“Two months before our wedding, I discovered that my fiancé had cheated on me, and shockingly, with my best friend. Both had deceitfully looked me in the eyes for months, while I generously provided for them and showered them with all my love. Despite the shock, I mustered the courage to regain my composure and plan my response.”
“Just last month, as I was getting settled in my hotel room on a business trip, my phone vibrated with a new message from my sister, Emily. I assumed it would be a simple check-in, not something that would make me question the entirety of my relationship.”
“The message contained a photo of my fiancé, Mike, and my best friend, Liz, blatantly kissing outside a café. Not just any café, but the very one where Mike and I had our first date. Seeing them together in such a flagrant act of disrespect felt like a punch to the gut.”
“My heart shattered. Mike and I had been together for three years, our wedding just two months away. And Liz? She’s been my companion since we were in diapers. There I sat, gazing at the photo, my mind spinning.”
“I just couldn’t fathom their betrayal. I had been financing Liz’s college, rent, and car because her parents couldn’t afford it. I’ve been her financial backbone for the last three years. Meanwhile, she was planning my wedding, all the while having an affair with my future husband.”
“As for Mike? He’s been living in my apartment rent-free, allowing him to save his earnings for the business he’s always dreamed of starting. I handle 90% of the household chores so he can unwind after work, and I’m completely responsible for our four dogs.”
“I felt so stupid… How could I be so naive?”
“But the moment I saw that photo, I knew it was enough. I couldn’t just let it slide. They had to pay for what they did, and merely causing a scandal would be too mild. I quickly pulled myself together and switched off my emotions.”
“The heartache was too overwhelming; I might have crumbled under its weight. Instead, I directed my anguish into rage. I began to devise a plan and covertly set things in motion.”
“First, I contacted our family lawyer to ensure that Mike had no legal claim to my apartment or any of my possessions. Fortunately, he hadn’t lived there long enough to have any established rights.”
“Second, I made sure he had no rights to our four dogs. They were mine alone, rightfully mine on paper. Besides, it’s not like he had formed any real attachment to them.”
“I also coordinated with my lawyer to guarantee that Mike wouldn’t receive a dime from our bank accounts, which I had fully funded. I transferred all the money from our shared account to my personal account and verified with the bank that should Mike or Liz call, they would be denied any information, as the accounts were solely in my name.”
“I suppose it was fortunate that I was the primary account holder and had a longstanding relationship with the bank manager. I anticipated that Mike and Liz might try to contact the bank once their cards were declined. Thus, I texted them both, falsely claiming the bank had notified me about an issue with the accounts, resulting in them being temporarily disabled.”
“By the time I had made all the calls, night had fallen. Realizing I wasn’t in the right mental state to focus on my business meetings, I rescheduled them for the following week. Thankfully, my boss was understanding of my predicament.”
“I spent one more night in the hotel, planning my next steps. The following morning, I drove back home while Mike was at work. I enlisted my mom and sister to help gather all of my belongings from the apartment Mike and I shared, as I planned to temporarily move into a rented space that very day.”
“We also tidied up Mike’s belongings and placed them in plastic bags outside the apartment. I made sure to take the Xbox I had gifted him, our shared iPad that I had purchased, and everything else that I had paid for. I also changed the locks to ensure he could not enter.”
“It was just before four in the afternoon by the time we finished. We then drove to my hastily arranged rental apartment, where I decided it was time to mete out Liz’s punishment.”
“She had been driving a car registered in my name, for which I was paying monthly. So, I reported the car stolen. I also called Liz’s landlord to remove my name as the guarantor. ‘Please ask for the rent directly from Liz,’ I added.”
“I’m pleased to say that Liz was arrested for stealing the vehicle. I also heard that when she returned home, her landlord demanded she produce documents to prove she could afford the rent. Unfortunately, she was unable to provide them, as much of her income had been spent on material things.”
“I also had my lawyer draft a letter demanding Liz repay me for her college tuition. Luckily, she had left a message earlier claiming she would reimburse all the expenses I had incurred on her behalf.”
“Then, I faced the most difficult task. I had to cancel our wedding. My emotions surged as I contacted our venue, caterer, and other wedding service providers to cancel. Most of them could no longer offer refunds since the wedding was too near.”
“I decided it would be a waste to simply forfeit what I had already paid for. Instead, I threw a party. I informed my guests that I would be celebrating a painful yet liberating revelation that saved me from a disastrous mistake.”
“Until that moment, Mike and Liz were oblivious to my knowledge of their affair. I unveiled their secret by posting the photo of them kissing on our ‘Save the Date’ Facebook event, visible to all our family, friends, and colleagues, including Mike’s boss. I then blocked the two betrayers from all forms of social media and communication.”
“Everyone except Mike’s parents were shocked, as I had already briefed them beforehand. I visited them one last time to explain what had happened. They embraced me and apologized for their son’s actions.”
“I later learned that they had barred Mike from returning to their home. They admonished him for having lost the best thing that ever happened to him and refused to speak to him for his disgraceful conduct.”
“Liz’s family also reached out to apologize. They decided to impart a lesson as well and chose not to communicate with her.”
“Mike has tried to contact me by creating various Facebook accounts to send me message requests and texting my phone from different numbers. While I haven’t read his messages, the previews showed multiple apologies.”
“Mike and Liz might have received their just desserts, but I was still deeply wounded. Needing a fresh start, I inquired with my company about the possibility of relocating, and they agreed.”
“I moved to a new city and bought a house with a yard for my fur babies. I also invested more in my well-being by signing up for various fitness classes and activities. It’s been a rollercoaster, but I’m now doing much better. I love my new home and have been focusing on myself. I haven’t seen or spoken to Mike or Liz since everything unfolded, and I’d be content to keep it that way.”