Three weeks after our engagement party I saw my fiancé Tessa in the arms of another man outside her work. I had planned to surprise her for lunch. When I pulled up I saw her talking to a well-built man with blonde hair and sunglasses on. A few seconds later I realised it was her ex-boyfriend Mark. I was about to beep the horn to get her attention but before I knew it she was kissing him passionately and snuggling into his neck. Needless to say I was in shock and I even hid as they walked over to his car hand in hand and drove away.
I drove to a park and sat in the car in silence for about an hour, not even thinking. I couldn’t feel or comprehend anything. After what seemed like forever, I started to feel more anger than I had in my entire life. I felt betrayed and humiliated. I thought about the home we had shared for the past two years and her constant questions about my own ex, how she would accuse me of still being in love with her when I hadn’t thought of or felt anything for anyone else but her since we’d met. I thought about the day I proposed and how happy she appeared to be, then I visualised them kissing and hugging in the open for anyone to see. I wanted her to pay for it.
That afternoon I devised a plan as I drove to my parent’s house (they happened to be out of town for the weekend). I rang our home number and left a message that I was staying at Mum and Dad’s for the night because one of the dogs was sick and I wanted to keep an eye on it. I tried to sound as normal as possible. Later she rang and left a message, saying how much she would miss me and that she’d see me after she finished work tomorrow. That was the first time since I realised we were over that I cried and I didn’t stop for hours.
I knew Tessa’s schedule like the back of my hand and I quietly let myself in the front door of our home at 8.10am the next morning. Sure enough, she was in the shower. She always took her engagement ring off and placed it back in the box whenever she showered. I had noticed that she left the box in different spots most mornings and I had said more than once that she should be more careful whenever she’d looked puzzled as to where she’d left it that morning. I found the box on her dresser, picked it up and left as quietly as I had come in. She had no clue I had even been home. I went to the jeweller I bought the ring from, told the sad story that my offer of marriage had not been accepted and because I looked like a man destroyed, the manager took the ring and receipt I had kept in my wallet and agreed to return the $5230 to my account without much hassle.
After that, I went home and packed my bags. I was waiting for Tessa when she walked through the front door and said that I saw her with Mark a few hours ago, taking a chance that they had indeed been together that day as well. I was right. She broke down and told the story of the last few months during which she and Mark had “found each other” again. I said I was leaving and demanded the ring back, knowing full well she didn’t have it. She burst into tears, saying she had lost it and had spent ages looking for it that morning before work. I screamed that it had cost over $5000. She was hysterical and begged me to stay and for my forgiveness. I said I was leaving and that I had better have my ring back by the end of the week or I would sue her and the whole town would know about her “tarting around”. I could still hear her sobs as I pulled my car away and left.
At the end of that week she went to my parents’ house and gave my mum an envelope to give to me. Inside was a cheque for $5230 and a long letter from her apologising and explaining that it was completely over with her and Mark and that she had used her wedding dress money and savings to pay me back. She asked for forgiveness and a second chance. I screwed up the letter and used the money (more than $10,000 in total) to start my life over. I have never looked back.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
