Chapter 1

On our engagement day, I discovered countless erotic photos of my fiance with another woman on his laptop. Eight years with him, and this was my reward. Betrayal, raw and unforgiving, clawed at me.

Immediately, I booked a flight to Fiassi, a flight scheduled to depart on our wedding day. This had to end. I called my boss. “Mr. Rowland, I’ve decided. I’ll take the Fiassi job.”

His surprise was palpable. “Fantastic. I’ll get the team on it. But your wedding…”

“No problem,” I managed, my voice trembling.

Tears streaming down my face, unseen by him, as I ended the call. It was the first time I’d ever touched Antonio Kaufman’s computer. We’d started at the same company after graduation, different departments, separate lives.

Tonight, he was at a bachelor party, his phone off. His boss, desperate for a proposal, contacted me. That was when I saw those photos. Eight years of memories flooded back.

No snapshots of us, not a single trace on his phone. My pleas for shared photos were always dismissed:

“We see each other every day. No need for pictures.”

But it wasn’t about the need; he simply wasn’t invested in me. Then, his friend’s words from our engagement party resurfaced.

“I thought Antonio would be a bachelor forever for Mandy’s sake! You’re actually getting married? Are you sure you’re not doing it in a fit of pique?”

I hadn’t notice the guilty look in Antonio’s eyes then.

“Our marriage is based on love!”

I’d declared, my voice ringing with a confidence. Shaking, I closed his laptop. A breakup text was ready to send, but his response to my wedding dress message from yesterday was absent. His Facebook profile was a void – a blank canvas except for one line: “I’m waiting for someone to come back.”

A wry smile played on my lips.

He had someone else.

I’d always thought Antonio was simply introverted, but my naivety was breathtaking I’d questioned that bio countless times; he’d never explained. Now it was chillingly clear. Three days until our wedding.

The countdown on my phone’s wallpaper mocked me Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the relentless ticking seconds. Then, the call from Antonio’s friend.

“Grace, Antonio is wasted. Come get him.”

In the background, I heard Antonio’s slurred voice. “Mandy, don’t leave me…”

A sharp pain pierced my chest. Before going to fetch him, I discarded our matching couple gear — useless trinkets now. As I approached the private room laughter spilled out.

“Hey, Mandy, what brings you back today? Regretting Antonio’s wedding?”

Mandy Delacruz was there.