He is not going to go through with the wedding today. I feel a flood of emotions; I am embarrassed, angry, sad, and confused. Most of all, however, I am alone. He, the one to whom I gave my secrets, my heart, and my trust, has abandoned me on what is supposed to be the happiest day of my life. He, more than anyone else, knows that my greatest weakness is learning to trust another person.

Often, especially at the beginning of our relationship, I would question the sincerity of his feelings for me. I was terrified of being left alone; sometimes I found myself pulling away from his love solely because if I pushed him far enough away, he would not even have the opportunity to hurt me. Tirelessly, he took apart the protective wall of isolation I had built up around me. With each tight hug, I could feel my doubts and insecurities crumble, leaving room for a me to become a new, self-confident person. Repeatedly, he would tell me the several reasons he loved me. He was patient; each time I started to run back to the safety of isolation, he had a gentle hug and a soft “Theresa, I love you.” to remind me that he cared for me more than anyone else in the world.

I have never broken a promise. Those closest to me can testify that keeping a promise is perhaps the most important thing for me in a relationship. He knew this, and with time, he learned to choose his words carefully, only making promises he was sure to keep. The night he proposed, he promised to love me forever. Now that he no longer wishes to marry me, he has broken this promise, the biggest one of all. Never again will I remember the fond memories of the years we spent together; I am left with only the emptiness of his broken promise.


My parents, my sister, and my bridesmaids hold open their arms for consoling hugs, muttering comments like “She was too good for him, anyway.” They reach out to me with love, wanting only to make me happy. With silent tears, I turn away from their open arms and begin to run out of the church, running once again to the safety of my isolation, alone.