{"id":15543,"date":"2026-04-04T15:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543"},"modified":"2026-04-04T15:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T15:20:26","slug":"the-church-bells-rang-like-a-promise-i-once-believed-in-until-the-doors-burst-open-i-stepped-inside-drenched-my-child-shaking-in-my-arms-dont-stop-the-wedding-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543","title":{"rendered":"The church bells rang like a promise I once believed in\u2014until the doors burst open. I stepped inside, drenched, my child shaking in my arms. \u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said, placing the files at his feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d He froze. She turned pale. \u201cFive years ago,\u201d I whispered, \u201cyou lost the one thing he believes you\u2019re carrying.\u201d The silence shattered. But the real question is\u2026 who knew first?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"510\"><strong data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"64\">Part 1\u00a0<\/strong><br data-start=\"64\" data-end=\"67\" \/>The church bells rang loudly, echoing through the white walls as I stood outside, rain soaking through my coat. Through the glass doors, I could see him\u2014Daniel Carter\u2014smiling like nothing had ever happened, like he hadn\u2019t walked away from me and our son just months ago. Next to him stood his bride, Emily Hayes, one hand gently resting on her rounded belly. The guests admired her, whispering about how beautiful she looked, how lucky he was.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"512\" data-end=\"518\">Lucky.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"520\" data-end=\"618\">My son, Noah, clutched my arm, shivering\u2014not just from the cold. \u201cMom\u2026 is that Dad?\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"620\" data-end=\"711\">I swallowed hard. \u201cYes,\u201d I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. \u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"713\" data-end=\"1000\">Inside, the ceremony had already begun. The priest spoke about love, commitment, truth\u2014words that felt like a cruel joke. I tightened my grip on the folder in my hand. Every page inside it had taken me weeks to gather, weeks of disbelief turning into something colder\u2026 something sharper.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1002\" data-end=\"1167\">When the priest finally asked, \u201cIf anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace,\u201d my heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear anything else.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1169\" data-end=\"1181\">This was it.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1183\" data-end=\"1207\">I pushed the doors open.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1209\" data-end=\"1437\">The sound echoed through the church, turning every head toward me. Water dripped from my hair onto the marble floor as I walked down the aisle, Noah holding onto me tightly. Gasps filled the room. Daniel\u2019s face drained of color.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1439\" data-end=\"1540\">\u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said calmly, my voice cutting through the silence. \u201cI\u2019m not here to beg.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1542\" data-end=\"1582\">Emily\u2019s hand stiffened over her stomach.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1584\" data-end=\"1664\">I reached the altar and dropped the folder at Daniel\u2019s feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1666\" data-end=\"1681\">He didn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1683\" data-end=\"1709\">\u201cOpen it,\u201d I added softly.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1711\" data-end=\"1829\">His hands trembled as he picked it up. Papers shuffled. His eyes scanned the words\u2014medical records, signatures, dates.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1831\" data-end=\"1878\">Emily\u2019s breathing grew uneven. \u201cDaniel, don\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1880\" data-end=\"1969\">\u201cFive years ago,\u201d I said, my voice barely above a whisper, \u201cshe had a full hysterectomy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1971\" data-end=\"2012\">The room fell into a suffocating silence.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2014\" data-end=\"2057\">Daniel looked up, his face pale with shock.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2059\" data-end=\"2078\">I met Emily\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2080\" data-end=\"2163\">\u201cSo tell me,\u201d I said, my voice steady, sharp\u2014<br data-start=\"2125\" data-end=\"2128\" \/><strong data-start=\"2128\" data-end=\"2163\">\u201cwhat exactly is she carrying?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"2165\" data-end=\"2168\" \/>\n<p data-start=\"2170\" data-end=\"2305\"><strong data-start=\"2170\" data-end=\"2193\">Part 2\u00a0<\/strong><br data-start=\"2193\" data-end=\"2196\" \/>The silence didn\u2019t just linger\u2014it pressed down on everyone in the room like a weight no one knew how to lift.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2307\" data-end=\"2544\">Daniel\u2019s hands shook as he flipped through the pages again, as if reading them a second time might somehow change the truth printed in black and white. \u201cThis\u2026 this isn\u2019t possible,\u201d he muttered, his voice cracking. \u201cEmily, say something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2546\" data-end=\"2800\">Emily\u2019s face had gone completely pale, her earlier glow replaced by something brittle, almost desperate. \u201cShe\u2019s lying,\u201d she said quickly, but her voice lacked conviction. \u201cYou can\u2019t trust her, Daniel. She\u2019s your ex-wife\u2014of course she wants to ruin this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2802\" data-end=\"2894\">I let out a quiet, humorless laugh. \u201cRuin this?\u201d I repeated. \u201cYou did that all by yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2896\" data-end=\"3034\">Noah tightened his grip on my hand. I could feel his confusion, his fear, but I didn\u2019t look down. This moment had been a long time coming.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3036\" data-end=\"3215\">Daniel looked between us, his eyes searching for something solid to hold onto. \u201cEmily\u2026 the dates,\u201d he said slowly. \u201cThey match. The hospital\u2026 your doctor\u2026 why would this be here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3217\" data-end=\"3386\">She stepped back slightly, shaking her head. \u201cBecause she\u2019s obsessed!