- 8 hours ago
You Are Not My Groom
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01slow down alex what's wrong kathleen can't keep up i lay back on the velvet sheets giving in to
00:09the rhythm i scratched his muscular back craving more the sound of my voice lit something in him
00:14he couldn't hold back i was just alex's dirty little secret i'd asked him to marry me three
00:20times kathleen come on i'm the ceo of echo tech we're scaling up just wait a little longer each
00:25time he laughed it off with the same excuse that was always his answer and like an idiot i always
00:31did three years waiting in the shadows of his penthouse i showered alone and left ethan barged
00:38in and flopped down next to me you're not gonna believe this alex the guy who swore he'd never
00:43get married is shopping for an engagement ring guess who my pulse spiked was he finally doing it
00:50was the wait over heat rushed to my cheeks what for me okay be serious he's my best friend
01:00bros before you know the rules plus you two hell would freeze over first remember when he caught
01:06you riding that smut in high school you were mortified it's isabella i could barely hear him
01:14i pressed my nails into my palm until it hurt something inside me snapped like a wire finally
01:20pulled too tight ethan i'm getting married too clear your schedule i need you to be my best man
01:29what to celebrate my engagement ethan dragged me to our usual bar downtown since when does my baby
01:36sister have secrets i lied because of grandma's alzheimer's she wants to see me in a wedding
01:42dress guilt nod at my insides i couldn't tell him that for three years i'd been sleeping with his
01:48best friend so who's the lucky bastard just as the screen unlocked a large hand reached from behind
01:54and snatched the phone away who's our little k texting this late erasing the very few photos we
01:59had together making sure ethan would never see them i wasn't a girlfriend i was evidence something
02:05to hide hey bro give her phone back stop picking on her like we're back in middle school
02:12relax just making sure no one's messing with our little kitty because i was his wild little kitten
02:18the one who left scratch marks all over his back i tried to shove the thought away i snatched my
02:23phone
02:23back and turned on my heel behind me ethan shoved alex go apologize you idiot alex chased me out to
02:32the
02:32parking lot he grabbed my arm and insisted on driving me home i tried to shake him off instead he
02:38pulled
02:38me in hard my face hit his chest a cherry red lipstick stain on his white collar alex we need
02:45to stop this i'm getting
02:46married are you serious k are you mad because i deleted the photos come on you know why i did
02:54it
02:56we can't let ethan find out that'd be awkward for everyone i mean it alex he'd never had to think
03:03about me walking away i was always the one waiting always the one reaching he couldn't even process it
03:12stop being me and sent bent at me ver stop being so dramatic kathleen you're just stressed before i
03:19could answer his phone buzzed isabella's name flashed on the screen alex i totally messed up the q3
03:25projections i'm so sorry can you come over please i'm on my way wait for me he hung up and
03:35touched my
03:36hair his voice going soft in that way i used to mistake for tenderness we'll talk about this later
03:42k you can grab an uber from here right he didn't wait for an answer i stood in the parking
03:47lot and
03:47watched his taillights disappear into the dark work emergency it was always a work emergency like in
03:54march our three-year anniversary i'd rented a beach house weeks in advance a whole week along the coast
04:02just the two of us and his phone rang i gotta go babe work emergency you understand i waited seven
04:10days he never came back i didn't realize what it really meant not until ethan showed me isabella's
04:18instagram he seriously made you uber home such an asshole and i guarantee it was isabella again
04:27look at this he spent the whole week with her he pulled up isabella's ig story archive isabella in
04:34a bikini all sun and smiles on the beach and stretched out on a lounge chair behind here
04:40asleep sunglasses on completely at ease was alex the date stamp march 14 the exact week i'd been
04:49waiting alone at that beach house the caption read our first spring date my mind went blank then it
04:56came apart our anniversary was their beginning he kept me buried and gave her the world i was done
05:02done hiding done waiting done being something he was ashamed of and texted him i needed to end it
05:10in person not that it counted as a breakup you can't break up with someone who never even admitted
05:15you existed to him i was just a hookup he never had to answer for i went to his office
05:20i reached for
05:21the handle then a voice slipped through the door soft sweet calling we should totally do paris next
05:26weekend hold on isabella there's something i need to tell you my stomach dropped paris a proposal
05:34that's what this was then the sound fabric shifting something scraping the floor in his office where he
05:42used to take me before i could stop myself i shoved the door open alex was scrawled on the leather
05:49sofa
05:49isabella was crouched at his feet gathering scattered papers tight pencil skirt sheer black
