I thought proposing to Natalie would be the start of our forever. Instead, it was the beginning of a nightmare. It took weeks of betrayal to realize I’d never really known her at all.
I felt my heart pounding as I knelt down on one knee in our living room. “Natalie,” I said, holding up the small velvet box, “will you marry me?” Her eyes went wide with surprise, then softened as she smiled.
A man proposing his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney
“Yes, yes, of course, yes!” she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw her arms around me, and I slipped the ring onto her finger. It sparkled just the way I’d hoped. I stood up, and we embraced, imagining the future we’d always talked about.
It felt perfect. We’d been together for two years, and it seemed like we wanted the same things—marriage, a family, a home. “We’ve always been on the same page,” I thought. “Same values, same future plans.”
A couple hugging | Source: Midjourney
For the next week, everything was blissful. We told our families, and everyone was excited for us. We started talking about wedding plans, making lists, and dreaming of our future together.
Then, out of nowhere, things started getting weird.
A couple planning their wedding | Source: Midjourney
One night, I came home from work and found six women in my kitchen. I stopped in my tracks, confused. The countertops were covered with all the fancy food I’d been saving—caviar, fine cheeses, imported snacks—the works.
Natalie turned to me, smiling like everything was normal. “Oh, hey! You’re home!”
I looked at her, then at the women, then back at her. “Who are they? I thought I knew all your friends.”
An angry man in his living room | Source: Midjourney
She just laughed. “These are my inner circle. I didn’t introduce them earlier because I wanted to wait until we were a ‘sure thing.’”
They just nodded, barely acknowledging me. I watched one of them scoop out the last bit of caviar onto a cracker, and my stomach tightened. I pulled Natalie aside.
“I was saving that stuff for a special night. Why didn’t you ask me first?”
She waved her hand, brushing it off like it was nothing. “Don’t be such a buzzkill, David. It’s just food. We can buy more.”
A smiling woman brushing the subject off | Source: Midjourney
I bit my tongue, not wanting to start a fight. But it bothered me that she didn’t seem to care how I felt about it.
A few days later, it happened again. I came home to find the same group of women lounging on the couch, watching TV. More of my expensive snacks were gone. I felt my frustration building.
I waited until they left before saying anything. “Look, maybe next time we can plan this out? You didn’t even ask me.”
A man having a serious talk with his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney
Natalie sighed, rolling her eyes at me. “You’re such a buzzkill. They’re my friends, and this is my home too now.”
I didn’t know how to respond. Was I being unreasonable? We were engaged, so maybe this was what sharing a life was supposed to look like. But it still didn’t feel right.
After the fourth unannounced visit, I finally snapped. “I’m locking up the fridge, Natalie. I’m serious.”
A serious man standing next to his fridge | Source: Midjourney
She just laughed. “You’re no fun,” she said, waving me off. “You’re acting like it’s the end of the world.”
Then she insisted I come to dinner with her “inner circle” at a fancy restaurant. I agreed, hoping it would help smooth things over, but the dinner was a disaster. She’d chosen a fancy restaurant, and I had agreed, thinking it might smooth things over after the last few weeks.
But the moment I walked in, I knew I’d made a mistake.
A woman in a restaurant | Source: Pexels
They were already seated when we arrived. The women were dressed up, sipping on expensive cocktails. As soon as I sat down, the questions started.
“So, David, what exactly do you do again?” one of them asked, leaning forward with a sharp smile.
“I work in finance,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.
Another one chimed in, her voice dripping with curiosity. “Finance, huh? That must be good money. What kind of house do you have?”
Women dining | Source: Pexels
I blinked, surprised by how direct they were. “I have a place just outside the city.”
“Must be nice,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. “How much did it cost?”
I hesitated. “I’d rather not discuss that.”
They exchanged glances, then changed the subject. But every time I asked them something, they dodged it.
A smiling woman in a cafe | Source: Pexels
“So, what do you do?” I asked the one across from me.
“Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that,” she said with a vague smile.
“Where are you from?” I tried again.
“Here and there,” another one said, shrugging.
A humble woman in a restaurant | Source: Pexels
I felt like I was being stonewalled, but they kept digging into my life, my money, my plans for the future. Natalie just sat there, smiling like everything was fine. I couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t the woman I knew. The woman I fell in love with had clear boundaries and respected mine. This was a complete stranger.
Then the conversation took a turn that left me speechless. They started talking about relationships, modern ones, and what they called “evolving dynamics.”
