. When Ellis came to pick me up, he took my suitcase with an expression that was both cold and mocking. "So you thought you could run away after losing our baby," he sneered, twisting the knife deeper. "But it turns out you couldn't stay away for long. Look at you, a real mess." I flinched at his cruel words. The baby I had lost was mine alone in his eyes—never ours. The same baby he had driven away in the rain. "I'm buried in work with the wedding just around the corner," he contiued as if nothing had happened, "and don't have time for your antics. We need to move forward, Eva. Stay where you are and don't cause any trouble." With that, he expertly lit a cigarette inside the car—the habit he had resumed the moment Laylani reappeared in his life. I frowned and reached to open the window. Cold air rushed in. I took a deep breath and spoke calmly, "Let's stop by the wedding planner's." It was time to collect the wedding invitations that I had ordered before everything fell apart. Ellis scoffed and sped off, taking us to the wedding planning office. He refused to come inside, loitering at the entrance, smoking and occasionally scrolling through his phone with a smirk. I noticed how he kept checking his messages, his face lighting up each time his phone buzzed. The store assistant brought out the wedding invitations. "Miss Porter, your wedding invitations are ready." Ellis glanced at the elegant ivory invitations. "How tacky," he remarked with a sneer. "Can't believe you go for such a bright color—no originality whatsoever. Just like your insistence on keeping a baby we weren't ready for. " My breath caught in my throat at his casual cruelty. I didn't argue but silently counted the invitations and paid for them using my phone. Just as I was about to speak, Ellis's phone rang. Without hesitation, he answered, and a sweet voice came through, dripping with false charm—Laylani. "I'm going to my prenatal appointment alone again. It's so sad. Is my dear childhood friend available to come with me?" Ellis ended the call and took out his car keys, leaving me with a brusque parting comment. "You can deal with this on your own. I have something to handle." It was a directive, not a request, assuming I would simply agree. He drove off without a second glance, leaving me once again, this time for the same woman. Turning to the assistant, I said, "I've already paid for these invitations. Please go ahead and toss them. Cancel everything else too; there's no need for further planning." The assistant hesitated, looking a bit uneasy. "But, ma'am, we've already completed half of the designs. If you cancel now, the deposit is non-refundable..." "Keep it," I replied, unfazed. After leaving the store, it occurred to me that I should cancel the wedding dress too. Once everything was called off, I stepped into a nearby Italian restaurant, ordered a comforting bowl of pasta, and started crafting a Facebook post. I had captured so many beautiful scenes in the Alps, all worth sharing as memories. I pieced together a collage and added the caption "Dream fulfilled." Many friends liked my post, including a notable thumbs-up from Laylani Pierce. Soon after, she posted an update: a picture of Ellis's intent side profile. Alongside the caption, "Promised to be by my side for life—thanks to my dear childhood friend for joining me at the prenatal visit again!" A flood of comments followed, with friends congratulating them. I casually liked her post before setting my phone aside to enjoy my meal, a small smile playing on my lips at the perfect timing of her betrayal. A few minutes later, my phone rang unexpectedly. Ellis was calling again.