05:56stockings anyone walking in would have assumed the same thing i swallowed the bile rising in my throat
06:02and forced a smile i wasn't gonna let them see me break what a coincidence my wedding is next weekend
06:08i just emailed you the evise alex don't forget to check it isabella looped her arm around alex's
06:15overplaying her excitement oh my god kathleen you're getting married alex you have to be there
06:21all right i'll let you two catch up we can reschedule she strutted out the door clicked shut
06:27the next second alex lunged he slammed me hard against the wall chest to chest his breath came
06:34hot and furious against my neck that's what this is you want me jealous years kathleen
06:41years of this the lies the guilt trips backing me into a corner that's all you've ever done
06:47three years of begging three rejected proposals and he thought i was trapping him something inside
06:54me went still i don't even remember how i got out of his building the next two days learned
07:00i moved through everything like a ghost somewhere along the way i ended up in a bridal boutique
07:07i took a selfie and sent it to ethan his response came instantly damn my little sister's all grown
07:15up two minutes later he posted it to instagram it was the first text from alex in days he clearly
07:23saw ethan's post think this through kathleen is this really what you want using your brother to
07:29pressure me into proposing ethan slid a glass of beer across the bar to me he'd noticed something was
07:35off and dragged me out for a drink maybe it was the alcohol maybe the guilt had finally gotten
07:41too heavy to carry but i couldn't hold it in anymore i had to tell my brother the one person
07:47who loved
07:48me most ethan i need to confess something i slept with your best friend you mean alex k i knew
07:56you had
07:57a crush on him in high school he was your first love right i nodded slowly was it that obvious
08:03then why did alex string me along for three years ethan pulled me into a hug look now you're both
08:10moving
08:10on right it was just a small chapter in your life three years and it was just a small chapter
08:17my first love ended without so much as a goodbye i chugged my beer then another ethan tried to take
08:24the
08:24glass he was too late what the hell how much did you drink your hands are ice alex grabbed my
08:31fingers
08:31oh touch her ethan slapped his hand away hard for the first time in my life i saw real anger
08:37aimed
08:38at his best friend you know the rule best friend's sister is strictly off limits my brother and his best
08:47friend were at each other's throats and it was all because of me so you know did kathleen tell you
08:52ethan grabbed alex by his collar pulling him close oh i know i've always known exactly what you are
09:00the kind of guy who leaves a trail of broken hearts and never loses a second of sleep over it
09:06i don't give a damn how many women you sleep with but you do not touch my sister ethan i
09:11swear to god
09:11i would never hurt her i couldn't stand listening to his lies anymore hadn't he hurt me enough already
09:17they're shouting mixed with the blaring sports game on the bar tvs made my skull throb
09:22stop just stop i pressed my palms against the bar trying to steady myself my head felt like two
09:30semis were crashing into each other inside my skull alex insisted on taking me home he swore he wouldn't
09:36ditch me halfway this time ethan didn't look happy about it but he let him alex scooped me up and
09:42carried me toward the parking lot if you just stopped fighting me for once i would alex's friends
09:46were walking out of the vip exit isabella was right in the middle he suddenly let go i was too
09:52drunk to catch myself i hit the ground hard and winced oh this is kathleen ethan's sister she got
09:59totally wasted so i'm just giving her a ride the explanation came too quickly too defensively
10:05like he'd just been caught cheating he hauled me to my feet no carrying this time just an awkward
10:12grip on my arm maybe it was the alcohol but a sudden rush of courage flooded my chest i lifted
10:18my chin and smiled at the group hey everyone since i'm just the best friend's sister you're all
10:24invited to my wedding next weekend why can't you ever just behave did you really have to embarrass me
10:31in front of everyone alex shoved me into the passenger seat started the engine and sped through
10:36the dark streets to drop me off the second i made it inside i barely reached the bathroom before i
10:42threw up then i stumbled into my bedroom opened my closet and pulled out my love diary three years
10:51of a secret affair all of it pressed between those pages movie dates flights secret dinners abroad
10:57i'd hidden it carefully terrified someone might find it because i knew alex would hate that i grabbed
11:03scissors and cut page after page memory after memory until the whole thing was shredded beyond
11:10recognition then i dumped every last piece into the trash bin outside three years tossed out like garbage
11:17the next morning ethan told me alex had vanished he didn't show up at echo tech for a week
11:22no one knew where he went honestly ethan i don't care i have a wedding to plan ethan smiled softly
11:29patting my hair infectionately the night before the wedding i posted an ig story
11:36finally saying yes tomorrow for real this time the reactions flooded in instantly likes comments