Women talking in a restaurant | Source: Pexels
“Polyamory is so misunderstood,” one of them said, twirling her wine glass. “It’s all about love without limits.”
“Yeah, and staying friends with exes. It’s just being mature, right?” another added.
I glanced at Natalie, expecting her to be as uncomfortable as I was, but she was nodding along. “I mean, we shouldn’t be too hasty about these things,” she said lightly.
A man looking at women at the table | Source: Pexels
I nearly choked on my drink. “What?” I said, staring at her. “You’ve always been clear about wanting monogamy. And you’ve never been into staying friends with exes.”
She looked at me with a small, tight smile. “People can change, David. It’s important to keep an open mind.”
I felt like the ground had shifted beneath me. Who was this person? The woman sitting next to me, agreeing with all these strangers, wasn’t the Natalie I knew. I didn’t know what to say, so I just sat there, feeling completely blindsided.
A shocked man in the restaurant | Source: Midjourney
When the bill came, I was already planning my exit. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. But then one of the women slid the bill across the table towards me.
“You can cover this, right?” she said, almost like it was an order.
I stared at her, then looked at Natalie, waiting for her to say something.
She just shrugged. “Come on, you’re the guy.”
A man talking to the woman | Source: Pexels
I couldn’t believe it. My jaw tightened, but I didn’t want to make a scene. I paid for my part and stood up. “I’m done here,” I said, feeling utterly disrespected. I walked out without looking back.
The next day, I tried to talk to Natalie, but she brushed it off, saying I was being “fragile” and “toxic.” She apologized, blaming it on work stress, but I wasn’t buying it. Something was off, and I could feel it.
Then came the incident with the golf clubs.
Golf clubs in a bag | Source: Pexels
I was at work when I got an alert from my Nest Doorbell. I checked the footage and saw Natalie and one of her friends carrying my golf clubs out of the house. My expensive set, the one my dad gave me.
I called her immediately. “Natalie, why are my golf clubs leaving the house?”
She sounded annoyed. “Oh, I told you I was lending them to Emily’s boyfriend, remember?”
“No, you didn’t,” I said, feeling the anger rise. “Get them back here now.”
A man arguing with a woman | Source: Midjourney
She tried to argue, insisting that I’d agreed, but I cut her off. “You have one hour to return them, or I’m calling the cops.”
Forty-five minutes later, they were back, but they were dumped carelessly on the living room floor. No apology, no explanation. Just complete disregard for something that meant a lot to me.
I confronted her, but she started talking about my “toxicity” again. I’d had enough. “If this is your true self, maybe I made a mistake.”
A woman shouting at the man | Source: Midjourney
She freaked out, begging for another chance, blaming it on stress again. But I was done. I didn’t want to hear any more excuses.
The final straw came when she planned a party at my house without asking. I told her no, but she ignored me. So, on the day of the party, I changed the locks and went to a friend’s house.
My phone blew up with 14 missed calls.
“How dare you change the locks when I’ve got 15 people waiting outside?” she shouted when I finally answered.
A woman shouting into her phone | Source: Midjourney
“I told you no party, Natalie. Actions have consequences. We’re done.”
I hung up, went home, and walked past the confused guests standing outside. I locked the door behind me and blocked her number.
And that was it. The engagement was over. The woman I thought I knew was gone, replaced by someone I couldn’t trust. I felt a strange sense of relief as I locked the door behind me, shutting out the chaos and reclaiming my life.
A calm man in his living room | Source: Midjourney
I sat in the living room, the silence almost jarring after weeks of chaos. The ring sat on the coffee table, a small reminder of what I thought we had. I stared at it for a moment, then leaned back, feeling a sense of peace and clarity I hadn’t felt in a long time.
My Ex’s Mom Invited Me to Her Wedding but When I Arrived, I Realized It Was All a Set-up
When Hayley’s ex’s mom invites her to design a wedding dress for her big day, it seems strange, but nothing prepares Hayley for the truth. What follows is a confession, a second chance at love, and a surprise she never saw coming. Sometimes, life gives you the most unexpected twists…
It had been three years since Adam and I broke up, but I still couldn’t shake him. Five years of love doesn’t just disappear overnight. His sudden breakup was like a sucker punch with no explanation, no closure, just silence.
It was just done.
An upset woman | Source: Midjourney
Then, about a year ago, he started dating her. My former friend, Miranda. If betrayal had a face, it was hers, plastered all over social media with captions of the two of them:
When you know, you know, and The best thing that ever happened to me!
