A month after my breakup, I was finally moving on, feeling like I had taken the first steps toward healing. But everything changed in an instant when I saw my sister handing a thick envelope of cash to my ex-fiancé, the man who had shattered my heart. My breath hitched, my hands turned cold. Were they together? Was she betraying me?
The truth turned out to be far worse than I could have ever imagined.
I met Richard a year ago at a charity event my family’s foundation was hosting. Unlike the polished, arrogant men my parents’ friends tried to set me up with, Richard felt different. He was genuine, down-to-earth, and worked as a graphics designer. He made me laugh until my sides hurt, and before I knew it, I was falling hard. Within a year, he proposed, and without hesitation, I said yes.
“Are you sure about him, Amber?” my mother had asked, concern etching her usually composed face. “You barely know his background.”
“I know everything I need to know, Mom,” I had replied confidently. “He’s the one.”
To my surprise, my father, Robert, who scrutinized every major decision I made, welcomed Richard with open arms.
“He’s got character,” Dad had said one evening after dinner, as we watched Richard help my mother clear the table. “That’s worth more than any trust fund or family name.”
My sister, Jessica, however, was more hesitant. “Just be careful,” she had whispered one day when Richard was out of earshot. “He’s charming… but looks can be deceiving.”
I had dismissed her words as jealousy. After all, I was getting married before my older sister. What did she know about love?
“He makes me happy, Jess. Can’t that be enough for you?” I had said firmly.
Eventually, my family grew to adore Richard, practically worshipping him.
Then, a month before our wedding, I was on my way to a hair appointment when I spotted Richard’s car parked outside a small café. At first, I thought nothing of it. But when I glanced through the window, my heart plummeted.
He was leaning across the table, holding hands with a woman I had never seen before. And then, as if to confirm my worst fears, he kissed her.
My hands shook as I parked across the street, watching them for twenty agonizing minutes. I searched for any rational explanation, but deep down, I knew the truth. He was cheating on me.
That night, when Richard came over, I couldn’t even look at him.
“You’ve been quiet all evening,” he said, brushing a stray hair from my face. “Wedding jitters?”
I pulled away. “We need to talk.”
His playful smirk faltered. “That sounds ominous.”
“I don’t think we should get married.”
Richard’s face turned pale. “What? Is this a joke?”
“No joke. I just… I don’t think we’re right for each other anymore.” I twisted the engagement ring off my finger and placed it on the coffee table between us.
“Amber, this is crazy! Whatever’s wrong, we can fix it. Just talk to me!” He reached for my hands, but I pulled them away.
“I’ve made up my mind, Richard. It’s over.”
“Is there someone else?” he demanded, his voice rising.
The irony made me want to scream. Instead, I swallowed my fury. “No one else. We’re just done.”
His eyes filled with tears. “I love you, Amber. Please don’t do this.”
“Leave, Richard. Now.”
And just like that, it was over. I told no one the real reason why, not even my family. They were shocked but eventually accepted that I had simply changed my mind.
For a month, I buried myself in work, dodging conversations about Richard. My father called daily, concerned but careful not to push too hard.
“Richard came by the office yesterday,” he mentioned during one call. “He looked terrible, sweetheart. Are you sure there’s nothing to salvage?”
“I’m sure, Dad. Please don’t bring him up again.”
I thought that was the end of it.
Then came that fateful Tuesday afternoon.
I decided to treat myself to lunch at a small Italian place Richard and I used to love. I had avoided it since the breakup, but that day, I was ready to reclaim it as my own.
As I waited for a table, my gaze drifted toward the corner booth. My stomach twisted at the sight of my sister and Richard, sitting close together, speaking in hushed voices.
At first, I thought the worst—were they seeing each other? But then, Jessica reached into her bag, pulled out an envelope stuffed with cash, and slid it across the table.
Richard nodded and pocketed it.
My blood turned to ice.
I stormed toward them. “What the hell is going on here?”
Jessica’s head whipped around, her eyes wide. “Amber! What are you—”
Richard grabbed the envelope and shot up from his seat, nearly knocking over his drink. “I should go.”
“You’re not going anywhere until someone explains this,” I said, stepping in front of him.
Jessica’s voice cut through the tension. “This is from me and Dad, as promised.”
I turned to her, my voice shaking. “Are you giving him money? Behind my back? Why?”
Jessica glared at me. “You don’t understand anything, Amber. Dad and I have been helping him because obviously, you don’t care.”
“Helping him? With what?”
Jessica crossed her arms. “His cancer, Amber! Richard has stage three lymphoma. You dumped him because you couldn’t handle it. How could you be so heartless?”
The ground shifted beneath me. “Cancer? Richard doesn’t have cancer.”
“Of course, he does! He told Dad you panicked when he told you about his diagnosis and broke things off. Dad has been paying for his treatments!”
A harsh, bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Jessica, I broke up with Richard because I caught him cheating. He lied to you. He’s scamming you and Dad.”
Jessica’s face paled. “That’s not possible. Dad’s given him fifty thousand dollars already. Another twenty today…”
“We need to call Dad. Now.”
We were halfway to my father’s office when his number lit up my screen.
“Dad, we’re almost there—”
“Richard just got into an accident,” Dad interrupted, his voice urgent. “The police were after him. He lost control trying to outrun them.”
“Is he—?” I couldn’t finish the question.
“Alive. But in custody. They found the money in his car. All of it. Turns out, he scammed more people than just us.”
Jessica’s hands trembled as she wiped away a tear. “I can’t believe we fell for it.”
I squeezed her hand. “It’s not your fault. He fooled all of us.”
“Not you,” she whispered. “You saw through him.”
I thought about how close I had come to marrying a fraud. “Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t caught him that day.”
Jessica nodded. “You dodged more than a bullet, Amber. You dodged a missile.”
For the first time in weeks, I felt light. Richard had taken enough from me. But he hadn’t taken what mattered most—my family.
“Come on, Jess,” I said with a small smile. “Let’s go make some better memories.”
