wanting us to have dinner that night. Two short years later, we were waking up to our wedding day. That morning, I showered early, eagerly awaiting my hair and makeup appointments. I remember sitting at the edge of the hotel bed, looking at my dress and holding my breath. I couldn’t wait to marry Rasmus. I couldn’t wait to begin our lives together. So, the day went on — my maid of honor, my sister Jess, was with me, and we continued to get ready. “Where’s Mom?” Jess asked. “Shouldn’t she be getting dressed with us?” “No, we decided it would be best for her and Dad to meet us at the venue. You know she doesn’t get along with Rasmus.” Jess shook her head. It was an entire wedding venue with literally not a soul in sight. There was no welcome sign for the guests, no welcome drinks, no décor, no staff, and absolutely no guests. Not even Rasmus. “Get Brenda on the phone,” I said, talking about my wedding planner. I was beginning to panic. I was all dressed and ready to go. It was supposed to be my special day. “Brenda, where is everyone?” I asked when Jess handed me the phone. “What do you mean?” Brenda’s calm voice came through the speaker. “I’m at my wedding venue, and there’s nobody here!” I exclaimed, the panic evident in my voice. “Chelsea, honey,” Brenda said. “The wedding was canceled. The directive came through your email address just three days ago.” My heart almost stopped beating. How could I have canceled my own wedding? I went through my emails, and sure enough, there it was. Dear Brenda,Due to unforeseen circumstances, the wedding is off. Please notify all the guests and the vendors. But it made no sense. It was from my corporate account — an account that my family had access to because we all worked at the family business together. My mind raced — did Mom and Dad? Could they really…? No, they couldn’t have. They always said that it was my life and my choices. Even if they didn’t approve of Rasmus, they wouldn’t hurt me like this. I needed to hear it from them. But my parents were just as shocked as I was. “We were on a flight, honey,” my father said. ” I asked before he could say anything. Rasmus didn’t even try to hide it. He had canceled the wedding because, three days ago, he realized that as much as he loved me, he wasn’t ready for marriage. So, he panicked. “I didn’t have the courage to tell you,” he said. “I figured that you’d think the wedding was on, and then when the slip-up happened, you would want to investigate it. I thought it would take the heat off me.” As I stood there, my wedding day in ruins around me, I realized that my parents were right. Rasmus wasn’t the person for me. And as much as it hurt, a part of me was relieved he did it. So, here I am, looking at my wedding dress and wondering what to do with it.