- 10 hours ago
You Are Not My Groom
Category
🎥
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
00:26time 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
01:30what 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 gnawed at my insides i couldn't tell him that for three years i'd been sleeping with
01:48his best friend so who's the lucky bastard just as the screen unlocked a large hand reached from
01:54behind and snatched the phone away who's our little k texting this late erasing the very few photos we had
02:00together making sure ethan would never see them i wasn't a girlfriend i was evidence something to hide
02:05hey 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
02:38he pulled me in hard my face hit his chest a cherry red lipstick stain on his white collar alex
02:44we need
02:45to stop this i'm getting married are you serious k are you mad because i deleted the photos come on
02:53you know why i did it we can't let ethan find out that'd be awkward for everyone i mean it
03:01alex he'd
03:02never had to think about me walking away i was always the one waiting always the one reaching
03:09he couldn't even process it stop being mean sent bent at me ver stop being so dramatic kathleen you're
03:17just stressed before i could answer his phone buzzed isabella's name flashed on the screen
03:23alex i totally messed up the q3 projections i'm so sorry can you come over please
03:31i'm on my way wait for me he hung up and touched my hair his voice going soft in that
03:38way i used to
03:39mistake for tenderness we'll talk about this later k you can grab an uber from here right he didn't
03:45wait for an answer i stood in the parking lot and watched his taillights disappear into the dark
03:50work emergency it was always a work emergency like in march our three-year anniversary i'd rented a
03:58beach house weeks in advance a whole week along the coast just the two of us and his phone rang
04:04gotta go babe work emergency you understand i waited seven days he never came back
04:14i didn't realize what it really meant not until ethan showed me isabella's instagram
04:19he 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
04:30he pulled up isabella's ig story archive isabella in a bikini all sun and smiles on the beach and
04:38stretched out on a lounge chair behind here asleep sunglasses on completely at ease was alex the date
04:45stamp march 14 the exact week i'd been waiting alone at that beach house the caption read our first spring
04:53date my mind went blank then it came apart our anniversary was their beginning he kept me buried
05:00and gave her the world i was done done hiding done waiting done being something he was ashamed of
05:06and texted him i needed to end it in person not that it counted as a breakup you can't break
05:13up with
05:13someone who never even admitted you existed to him i was just a hookup he never had to answer for
05:19i went to his office i reached for the handle then a voice slipped through the door soft sweet calling
05:24we should totally do paris next weekend hold on isabella there's something i need to tell you
05:29my stomach dropped paris a proposal that's what this was then the sound fabric shifting something
05:39scraping the floor in his office where he used to take me before i could stop myself i shoved the
05:46door
05:46open alex was scrawled on the leather sofa isabella was crouched at his feet gathering scattered papers
05:53tight pencil skirt sheer black stockings anyone walking in would have assumed the same thing
06:00i swallowed the bile rising in my throat and forced a smile i wasn't gonna let them see me break
06:05what a coincidence my wedding is next weekend i just emailed you the evise alex don't forget to
06:12check it isabella looped her arm around alex's overplaying her excitement oh my god kathleen you're
06:18getting married alex you have to be there all right i'll let you two catch up we can reschedule
06:24she strutted out the door clicked shut the next second alex lunged he slammed me hard against the wall
06:32chest to chest his breath came hot and furious against my neck that's what this is you want me
06:38jealous years kathleen years of this the lies the guilt trips backing me into a corner that's all
06:47you've ever done three years of begging three rejected proposals and he thought i was trapping him
06:53something inside me went still i don't even remember how i got out of his building the next two days
06:59learned i moved through everything like a ghost somewhere along the way i ended up in a bridal
07:06boutique i took a selfie and sent it to ethan his response came instantly damn my little sister's all
07:15grown up two minutes later he posted it to instagram it was the first text from alex in days
07:22he clearly saw ethan's post think this through kathleen is this really what you want using your
07:28brother to pressure me into proposing ethan slid a glass of beer across the bar to me he'd noticed
07:34something was off and dragged me out for a drink maybe it was the alcohol maybe the guilt had finally
07:41gotten too heavy to carry but i couldn't hold it in anymore i had to tell my brother the one
07:47person who
07:48loved me most ethan i need to confess something i slept with your best friend you mean alex k i
07:56knew
07:56you had a crush on him in high school he was your first love right i nodded slowly was it
08:02that 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
08:18first love ended without so much as a goodbye i chugged my beer then another ethan tried to take
