He Traded My Dignity For His Waitress, So I Left Him At The Altar

Julian hired a new waitress at his bar. The once mature, steady man instantly turned into a reckless boy head over heels in love. Every time she caused trouble, she would tear up and beg him to clean up her mess with cash. All that was left for me were endless wedding postponements. He told me to wait a little longer—just until he saved up a hundred thousand dollars to give me the most lavish wedding in town. I believed him, but the money was never enough. One day, Chloe smashed an expensive vintage wine; the next, she offended an important VIP. Julian’s money was constantly poured into digging her out of holes. The night before our wedding, a gang of thugs cornered her, groping her and threatening to take illicit pictures. Chloe turned her panic-stricken, teary eyes toward Julian once again. Julian’s face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "Let her go. I'll trade other photos with you." In the next moment, my explicit photos were leaking all over the internet. "They're just a few photos. If they saved an innocent girl's dignity, it was totally worth it." "Besides, we're getting married anyway. As long as I know you're clean, that's all that matters. Just get ready for tomorrow and be my most beautiful bride." A bitter smile touched my lips. Because three days ago, I had already texted Lucas, the billionaire who raised me, asking him to take me back to New York. After giving in so many times, the bride was finally running away. My phone lay on the floor, its screen buzzing non-stop with viral notifications. It was a leaked intimate photo of me, barely censored. I was wearing my wedding dress in it... The person who took that photo was my fiancé. That day, he coaxed me into posing for the shot, whispering sweet promises that he would cherish it forever. I believed him. Yet the very next day, an avalanche of cyberbullying and disgusting rumors crashed down on me. My private pictures were circulating everywhere online, and my inbox was flooded with creeps harassing me all day long. Silently, I scrolled through my contacts and found a number I hadn’t dialed in years. [Lucas, I’m calling off the wedding. Come pick me up and take me home in three days.] Just three seconds later, his reply popped up. [Finally came to your senses? In three days, even if you chicken out, I'm dragging you back myself!] A hollow laugh escaped my lips—just as the door swung open, revealing a scowling Julian. "Serena, how could you let Chloe deliver wine by herself? She barely just turned eighteen!" He grabbed my shoulders and pinned me roughly against the sofa. "If I hadn't made it there in time, those thugs would have..." "You know how important a woman's dignity is!" Right. Dignity is important for a woman, yet he gave mine away without a second thought. He took a deep breath, his face turning grim. "I didn't mean to yell at you. But you crossed the line this time. Tomorrow, you're going to apologize to Chloe!" Not a single word of explanation about my leaked photos. My heart sank to rock bottom. Over and over, my compromises hadn't earned his love—only sharper daggers plunged deeper into my chest. I stared at him numbly and asked just one question: "So, is that why you traded my private photos to those thugs?" Hearing me bring up the trade, the man who had been fiercely defending Chloe suddenly went dead silent, guilt flashing across his face. His tone softened instantly as he pulled me into his arms, his hand gently patting my back to soothe me. "Serena, it was an emergency. Those scumbags were about to strip Chloe right there. I couldn't just stand by and watch her get violated." "They're just a few pictures. If they saved an innocent girl's dignity, it was a bargain. You've always been so generous—you won't hold this against me, right?" I stood there, stiff as a board. A bargain? So on his scale, my dignity was just cheap currency to be traded away at will. Seeing my silence, he cupped my face with both hands. "Babe, stop throwing a tantrum. Once this blows over, I'll marry you right away. We've postponed it ninety-nine times already. Do you really want to blow it on the final shot?" Even now, he was threatening me. "No matter what others think, in my heart, you'll always be the purest..." Subconsciously, my hand brushed over my flat stomach. Before I even had the chance to share my good news with him, life had dealt me a crushing blow. I couldn't fathom how the man who claimed to love me so deeply had turned into a complete stranger. Pulling back, I put some distance between us, my expression cold. Assuming I was just being petty, he leaned in to kiss me, desire flickering in his eyes. "Serena, I want you..." I dodged his touch without hesitation. "I'm exhausted." "Get out."Julian froze, speechless for a moment. "Fine, don't apologize if you don't want to. Just don't overthink this. I already pushed the wedding back by three days." He grabbed his phone and headed straight for the bathroom. The sound of running water echoed, followed by the man's muffled, heavy breathing. Years ago, when I first arrived in Miami, someone spiked my drink at a party, and Julian was the one who rescued me. Back then, he swore he would marry me and never take advantage of me. Turns out, people are just devils wearing human skin; you can never truly know their hearts. Even lying in bed, I could clearly hear the words spilling from his lips through the bathroom door. "Chloe... my sweet Chloe..." Faint, breathy moans of a young girl drifted from his phone speaker. Julian's voice was hoarse with lust. "Good girl... tilt the camera lower..." It felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. I dug my fingernails violently into the palms of my hands. Ha. Julian, you make me sick. With a sweeping motion, I knocked a glass off the nightstand. It shattered, and the shards sliced open my hand, but I didn't even flinch at the blood. Hearing the crash, Julian hurried out of the bathroom, frantically hanging up the video call. Water droplets slid down his toned abs, and an unnatural flush lingered on his face. Noticing the blood on my hand, he rushed to grab the first aid kit. "Bite me if it hurts," he said softly, pinching my cheek with affectionate helplessness. "Next time you want to shower together, just tell me. Don't be as clumsy as you used to be and hurt yourself. It breaks my heart." Whenever I got mad, he always brushed it off with this gentle act. The worry on his face seemed so genuine, his hands bandaging my cut with such tenderness. Suddenly, it hit me who Chloe reminded me of whenever she caused trouble. She was the spitting image of who I used to be. I swallowed the rising nausea in my throat. In the next second, his phone