- 3 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 smud 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
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 never
03:02had to think about me walking away i was always the one waiting always the one reaching he couldn't
03:10even process it stop being me and see i'm bent at me ver stop being so dramatic kathleen you're just
03:17stressed before i could answer his phone buzzed isabella's name flashed on the screen alex i totally
03:24messed up the q3 projections i'm so sorry can you come over please i'm on my way wait for me
03:34he hung up and touched my hair his voice going soft in that way i used to mistake for tenderness
03:41we'll talk about this later k you can grab an uber from here right he didn't wait for an answer
03:45i stood in the parking lot and watched his taillights disappear into the dark work emergency
03:51it was always a work emergency like in march our three-year anniversary i'd rented a beach house
03:59weeks in advance a whole week along the coast just the two of us and his phone rang i gotta
04:05go
04:05babe 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
04:20he 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 a
04:34bikini 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 done
05:02hiding done waiting done being something he was ashamed of and texted him i needed to end it in
05:10person not that it counted as a breakup you can't break up with someone who never even admitted you
05:15existed to him i was just a hookup he never had to answer for i went to his office i
05:20reached for the
05:21handle then a voice slipped through the door soft sweet calling we should totally do paris next weekend
05:27hold on isabella there's something i need to tell you my stomach dropped paris a proposal that's what
05:34this was then the sound fabric shifting something scraping the floor in his office where he used to
05:42take me before i could stop myself i shoved the door open alex was sprawled on the leather sofa
05:49isabella was crouched at his feet gathering scattered papers tight pencil skirt sheer black stockings
05:57anyone walking in would have assumed the same thing i swallowed the bile rising in my throat and forced
06:02to smile i wasn't gonna let them see me break what a coincidence my wedding is next weekend i just
06:09emailed you the evise alex don't forget to check it isabella looped her arm around alex's overplaying
06:15her excitement oh my god kathleen you're getting married alex you have to be there all right i'll let
06:22you two catch up we can reschedule she strutted out the door closed shut the next second alex lunged
06:29he slammed me hard against the wall chest to chest his breath came hot and furious against my neck that's
06:36what this is you want me jealous years kathleen years of this the lies the guilt trips backing me into
06:46a
06:46corner that's all you've ever done three years of begging three rejected proposals and he thought
06:52i was trapping him something inside me went still i don't even remember how i got out of his building
06:58the next two days learned i moved through everything like a ghost somewhere along the way i ended up in
07:05a
07:05bridal boutique i took a selfie and sent it to ethan his response came instantly damn my little sister's
07:15all grown 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
07:40finally gotten too heavy to carry but i couldn't hold it in anymore i had to tell my brother the
07:47one
07:47person who loved me most ethan i need to confess something i slept with your best friend you mean
07:54alex k i knew you had a crush on him in high school he was your first love right i
08:00nodded slowly
08:01was it that obvious then why did alex string me along for three years ethan pulled me into a hug
08:09look now you're both moving on right it was just a small chapter in your life three years and it
08:16was
08:16just a small chapter my first love ended without so much as a goodbye i chugged my beer then another
08:23ethan tried to take the glass he was too late what the hell how much did you drink your hands
08:28are ice
08:30alex grabbed my fingers don't touch her ethan slapped his hand away hard for the first time
08:35in my life i saw real anger aimed at his best friend you know the rule best friend sister is
08:43strictly off limits my brother and his best friend were at each other's throats and it was all because
08:50of me so you know did kathleen tell you ethan grabbed alex by his collar pulling him close oh
08:56i know i've always known exactly what you are the kind of guy who leaves a trail of broken hearts
09:03and never loses a second of sleep over it i don't give a damn how many women you sleep with
09:08but you
09:09do not touch my sister ethan i swear to god i would never hurt her i couldn't stand listening to
09:14his lies
09:14anymore hadn't he hurt me enough already they're shouting mixed with the blaring sports game on the
09:20bar tvs made my skull throb stop just stop i pressed my palms against the bar trying to steady myself
09:29my head felt like two semis were crashing into each other inside my skull alex insisted on taking
09:35me home he swore he wouldn't ditch me halfway this time ethan didn't look happy about it but he let
09:40him
09:40alex scooped me up and carried me toward the parking lot if you just stopped fighting me for
09:44once i would alex's friends were walking out of the vip exit isabella was right in the middle he
09:50suddenly let go i was too drunk to catch myself i hit the ground hard and winced oh this is
09:56kathleen
09:58ethan's sister she got totally wasted so i'm just giving her a ride the explanation came too quickly
10:04too defensively like he'd just been caught cheating he hauled me to my feet
10:10no carrying this time just an awkward grip on my arm maybe it was the alcohol but a sudden rush
10:16of courage flooded my chest i lifted my chin and smiled at the group hey everyone since i'm just
10:22the best friend's sister you're all invited to my wedding next weekend why can't you ever just behave
10:29did you really have to embarrass me in front of everyone alex shoved me into the passenger seat
10:34started the engine and sped through the dark streets to drop me off the second i made it inside
