{"id":21686,"date":"2025-01-12T20:06:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-12T20:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/?p=21686"},"modified":"2025-01-12T20:06:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T20:06:12","slug":"21686","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/?p=21686","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"
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The day started like any other, with the mundane glow of morning light filtering through my blinds. It was meant to be just another day of ticking off tasks and counting down the last eight weeks to our wedding, a day like any other until it wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Sunlight<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Sunlight through blinds | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I needed to make the final decision on the flowers and I was going to our local florist at noon to make sure I was happy with the mock-ups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On one hand, I felt like everything was going just fine. But on the other, I was a little nervous that Chris wasn\u2019t taking any of the wedding planning seriously.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Floral<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Floral arrangement for a wedding | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He agreed to everything I wanted and barely gave his own input like he just wasn\u2019t taking anything seriously.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t know how to feel about it, but I also knew that I was being sensitive about everything. I just wanted to have the perfect day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A young couple using a laptop | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cTalk to him, Haley,\u201d my best friend, Claudia, said when I confessed my feelings during a beach day. \u201cTell him why his input means so much to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And I wanted to. I wanted to tell Chris that despite all odds, we were getting married. I was only 23, and my parents had been against the wedding from the beginning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Two<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Two women talking at the beach | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cCome on, Haley,\u201d my mother said. \u201cWhat\u2019s the rush? You\u2019re still so young, and there\u2019s an entire world for you to discover before settling down.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI love him,\u201d I said, believing that it would be enough.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman writing in a book | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ll support you because you\u2019re my daughter and I want you to be happy, but please, do not mistake my support for my blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I nodded at her. I knew that eventually, my mother would come around\u2014she always did.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A smiling young woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But my father, on the other hand, refused to entertain the topic at all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t have anything to say about this, Haley,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are too young. And who is this boy? Chris is a few years older than you, but he\u2019s still getting into his career. Can he support you?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A close-up of an older man | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That had been almost a year ago. Since then, my parents seemed to thaw. They accepted Chris, but they were still uncertain about our marriage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I made myself some coffee and settled down into my home office, ready to tackle the day before heading to the florist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A person holding a cup of coffee | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I glanced at the framed photo of Chris and me in Paris, a trip that now felt like a lifetime ago.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With a sigh, I picked up my phone, the screen lighting up with his smiling face as my background. I needed to ask him which flowers he preferred, his preferences for the reception menu, and another call I needed to make during the day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A couple in Paris | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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So, I tapped FaceTime, expecting another quick check-in, as had become our routine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The call connected, and there was Chris, sunglasses donned, sitting comfortably in his car with music playing in the background.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man driving | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHey, babe,\u201d he said, sounding casual as he put a mint into his mouth. \u201cI\u2019m just driving to meet with the guys, is this urgent or can I call you back?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Before I could muster a reply, my eyes snagged on something odd. The glint of sunlight off his glasses should\u2019ve shown the road, maybe the gray interior of his car.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man wearing sunglasses | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But that\u2019s not what I saw.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Instead, there were the unmistakable lines of a pair of legs, propped casually on his dashboard. Woman\u2019s legs, barefoot, carefree. A gold anklet glittering in the sunlight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman wearing an anklet | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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My heart plummeted into my stomach, and I completely forgot about everything else.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNo, it\u2019s nothing urgent,\u201d I managed, my voice a whisper of its usual self.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Frantically, I took a screenshot of the last image before Chris dropped the call.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman holding a phone | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The call ended, but my pulse raced, thunderous and accusing, in my ears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My fingers shook as I studied it, the damning evidence of betrayal was so blatant yet so unbelievable. I sent it to Claudia, needing another set of eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAm I seeing this right?\u201d I texted, the screenshot flying through the digital space between us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Her response was swift\u2014she called me immediately.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman on the phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThose are definitely woman\u2019s legs,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat the hell is he doing?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI have no idea,\u201d I said. \u201cNow what?