I dismissed the call without much thought, but the phone rang again, insistent and unyielding. Reluctantly, I answered. "Eva, did you go to the Alps on your own?" Ellis's voice was low, tinged with irritation. "Didn't we agree that I would go with you after we got married? How could you travel so far alone without considering the risks?Especially after your... condition." His casual reference to my traumatic loss and newfound infertility as a "condition" sent a chill through my body. Through the background noise, I could hear hospital staff occasionally calling out patients' names. Ellis was clearly in a hospital. "I didn't encounter any danger," I replied coolly. "I wanted to go, so I did."You know, that's the difference between us, Ellis. I do what I say I will." His self-righteous concern left me unmoved. After eight years of dating, I had asked him every year to visit the Alps. It was my mother's dying wish. But each time, Ellis had a different excuse to decline. "Eva, I'm too busy right now. I'll take you when things settle down." "There's some family stuff; let's go next year." "No time!" And it went on, until the last time I asked. He couldn't even be bothered to come up with an excuse, just flatly refused with visible frustration. I had long since grown weary of waiting. "If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up now." I pressed the end call button before Ellis could respond, feeling relief wash over me. That evening, back home, I was focused on my laptop in the study when Ellis suddenly tossed a piece of clothing at me. "Eva, can you clean up your stuff? You keep leaving your worn clothes everywhere.This place is a mess since you've been back." The embellishment on the clothing was sharp enough to nick my face, causing a sting of pain. "It was under the couch," he said. "Take care of your things; make sure it doesn't happen again!" I glanced at the bold, low-cut nightgown designed for maternity wear and replied icily, "It's not mine. I can't wear maternity clothes anymore, remember? Thanks to you." Ellis's expression changed, a look of panic sweeping across his face as realization hit. He snatched the item from the floor and awkwardly hid it behind his back. "Maybe it's something Laylani left behind when she visited last time. I'll return it to her one of these days. It's nothing... just something she asked me to keep when she pretended to leave." I said nothing and returned to my laptop, my cheek still stinging from both the cut and his lies. Ellis seemed repentant, rummaging through a box to find an old adhesive bandage. He sat beside me with exaggerated care. "Sorry, I shouldn't have thrown it at you. I didn't realize how sharp it was...Look, Eva, we need to talk about our wedding. The invitations—" The bandage's scent was unpleasant. I moved away from him. "It's nothing. And there won't be a wedding" I gathered my laptop and headed to the bedroom, leaving Ellis standing there, watching my retreating figure, lost in thought for a long while.

"Eva, why haven't you been checking on me lately?" Ellis called out, following me into the bedroom. "And... it feels like something's changed about you, like you're avoiding me. You used to call me constantly, and now—nothing." Ellis strolled in, still enveloped in steam from his recent shower. He raised a towel to his hair, wiping away water droplets, his dissatisfaction evident despite himself. The scent of women's perfume still clung to him, poorly masked by soap. My hands paused mid-action. Suddenly, memories flooded back. During our eight years together, we spoke nearly every day. Even when swamped with no time to spare, we never lost touch. I thought our lives were intertwined. Yet, Ellis always claimed I was hovering over him. Now, if I look at our WhatsApp messages, our last conversation was half a month ago. The current ease and distance were what Ellis had wanted, yet now it seemed to bother him. I managed a slight smile, "You're reading too much into it. I've just been busy and didn't want to intrude. Besides, Laylani seems to need you more than I do these days." "Get some rest, early." I shut my laptop, picked up my pillow, and headed to the study. Although we'd been together for eight years, we'd been living apart for the past six months. I disliked the smell of cigarettes. Ellis had quit smoking for three years for me, but as soon as Laylani came back, all that effort was undone. Laylani, the childhood friend who grew up alongside him, was a shadow he couldn't quite shake. They shared a bed openly, claiming they had since they were kids. When I was sick and feverish, needing him the most, a single call from Laylani was enough to pull him away. Laylani, the childhood friend who grew up alongside him, was a shadow he couldn't quite shake. They shared a connection openly, claiming they had since they were kids. When I was bleeding and losing his child, needing him the most, a single call from Laylani was enough to pull him away. At first, I was jealous and resentful. I hated that my boyfriend had such a close childhood companion. But now, my heart had turned cold and indifferent; even if Laylani claimed to be pregnant with his child, I no longer cared. After all, I'd already decided to leave. As I resolutely walked away, Ellis suddenly panicked. "Eva!" he called out, trying to stop me. "Tonight, I've rinsed my mouth and washed away all the smoke. Can we... sleep together? It's been so long." Seeing my lack of response, Ellis got up and hugged me from behind. "Eva, we're getting married in just two weeks. Haven't you always wanted a home? I've made mistakes, but I'm still the same Ellis you fell in love with." A home? My eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Yes, for eight years, I had longed for a home. Since my mother passed away early, I craved security and a sense of belonging. I desperately wanted to build a small family with Ellis. But later, I realized that Ellis's life was bound to be chaotic, endlessly tangled with Laylani and whatever child she might be carrying—real or imagined. If the rest of my life were to be like this—constantly second to another woman, abandoned when I needed him most, my pain dismissed as inconvenience—I'd rather not have that home at all. I sniffled, pushing Ellis's hands away. "We'll talk about it then," I said, then walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me. What Ellis didn't know was that tomorrow, I would be gone for good.