11:44congratulations pouring in from every direction tears pricked my eyes this was what it felt like
11:51a relationship you could share with the world one that didn't have to hide and i was feeling it for
11:57the first time then my phone rang it was alex i was getting married tomorrow why was he calling now
12:05i hesitated then swiped to accept deafening club music and roaring cheers blasted through the speaker
12:14alex oh hey it was isabella why was she calling me from alex's phone alex hated anyone touching his
12:23phone and yet somehow isabella was holding it oops just playing with alex's phone and pushed the
12:31wrong button i was about to hang up when someone background shouted truth or dare alex what's your
12:36biggest regret alex's voice drifted over sounding drunk biggest regret dragging out a situation for
12:44way too long she checked all the boxes but man she was too needy always pushing for some kind of
12:51commitment you know how clingy younger girls get exactly women start pushing for commitment and
12:58suddenly the fun's gone you need a girl like isabella young pretty and actually chill about it
13:09isabella's sugary voice slipped back in stop it you guys alex might already have a girlfriend
13:16wouldn't she be upset hearing all this oh please he's been single for what three years
13:22never seen him tied down alex didn't say a word
13:25i laughed under my breath and cursed myself what exactly had i been waiting for
13:31then another guy phi shouted over the music okay next question craziest thing you've done recently
13:38unbothered planning planning a proposal
13:44i already bought the ring just waiting for the perfect moment the entire table lost their minds
13:49whistles cheering it's isabella right you two practically live at the office
13:54no wonder you're always working late you've totally been hooking up i couldn't listen anymore
13:58i hung up and blocked his number i stepped into the mermaid gown i had dreamed of since i was
14:04a little
14:04girl i snapped a mirror selfie and posted it to my ig story today's the day 10 minutes later
14:11a dm popped up from alex is he still drunk oh shit i had forgotten to block him on ig
14:19i blocked his account for good locked my phone and set it down a few minutes later my wedding
14:24coordinator knocked it's time when the doors opened my hands were shaking i stepped into the
14:30custom crystal heels thorn had designed for me my steps echoed softly down the aisle
14:36thorn was gentle the whole way through steady in a way that helped quiet my nerves
14:42we exchanged rings the priest was just about to start our vows everything was unfolding perfectly
14:49until raised voices echoed from the hallway the chapel doors slammed open alex stormed in
14:55he was dressed in a custom white tuxedo looking exactly like a groom earlier that morning alex had
15:02woken up with a pounding hangover he opened instagram and saw my post me in a wedding dress holding a
15:11bouquet glowing with happiness alex stared at the photo for a long time a smug grin spread across
15:16his face his heart beating uncontrollably he typed out a quick dm to me since you're already in a wedding
15:22dress i'll give you what you've always wanted wait for me he opened the drawer and reached in
15:30pulling out two velvet boxes each one held a ring ones he'd bought and tucked away meant for our
15:39anniversary he'd hidden them away but now he figured he had to bring them out early to marry me then
15:48he
15:48slipped into a fresh custom white tuxedo staring into the mirror he pictured the two of us me to
15:55have a whole altar from this day forward exchanging our vows the image made him smile he pulled up my
16:04post check the location tag and headed out on the way to the chapel his phone rang
16:12hey bro just wanted to say good luck today after you admitted last night that the ring was actually
16:19for kathleen nobody's making isabella jokes anymore good don't let any of those stupid jokes get back to
16:26her she'll throw a fit move it as apollo bisar before it trees right on here sorry bro we wouldn't
16:32do that again oh and heads up i think isabella used your phone to call kathleen after you were drunk
16:38it's fine this is though ben wat is here she's just playing this fake wedding game to get my attention
16:44anyway by the time he reached the chapel he was smiling he adjusted his collar in the rearview mirror
16:53smoothed his hair and stepped out time to punish this lying little kitty a burly security guard
17:01stepped into his path private wedding sir invites only i don't need an invite i'm the groom alex
17:10coughed i need to be our scurry some drozing their fempriate getter alex scoffed today's groom is
17:16mr thorn sterling the guard didn't move impossible you've got the wrong guy
17:21he firmly believed that i would never marry anyone but him he let out a low laugh she's really taking
17:28this joke far he could already picture it he'd push those doors open and i would run down the aisle
17:35in
17:35my dress throwing myself into his arms crying that i finally got what i wanted the guard interrupted his
17:41fantasy he pointed to the massive welcome sign near the entrance a breathtaking engagement photo of me and
17:47thorn with our names printed under it in elegant gold script and it's guys i blast it's your mate abracard
