A month after my breakup, I was finally moving on when I stumbled upon my sister handing money to my ex-fiancé, the man who shattered my heart.
My heart pounded. Were they together? Was she betraying me?
The truth was worse than I ever imagined.
Richard and I met a year ago at a charity event my family’s foundation was hosting. He wasn’t like the other men my parents’ friends tried to set me up with. He was genuine, worked as a graphics designer, and made me laugh until my sides hurt. Within a year, he proposed, and I said yes without hesitation.
“Are you sure about him, Amber?” my mother asked, concern etching her normally composed features. “You barely know his background.”
“I know everything I need to know, Mom,” I replied confidently. “He’s the one.”
To my surprise, my father Robert, who scrutinized every decision I made, welcomed Richard with open arms.
“He’s got character,” Dad said one night after dinner, while Richard helped Mom clear the table. “That’s worth more than any trust fund or family name.”
My sister Jessica was more hesitant initially. “Just be careful,” she whispered when Richard wasn’t listening. “He’s charming… but looks can be deceiving, you know?”
I dismissed her concerns as jealousy. After all, at 27, I was getting married before my older sister. What did she know about love anyway?
“He makes me happy, Jess,” I said firmly. “Can’t that be enough for you?”
Eventually, my family grew to adore Richard and practically worshipped him.
A month before our wedding, I was heading to my hair appointment downtown when I spotted Richard’s car parked outside a small café. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it if I hadn’t seen him through the window, leaning across the table and kissing a woman I’d never seen before.
My hand trembled as I parallel parked across the street. The rational part of my brain tried to conjure explanations. Maybe I was seeing things.
But I knew better. I watched for 20 minutes as they laughed, touched hands, and kissed again before leaving together. I canceled my appointment and drove home in a daze.
When Richard came over that night, I couldn’t even look at him.
“You’ve been quiet all evening,” he said, brushing my hair back from my face. “Wedding jitters getting to you?”
I pulled away from his touch. “We need to talk.”
“That sounds ominous,” he laughed, but his eyes darted nervously around the room.
“I don’t think we should get married,” I said, the words tumbling out flat and emotionless. I rehearsed them all afternoon.
Richard’s face paled. “What are you talking about? Is this a joke?”
“I just… I don’t think we’re right for each other anymore.” I twisted the engagement ring off my finger and placed it on the coffee table between us.
“Amber, this is crazy. Whatever’s wrong, we can fix it. Just talk to me!”
I shook my head. “I’ve made up my mind. I can’t do this.”
“Is there someone else?” he demanded, his voice rising. “Is that what this is about?”
The irony made me want to scream, but I swallowed it down. If Dad found out Richard had cheated, he would destroy him. Despite everything, I couldn’t bear the thought.
“No one else. We’re just… done.”
“I don’t believe you,” Richard said, his eyes filling with tears that appeared startlingly genuine. “I love you, Amber. Please don’t do this.”
“It’s over, Richard. Leave. Now.”
And that was it. My family was startled by my sudden decision and tried to understand why I did what I did. But I chose to remain silent and buried the truth somewhere deep inside me.
The thought of Richard’s betrayal choked me. But I decided to move on because he wasn’t worth my tears.
For a month after the breakup, I buried myself in work and avoided family gatherings where I had to explain myself. My father called daily, clearly concerned but trying not to push.
“Richard came by the office yesterday,” he mentioned during one call. “He looked terrible, sweetheart. Are you sure there’s nothing to salvage?”
“I’m sure, Dad. Please don’t bring him up again.”
I hadn’t told anyone the truth — not my parents, not even Jessica. As far as they knew, we had simply grown apart. I figured I’d start dating again eventually, and everyone would move on. Richard would become a chapter in my past, nothing more.
Then came that Tuesday afternoon.
I decided to treat myself to lunch at a small Italian place I loved but had avoided since the breakup because it had been “our spot.” I was waiting for my table when I saw them through the window — Jessica and Richard, sitting in a corner booth, heads bent close together.
My first thought was that they were dating, and a surge of betrayal rushed through me. But then Jessica pulled out a leather bag and unzipped it. It was clearly stuffed with cash. She slid it across the table to Richard, who took it with a nod.
I pushed through the door without thinking, marching toward their table. Just before I reached them, I heard Jessica say, “This is from me and my father, as promised!”
“What the hell is going on here?” I demanded, my voice cutting through the restaurant’s gentle hum.
Jessica’s head whipped around, her eyes wide with shock. “Amber! What are you —”
Richard grabbed the bag and stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over his water glass. “I should go.”
“You’re not going anywhere until someone explains what this is,” I said, blocking his path.
Richard’s eyes darted between Jessica and me before he suddenly shoved past me, bumping my shoulder hard enough that I stumbled backward.
“Richard!” Jessica called after him, but he was already weaving between tables toward the exit.
I turned to my sister, fury and confusion warring inside me. “Are you kidding me, Jess? You’re giving money to my ex? Behind my back? What’s going on?”
Jessica’s face hardened. “You don’t understand anything, Amber.”
“Then enlighten me!”
She crossed her arms, anger flashing in her eyes. “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.”
“What are you talking about?”
“His cancer, Amber! The man has stage three lymphoma, and you dumped him because you couldn’t handle it. How could you be so selfish?”
The floor seemed to tilt beneath me. “Cancer? Richard doesn’t have cancer.”
Jessica’s 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.”
My laugh came out harsh and bitter. “Is that what he told you? Jessica, I broke up with Richard because I caught him cheating on me with another woman. I saw them together with my own eyes.”
“That’s not possible,” Jessica whispered, though doubt crept into her voice. “He wouldn’t… Dad’s been helping him with treatment costs.”
I sank into the chair Richard vacated. “There is no treatment, Jess. It’s a lie. He’s conning you and Dad.”
“Oh my God… we need to call Dad,” Jessica said, reaching for her phone. “Now.”
Dad answered on the first ring, his voice cheerful until Jessica put him on speaker and I explained what I’d seen.
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to go after him, Dad. I knew how much you liked Richard. I wanted a clean break without drama.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line. When Dad finally spoke, his voice brimmed with hurt. “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 so far. Today was another 20.”
Jessica covered her face with her hands. “I can’t believe we fell for it.”
“I’m calling the police,” Dad said, his tone shifting from remorseful to furious. “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 for you. Drive safely.”
Jessica and I were halfway to our father’s office when his name lit up my phone screen again.
“Dad, we’re almost there —”
“Richard just got into an accident,” he cut me off, his words 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.”
“Is he…” I couldn’t finish the question.
“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.”
After we hung up, Jessica