10:40i barely reached the bathroom before i threw up then i stumbled into my bedroom opened my closet
10:48and pulled out my love diary three years of a secret affair all of it pressed between those pages
10:53movie dates flights secret dinners abroad i'd hidden it carefully terrified someone might find it
11:01because i knew alex would hate that i grabbed scissors and cut page after page memory after
11:07memory until the whole thing was shredded beyond recognition then i dumped every last piece into the
11:13trash bin outside three years tossed out like garbage the next morning ethan told me alex had
11:19vanished he didn't show up at echo tech for a week no one knew where he went honestly ethan i
11:25don't
11:25care i have a wedding to plan ethan smiled softly patting my hair infectionately the night before the
11:33wedding i posted an ig story finally saying yes tomorrow for real this time the reactions flooded in
11:42instantly likes comments congratulations pouring in from every direction tears pricked my eyes this was
11:50what it felt like a relationship you could share with the world one that didn't have to hide and i
11:57was
11:57feeling it for the first time then my phone rang it was alex i was getting married tomorrow why was
12:04he
12:04calling now i hesitated then swiped to accept deafening club music and roaring cheers blasted through the
12:13speaker alex oh hey it was isabella why was she calling me from alex's phone alex hated anyone
12:23touching his phone and yet somehow isabella was holding it oops just playing with alex's phone and
12:30pushed the wrong button i was about to hang up when someone background shouted truth or dare alex what's
12:36your biggest regret alex's voice drifted over sounding drunk biggest regret dragging out a
12:43situation for way too long she checked all the boxes but man she was too needy always pushing for
12:50some kind of commitment you know how clingy younger girls get exactly women start pushing for commitment
12:58and suddenly 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 never seen him
13:23alex didn't say a word i 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
13:39unbothered 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 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 i had forgotten to block him on ig i blocked his account for good locked
14:21my phone
14:21and set it down a few minutes later my wedding coordinator knocked it's time when the doors
14:26opened 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
14:40helped quiet my nerves we exchanged rings the priest was just about to start our vows everything was
14:48unfolding perfectly until raised voices echoed from the hallway the chapel doors slammed open alex
14:54stormed in he was dressed in a custom white tuxedo looking exactly like a groom earlier that morning
15:01alex had woken up with a pounding hangover he opened instagram and saw my post me in a wedding
15:09dress holding a bouquet glowing with happiness alex stared at the photo for a long time a smug grin
15:16spread across his face his heart beating uncontrollably he typed out a quick dm to me since you're already in
15:22a wedding dress 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 have
15:55standing at the altar from this day forward exchanging our vows the image made him smile he pulled up my
16:04post checked the location tag and headed out on the way to the chapel his phone rang hey bro just
16:14wanted to say good luck today after you admitted last night that the ring was actually for kathleen
16:19nobody's making isabella jokes anymore good don't let any of those stupid jokes get back to her
16:27she'll throw a fit whoever does apollo be saw her before atrice brion here sorry bro we wouldn't do
16:33that again oh and heads up i think isabella used your phone to call kathleen after you were drunk it's
16:38fine 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 scary 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 i
17:23would never marry anyone but him he let out a low laugh she's really taking this joke far he could
17:30already picture it he'd push those doors open and i would run down the aisle in my dress throwing myself
17:36into his arms crying that i finally got what i wanted the guard interrupted his fantasy he pointed
17:42to the massive welcome sign near the entrance a breathtaking engagement photo of me and thorn
17:48with 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 faking this wedding to provoke me you
18:02don't
18:02get 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 to be your lawfully
18:26wedded husband i looked into thorn's eyes and smiled softly i do wait alex roared his voice cracking
18:37stop the wedding there's been a mistake ethan thought alex was just running late he grabbed
18:42alex's arm trying to pull him into a seat alex ripped his arm away and marched straight towards
18:47the altar well played kathleen you win you wanted to marry me you wanted to go public well here i
18:53am
18:53now pay off this cheap actor you hired and let's go i never expected alex to show up and cause
18:57a
18:58scene what i expected even less he actually believed this wedding was ours before anyone
19:02else could react ethan launched forward he grabbed alex by the sleeve absolutely furious are you out of
19:09your damn mind stop making a scene sit down before you humiliate yourself any further and if you ruin
19:16my sister's wedding i swear to god i will end you something shifted in alex's expression like a memory
19:22clicking into 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 little
20:09startup 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 who
20:39the hell do you think you are raising your voice at my wife he lifted his hand again ready for
20:45a third
20:46i caught his wrist he stopped instantly i stepped around him and faced alex the pathetic man i'd loved
20:52so desperately i lifted my hand and slapped him with everything i had i had held back that slap for
20:58three years alex you said your biggest regret was dragging out a relationship with a needed girl
21:03well let me tell you mine my biggest regret was wasting three years loving you but thankfully three
