Without Our Love, Photographs Mean Nothing Chapter 1

Austin never liked taking photos, and he certainly never wanted to take them with me.

For my graduation, he claimed his internship kept him too busy to make it, sending me a poorly photoshopped AI-composite image instead.

When we traveled together, he shrugged and said professional photos were always heavily edited anyway, so he generated another batch of AI portraits for us.

Now that we were getting married, Austin wanted our wedding photos to be AI-generated, too.

"Wedding shoots are a massive rip-off and a waste of time," he'd said. "Besides, those AI templates look exactly like the stuff your friend shoots. You’re the only sucker willing to pay her rates."

"The shoot conflicts with my business trip anyway, Fi. Why don't we use that money to buy you a stunning dress instead?"

Looking into Austin's earnest eyes, I quietly closed the portfolio my best friend had sent over.

Once Austin left for his trip, the entire burden of wedding planning fell squarely on my shoulders.

I’d just pulled an all-nighter finalizing the wedding favors when Paige posted a new gallery on her Instagram grid.

Another repeat client! This handsome guy went all out to book a custom birthday shoot for his favorite girl~

Slightly envious, I tapped on the photos.

Only to find Austin's familiar face smiling back at me next to a strange girl.

* * *

Thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me from sleep deprivation, I closed the app and opened it again.

Paige's geotag was set to the exact coastal town where Austin was supposed to be on his business trip.

No matter how much I zoomed in or out, the man in the photo was undeniably Austin.

The only difference was his bare left hand. No wedding band.

When Austin proposed, he swore that once the ring was on, it would never come off.

Once, I took mine off briefly before a shower, terrified of losing it in the drain, and he gave me the silent treatment for half a day.

It took hours of coaxing to get back into his good graces.

Yet here he was, the first to slip it off.

The man who claimed to despise cameras had spent hours posing for beautiful, intimate photos with another girl.

I pulled up Austin's chat, typing out one last question.

Can we please do a real wedding shoot when you get back?

It was three in the morning, but he replied almost instantly.

Fi, I thought we agreed on the AI pictures?

You know how much I hate all that fuss and posing. Real shoots are exhausting. Let's not get into this now, babe. Let your man get some sleep, okay?

Always the same excuse. Too exhausting. Too tired.

Was it not exhausting to pose for a glittering, fairy-tale birthday shoot with that other girl?

Paige had told me about those shoots before.

To get that perfect shot of glitter suspended in mid-air, you needed someone throwing handfuls of it over and over again.

Those sessions took at least two grueling hours.

In the photos, Austin's hair and clothes were dusted with sparkles. He must have thrown them dozens of times.

He didn't mind the hassle for her, but a wedding shoot for us was too much to ask.

My fingers trembled so badly it took me several tries just to close his chat.

I screenshotted the gallery and sent it straight to Paige.

Why didn't you tell me?

She, too, replied instantly.

So you saw.

Honestly, whatever. If anyone should feel guilty here, it's you.

My fiancé had slipped away on the eve of our wedding to play boyfriend to another woman.

My best friend had actively covered for them and taken the damn photos.

Why on earth should I feel guilty?

Before I could even type a response, another text popped up from Paige.

Fiona, you always claimed Austin hated photos. You never supported my business, and you wouldn't even book me for your wedding photos.

But guess what? Austin loved my work. He praised me and has hired me several times now. You were never a real friend to me.

Several times?

I followed Paige's work religiously. If that girl had been in her portfolio before, I would have noticed.

The only explanation was that Paige had blocked me from seeing those specific posts.

Paige and I had grown up together. We were supposed to be sisters.

When she said she wanted a professional camera, I worked two exhausting summer jobs just to buy her one.

When she couldn't find a job after graduation, I was the one who pushed her to turn her hobby into a career.

Her first, second, and third clients were all people I begged to hire her.

Outside of my parents, she was the person I loved most in this world. Yet, she accused me of being a fake friend just because I didn't hire her for my own wedding.

And for a quick paycheck, she had willingly helped Austin betray me.

Paige, how much did Austin pay you for this shoot?

Her reply came a second later.

Eight hundred bucks. Plus travel and hotel.

Eight hundred dollars. Not even the cost of the first camera I bought her.

Austin had balked at the five-hundred-dollar wedding package I wanted, calling it a waste. But eight hundred for a birthday shoot was totally fine.

Look, Fi, don't say I never did anything for you. I'll give you the truth. Austin isn't on a business trip.

He took Mona away for her birthday. It's a romantic getaway. Whether you still want to marry him is up to you.

Attached was a photo.