I told myself to block her, to stop looking, but I didn’t. Every photo, every grin, every comment about her “forever love” felt like salt in an open wound.
A laptop opened to social media | Source: Midjourney
I never stopped loving him. That’s the sad, honest truth. Pathetic, I know. I wasn’t able to date anyone seriously since him.
So when Adam’s mom, Lena, called me out of the blue last month, I thought I was hallucinating.
We never exactly got along. She had always been polite but distant, like she was sizing me up and always finding me lacking something or the other.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
After the breakup, I assumed I’d never hear from her again. But there she was, on the other end of my phone, her voice strangely warm.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she said. “I know this might be unexpected, but I have a favor to ask, Hayley.”
Lena told me that she was getting married. Married! And she wanted me to design her wedding dress. She gushed about how I’d become one of the most sought-after seamstresses in the city.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“I’ve always admired your work, Hayley,” she said softly. “And I trust you. I know you’d create something perfect just for me.”
Trust? Admiration?
From Lena?
I nearly dropped the phone. I couldn’t figure out what game she was playing. My instincts screamed at me to say no, to hang up and block her number. And truly be done with that entire family.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
But she begged. And how could I say no? She said that no one else could do it justice and that she’d forever be grateful.
“Nobody else will do things that will suit my age and my figure! And make me something dream-worthy, Hayley. Please?”
I don’t know why I said yes. Maybe there was a part of me that wanted to feel close to Adam again. Or maybe I just couldn’t resist the curiosity clawing at me.
Either way, I agreed.
A sketch of a wedding dress | Source: Midjourney
Over the next few weeks, I poured myself into the dress. The fabric was like spun clouds, soft and ethereal, with delicate beading along the bodice. I stayed up late perfecting every stitch. Lena had wanted a lacy dress that made her feel like a princess.
“I know it’s foolish, darling,” she said. “When I married Adam’s father all those years ago, I wore a shapeless white dress that did absolutely nothing for my figure. I want to live my dream wedding dress now.”
Lena had given me her measurements, and oddly enough, they matched mine.
A woman sewing | Source: Midjourney
I tried not to think about it. But it wasn’t a surprise. The entire time I had been dating Adam, Lena was always at Pilates or yoga or swimming with her friends.
The morning of the wedding arrived. I packed the dress into a garment bag, loaded it carefully into my car, and drove to the venue. It was a gorgeous country estate tucked away like something out of a fairy tale.
If I ever got married, I could see myself using this as a venue contender.
A wedding venue | Source: Midjourney
The moment I pulled up, unease curled in my stomach.
Something’s wrong, I thought. But I shook it off.
Clutching the garment bag, I walked inside. Soft music drifted through the air, and guests milled about in suits and gowns, their laughter a low hum. But then I saw it.
A massive banner near the altar, shimmering under the soft light.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
It displayed the names of the couple getting married.
I froze right there.
It wasn’t Lena’s name.
It was Adam’s name. And mine.
Welcome to the nuptials of Adam & Hayley
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
I blinked, my mind short-circuiting. My heart was racing so fast it felt like it might explode.
“What… what is this?” I whispered aloud.
“Hayley,” a voice said from behind me.
His voice, Adam’s voice, made me jump. I turned around, and there he was.
Adam.
A man in a suit | Source: Midjourney
He looked older, his jaw sharper, his eyes softer. He wasn’t smiling, though. He just stood there, hands at his sides, looking at me like I was the only person in the room.
“What is this?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “Why is my name on that banner? What’s happening?”
He took a slow step toward me, regret written all over his face.
“Please, just let me explain.”
A close up of a man | Source: Midjourney
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But I just couldn’t move.
“You’ve got two minutes,” I said, folding my arms tightly across my chest.
He took a deep breath.
“Three years ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life.”
Yeah, no kidding, I thought bitterly, but I stayed quiet.
A woman with folded arms | Source: Midjourney
“I was going to propose to you, Hayley,” he said. “I had the ring. I had everything planned. And then… she showed me something.”
“She?” I whispered, already knowing who.
“Your… my ex. Miranda,” he looked away, his voice thick with regret. “She showed me a video of you all on holiday. Thailand, I think it was. And you were drinking and shouting that you didn’t want kids. She told me that it was recent, that you’d been lying to me about wanting a family. Especially with me. It crushed me, Hayley. I thought I didn’t know you at all.”
