One Tiny Lie

Chapter 1

"Dara... he ran away. Seunghyun ran away" Chaerin carefully said like each word she spits equates to a knife stab in my heart

My mind won't work. I refuse to believe that this is happening.

Seunghyun

They said Seunghyun ran away. He ran away on the day of our supposedly wedding. He bailed me and left me to face everybody in shame. The man who promised me a life together is nowhere to be found.

I'm holding my tears. I don't want to break down in front of everyone here and even when I want to scream and throw a fit, I can't. I don't know what to do. I couldn't move much more utter a word. Even taking a breath is arduous. Why? I can't think of any reason why he would do this and of all people I never expected him to do this to me.

"Dara" My mom said in a soft voice. She wanted to hug me but I can't bring myself to move. Not even an inch. The news froze my entire body in shock.

"W-wher-where did h-he go?" I asked my mom in a dire tone not looking at her eyes or anyone surrounding me because I know their pitiful eyes will try to comfort me and that's the last thing I would want to feel right now. I don't need anyone's comfort. I don't need their sympathetic words telling me everything's going to be alright because it won't.

Chaerin sighed and took a step closer to me reaching out for my arm "We have no idea, Dara. Youngbae went to his room to tell him it's already time for the wedding but no one answered behind the doors so he opened it but Seunghyun's already gone"

"Maybe he just went to the rest room or maybe he forgot something from home so he rushed way back. Or he's not feeling well he went to the hospital. Or maybe he's just pulling a prank or some kind of a surprise. You know him. He loves doing that to annoy me" I'm not sure what I'm saying either. It's more of like convincing myself rather than them that this is just some kind of a planned act. I kept looking around expecting that he will come out somewhere from the corners of the church but no one's showing up except the intrigued and confused guests inside the hall.

My knees wobble from the frailty; I could pass out any minute now.

"We tried calling him Dara but he's out of reach"

That alarmed me somehow bringing my sanity back. A pinch of uneasiness built up inside me "What if he got into an accident, Chaerin? That's why he's not here and none of your calls can reach him?"

Chaerin shook her head not knowing what to reply anymore. It was my mom who talked to me in return "Dara... let's just cancel your wedding okay? Let's go home" I looked at her in wide eyes

"Why are we going to cancel it? Everyone's here! I'm pretty sure Seunghyun just caught up into something. He's going to come. He's just late"

We waited for another five minutes before the priest came over "I think it's best if we postpone the wedding for now so Dara could take a rest" he said to my mom

"No. Seunghyun's going to come" I firmly declared and the priest couldn't help but to sigh in resignation and no one dared to talk.

Not from too far, I see Youngbae running towards where were sitting. While catching up on his breathe he handed me a white envelope "Dara, I saw t-this when I rummage through his apartment. It was inside his drawer."

So Seunghyun must have really planned not to come after all

I can only look at the envelope Youngbae is handing me. I'm not sure if I can read whatever that letter contains that might speak of the truth behind his no show act. I can't bring myself to read it when I'm still in denial of what's happening because I know when I opened and start reading that letter it will only pop this deluded bubble I'm confining myself that he's indeed gone and I don't have the strength to accept such fact especially when everything seems so well between us.