17:54no that guy's a paid actor no i don't know his actor she's making this wedding to provoke me you
18:02don't get
18:02it this entire setup is for me she pushes boundaries when she wants attention then he stopped dead i was
18:10standing at the altar in my magnificent dress bouquette in hand bathed in golden sunlight alex's jaw dropped
18:19then the priest asked kathleen black do you take thown sterling to be your lawfully wedded husband
18:27i looked into thorn's eyes and smiled softly i do wait alex roared his voice cracking stop the
18:37wedding there's been a mistake ethan thought alex was just running late he grabbed alex's arm
18:43trying to pull him into a seat alex ripped his arm away and marched straight towards the altar well
18:48played kathleen you win you wanted to marry me you wanted to go public well here i am now pay
18:53off this
18:54cheap actor you hired and let's go i never expected alex to show up and cause a scene what i
18:58expected
18:59even less he actually believed this wedding was ours before anyone else could react ethan
19:04launched forward he grabbed alex by the sleeve absolutely furious are you out of your damn mind
19:10stop making a scene sit down before you humiliate yourself any further and if you ruin my sister's
19:16wedding i swear to god i will end you something shifted in alex's expression like a memory clicking
19:23into place he pulled out his phone opened his personal email he scrolled and found it the
19:27official wedding invitation i had sent him days ago still unread it was real i never lied i wasn't
19:34trying to make him jealous i wasn't trapping him i was actually marrying another man defeated and pale
19:39alex stumbled into a seat next to ethan his eyes burned with helpless rage locked on me he looked at
19:45me with such overwhelming tenderness my heart skipped a beat he slid the diamond ring onto my finger
19:51then lifted my veiled and in front of everyone he kissed me after the ceremony thorn led me toward
19:57the bridal suite but alex stumbled into our path and blocked the way drunk eyes bloodshot move thorn
20:04firmly pushed me behind his broad shoulder you better rethink whatever you're about to do your
20:09little startup is in a critical vc funding round one call from me and every investor backing echo tech
20:14disappears by morning i don't give a damn alex struggled wildly his red eyes fixated on me
20:20kathleen we were together for three years how could you do this to me he slapped alex across the face
20:26hard first you were never together you exploited her feelings for three years while offering nothing
20:31then another punch harder alex hit the wall a trickle of blood sliding down his lip second
20:39who the hell do you think you are raising your voice at my wife he lifted his hand again ready
20:45for
20:45a third i caught his wrist he stopped instantly i stepped around him and faced alex the pathetic
20:51man i'd loved so desperately i lifted my hand and slapped him with everything i had i had held back
20:57that slap for three years alex you said your biggest regret was dragging out a relationship
21:02with a needed girl well let me tell you mine my biggest regret was wasting three years loving you
21:07but thankfully three years wasn't that long it was just enough time to realize you're absolutely
21:13worthless i reached for thorn's hand we turned and walked away behind me alex broke inside the quiet
21:20bridal suite i pulled out a first aid kit and carefully dabbed antiseptic on thorns knuckles alex's
21:25earring must have nicked his skin when thorn hit him his hand was still bleeding i noticed him
21:30quietly studying my face i'm not mad that you hit him really that chapter is over thorn didn't push
21:35for details he just pulled me into his arms holding me tight my mind wandered back to the day we
21:40first
21:41met a month before the wedding i'd told him everything the three-year secret affair the three
21:45rejected proposals the lies the tears if this makes you uncomfortable we can cancel i'd even offered him
21:50an out i don't care about your past i just want you he'd only looked at me and said after
21:54we got
21:55engaged i took him to meet my grandma she was crying when she took his hands you two will be
21:59happy take care of my cake i'd been close to her since i was a little girl she bought me
22:03my first
22:04puppy her alzheimer's had stolen so much from her even as her memories faded she remembered me and my
22:09wedding even today he'd personally driven across the city to bring her to the chapel thorn suddenly
22:14murmured breaking the silence you know when alex crashed the chapel i thought you might run away
22:18with him right in front of your grandma i thought of alex bursting in wearing that ridiculous white suit
22:22it was so pathetic never i only want you i'm your wife thorn i smiled tracing his arm i laced
22:28my
22:28fingers through his trying to reassure him but kathleen there's something i need to confess a sudden
22:34wave of panic hit my chest what was he going to say thorn let out a soft laugh and rubbed
22:39my tense
22:39shoulders relax sweetheart don't be so anxious i just wanted to tell you i fell in love with you at
22:44first sight three years ago at a charity gala i stopped breathing he had been watching me i asked around
22:49afterward but i heard you were supposedly taken so i waited when my family started setting me up