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cCheck his location, see where he is. Go and see what he\u2019s up to. I can meet you there if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A phone tracking a location | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I opened Chris\u2019s location on my phone. There it was\u2014a little blinking dot moving steadily along the highway. Not long after, it settled at a local restaurant bar, a popular hangout for our group of friends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t think. I couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A bar | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Here I was, planning our wedding and Chris was out with a woman. If he was with any of our friends, he would have mentioned it on the phone and she would have most likely jumped into the frame and greeted me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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No, this was someone new.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The back view of a woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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This was a different woman who my fianc\u00e9 was spending time with.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With robotic motions, I stood in front of my closet, trying to pull something to change into. My mind was swirling in disbelief and fury.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Driving to the bar felt surreal, each mile a step deeper into a nightmare.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Clothes<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Clothes hanging in a closet | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I didn\u2019t know what I would find, but I knew that whatever Chris was up to would break my heart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I drove with the radio blasting music\u2014I needed to silence my mind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The restaurant was buzzing with laughter and clinking glasses, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me. And of course, I found Chris there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"People<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

People toasting with wine | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He was seated at a table laughing with a woman. It had to have been the same woman from the car because she had a little gold anklet on. Her hand was on his arm, and he smiled at her in a way that he used to smile at me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A couple sitting at a bar | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I thought about sitting down at a table and observing them. The delusional part of my mind wanted to believe that maybe I had gotten it wrong. But the rational and sane part told me that the scene was exactly what I thought it was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Sitting and watching wasn\u2019t going to do anything other than make me nervous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A sad woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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My engagement ring\u2014once a symbol of promises and future dreams\u2014felt like a shackle. With a deliberate calmness, I slid it off my finger.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I bought a glass of champagne at the bar, my hands steadier than I felt inside. As I approached their table, Chris looked up, his smile faltering into confusion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"An<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An engagement ring | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHaley, what\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But his words were cut short as I threw the champagne in his face. The ring followed, landing with a clink against his glass on the table.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou can choke on your proposal,\u201d I hissed, the words acid on my tongue. \u201cSince it clearly meant nothing to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman holding a glass of champagne | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The woman beside him gasped, but I didn\u2019t bother giving her any attention. I turned and walked out, the murmur of the crowd parting like the sea around me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I drove straight to the florist, making it in time for our appointment, and canceled the entire order. Then, I drove straight to my parents\u2019 house.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A flower shop | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHi, honey,\u201d my mother said, opening the door moments after I rang the doorbell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHi, Mom,\u201d I said, wrapping my arms around her in a hug.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My mother made us some tea and brought out cookies and ice cream\u2014the usual remedy in our home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSo, that\u2019s it?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Tea<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Tea and cookies | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I nodded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou can say it, you know,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhat?\u201d she smiled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat you told me so,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But she didn\u2019t. Instead, she hugged me and packed a bag to come over and stay with me for a little while. I still lived alone\u2014only wanting Chris to move in after we had gotten married.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A mother and daughter embracing | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ll take care of you while you figure it out,\u201d my mother said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I went back to my apartment alone\u2014my mother was going to join me later, after telling my father about the recent turn of events when he got home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So, now I\u2019m sitting in bed and eating a bowl of ice cream because I don\u2019t know what else to do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A bowl of ice cream | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What would you do?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If you enjoyed this story, here\u2019s\u00a0another one\u00a0|<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When Nina\u2019s fianc\u00e9, Mitchell, sends her a photo of his dog, Buster\u2014she proudly shows it off to her colleague, Sophie. But instead of telling her how cute Buster is, Sophie reveals a much deeper secret that changes Nina\u2019s entire life, causing her engagement to fall apart before her eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Read the full story\u00a0here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided \u201cas is,\u201d and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The day started like any other, with the mundane glow of morning light filtering through my blinds. It was meant to be just another day of ticking off tasks and counting down the last eight weeks to our wedding, a day like any other until it wasn\u2019t. Sunlight through blinds | Source: Unsplash I needed…<\/p>\n

Read More “”<\/span> »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21686"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21686"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21689,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21686\/revisions\/21689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}