\u201d Emily snapped, her composure slipping. \u201cShe couldn\u2019t accept that you moved on, that you chose me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3388\" data-end=\"3500\">\u201cI didn\u2019t choose you,\u201d Daniel interrupted suddenly, his voice sharper than I had ever heard it. \u201cI trusted you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3502\" data-end=\"3528\">The words hung in the air.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3530\" data-end=\"3549\">That was the crack.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3551\" data-end=\"3766\">Guests began whispering louder now, their earlier admiration turning into suspicion. A woman in the front row leaned toward another, murmuring something behind her hand. Someone else stood up, clearly uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3768\" data-end=\"3970\">Emily\u2019s eyes darted around the room, realizing she was losing control. \u201cDaniel, please,\u201d she said, stepping closer to him. \u201cThis doesn\u2019t change anything. We\u2019re getting married. We\u2019re starting a family\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3972\" data-end=\"4035\">\u201cA family?\u201d I cut in, unable to stop myself. \u201cWith what? Lies?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4037\" data-end=\"4050\">She flinched.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4052\" data-end=\"4171\">Daniel closed the folder slowly, his jaw tightening. \u201cThen explain it,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cExplain how you\u2019re pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4173\" data-end=\"4189\">Emily hesitated.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4191\" data-end=\"4223\">That hesitation said everything.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4225\" data-end=\"4265\">\u201cI\u2026\u201d she started, but no words followed.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4267\" data-end=\"4368\">The priest cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his weight. \u201cPerhaps we should pause the ceremony\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4370\" data-end=\"4457\">\u201cNo,\u201d Daniel said firmly, his eyes still locked on Emily. \u201cNot until I hear the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4459\" data-end=\"4484\">The room held its breath.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4486\" data-end=\"4636\">Emily\u2019s shoulders slumped slightly, her carefully built image beginning to crumble. Tears welled up in her eyes, but they didn\u2019t feel genuine anymore.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4638\" data-end=\"4679\">\u201cI was going to tell you,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4681\" data-end=\"4710\">Daniel\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4712\" data-end=\"4729\">\u201cWhen?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4731\" data-end=\"4749\">She didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4751\" data-end=\"4816\">And in that moment, everyone in the room realized the same thing\u2014<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4818\" data-end=\"4854\">This wasn\u2019t just a misunderstanding.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4856\" data-end=\"4925\">It was a lie built to last exactly until the ring touched her finger.<\/p>\n<hr data-start=\"4927\" data-end=\"4930\" \/>\n<p data-start=\"4932\" data-end=\"5056\"><strong data-start=\"4932\" data-end=\"4975\">Part 3<\/strong><br data-start=\"4975\" data-end=\"4978\" \/>Emily\u2019s silence stretched too long, and that was all the answer Daniel needed.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5058\" data-end=\"5257\">He took a step back from her, as if putting physical distance between himself and everything she represented. \u201cSo it\u2019s true,\u201d he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else. \u201cYou\u2019re not pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5259\" data-end=\"5342\">Emily\u2019s lips trembled. \u201cI\u2026 I had reasons,\u201d she said weakly. \u201cYou don\u2019t understand\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5344\" data-end=\"5538\">\u201cThen help me understand,\u201d Daniel shot back, his patience finally snapping. \u201cBecause right now, all I see is someone who lied about something that big. Why? Money? Security? Or just to trap me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5540\" data-end=\"5576\">A murmur rippled through the guests.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5578\" data-end=\"5744\">Emily\u2019s eyes flickered toward the crowd, then back to Daniel. For a moment, it looked like she might try to deny it again\u2014but something in his expression stopped her.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5746\" data-end=\"5861\">\u201cI thought\u2026\u201d she began, her voice breaking, \u201cI thought if you believed we were having a child, you wouldn\u2019t leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5863\" data-end=\"5899\">The honesty hit harder than the lie.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5901\" data-end=\"6058\">Daniel let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. \u201cSo everything\u2014this wedding, this future you talked about\u2014it was all based on that?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6060\" data-end=\"6079\">She didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6081\" data-end=\"6097\">That was enough.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6099\" data-end=\"6216\">He looked down at the ring in his hand, then at the life he had almost stepped into. For a long moment, no one moved.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6218\" data-end=\"6270\">Then, quietly, he placed the ring back into the box.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6272\" data-end=\"6299\">\u201cI can\u2019t do this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6301\" data-end=\"6341\">Emily\u2019s face crumpled. \u201cDaniel, please\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6343\" data-end=\"6374\">But he had already turned away.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6376\" data-end=\"6425\">The ceremony was over before it ever truly began.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6427\" data-end=\"6631\">I stood there, the weight I had carried for months finally lifting\u2014but it didn\u2019t feel like victory. Not completely. Noah tugged at my sleeve, and I finally looked down at him. His wide eyes searched mine.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6633\" data-end=\"6668\">\u201cIs it over, Mom?