22:53he made sure his name was first on the list he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear
22:59softly he said i knew you'd been hurt i knew trust would take time but unlike him i'll only ever
23:04cherish
23:04you i'll wait for you no matter how long it takes our honeymoon lasted a month and it felt like
23:09stepping
23:09into a life i'd only ever read about he rented a private yacht down the coast lit up the night
23:14sky with
23:15custom fireworks held my hand as we walked along beaches until my feet ached the way he looked at
23:20me made my chest ache like i was the most breathtaking sight he'd ever laid eyes on we walked through
23:25crowded city streets holding hands we kissed in public without a hint of shame my wife he introduced
23:31me to every friend with the same quiet pride no secrets no hiding no suddenly dropping my hand when
23:37someone walked by this was what true love felt like but alex still wasn't ready to let me go and
23:43he was
23:43about to ruin everything i'd blocked alex's number before the wedding but he kept calling from unknown
23:48numbers the first call his voice was furious entitled kathleen you can't do this to me you
23:52betrayed me come home right now i hung up and blocked the number the second call his voice shifted
23:57sounding sickeningly gentle come back k i'll forgive you i didn't even speak block that number too the
24:04third call he was sobbing barely breathing i messed up isabella meant nothing please k just give me one more
24:11chance across the room thorn quietly set a glass of juice beside me he turned to leave wanting to
24:16give me privacy i reached for his hand before he could leave and held on his eyes met mine i
24:21gave a
24:21small shake of my head he nodded then sat beside me our fingers intertwined i looked up into his eyes
24:26but spoke into the phone my voice was calm and steady this was never only about isabella eventually
24:31it would have been someone else for three years you hid me you never chose me i don't love you
24:35anymore
24:36don't call me again my husband wouldn't appreciate that then i hung up dropping the phone on the table
24:40thorn immediately pulled me against his chest for the first time in my life i felt completely utterly
24:46safe after we returned from our honeymoon ethan asked me out for coffee okay i may have seriously
24:53screwed something up i put down my latte and gently squeezed his hand i'd never be mad at you ethan
24:58then he
24:58exhaled and told me everything back when he'd seen alex buying the ring and then he told me about the
25:04fight he'd assumed what everyone else assumed but it was for isabella i just wanted to gossip but i
25:09gave you the wrong info it spiraled from there you were right and i was wrong after the wedding
25:13alex had gone to him and explained the ring had always been for me maybe it was a misunderstanding
25:18but it doesn't matter anymore does it ethan nodded i knew the truth didn't matter to him all he cared
25:23about was that alex had broken his baby sister's heart and even if alex hadn't cheated he still wasted
25:29my three years i was done making excuses for him he didn't deserve my forgiveness there's more
25:35apparently isabella's first date instagram post was completely staged she was obsessed with alex
25:40when she found out he booked a private vacation she deliberately scheduled the retreat when alex
25:46rushed over for his work emergency she secretly snapped those misdating photos to post online
25:51a pathetic attempt to erase arrival alex fired her and i cut alex off we're done you lost your best
25:57friend any regrets families before friends always speaking of alex want to know what's been going
26:04on with him i said goodbye to ethan and headed home i walked over sat on the arm press of
26:10his chair
26:10and gave his chin a gentle tilt to pull his attention away from the screens pulling me securely
26:16onto his lap so i wouldn't fall i held up my phone pointing to a breaking news headline breaking
26:23etchutech funds dry up founder alex vance files for bankruptcy i fake glared pinching his nose you
26:30play the perfect gentleman so well who knew my sweet husband was secretly bankrupting people in his spare
26:36time i'm a little bit drunk i know you're the one to blame tensed slightly his grip on my waist
26:42tightening i hope i didn't overstep he looked genuinely nervous i just wanted to make him pay
26:49that bastard wasted three years of your life overstep not even close only thorn could confess
26:55to ruining a man's life and still sound like an absolute gentleman he never made me feel like i
27:00was a burden he made me feel like i was the most important person in the world well i still
27:06have to
27:06punish you i sentence you to a lifetime of sleep deprivation as a dad thorn froze slowly an unfiltered
27:16wonder flooded his dark okay i'm going to be a father i nodded burying my face in his neck from
27:23that
27:23day on thorn became impossible in the best way he furiously researched how to be the best dad ever
27:31he bought designer cribs and transformed half our house he even drove us to my grandmother's to share
27:38the good news i think he truly kept the promise he'd made to her and from then on we lived
27:43our happily ever
27:45after
27:45you
27:46you
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