I watched as my fiancé Andy got ready to leave again. Lately, he was always disappearing somewhere. I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Do you really have to go?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

“Yes, it’s for work. I can’t refuse,” Andy replied, not meeting my eyes.

“You seem to be going out for work quite often these days,” I said, trying to sound casual.

Andy stopped what he was doing and looked at me. “What are you implying?” he asked, a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

“Nothing,” I replied quickly. “Just stating a fact.”

But inside, I felt a growing suspicion. Something didn’t feel right.

Andy grabbed his things and went into the bathroom. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was cheating on me. He was always texting someone, going somewhere, and having constant meetings.

My heart sank every time he left without much explanation. Suddenly, his phone received a message. I glanced at the bathroom door, hearing the shower turn on. The sound of running water filled the apartment. This was my chance.

I knew it was wrong, and I had never done it before, but I couldn’t live with the thought that he was cheating on me. My hands trembled as I picked up his phone. Andy didn’t know that I knew his phone password. Now, it played into my hands. I unlocked his phone and quickly looked at the source of the message.

It was a group chat named “Andy and Kira.” My heart skipped a beat. Kira was my best friend, and I didn’t understand what this was all about. My mind raced with questions, and I needed answers.

I looked at who was in the chat. Andy, Kira, my mom, my sister, and my brother. What the…?! My heart pounded in my chest. I scrolled to the top of the chat and saw that it was created eight months ago. The first message was from Andy.

@Andy:

I’m sorry you had to find out about Kira and me like this. But I can’t let Erin find out. I love them both and still want to marry Erin…

My mom was upset at first. She said Andy couldn’t treat me like this, but after a few days, a message came from her.

@Clarissa:

Do you really love Kira?

@Andy:

Yes.

Then my brother Scott and my sister Maria joined in.

@Scott:

Maybe you should try an open relationship.

@Maria:

Yes, it’s very popular now. Many couples live like this.

@Andy:

We’ve been together too long. Erin would never agree to an open relationship.

@Clarissa:

Then we will help you. We will help you hide this relationship until you are ready to talk to Erin.

@Andy:

Thank you, guys! I really appreciate it.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. How could my family have the audacity to suggest this to my fiancé and hide it from me for so long? I scrolled through the chat and took numerous screenshots.

I found out that Kira went on a trip with my family and Andy when I got sick and couldn’t go. What broke my heart the most wasn’t that Andy was cheating but that my mom was so calm about it and even supported him.

I didn’t understand how she could do this; I was her child, not Andy. I took screenshots of the entire chat, including the one between Andy and Kira, which had quite a few provocative photos from both of them, then sent them to myself and deleted them from Andy’s phone so he wouldn’t notice.

When Andy came out of the shower, I tried to act normal, even though I wanted to punch him. I watched him walk around the room, getting dressed, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt a mix of anger and betrayal. He smiled at me, completely unaware.

Andy got ready, and I saw him to the door. I tried to stay calm, even though every fiber of my being wanted to confront him right then and there.

“Goodbye, honey, I love you,” he said and kissed me on the cheek. I felt like tearing my skin off at that moment.

“Me too,” I replied, trying not to show that something was wrong.

For a few days, I couldn’t find peace, and I was constantly nauseous from nerves. Andy started to worry a lot and even bought me a pregnancy test, which I wanted to throw in his face; the last thing I needed was to get pregnant by this jerk. Every time I saw him, my anger and frustration grew.

But finally, the day of the rehearsal dinner arrived, and I was ready to reveal what Andy and my family had done. I was very nervous, feeling like my whole body was shaking.

Andy said he needed to go somewhere before dinner. I held back from saying, “To your lover, Kira?” But I was glad he was going; I didn’t want to see him or be in the same room with him.

I gathered all the screenshots and set them on a timer to send out at 5:30 p.m., right during the rehearsal dinner. They would be sent to Kira’s family, my family, Andy’s family, and all our friends. I knew it would be explosive, but it was the only way to make sure everyone knew the truth.

When I arrived at the restaurant, my mom and her husband were already there. She hugged me, and it felt like I was going to throw up. I quickly hugged her back to avoid suspicion.

“You have no idea how happy I am for you and Andy,” my mom said, her voice full of excitement.

“Yes, me too,” I replied, forcing a smile. It was all I could muster.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated, and everyone seemed so happy. It made me sick to see them all so cheerful, knowing the betrayal that lay beneath the surface.

I spotted Kira, laughing with some of our friends. She looked so carefree, as if she hadn’t been sneaking around with my fiancé.

