Amanda stared at the man she loved as he got down on one knee and pulled a tiny box out of his right pocket. Before he could speak, Amanda shouted Yes! Luke closed his mouth and stood up to put the ring on Amanda’s finger.
She wrapped her arms around Luke, and he hugged her back, though he didn’t appear to be nearly as excited as she was. It was her dream come true, and, well, he was marrying her for the benefits. Either way, it didn’t matter. He would leave for the army soon so he wouldn’t have to deal with her.
That night there was a fancy dinner that Amanda’s parents paid for. They were jumping for joy at the thought of their baby girl getting married. That was the plan. That had always been the plan.
Luke ate his meal and chatted politely, all the while hoping his parents could be there. His father died in the army not ten years before. His mother killed herself not long after. Perhaps that’s why he chose Amanda to be his wife; he knew she would be that loyal to him if he didn’t make it.
When it was time to say goodbye to Amanda, she clung to him as if he were the air she breathed. It was suffocating, and truthfully, he wished he could avoid seeing her until the wedding five weeks from now.
*****
Four weeks later, Amanda was trying on her wedding dress for the last time. Her mother and two best friends were by her side when she got a message from Luke. Amanda squealed when she saw his name appear on her screen. She read the message, and as she did, a look of dread crossed her face.
She fell backward into her mother and, her friends struggled to keep her from falling. They had her sit on the floor and waited for her to calm down before they asked what was wrong. Amanda couldn’t bring herself to say anything, so she handed her phone to Katie.
Katie took the phone and read Luke’s message out loud, “I’m so sorry Amanda, but this isn’t going to work out. I met someone else.”
Amanda started sobbing when she heard the words out loud. Her mother put her hand to her mouth. Katie sat in shock, wondering how Luke could do something like this so close to the wedding.
Jen's Journal 
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