Planning a wedding is supposed to be magical, right? I mean, it’s supposed to be one of the happiest times in your life! But then, my colleague sent me a photo that completely froze everything: my fiancé cozying up with his ex at a spa. Yeah, you read that right. And let me tell you, my revenge? Just as brutal as his betrayal. In the end, I got the last laugh, for sure!
Let me back up a little. I was supposed to be this happy bride-to-be, full of excitement and joy, with everything planned out for the wedding of my dreams. I had the perfect dress, a beautiful venue, and even started thinking about the DJ playlist. But all of that? Completely ruined by one photo I never even asked for…
It was last Saturday afternoon, and there I was, lounging on my couch, barely paying attention to some reality TV show while scrolling through Instagram. The show in the background was all about a couple arguing over their wedding plans. Oh, the irony.
“I can’t believe you want a chocolate fountain at our wedding!” the bride-to-be on the screen yelled.
I laughed to myself, thinking, “At least Mark and I don’t have these silly fights.”
And then, out of nowhere, my phone buzzed. I glanced down and saw a message from Claire. You know Claire—the quiet, sweet, overly polite colleague from work. We’re not close, but she’s always so nice, it’s hard to be suspicious of her.
The message said:
“Hey Cathy, I hope I’m not overstepping, but isn’t this your fiancé? I think I remember him from our company Christmas party.”
My heart stopped. I opened the attached photo, and for a full five minutes, my brain just… short-circuited. Because yep, there he was, my “loving” fiancé, Mark, sitting poolside at a fancy spa resort, looking all relaxed and carefree.
But oh, it wasn’t just him. No, that would’ve been too easy.
Next to him, sipping what looked like a fruity drink, was his ex, Amanda. She was lounging there in a bikini, sunglasses perched on her nose, looking like she had no worries in the world.
Meanwhile, I was at home, thinking Mark was visiting his mom. Seriously?? I couldn’t believe it!
You know what my first reaction was? It wasn’t tears. It wasn’t throwing my phone at the wall either. It was pure, burning rage. But here’s the thing about me—I don’t scream, I don’t throw tantrums. I get smart. REAL smart.
I didn’t call him. I didn’t text him. I just waited, knowing he’d be back home on Monday. And when he walked through that door, looking all innocent and tired, I was ready.
He set his bag down, flashed me this cheesy grin, and said, “Hey, babe! Missed you. How was your weekend?”
“Oh, you know,” I replied, trying my best to stay calm, “not as relaxing as yours, I bet.”
His face twitched, but he didn’t catch on yet. He came over, kissed my cheek, and said, “What do you mean?”
That was my moment. I smiled and said, “Claire sent me a photo. She wasn’t sure, but it looked like you at a spa resort. Want to see?”
I pulled out my phone and showed him the picture. His eyes widened, and I swear it looked like his soul just left his body.
“Wait, what? I-I can explain, Cathy, it’s not… I swear, it’s not what it looks like. Amanda… she just… it was a coincidence—”
“Oh really?” I asked, tilting my head. “So, you’re telling me that while I thought you were visiting your mom, you were at a spa, getting cozy with your ex?”
He started to panic, stumbling over his words. “No, no, it’s not like that. I can explain. It was a mistake, okay? A huge mistake. I’m sorry! I swear, it’ll never happen again. I can change!”
Ah yes, the classic line. The one cheaters always seem to say when they’re caught red-handed.
I put on my best “understanding” face and said, “Okay. Let’s say I give you another chance. But you’ll need to prove it.”
His eyes lit up, like he actually believed he could get away with this. “Anything, Cathy. I’ll do anything!”
“Great! You can start by coming on a hike with me tomorrow. You know how much I love hiking.”
Now, a little background info: Mark is NOT the hiking type. He’s more of a sit-on-the-couch-and-eat-burgers kind of guy. But he didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely. I’m in.”
“Really? You hate hiking.”