As more guests arrived, my anxiety grew. I kept glancing at my watch, counting down the minutes until 5:30 p.m. Andy finally showed up, acting as if nothing was wrong, greeting everyone with a big smile.

The restaurant buzzed with laughter and conversation. When all the guests had gathered, Andy stood up to give a toast. He cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Thank you all for coming today,” Andy began. “I can’t express how much I love Erin and how happy I am that our families can now unite into one big family.”

How dare he say that? I felt my stomach churn. How could he have the audacity to make this speech? But I smiled and nodded, keeping up the act. Kira sat there, grinning as if she hadn’t betrayed me.

Andy continued his speech. “From the moment we first met, I knew Erin was the love of my life. I want to spend every minute with her. Our first date—”

He couldn’t finish because everyone’s phones started ringing simultaneously. People looked around in confusion, checking their screens.

“Did you prepare a surprise for us?” my mom asked, her eyes bright with curiosity.

“Something like that, but I’m not sure you’ll like it,” I replied with a forced smile. My heart pounded in my chest.

“Stop it. I’m sure you did a wonderful jo—” Mom froze in shock as she opened the messages on her phone. She couldn’t finish her sentence, her face pale. I watched her reaction, feeling a mix of satisfaction and sorrow.

Kira, sitting nearby, looked at Andy in panic. Andy grabbed his phone, his face turning from confusion to horror. He looked at me, his eyes wide with fear.

“Erin, I can explain everything,” he stammered. But he didn’t get the chance.

My aunt Teresa jumped up from her seat, her face red with rage. “You heartless witch! How could you do this?!” She shouted at my mom, her voice shaking with fury.

“I’m heartless?! Erin planned all this! How could you ruin our lives?!” my mom shouted back, her eyes blazing with anger.

My grandparents tried to hold Aunt Teresa back while she yelled at my mom, calling her every name in the book. The restaurant turned into chaos, everyone shouting and arguing. The joyful atmosphere had turned into a battlefield.

Kira ran up to me, her eyes pleading. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice trembling. “But I hope you understand, we couldn’t help our feelings. We’ve always been best friends, and I hope we can get through this and remain friends.”

Her words made my blood boil. I slapped her hard across the face, the sound echoing in the room. “How dare you call yourself my best friend after everything you did?!” I shouted, my voice breaking.

“Erin! Don’t touch her!” Andy yelled, rushing toward us.

I turned to him, my eyes filled with anger. “You’re the most pathetic man I’ve ever seen. I truly pity you because you’ll have to live with this.”

Andy’s face fell, and he stepped back, looking defeated. The room was in chaos, with people yelling and crying. I felt a strange calmness wash over me. The truth was out. There was no turning back. I had exposed their betrayal.

I walked away from them and went to Aunt Teresa, who was still yelling at my mom.

“Let’s go, they’re not worth it,” I said, taking her arm. Aunt Teresa listened to me as we headed for the restaurant exit. Before leaving, I flipped the cake on the table, sending it crashing down.

“Enjoy your sweet life, lovebirds!” I shouted over my shoulder. Aunt Teresa and I walked out of the restaurant together.

Once we were outside, Aunt Teresa looked at me with concern. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice soft.

“It’s going to be okay,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “For now, I’m just happy that Andy paid for the entire wedding. He won’t get a cent back because it was supposed to be tomorrow.”

Aunt Teresa nodded. “Considering how many guests you were going to have, he’s definitely going to be bankrupt.”

“Yeah,” I said, with a small sense of satisfaction. “And I also found messages between Andy and Kira insulting his boss. I have a feeling Andy will be out of a job soon since those screenshots somehow made their way to his boss.”

Aunt Teresa raised her eyebrow. “And they say miracles don’t happen,” she replied, a hint of a smile on her face. We both laughed.

The laughter felt good, but it was mixed with tears streaming down my face. My heart was broken, but I knew I had done the right thing. Everyone would get what they deserved.

As we walked away from the restaurant, Aunt Teresa put her arm around me. “You did the right thing, Erin. You’re strong, and you’ll get through this.”

“I hope so,” I said, wiping my tears. “It just hurts so much right now.”

“I know it does,” she replied. “But you’ve taken the first step to moving on. You’ve exposed the truth. Now you can start healing.”

We kept walking, and I felt sadness and relief. The truth was out, and there was no turning back. It was time to face whatever came next, but at least I wouldn’t have to face it alone.

“I don’t know what I would have done without you,” I told Aunt Teresa.

“You’ll always have me,” she said. “We’re family, and we stick together.”

I smiled, feeling a bit of comfort in her words. We continued down the street, leaving the chaos behind us. It was a new beginning, and I was ready to face it head-on.

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