08:24the glass he was too late what the hell how much did you drink your hands are ice alex grabbed
08:30my
08:31fingers oh touch her ethan slapped his hand away hard for the first time in my life i saw real
08:37anger
08:37aimed at his best friend you know the rule best friend's sister is strictly off limits
08:45my brother and his best friend were at each other's throats and it was all because of me
08:50so you know did kathleen tell you ethan grabbed alex by his collar pulling him close oh i know i've
08:57always
08:57known exactly what you are the kind of guy who leaves a trail of broken hearts and never loses a
09:05second of sleep over it i don't give a damn how many women you sleep with but you do not
09:09touch my
09:10sister ethan i swear to god i would never hurt her i couldn't stand listening to his lies anymore
09:15hadn't he hurt me enough already they're shouting mixed with the blaring sports game on the bar tvs
09:21made my skull throb stop just stop i pressed my palms against the bar trying to steady myself my head
09:30felt like two semis were crashing into each other inside my skull alex insisted on taking me home he
09:36swore he wouldn't ditch me halfway this time ethan didn't look happy about it but he let him alex
09:41scooped me up and carried me toward the parking lot if you just stopped fighting me for once
09:45i would alex's friends were walking out of the vip exit isabella was right in the middle he suddenly
09:51let go i was too drunk to catch myself i hit the ground hard and winced oh this is kathleen
09:58ethan ethan's sister she got totally wasted so i'm just giving her a ride the explanation came too
10:03quickly too defensively like he'd just been caught cheating he hauled me to my feet no carrying this
10:11time just an awkward grip on my arm maybe it was the alcohol but a sudden rush of courage flooded
10:17my
10:17chest i lifted my chin and smiled at the group hey everyone since i'm just the best friend's sister
10:23sister you're all invited to my wedding next weekend why can't you ever just behave did you
10:30really have to embarrass me in front of everyone alex shoved me into the passenger seat started the
10:35engine and sped through the dark streets to drop me off the second i made it inside i barely reached
10:41the bathroom before i threw up then i stumbled into my bedroom opened my closet and pulled out my love
10:49diary three years of a secret affair all of it pressed between those pages movie dates flights
10:56secret dinners abroad i'd hidden it carefully terrified someone might find it because i knew
11:02alex would hate that i grabbed scissors and cut page after page memory after memory until the whole
11:09thing was shredded beyond recognition then i dumped every last piece into the trash bin outside three years
11:16tossed out like garbage the next morning ethan told me alex had vanished he didn't show up at echo
11:21tech for a week no one knew where he went honestly ethan i don't care i have a wedding to
11:27plan ethan smiled
11:29softly patting 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 a
11:51relationship 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 phone
12:24and yet somehow isabella was holding it oops just playing with alex's phone and push the wrong button
12:31i was about to hang up when someone background shouted truth or dare alex what's your biggest
12:37regret alex's voice drifted over sounding drunk biggest regret dragging out a situation for way too
12:44long she checked all the boxes but man she was too needy always pushing for some kind of commitment
12:52you know how clingy younger girls get exactly women start pushing for commitment and suddenly the fun's
12:59gone you need a girl like isabella young pretty and actually chill about it isabella's sugary voice
13:11slipped back in stop it you guys alex might already have a girlfriend wouldn't she be upset hearing all
13:17this oh please he's been single for what three years never 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 then another guy
13:32fi shouted over the music okay next question craziest thing you've done recently unbothered planning planning
13:41a proposal i already bought the ring just waiting for the perfect moment the entire table lost their
13:48minds whistles cheering it's isabella right you two practically live in the office no wonder you're
13:55always working late you've totally been hooking up i couldn't listen anymore i hung up and blocked his
14:00number i stepped into the mermaid gown i had dreamed of since i was a little girl i snapped a
14:05mirror
14:05selfie and posted it to my ig story today's the day 10 minutes later a dm popped up from alex
14:14is he still drunk oh shit i had forgotten to block him on ig i blocked his account for good
14:20locked my phone and set it down a few minutes later my wedding coordinator knocked it's time when the
14:26doors opened my hands were shaking i stepped into the custom crystal heels thorn had designed for me
14:33my steps echoed softly down the aisle thorn was gentle the whole way through steady in a way that helped
14:41quiet my nerves we exchanged rings the priest was just about to start our vows everything was unfolding
14:48perfectly until 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 his
15:16face 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 and to hold altar from this day forward exchanging our vows the image made him smile he pulled up
16:04my
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 whoever does apollo bisar before it trees right on here sorry bro we wouldn't
16:33do that again oh and heads up i think isabella used your phone to call kathleen after you were drunk