\u201d he asked softly.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6670\" data-end=\"6716\">I exhaled slowly. \u201cYeah,\u201d I said. \u201cIt\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6718\" data-end=\"6838\">Daniel hesitated a few steps away, then turned back toward us. There was regret in his eyes now\u2014real, undeniable regret.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6840\" data-end=\"6883\">\u201cI\u2026 I didn\u2019t know,\u201d he said, his voice low.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6885\" data-end=\"6955\">I met his gaze, steady and calm. \u201cYou didn\u2019t want to know,\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6957\" data-end=\"7003\">That was the truth he would have to live with.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7005\" data-end=\"7177\">As Noah and I walked out of the church together, the rain had already begun to ease. The storm was passing\u2014but not everything it left behind could be washed away so easily.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7179\" data-end=\"7219\">And maybe that\u2019s the real question here\u2014<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7221\" data-end=\"7329\">When the truth finally comes out, is it the lie that destroys everything\u2026 or the choice to ignore the signs?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7331\" data-end=\"7415\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Part 1\u00a0The church bells rang loudly, echoing through the white walls as I stood outside, rain soaking through my coat. Through the glass doors, I could see him\u2014Daniel Carter\u2014smiling like nothing had ever happened, like he hadn\u2019t walked away from me and our son just months ago. Next to him stood his bride, Emily Hayes, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-life-new","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The church bells rang like a promise I once believed in\u2014until the doors burst open. I stepped inside, drenched, my child shaking in my arms. \u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said, placing the files at his feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d He froze. She turned pale. \u201cFive years ago,\u201d I whispered, \u201cyou lost the one thing he believes you\u2019re carrying.\u201d The silence shattered. But the real question is\u2026 who knew first? - True Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The church bells rang like a promise I once believed in\u2014until the doors burst open. I stepped inside, drenched, my child shaking in my arms. \u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said, placing the files at his feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d He froze. She turned pale. \u201cFive years ago,\u201d I whispered, \u201cyou lost the one thing he believes you\u2019re carrying.\u201d The silence shattered. 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I stepped inside, drenched, my child shaking in my arms. \u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said, placing the files at his feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d He froze. She turned pale. \u201cFive years ago,\u201d I whispered, \u201cyou lost the one thing he believes you\u2019re carrying.\u201d The silence shattered. But the real question is\u2026 who knew first? - True Stories","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The church bells rang like a promise I once believed in\u2014until the doors burst open. I stepped inside, drenched, my child shaking in my arms. \u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said, placing the files at his feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d He froze. 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Next to him stood his bride, Emily Hayes, [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543","og_site_name":"True Stories","article_published_time":"2026-04-04T15:20:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":558,"height":1000,"url":"http:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A_dramatic_wedding_202604042219.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"true love","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"true love","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543","name":"The church bells rang like a promise I once believed in\u2014until the doors burst open. I stepped inside, drenched, my child shaking in my arms. \u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said, placing the files at his feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d He froze. She turned pale. \u201cFive years ago,\u201d I whispered, \u201cyou lost the one thing he believes you\u2019re carrying.\u201d The silence shattered. But the real question is\u2026 who knew first? - True Stories","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A_dramatic_wedding_202604042219.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-04T15:20:26+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/5c3397997033ec1244d0e345888afa8e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A_dramatic_wedding_202604042219.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/A_dramatic_wedding_202604042219.jpg","width":558,"height":1000},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?p=15543#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The church bells rang like a promise I once believed in\u2014until the doors burst open. I stepped inside, drenched, my child shaking in my arms. \u201cDon\u2019t stop the wedding,\u201d I said, placing the files at his feet. \u201cI brought a gift.\u201d He froze. She turned pale. \u201cFive years ago,\u201d I whispered, \u201cyou lost the one thing he believes you\u2019re carrying.\u201d The silence shattered. But the real question is\u2026 who knew first?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/","name":"True Stories","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/5c3397997033ec1244d0e345888afa8e","name":"true love","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7edec003db6c2d994c618a5c9257e4836d0823076211ef1f440ea5b2dfb07eb1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7edec003db6c2d994c618a5c9257e4836d0823076211ef1f440ea5b2dfb07eb1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"true love"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org"],"url":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15543"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15547,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15543\/revisions\/15547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/true.lifestruepurpose.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}