When I got home from work, I walked in to find my fiancé on his knees in front of my mom. Instead of confronting them immediately, I stayed hidden, trying to understand what was going on
One week before her wedding, Amanda returns home early to find her fiancé, Patrick, kneeling before her mother, sobbing.
What she overhears shatters her world: lies, betrayal, and a secret that could destroy everything she believed in. Now, Amanda must decide: forgive Patrick or expose the man who almost ruined her life.
Everything had seemed perfect in Amanda’s life. She woke up beside Patrick, kissed him, and continued with wedding planning.
But after feeling dizzy, she decided to return home early, unaware that this decision would change everything.
The house was eerily quiet until she heard sobbing—Patrick’s voice pleading with her mother, Diane. When Amanda peeked around the corner, she saw him on his knees, begging her mom.
“What is going on?” Amanda demanded, her heart racing. Her mother’s cold response chilled her: “He’s begging because I told him I’d reveal everything. He thinks his pleading will stop me from telling the truth.”
Confused, Amanda asked, “What truth?” Patrick reached for her, desperate to explain, but her mother cut him off: “Your fiancé has been lying to you, Amanda.”
The air felt thick with betrayal. “Lying about what?” Amanda whispered, barely able to speak. “About who he really is,” her mother replied.
Patrick turned to Amanda, shaking his head. “No, no! She’s twisting everything!” “Enough!” Amanda’s voice cut through the room, making Patrick flinch.
“Mom, what do you know?” she asked, collapsing into a chair. “He was engaged before, Amanda. And he did something awful to her. Something he even confessed he would do to you.”
Amanda’s stomach churned. “No, Diane! Amanda, it’s not like that!” Patrick shouted. Her mother continued, “He left her at the altar, took all her money, including their down payment for a house. How despicable.”
Amanda gripped the armrest, feeling lightheaded. “Is that true?” she whispered. Patrick’s silence spoke volumes.
Suddenly, everything made sense—the way he avoided money talks, made her pay for wedding deposits, and deflected questions about the future.
He never intended to build a future with her. Amanda forced herself to look at him. “You scammed her? A woman you claimed to love?”
Tears streamed down Patrick’s face, but instead of sympathy, Amanda felt nothing but disgust. “Amanda, I panicked. I was young, reckless,” he pleaded.
Her mother interrupted him. “Guess who tracked him down? Noelle.” She pulled a letter from her bag. “Patrick’s ex-fiancée contacted me three months ago. She wanted the truth to come from me, not a stranger.”
Amanda’s jaw tightened. “Three months ago, Mom? And you didn’t tell me?” Her mother’s face hardened. “I needed proof, Amanda. I wasn’t going to destroy your life without it.”
“Now?” Amanda asked. “Now I have proof,” her mother replied with confidence.
Patrick looked frantic. “Amanda, I love you! I would never do that! Noelle just told your mother lies! She said what Diane wanted to hear. Your mom’s always hated me!”
“What was the one condition, Mom?” Amanda asked, her voice steady. Her mother smirked. “That he leaves. No wedding, no explanations. Just a groom who disappears.”
Patrick turned to Amanda, pleading. “If you’ve ever believed in me, don’t do this. We can fix this!” Amanda raised her hand. “Get out.” He froze. “But—” “Get out, now!” she shouted.
For the first time, Patrick listened. Three days later, Amanda stood staring at her wedding dress hanging in her closet. It was supposed to be the dress, the one she’d wear as she walked down the aisle to a man she trusted.
But now, the truth was clear—he’d never intended to marry her. As she ran her fingers over the fabric, a tag caught her eye. “Payment Outstanding: $3,200.”
Her throat tightened. He never paid for it. It was never his plan to. The wedding was a setup. A scam. If Amanda hadn’t found out, she would’ve walked into it, believing in forever, while Patrick had already planned his escape.
Two weeks later, Amanda sat in a dimly lit bar with Noelle, Patrick’s ex-fiancée. “Did he tell you he wanted three kids?” Amanda asked. Noelle chuckled dryly. “Of course. And he wanted to name the first after his dad.”
“He told me his dad died when he was six.” “Nope. Fred’s alive. I went looking after he took everything from me.” They fell silent.
“I used to think I was stupid for falling for him,” Noelle said. “But the act was so believable.” “Me too,” Amanda murmured.
“We’re not stupid, Amanda. We’re just good people who believed in love. And Patrick used that against us.” For the first time in a long while, Amanda felt her shoulders relax.
“To us—and to making sure he never does this again.” Amanda lifted her glass, and Noelle clinked hers against hers. “And to karma,” she smirked.