21:09years wasn't that long it was just enough time to realize you're absolutely worthless i reached for thorn's
21:15hand we turned and walked away behind me alex broke inside the quiet bridal suite i pulled out a
21:21first aid kit and carefully dabbed antiseptic on thorn's knuckles alex's earring must have nicked
21:26his skin when thorn hit him his hand was still bleeding i noticed him quietly studying my face
21:31i'm not mad that you hit him really that chapter is over thorn didn't push for details
21:36he just pulled me into his arms holding me tight my mind wandered back to the day we first met
21:41a month before the wedding i told him everything the three-year secret affair the three rejected
21:45proposals the lies the tears if this makes you uncomfortable we can cancel i'd even offered him an out
21:51i don't care about your past i just want you he'd only looked at me and said after we got
21:55engaged
21:55i took him to meet my grandma she was crying when she took his hands you two will be happy
21:59take care
22:00of my cake i'd been close to her since i was a little girl she bought me my first puppy
22:04her alzheimer's
22:05had stolen so much from her even as her memories faded she remembered me and my wedding even today
22:10he'd personally driven across the city to bring her to the chapel thorn suddenly murmured breaking the
22:15silence you know when alex crashed the chapel i thought you might run away with him right in front of
22:19your grandma i thought of alex bursting in wearing that ridiculous white suit it was so pathetic never
22:24i only want you i'm your wife thorne i smiled tracing his arm i laced my fingers through his
22:29trying to reassure him but kathleen there's something i need to confess a sudden wave of
22:34panic hit my chest what was he going to say thorne let out a soft laugh and rubbed my tense
22:39shoulders
22:40relax sweetheart don't be so anxious i just wanted to tell you i fell in love with you at first
22:44sight
22:45three 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
22:59he said i knew you'd been hurt i knew trust would take time but unlike him i'll only ever cherish
23:04you
23:04i'll wait for you no matter how long it takes our honeymoon lasted a month and it felt like stepping
23:09into a life i'd only ever read about he rented a private yacht down the coast lit up the night
23:14sky
23:14with custom fireworks held my hand as we walked along beaches until my feet ached the way he looked
23:20at me made my chest ache like i was the most breathtaking sight he'd ever laid eyes on we walked
23:25through crowded city streets holding hands we kissed in public without a hint of shame my wife he
23:31introduced me to every friend with the same quiet pride no secrets no hiding no suddenly dropping my
23:37hand when someone walked by this was what true love felt like but alex still wasn't ready to let
23:42me go and he was about to ruin everything i blocked alex's number before the wedding but he kept
23:47calling from unknown numbers the first call his voice was furious entitled kathleen you can't do this
23:52to me you betrayed me come home right now i hung up and blocked the number the second call his
23:56voice shifted sounding sickeningly gentle come back k i'll forgive you i didn't even speak
24:03block that number two the third call he was sobbing barely breathing i messed up isabella meant
24:08nothing please k just give me one more chance across the room thorn quietly set a glass of juice beside
24:14me he turned to leave wanting to give me privacy i reached for his hand before he could leave and
24:19held on his eyes met mine i gave a small shake of my head he nodded then sat beside me
24:24our fingers
24:25intertwined i looked up into his eyes but spoke into the phone my voice was calm and steady this was
24:29never only about isabella eventually it would have been someone else for three years you hid me you
24:34never chose me i don't love you anymore don't call me again my husband wouldn't appreciate that then i
24:38hung up dropping the phone on the table thorn immediately pulled me against his chest for the
24:43first time in my life i felt completely utterly safe after we returned from our honeymoon ethan asked
24:50me out for coffee k i may have seriously screwed something up i put down my latte and gently squeezed
24:56his hand i'd never be mad at you ethan then he exhaled and told me everything back when he'd seen
25:01alex buying the ring and then he told me about the fight he'd assumed what everyone else assumed
25:06but it was for isabella i just wanted to gossip but i gave you the wrong info it spiraled from
25:11there
25:11you were right and i was wrong after the wedding alex had gone to him and explained the ring had
25:16always
25:16been for me maybe it was a misunderstanding but it doesn't matter anymore does it ethan nodded i knew the
25:21truth didn't matter to him all he cared about was that alex had broken his baby sister's heart and
25:26even if alex hadn't cheated he still wasted my three years i was done making excuses for him
25:32he 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 a rival
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 and
26:06headed home i walked over sat on the arm press of his chair and gave his chin a gentle tilt
26:12to 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 etchutech funds dry up founder
26:25alex vance files for bankruptcy i fake glared pinching his nose you play the perfect gentleman
26:31so well who 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 to ruining a
26:56man's life and still sound like an absolute gentleman he never made me feel like i was a burden
27:01he made me feel like i was the most important person in the world well i still have to punish
27:07you
27:07i sentence you to a lifetime of sleep deprivation as a dad thorn froze slowly an unfiltered wonder
27:16flooded his dark okay i'm going to be a father i nodded burying my face in his neck from that
27:23day on
27:24thorn 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
27:37to share the good news i think he truly kept the promise he'd made to her and from then on
27:42we lived
27:43to our happily ever after
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