lit up. The contact name on the lock screen—[Troublemaker Chloe]—stung my eyes like acid. He glanced at it, ignored it, and continued dressing my wound. Not getting a response, Chloe bombarded him with text after text. [Boss, save me! I accidentally broke the DJ mixer at the club! T_T] [Can you please rescue your little Chloe?] Julian's expression softened. Yet his grip on my hand tightened abruptly, making me wince in pain—a detail he completely failed to notice. His eyes remained glued to his phone screen as he quickly typed a reply with one hand, a fond smile on his face: [Not right now.] [But the manager says if I can't pay for it, I have to work it off as an escort... "cries" Never mind, it's so late. I'll just handle it myself...] Julian sprang to his feet. The cotton swab on my hand was still soaked in blood, but his eyes never looked at me again. Panic was written all over his face. "Chloe's in trouble. I have to go right now." "Just finish wrapping it yourself..." Watching his hurried back as he rushed out the door, I didn't cry, nor did I scream. I pretended not to hear the breathless moans that had just drifted from the bathroom. In three days, I would be gone for good. Julian didn't come home that night. He didn't even remember that the next day was our five-year anniversary. He only spared a moment to text me. [Things got crazy late last night, so I didn't come home. Went straight to the bar to work.] [You know I need to save up to marry you.] I stared blankly at his text, a sudden wave of detachment washing over me. Lies. All of it.I found myself fiercely missing our first year together. Two shy young lovers who blushed just holding hands and kissing. Not like now... Every time he claimed he had to work at the bar, he was actually out cleaning up Chloe's messes. He had even abandoned our wedding ceremony once just because Chloe had menstrual cramps. He left me standing alone at the altar, turning me into the laughingstock of the entire city. Meanwhile, he was at Chloe's apartment, warming her bed, rubbing her belly, playing the role of the devoted boyfriend. My phone chimed twice. Chloe had sent two photos. Inside the bar, the two of them were completely naked on the counter. Julian's Adam's apple bobbed as he passionately kissed her collarbone. My hands trembled slightly. I had already guessed he was still with her. Like marking her territory, Chloe followed up with two texts. [Serena, he's mine.] [Stop begging him to marry you. Begged love is so pathetic and cheap.] A sharp pain tore through my heart. I couldn't wait a second longer. Grabbing my keys, I drove straight to Julian's bar. I hadn't expected them to be so desperate that they were already fooling around at the bar in broad daylight. Before we had even broken up, Julian dared to cheat on me over and over behind my back! Taking a deep breath, I swallowed the raging fire inside me. My gaze fell instantly on Julian's hands in the picture. Our couple ring was gone. In its place was a cheap, plastic strawberry ring—an obvious matching set with the one on Chloe's hand. I began to shake all over. Those rings were the only heirlooms left by my late parents. Before they passed, they specifically told me to place that ring on the finger of the man I would spend my life with. When Julian learned about this, his eyes had rimmed red, swearing he would wear it until his dying breath. In our five years together, Julian and I had fought countless times. During our worst fight, I trashed his bar. His face turned pale with disappointment, and he coldly asked for a breakup. Even during that month-long silent treatment, he had never taken the ring off. Yet now, for a girl he had known for less than a month, he casually discarded his sacred promise. Still, a breakup deserved to be delivered in person. Ignoring the "Closed Today" sign swaying on the front door, I expressionlessly turned my key in the lock. Pushing the door open, the floor was littered with shattered bottles of vintage wine, the heavy alcohol aroma mixed with the unmistakable musk of sex. It was obvious how wild things had been. I looked around, but neither of them was there. A glass stained with red lipstick sat on the counter, as if silently mocking my foolishness. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Who would have thought I couldn't even find him to break up to his face? Trembling, I dialed Julian's number. His voice came through, deliberately hushed. "You're at the bar? I just closed up and went out with some friends. Call an Uber home, babe. I'll bring you a present tonight." Leaning against the bar counter, a dull ache throbbed in my hand. After enduring the pain for a moment, I prepared to drive to the hospital. Accidentally, my thumb tapped on Instagram. Chloe had just posted a picture. She was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV drip. And the man who just claimed he was out with friends was kneeling by her bed, cradling her bandaged foot with a gaze full of tender worry. Her caption read: [Things got too wild and stepped on broken glass. Hurts so bad, boo-hoo~] Julian had liked it and left a comment: [If it hurts, endure it. Who told you to be so greedy?] Beneath the post, mutual friends flooded the comments with teasing remarks. [Boss Julian, what delicious treat did you sneak Chloe behind our backs?] [I want some too!] [Boss Julian spoils our Chloe so much! When do we get to hear the good news from you two?] Chloe only replied to the last comment: [Well, that depends on a certain someone~] The realization hit me instantly. No wonder Julian rarely let me visit the bar. Since none of his staff knew he had a fiancée, he could openly flirt and fool around with Chloe without any shame. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them. I wiped them away, but they just kept flowing. I had lost count of how many times this had happened. I was no longer his priority. Chloe's birthday, Chloe's cute pouting, Chloe's late-night drunken calls—any of them could make him abandon me without a second thought. Completely numb, I dialed a number. "Hello, I'd like to schedule an abortion. This morning, please." Since this relationship had no reason to exist anymore, bringing a child into this world would only lead to a miserable life. Lying on the operating table, I gave my lower abdomen one last, lingering caress. A profound, unspeakable sorrow engulfed me. This baby could have been born into a loving family, bathed in the warmth of both parents... But timing is cruel. It arrived just as Julian was cheating on me. Don't blame mommy, little one. Blame the twisted fate that brought us together. After the procedure, as I walked toward the dressing room to bandage my cut hand, a hesitant voice called out from behind me. "Serena?"