16:38it's
16:38fine this is though ben water's 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 mr
17:16thorn sterling the guard didn't move impossible you've got the wrong guy he firmly believed that
17:23i would never marry anyone but him he let out a low laugh she's really taking this joke far
17:30he could already picture it he'd push those doors open and i would run down the aisle in my dress
17:36throwing myself into his arms crying that i finally got what i wanted the guard interrupted his fantasy
17:42he pointed to the massive welcome sign near the entrance a breathtaking engagement photo of me
17:47and thorn with our names printed under it in elegant gold script and it's guys i blast it's your mate
17:54abracard no that guy's a paid actor no i don't know his actor she's faking this wedding to provoke me
18:02you don't get it this entire setup is for me she pushes boundaries when she wants attention then he stopped
18:09dead i was standing at the altar in my magnificent dress bouquette in hand bathed in golden sunlight
18:17alex's jaw dropped then the priest asked kathleen black do you take thown sterling
18:25to be your lawfully wedded husband i looked into thorn's eyes and smiled softly i do wait
18:33alex roared his voice cracking stop the wedding there's been a mistake ethan thought alex was just
18:41running late he grabbed alex's arm trying to pull him into a seat alex ripped his arm away and marched
18:46straight towards the altar well played kathleen you win you wanted to marry me you wanted to go public
18:52well here i am now pay off this cheap actor you hired and let's go i never expected alex to
18:57show up
18:57and cause a scene what i expected even less he actually believed this wedding was ours before
19:02anyone else could react ethan launched forward he grabbed alex by the sleeve absolutely furious are
19:08you out of your damn mind stop making a scene sit down before you humiliate yourself any further
19:15and if you ruin my sister's wedding i swear to god i will end you something shifted in alex's
19:21expression like a memory clicking into place he pulled out his phone opened his personal email
19:26he scrolled and found it the official wedding invitation i had sent him days ago still unread
19:31it was real i never lied i wasn't trying to make him jealous i wasn't trapping him i was actually
19:37marrying another man defeated and pale alex stumbled into a seat next to ethan his eyes burned with
19:43helpless rage locked on me he looked at me with such overwhelming tenderness my heart skipped a beat
19:48he slid the diamond ring onto my finger then lifted my veiled and in front of everyone
19:54he kissed me after the ceremony thorn led me toward the bridal suite but alex stumbled into
20:00our path and blocked the way drunk eyes bloodshot move thorn firmly pushed me behind his broad shoulder
20:06you better rethink whatever you're about to do your little startup is in a critical vc funding round
20:11one call from me and every investor backing echo tech disappears by morning i don't give a damn
20:16alex struggled wildly his red eyes fixated on me kathleen we were together for three years
20:23how could you do this to me he slapped alex across the face hard first you were never together you
20:29exploited her feelings for three years while offering nothing then another punch harder
20:35alex hit the wall a trickle of blood sliding down his lip second who the hell do you think you
20:41are
20:41raising your voice at my wife he lifted his hand again ready for a third i caught his wrist he
20:47stopped
20:47instantly i stepped around him and faced alex the pathetic man i'd loved so desperately i lifted my
20:54hand and slapped him with everything i had i had held back that slap for three years alex you said
21:00your
21:00biggest regret was dragging out a relationship with a needed girl well let me tell you mine my biggest regret
21:06was wasting three years loving you but thankfully three years wasn't that long it was just enough
21:11time to realize you're absolutely worthless i reached for thorn's hand we turned and walked away
21:17behind me alex broke inside the quiet bridal suite i pulled out a first aid kit and carefully dabbed
21:23antiseptic on thorn's knuckles alex's earring must have nicked his skin when thorn hit him his hand was
21:28still bleeding i noticed him quietly studying my face i'm not mad that you hit him really that chapter is
21:34over thorn didn't push for details he just pulled me into his arms holding me tight my mind wandered
21:40back to the day we first met a month before the wedding i'd told him everything the three-year
21:44secret affair the three rejected proposals the lies the tears if this makes you uncomfortable we can
21:49cancel i'd even offered him an out i don't care about your past i just want you he'd only looked
21:53at
21:54me and said after we got engaged i took him to meet my grandma she was crying when she took
21:57his hands
21:58you two will be happy take care of my cake i'd been close to her since i was a little
22:02girl she
22:03bought me my first puppy her alzheimer's had stolen so much from her even as her memories faded she
22:08remembered me and my wedding even today he'd personally driven across the city to bring her
22:12to the chapel thorn suddenly murmured breaking the silence you know when alex crashed the chapel i
22:17thought you might run away with him right in front of your grandma i thought of alex bursting in wearing
22:21that ridiculous white suit it was so pathetic never i only want you i'm your wife thorn i smiled tracing
