A month after my breakup, I finally felt like I was moving on. The pain had lessened, and I was learning to breathe again. But then, out of nowhere, my world came crashing down all over again.
It happened on an ordinary afternoon. I was walking downtown, enjoying the crisp autumn air, when I saw something that made my heart stop. My sister, Jessica, was standing outside a small café, handing a thick envelope to my ex-fiancé, Richard.
My chest tightened. Was she… giving him money? Why? Were they together? Was she betraying me?
I felt sick. My mind raced with a thousand questions, each one worse than the last. But the truth? The truth was far more horrifying than I ever imagined.
Richard and I met a year ago at a charity event my family’s foundation was hosting. He was different from the men my parents’ wealthy friends tried to set me up with. He was charming but not arrogant, funny but not obnoxious. He worked as a graphic designer and had an easy way of making me laugh until my stomach hurt.
Within a year, he proposed, and I said yes without hesitation.
“Are you sure about him, Amber?” my mother asked, her brows creased with concern. “You barely know his background.”
“I know everything I need to know, Mom,” I said, holding up my engagement ring proudly. “He’s the one.”
To my surprise, my father, Robert, who scrutinized every decision I made, welcomed Richard with open arms.
“He’s got character,” Dad said after dinner one night as we watched Richard help Mom clear the table. “That’s worth more than any trust fund or family name.”
Jessica, however, had been more hesitant.
“Just be careful,” she warned me in a hushed voice when Richard wasn’t around. “He’s charming… but sometimes, charm is just a mask.”
I had rolled my eyes, dismissing her words as jealousy. She was my older sister, but I was the one getting married first. What did she know about love?
“He makes me happy, Jess. Isn’t that enough for you?”
Eventually, my family grew to adore Richard, practically worshipping him. I thought I was the luckiest woman alive.
A month before our wedding, everything changed.
I was heading to a hair appointment downtown when I spotted Richard’s car parked outside a small café. I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, except I saw him through the window, leaning across a table, kissing a woman I didn’t recognize.
I froze, my breath hitching. My hands trembled as I pulled my car over. Maybe I was seeing things. Maybe it was a misunderstanding.
But no. I sat there for twenty agonizing minutes, watching them laugh, touch hands, and kiss again before leaving together.
That night, Richard came over, all smiles.
“You’ve been quiet all evening,” he said, brushing my hair back from my face. “Wedding jitters?”
I pulled away. “We need to talk.”
His expression faltered. “That sounds ominous.”
“I don’t think we should get married.”
He blinked. “What? Is this a joke?”
I twisted the engagement ring off my finger and placed it on the coffee table. “I just don’t think we’re right for each other anymore.”
“Amber, come on. Whatever’s wrong, we can fix it. Just talk to me!”
I shook my head. “No, we can’t. It’s over.”
His eyes filled with tears. “I love you. Please don’t do this.”
“Goodbye, Richard.”
For a month, I buried myself in work and avoided family gatherings. My father kept calling, worried.
“Richard came by the office yesterday,” he mentioned one day. “He looked terrible. Are you sure there’s nothing to fix?”
“I’m sure, Dad. Please don’t bring him up again.”
I never told my family the truth. As far as they knew, Richard and I simply grew apart. I figured they’d all move on, just like I was trying to.
Then, I saw Jessica with him.
The moment I saw her hand over that envelope, something inside me snapped. I stormed into the café, my pulse roaring in my ears.
“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, my voice cutting through the restaurant’s gentle chatter.
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Amber! What are you—”
Richard snatched the envelope and stood up so fast he nearly knocked over his drink. “I should go.”
“You’re not going anywhere until someone explains this,” I said, blocking his path.
Richard hesitated for only a second before shoving past me, his shoulder hitting mine hard enough to make me stumble.
“Richard!” Jessica called after him, but he was already gone.
I turned to her, my fury barely contained. “Are you kidding me, Jess? You’re giving money to my ex? Behind my back? What is going on?”
Jessica’s face hardened. “You don’t understand anything, Amber.”
“Then explain it to me!”
She crossed her arms. “We know why you left Richard. Dad and I have been helping him because, clearly, you don’t care about what he’s going through.”
“What are you talking about?”
“His cancer, Amber! He has stage three lymphoma, and you dumped him because you couldn’t handle it. How could you be so selfish?”
I felt the world tilt beneath me. “Cancer? Richard doesn’t have cancer.”
Jessica’s confidence wavered. “Of course he does. He told Dad everything after you broke up. That he tried to tell you about his diagnosis, but you panicked and called off the wedding.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Is that what he told you? Jessica, I caught Richard cheating on me. That’s why I broke up with him. I saw him with another woman.”
Her face drained of color. “That’s not possible. Dad’s been paying for his treatment.”
“There is no treatment, Jess. He’s conning you and Dad.”
Jessica grabbed her phone. “We need to call Dad. Now.”
Dad picked up immediately. I explained everything, and he went silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with regret. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I should have asked you before helping him.”
“How much have you given him, Dad?”
“Fifty thousand so far. Today was another twenty.”
Jessica gasped, covering her face with her hands. “I can’t believe we fell for it.”
“I’m calling the police,” Dad said, his voice now firm. “That money was withdrawn in cash. If we act quickly—”
“We’re coming to your office,” I said. “We need to figure this out together.”
Halfway there, Dad called again.
“Richard just got into an accident,” he said, his voice rushed. “The police were already after him. He lost control of his car trying to outrun them on the highway.”
“Is he…” I swallowed hard. “Is he alive?”
“Yes, but in custody. They found all the money in his car.”
Jessica and I sat in stunned silence. Then, she reached over and squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry I believed him over you.”
I squeezed back. “It’s not your fault. He fooled all of us.”
“Not you,” she pointed out. “You saw through him.”
I smiled, the weight on my chest finally lifting. “I think it’s time to make some better memories. Let’s go find a new restaurant.”
Jessica grinned. “Lead the way.”
