Chelsea is all set to marry Rasmus, the man of her dreams. But when the wedding day arrives and no guests show up, Chelsea has to figure out who canceled her wedding and whether her groom is right for her or not.
I’ve always wanted that ‘Happily Ever After’ kind of romantic life. So, when I met Rasmus, I thought I had finally gotten it. But as my wedding day began to unravel, it seemed I had gotten the nightmare version instead.
Rasmus and I met at a bakery. It was a sweet little meet-cute situation — where I was convinced he was the perfect person for me. We exchanged numbers over rye bread.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Chelsea,” he said, holding onto a loaf of artisanal bread.
He called me just as he left the bakery, 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.
“You’d think that Mom would have sorted out her feelings by now.”
It was true, my parents loved me — but they just couldn’t see Rasmus and me together.
“There’s just something off about him,” my father would say. “But we respect your wishes to marry him.”
Closer to the time, Jess called for the hotel car, and we made our way to the wedding venue.
“Where is everyone?” Jess asked, echoing my thoughts.
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 had a business meeting, and your mother tagged along with me. We had nothing to do with it. We did get the cancellation from Brenda and just wanted to give you your space.”
“I didn’t see any email,” Jess said. “But you know how bad I am at checking my mail.”
That’s when it hit me — the only other person who would have access to my email accounts, work and personal, was Rasmus.
The same man who was supposed to be waiting for me at the other end of the aisle.
I asked Jess to take me home, ready for answers. I needed to know what was happening and how it all unfolded without my knowledge.
I walked into our little apartment, and there he was. Rasmus, sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal. He had no intention of leaving the house because he was in his sweatpants, wearing glasses, and his hair was wavy.
His usual armor of being well-dressed, contacts in, and hair swept into his signature hairstyle was all missing.
“You canceled our wedding?” 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.
What would you have done?
Uber driver saves up for 8 years to build a genius expandable container home
Imagine dreaming of an expandable container home that can travel with you, unfolding into a comfortable living space quickly, and equipped with all the essentials.
That’s exactly what Kamal Kadhar dreamed of ten years ago, inspired by innovative designs he discovered online.
Despite lacking formal construction training, Kamal started a journey fueled by determination and passion.
Using his earnings from eight years of driving for Uber, Kamal built a compact yet expandable container home measuring 7.5 feet by 24 feet.
The beauty of his creation lies in its portability – it can be towed by a 4×4 vehicle, eliminating the need for cranes or forklifts.
Kamal’s journey began in a field outside Tiruchirappalli, a southern Indian city, where he constructed his first prototype.
What sets Kamal’s creation apart is its simplicity and resilience. He opted for mechanical winches instead of complex hydraulics to ensure ease of deployment in remote locations.
As Kamal describes it, the expandable container home is like an octopus – small when needed, expandable when necessary, and can withstand disasters like fires, hurricanes, or floods.
The relocation process is as easy as moving a shipping container, making it legally transportable anywhere in the world using a 4×4 SUV.
The journey wasn’t without its challenges.
After investing almost a decade of hard work and facing financial strain, Kamal’s family was on the verge of giving up.
However, witnessing the prototype changed everything. Realizing the idea’s value brought relief despite the personal and financial sacrifices.
Kamal’s unconventional path involved learning everything from YouTube, combining his experiences as an Uber driver with visits to construction sites and apprenticeships at a builder’s shop.
The relocation process is as easy as moving a shipping container, making it legally transportable anywhere in the world using a 4×4 SUV.
The journey wasn’t without its challenges.
After investing almost a decade of hard work and facing financial strain, Kamal’s family was on the verge of giving up.
However, witnessing the prototype changed everything. Realizing the idea’s value brought relief despite the personal and financial sacrifices.
Kamal’s unconventional path involved learning everything from YouTube, combining his experiences as an Uber driver with visits to construction sites and apprenticeships at a builder’s shop.
His creative mindset was founded on his father’s small scrap metal shop, where he played with metal and aluminum, shaping the project to resemble a regular shipping container.
The main structure starts small at 7ft 6in and expands to 20ft.
The expandable container home takes less than 2 hours to build, with a foundation not required.
It can be adjusted on uneven surfaces using built-in leg jacks.
The roof opens with stainless steel hinges, both mechanical and electrical components, avoiding hydraulics for reliability.
The roof opens to add solar panels, maximizing power generation for personal use or resale to the government by connecting to the grid.
The sides expand mechanically, controlled by a hinge, making it easy to pull and open with just one finger.
The kitchen, also expandable, is attached to the bathroom facility. Utilities run down the middle, and it’s designed to hook up to city sewage.
The living area is spacious, with a total interior size of 300 square feet, and the bedroom features a foldable bed.
This house has been tested in a remote village, and even non-professionals helped build it confidently.
You can expand it and adjust the interior to make it more spacious.
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