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
The air whooshed out of my lungs. I remembered the video. It was years ago, we had been on a girls’ trip, and I was venting after a drunken spat with someone who assumed all women had to want kids. The same man who made his wife take care of their kids while he enjoyed his beer on the beach.
It had nothing to do with Adam and everything to do with wanting to be heard.
“You didn’t think to ask me?” I choked out. “You didn’t think that you could have taken five minutes to ask me about that video?”
A surprised woman | Source: Midjourney
“I know, Hayley,” he said, shaking his head. “I was stupid. I was already vulnerable, and she got into my head. I believed Miranda. I believed everything she said. And I let you go. Then she admitted the truth.”
“What?” I gasped.
“Months ago. She slipped up during an argument. She told me the video was old, and she knew I’d overreact. She said that she wanted me for myself and couldn’t stand that you had me.”
A woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney
Tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She’d destroyed everything we had, and he let her.
“I ended things with her that night,” he continued. “And I’ve spent every day since trying to figure out how to fix this. How to win you back.”
I shook my head, still completely overwhelmed.
“And this?” I gestured around. “What the heck is this?”
His lips curved into a small, nervous smile.
A wedding setting | Source: Midjourney
“This is me not waiting any longer…”
Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box. Then he dropped to one knee.
“Hayley, I love you. I never stopped. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m asking for it anyway. Will you marry me? Right here, right now?”
I stared at him, my world spinning. Then, out of nowhere, it hit me.
A ruby engagement ring | Source: Midjourney
Lena.
She’d planned this. She’d asked me to make the dress because she knew.
And the truth? I still loved him.
So, I whispered my answer.
“Yes, Adam.”
Lena appeared almost instantly, carrying flowers and beaming like a woman who’d just pulled off the heist of the century.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
“You said yes!” she cried, hugging me tightly. “I’m so sorry for how I treated you before, Hayley. I didn’t see how much you meant to Adam until it was too late. Thank you for giving him another chance.”
Stylists and makeup artists seemed to appear out of nowhere. My parents showed up, looking both stunned and delighted. No one knew if I’d say yes, but they’d all been ready.
I changed into the dress I’d made with my own hands, realizing it had been meant for me all along.
Hair and makeup artists | Source: Midjourney
When Adam and I stood together at the altar, his hand in mine, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years.
Peace.
After the ceremony, the crowd had thinned, and the music played softly in the background. I stood on the balcony of the venue, the crisp evening air cooling my flushed cheeks.
My hands rested on the railing as I stared at the horizon, trying to process everything that had happened.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“Hey.”
Adam’s voice came from behind me. I turned to see him standing there, tie loosened, the soft glow of string lights making his eyes look even warmer.
“Hey,” I said quietly, my lips curving into a small smile.
He stepped beside me, his arm brushing against mine as we both looked out into the night.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
A smiling groom | Source: Midjourney
I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head.
“I don’t even know what I am right now. Happy? Overwhelmed? Still waiting for someone to yell ‘April Fools’?”
He chuckled, his gaze softening.
“It’s real, Hayley. I promise.”
We fell silent for a moment before he spoke again, his voice more serious.
A laughing bride | Source: Midjourney
“I don’t deserve this. You. I know I messed up. I let someone else’s lies break something beautiful, and I’ve hated myself for it every day since.”
I turned to face him, my heart tightening.
“You should’ve talked to me, Adam. I would have told you the truth. You hurt me so much when you left.”
His face crumbled just a little, his jaw flexing.
A woman looking pensive | Source: Midjourney
“I know. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you’ll let me.”
I stared at him for a long moment, searching his face for any doubt, any hesitation.
But there was none.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I whispered.
His lips curved into a smile, a mixture of relief and love.
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
“Yeah, you are,” he said.
He took my hand and kissed my knuckles, lingering for just a moment.
“This time, I’ll get it right.”
I smiled back, the truth settling deep in my chest.
“This time, we will.”
“Come, love. Let’s go get some cake and champagne.”
But before we left the balcony, he pulled me into his arms, and for the first time in years, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.
A wedding cake | Source: Midjourney
On the day of Mabel and Adam’s wedding, they’re stuck in a limousine as they crawl along the freeway, thanks to traffic. Instead of keeping her mother’s guests entertained, Mabel’s daughter, Amanda, takes over the wedding, stealing the limelight. Will Mabel retaliate at the wedding or just let Amanda learn her lesson another way?
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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