A month after my breakup, I finally started to feel like myself again. The pain was still there, but I was moving on, learning to live without Richard, the man who had shattered my heart. But just when I thought I had put the past behind me, life threw me an unexpected and cruel twist.
That day, I was walking past a small café when I froze in my tracks. Through the large glass window, I saw my sister, Jessica, sitting across from Richard. My stomach dropped. My heart pounded. Were they together? Was she betraying me? I clenched my fists, feeling anger rise in my chest. But then, Jessica did something that made my blood run cold.
She pulled out a leather bag, unzipped it, and pushed it across the table toward Richard. Even from where I stood, I could tell the bag was stuffed with cash. My head spun. Why was my sister giving money to my ex-fiancé?
Without thinking, I pushed open the door and marched straight toward them. The restaurant’s quiet chatter faded as I slammed my hands on their table.
“What the hell is going on here?” I demanded, my voice sharp with betrayal.
Jessica’s face went pale. “Amber! What are you—”
Richard grabbed the bag and stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over his drink. “I should go.”
I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “You’re not going anywhere until someone explains what’s happening!”
Richard’s eyes darted around the café, looking for an escape. Then, without a word, he shoved past me, his shoulder slamming into mine as he bolted toward the exit.
“Richard!” Jessica called after him, but he was already gone.
I turned to my sister, fury and confusion battling inside me. “Are you kidding me, Jess? You’re giving money to my ex? Behind my back? What is going on?”
Jessica took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “You don’t understand, Amber.”
“Then make me understand!”
Her expression hardened. “We know why you left Richard. Dad and I have been trying to help him because, obviously, you don’t care about what he’s going through.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Jessica’s voice shook with anger. “His cancer, Amber! The man has stage three lymphoma, and you dumped him because you couldn’t handle it. How could you be so heartless?”
The floor seemed to tilt beneath me. “Cancer? Richard doesn’t have cancer.”
Jessica’s confident expression faltered. “What? Of course he does. He told Dad everything after you broke up with him. How he tried to tell you about his diagnosis, and you panicked and called off the wedding. You’re such a selfish coward.”
I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what he told you? Jessica, I broke up with Richard because I caught him cheating on me. I saw him with another woman. I watched them kiss. He wasn’t sick—he was lying.”
Jessica’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Doubt flickered in her eyes. “No… That’s not… Dad’s been helping him with his treatment costs.”
I sank into the chair Richard had vacated. “There is no treatment, Jess. It’s a scam. He’s conning you and Dad.”
Jessica paled. “Oh my God… we need to call Dad.” She fumbled for her phone, her hands shaking as she dialed. She put the call on speaker as soon as he answered.
“Jessica? Everything okay?”
“Dad,” I said firmly. “Richard is lying to you. He doesn’t have cancer. He scammed you.”
There was a long, painful silence. Then Dad exhaled heavily. “Are you sure? He showed me doctor’s reports. He looked so sick.”
“I’m sure. He cheated on me, and I broke off the wedding. That’s the real reason we split up. I just never told you because I didn’t want to make things worse.”
Dad’s voice was thick with regret. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I should have talked to you before I got involved. I just… I couldn’t believe you’d leave someone over an illness. It didn’t sound like you.”
“How much have you given him, Dad?” I asked.
“Fifty thousand dollars so far. Jessica was delivering another twenty today.”
Jessica covered her face with her hands. “I can’t believe we fell for it.”
Dad’s tone shifted from remorseful to furious. “I’m calling the police. That money was withdrawn in cash. If we act quickly—”
“We’re coming to your office,” I interrupted. “We need to figure this out together.”
“I’ll be waiting. Drive safely.”
Jessica and I were halfway to Dad’s office when his name lit up my screen again. My stomach twisted. I answered quickly. “Dad, we’re almost there—”
“Richard just got into an accident,” Dad said, his voice rushed. “The police were already after him. Apparently, I wasn’t his only victim. He lost control of his car trying to outrun them on the highway.”
My breath caught. “Is he…”
“He’s alive, but in custody. They found the money in his car. All of it. An officer just called me. They’ll be returning it once they process everything.”
Jessica and I sat in stunned silence. Finally, she reached over and squeezed my hand. “I’m sorry I believed him over you.”
I squeezed back. “It’s not your fault. He fooled all of us.”
“Not you,” she pointed out. “You saw through him.”
I thought about the months I spent planning a future with a man I clearly hadn’t known at all. The dress fittings, the venue tours, the late-night conversations about children and growing old together… all built on lies.
“Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I hadn’t seen him that day,” I said. “We’d be married now.”
Jessica nodded solemnly. “You dodged more than a bullet, Amber. You dodged a missile.”
As we pulled into Dad’s office, I felt something I hadn’t experienced since the breakup—relief. A weight lifted off my chest.
Richard had taken enough from me—my trust, my confidence, and months of my life. But standing there with my sister and father, united in truth, I realized he hadn’t taken what mattered most.
“You know what?” I said, turning to Jessica with a small smile. “I think it’s time we all go out to eat somewhere new. I want to make some better memories.”
Jessica grinned, linking her arm through mine. “Lead the way. Some stories deserve better endings.”
