Okay, buckle up. This is a long one and I’m probably going to get roasted, but I need to get it off my chest. Throwaway account for obvious reasons.

For context: I (28M) was in a situationship with “Emily” (27F) when we were teenagers — we met at 16, were each other’s first everything, and had this on-again, off-again thing that was never officially a relationship, but always more than friends. Think “if the timing was different, we’d be perfect.” That kind of messy, intense, unfinished teenage love.

We lost contact when we went to different colleges. Life happened. I moved abroad for a few years, she stayed in our hometown. We never really had closure.

Fast forward to last year: I come back home and my younger brother (26M), let’s call him Jake, excitedly tells me he’s met the love of his life. You can probably guess who it is. Yup. Emily.

The first time I saw her again after nearly 10 years was at our family dinner — she walked in, holding Jake’s hand, and my heart genuinely stopped. She looked exactly the same but more… everything. Older, wiser, more grounded. She was shocked too. We both played it cool, but I could feel the tension in the room like static.

Jake had no idea about our past. Apparently Emily never mentioned it — maybe she thought I never would either. And honestly, I tried not to. I buried it. I figured, “They’re happy. It’s in the past. Let it go.”

But I couldn’t. Over the next few months, we had to spend a lot of time together — family stuff, wedding planning. And the more time I spent with her, the more I knew I wasn’t over her. I started noticing the way she looked at me when Jake wasn’t watching. The long silences. The weird energy.

One night, a few weeks before the wedding, we were alone. She pulled me aside after dinner and said, “We never talked about what happened between us. I never stopped wondering what could’ve been.” I didn’t kiss her. I didn’t touch her. But we both knew that if either of us made a move, it would’ve happened.

I didn’t sleep that night. Or the next. I thought about Jake — my little brother who looked up to me his whole life. I thought about Emily — and how, in a different life, maybe she would’ve been mine. I thought about how they were planning forever, and I was still stuck in a ghost of the past.

Then came the wedding day. I don’t even know what came over me. When the officiant said, “If anyone objects…” I spoke up.

I didn’t confess my love or make a scene. I just said, “I don’t think this should happen,” and walked out. The room exploded.

The wedding was canceled. Jake confronted me. Emily disappeared for a few days. Eventually, I told him everything — or at least most of it. He hasn’t spoken to me since. My family is furious. Half think I’m a selfish asshole. The other half think I saved him from a woman who wasn’t fully in it.

As for Emily? We’ve talked once since then. She said thank you, but also that she’s not ready for anything with me. I don’t blame her.

So… Reddit, AITAH?