When Haley decides to video call her fiancé, Chris, to discuss some wedding arrangements, she catches a reflection of another woman in his eyewear. Instantly, her dream of a blissful wedding morphs into a nightmare. Haley uses a tracking app to locate Chris, determined to confront him—and when she does, she dramatically throws both her drink and engagement ring.
The day began ordinarily, with the soft morning sunshine streaming through my blinds. It was supposed to be a routine day of wedding preparations with just eight weeks left until the big day.
I was about to finalize the flower arrangements and had planned a visit to our local florist at noon.
On one side, it seemed all was proceeding smoothly. Yet, I couldn’t shake a sense of unease that Chris wasn’t really engaged in the wedding planning.
He seemed to agree passively to my choices, contributing little to the decisions, which felt unlike him.
I tried to dismiss these thoughts, attributing them to pre-wedding jitters. I was determined to have a perfect wedding day.
“Speak to him, Haley,” my best friend, Claudia, suggested during a day at the beach when I shared my worries. “Explain why you value his opinions so much.”
And I really wanted to. I wanted to reassure Chris that despite the challenges, our marriage meant the world to me. At 23, I had faced opposition from my parents from the start.
“Hold on, Haley,” my mother cautioned. “Why the hurry? You’re so young, and there’s so much of the world left for you to explore before settling down.”
“I love him,” I asserted, convinced that love would conquer all objections.
“I’ll support you because you’re my daughter and I want your happiness, but don’t see this as my approval,” she cautioned.
I acknowledged her concern, confident that she would eventually understand.
But my father remained dismissive.
“I have nothing to add, Haley,” he stated. “You’re too young. And this boy, Chris, what about his career? Is he prepared to support you?”
That conversation happened nearly a year ago. Since then, my parents had warmed up to Chris, though they remained skeptical about the marriage.
I brewed some coffee and settled into my home office, ready to start the day before heading out to the florist.
A photo of Chris and me in Paris caught my eye, a reminder of happier times.
With a deep breath, I picked up my phone, his cheerful face greeting me as my wallpaper. I needed his input on the flower choices, the reception menu, and had other calls to make during the day.
I tapped on FaceTime, anticipating a brief discussion as had become our routine.
Chris answered, sunglasses on, seemingly relaxed in his car with music in the background.
“Hey, love,” he greeted casually, popping a mint into his mouth. “I’m just off to meet some friends, can this wait or should I call you back?”
Before I could respond, something caught my eye. The reflection in his sunglasses should have shown the road or the car’s interior.
But it didn’t.
Instead, I saw the clear outline of a woman’s legs, casually placed on his dashboard, her bare feet adorned with a shiny gold anklet.
My heart sank.
“No, nothing urgent,” I whispered, my voice a shell of its usual strength.
I quickly took a screenshot before Chris ended the call.
The call ended, but my heart pounded loudly, my hands trembling as I reviewed the image, the proof of his infidelity stark and shocking. I sent it to Claudia, desperate for confirmation.
“Am I seeing this right?” I texted, my heart racing as I waited for her response.
She called immediately.
“Definitely a woman’s legs,” she confirmed angrily. “What’s he up to?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, feeling numb. “What should I do?”
“Track his location, see where he’s at. I’ll come with you if you need,” she offered.
I checked Chris’s location through my phone. His icon was moving along the highway, eventually stopping at a well-known local bar.
I didn’t hesitate.
As I prepared for our wedding, Chris was apparently with another woman. Had it been any of our friends, he would’ve mentioned it, and she would have greeted me during the call.
This was someone new.
This woman was clearly spending time with my fiancé.
Numbly, I changed clothes, my mind racing with betrayal and anger.
The drive to the bar felt like descending into a nightmare.
I didn’t know what I would find, but I was certain it would shatter my heart.
I drove with loud music, trying to drown out my thoughts.
The bar was lively, in stark contrast to the turmoil within me. And there, I found Chris.
He was laughing with a woman at a table, the same one from the car, her gold anklet visible. She touched his arm, and he smiled at her, a smile I used to know so well.
I briefly considered just watching them from a distance. Part of me hoped I was wrong. But reality hit hard.
I couldn’t just sit back.
My engagement ring, once a promise of a shared future, now felt like a burden. I calmly removed it.
At the bar, I ordered a champagne, my hands steadier than my swirling emotions. Approaching their table, Chris’s smile turned to confusion.
“Haley, what—”
He was cut off as I threw the champagne at his face. The ring clattered against his glass.
“You can keep your empty promises,” I spat, the words bitter. “They mean nothing now.”
The woman gasped, but I ignored her, turning to leave as the crowd parted silently around me.
I drove directly to the florist, cancelled everything, then went to my parents’ home.
“Hello, dear,” my mother greeted, concern evident as she opened the door.
“Hi, Mom,” I replied, seeking comfort in her embrace.
“What happened?” she inquired.
As we sat with tea and treats, the usual comforts, she waited.
“It’s over,” I confirmed.
“You can say it,” I prompted.
“Say what?” she asked with a gentle smile.
“That you were right,” I admitted.
But instead of saying so, she just hugged me, agreeing to stay with me for a while. I returned to my apartment alone, my mother promising to join after speaking with my father.
“I’ll be there for you while you sort this out,” she reassured.
And now, here I am, in bed with ice cream, unsure of what comes next.
What would you do?