Donghae sighed as he finished his Diet Coke with lime and spun around on the barstool where he was currently perched. The hotel where Heechul had booked them a suite was gorgeous, and if he hadn’t been so preoccupied he might have considered the place as a possible wedding venue. As it was he wondered why his fiancé hadn’t text him back, or picked up the phone when he called to let the man know he was okay and had made it safely.

                He must be busy at work. I’ll try again later Donghae thought as he chewed on his straw. He’d come down by himself since Heechul had told him he wanted a nap before they went to the club. He was nowhere near tired, so had decided to check out the amenities in a failed attempt to keep himself distracted. Wishing he’d thought to grab his notebook and pencil or his bathing suit, he decided to wander, and somehow kept from checking his phone every five seconds hoping for a text or call from his fiancé.

                It wasn’t until Donghae had gone back to the suite to wake up an extremely grumpy Heechul and take a shower than he finally got his message, though not the one he’d hoped for. Instead of his fiancé, the man’s mother had texted him, saying the family was putting an end to the “gay nonsense once and for all,” and that his now ex was marrying a “lovely girl from a good family who would be patient as her husband worked through his mental problems.” He’d have thought it was a very poor joke, if a link to a live stream of the small ceremony hadn’t also been sent. He tried to call to ask for further explanation, only to get a “this number is disconnected or is no longer in service” message. Not knowing what else to do right then, he decided to get ready and would worry about his own love life after helping Heechul cope with his, not that that stopped him from thinking it through as he got ready.

                “’m, or rather don’t. Cheer up Fishy. He wasn’t the right man for you if he was so easily swayed into marrying some plastic Barbie doll who no doubt will happily birth the “heir and the spare” for the nanny to raise before descending into a vodka and sleeping pill spiral that will end with several stints in drug rehab and a tell all book because her husband is a closet gay and left her for a much younger man.” After finishing his own beauty regimen, Heechul had clicked on the link which was still active and was now streaming from the reception, and the older man was now providing his own savage commentary.

                “Shut that off Chullie. I know I should be heartbroken, but honestly I’m not even really all that surprised. How long did it take him to admit we were even dating? And even afterwards, he still went on every blind date his mother set him up with. I knew it wasn’t likely to happen when I proposed, but I thought maybe he’d found his balls after he said yes. I guess I was just tired of watching everyone around me get married and have babies. Well, except you. Somehow I don’t think Cinderella will be needing glass baby booties anytime soon.”

                “Only to cheat and end up in divorce court five years later. You know I like to let you work things out on your own and that I’ll always support any decision you make, but I’m kind of glad you didn’t go through with it. Some day there will be a man where you’ll be his whole world, that has the courage to admit you belong to each other and won’t give a flying rat’s behind what anyone else thinks. Now come on. I’m hungry, and there are people to meet. If nothing else, you can dance til you drop if you don’t feel like picking up some cute stranger while waiting for Mister Right.”