22:27his arm i laced my fingers through his trying to reassure him but kathleen there's something i need
22:33to confess a sudden wave of panic hit my chest what was he going to say thorn let out a
22:38soft
22:38laugh and rubbed my tense shoulders relax sweetheart don't be so anxious i just wanted to tell you i
22:43fell in love with you at first sight three years ago at a charity gala i stopped breathing he had
22:48been
22:48watching me i asked around afterward but i heard you were supposedly taken so i waited when my family
22:52started setting me up he made sure his name was first on the list he tucked a stray piece of
22:58hair
22:58behind my ear softly he said i knew you'd been hurt and you trust would take time but unlike him
23:03i'll
23:04only ever cherish you i'll wait for you no matter how long it takes our honeymoon lasted a month and
23:08it felt like stepping into a life i'd only ever read about he rented a private yacht down the coast
23:13lit up the night sky with custom fireworks held my hand as we walked along beaches until my feet
23:19ached the way he looked at me made my chest ache like i was the most breathtaking sight he'd ever
23:24laid eyes on we walked through crowded city streets holding hands we kissed in public without a hint of
23:30shame my wife he introduced me to every friend with the same quiet pride no secrets no hiding no
23:36suddenly dropping my hand when someone walked by this was what true love felt like but alex still wasn't
23:41ready to let me go and he was about to ruin everything i'd blocked alex's number before the
23:46wedding but he kept calling from unknown numbers the first call his voice was furious entitled
23:50kathleen you can't do this to me you betrayed me come home right now i hung up and blocked the
23:55number
23:55the second call his voice shifted sounding sickeningly gentle come back k i'll forgive you
24:02i didn't even speak blocked that number too the third call he was sobbing barely breathing i messed up
24:07isabella meant nothing please k just give me one more chance across the room thorn quietly set a glass of
24:13juice beside me he turned to leave wanting to give me privacy i reached for his hand before he
24:19could leave and held on his eyes met mine i gave a small shake of my head he nodded then
24:23sat beside me
24:24our fingers intertwined i looked up into his eyes but spoke into the phone my voice was calm and steady
24:29this was never only about isabella eventually it would have been someone else for three years you hid
24:34me you never chose me i don't love you anymore don't call me again my husband wouldn't appreciate that
24:38then i hung up dropping the phone on the table thorn immediately pulled me against his chest
24:43for the first time in my life i felt completely utterly safe after we returned from our honeymoon
24:49ethan asked me out for coffee okay i may have seriously screwed something up i put down my latte
24:55and gently squeezed his hand i'd never be mad at you ethan then he exhaled and told me everything
25:00back when he'd seen alex buying the ring and then he told me about the fight he'd assumed what everyone
25:05else assumed but it was for isabella i just wanted to gossip but i gave you the wrong info it
25:10spiraled
25:10from there you were right and i was wrong after the wedding alex had gone to him and explained the
25:16ring had always been for me maybe it was a misunderstanding but it doesn't matter anymore
25:19does it ethan nodded i knew the truth didn't matter to him all he cared about was that alex had
25:25broken
25:25his baby sister's and even if alex hadn't cheated he still wasted my three years i was done making excuses
25:32for him he didn't deserve my forgiveness there's more apparently isabella's first date instagram post
25:38was completely staged she was obsessed with alex when she found out he booked a private vacation
25:43she deliberately scheduled the retreat when alex rushed over for his work emergency
25:47she secretly snapped those misdating photos to post online a pathetic attempt to erase arrival
25:53alex fired her and i cut alex off we're done you lost your best friend any regrets families before
26:00friends always speaking of alex want to know what's been going on with him i said goodbye to ethan
26:06and headed home i walked over sat on the arm press of his chair and gave his chin a gentle
26:12tilt to pull
26:13his attention away from the screens pulling me securely onto his lap so i wouldn't fall
26:18i held up my phone pointing to a breaking news headline breaking etutech funds dry up founder alex
26:26vance files for bankruptcy i fake glared pinching his nose you play the perfect gentleman so well
26:32who knew my sweet husband was secretly bankrupting people in his spare time
26:37i'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
27:00i was a burden he made me feel like i was the most important person in the world
27:05well i still have to punish you i sentence you to a lifetime of sleep deprivation
27:11as a dad thorn froze slowly an unfiltered wonder flooded his dark okay i'm going to be a father i
27:21nodded burying my face in his neck from that day on thorn became impossible in the best way he furiously
27:28researched how to be the best dad ever he bought designer cribs and transformed half our house he even
27:36drove us to my grandmother's to share the good news i think he truly kept the promise he'd made to
27:41her
27:41and from then on we lived our happily ever after
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