He shook his head quickly. “No, no, I love it! I’ve just been… busy. But I’m totally up for it. What time do we leave?”
“Early. Be ready at 5 a.m.”
His face fell for a second, but he covered it up fast. “5 a.m. it is. I’ll set my alarm.”
The next morning, I took him to the steepest, most brutal trail I could find.
We started early, and after just ten minutes, it was clear this hike was going to be hell for Mark. He was already panting, sweating, and asking, “How much longer?”
“Oh, just a bit more,” I replied, my voice as sweet as honey.
By the two-hour mark, he was begging for breaks. His face was beet red, and he was clutching his knees like an old man. But I just smiled. Oh, we had a LOOOONG way to go, Mark.
“Cathy,” he gasped, “can we… can we take a break? Just for a minute?”
I looked at him, faking disappointment. “Really? Another break? We’ve barely started. Didn’t you say you LOVED hiking? Come on, the view at the top is going to be SO worth it!”
He nodded weakly, clearly regretting his choices. “Right… right. Let’s keep going.”
As we climbed higher, the trail got tougher, and Mark was practically crawling at this point.
“Cathy,” he wheezed, “I think I’m dying.”
I gave him a friendly pat on the back, maybe a bit too hard. “Don’t be so dramatic, sweetie. It’s just a little exercise. Didn’t you say you’ve been working out?”
He looked confused. “What? I never said that.”
“Oh! Must’ve been someone else then. My mistake.”
Finally, after EIGHT hours, we made it to the top. He collapsed onto a rock, drained his water bottle, and gave me this hopeful look.
“I did it! See? I told you I could change.”
I knelt down beside him, kissed his sweaty cheek, and smiled.
“WE’RE OVER, BABY!”
His expression flipped from exhaustion to shock. “Wait—WHAT?”
“You heard me,” I said, standing up. “I’m done. I’m not marrying you. I just wanted to see how far you’d go to save your sorry butt. Now I know. I hope Amanda’s worth it.”
He scrambled to his feet, still out of breath. “Wait, Cathy, come on. I just hiked this whole mountain with you! You can’t leave me here!”
“Oh, I can,” I said, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. “And I will.”
And then I started jogging down the trail. He shouted after me, but I didn’t stop.
“Wait, Cathy, wait! You’re gonna have to wait for me at the car!”
Without turning back, I called over my shoulder, “I’ll leave the keys for you, don’t worry.”
Here’s the thing: I didn’t leave the keys. I drove home, leaving Mark stranded on top of that mountain with no phone signal and nothing but his own two legs to get down.
By the time he stumbled into the apartment parking lot later that night, I had already packed up his stuff and left it on the porch with a note:
“Thanks for the hike! Enjoy your new single life. Hope Amanda enjoys your sweaty company.
P.S. I changed the locks. Oh, and my new pet Rottweiler would love to meet you if you think about knocking!”
Apparently, he had to call Amanda to come pick him up. I guess she was good for something, after all.
As for me? I’m still processing everything. It’s funny how fast life can turn upside down with just one photo. But honestly, I think I dodged a major bullet.
The next day, my phone was flooded with messages and missed calls from Mark. I ignored most of them, but one voicemail caught my attention:
“Cathy, please. Can we talk? I know I messed up, but I love you. It was a mistake, I swear. Call me back, please?”
I deleted the message without a second thought. Then, I poured myself a glass of wine and started browsing travel websites. Maybe a solo trip to Europe was just what I needed.
Would I have done anything differently? Maybe I could’ve staged a ‘bear attack’ and filmed his terrified reaction for a viral video. Or maybe I should’ve told him there was a snake on the trail and watched him run for the first time in years. Now THAT would’ve been YouTube gold!
Who knows? Maybe years from now, I’ll look back on this and laugh. But for now, I’m focusing on me. New apartment, new hobbies, new life. And absolutely no more cheating fiancés.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
