Off The Record

Days Before Our Wedding, My Fiancé Made The Ultimate Betrayal — And I Caught Him Red-Handed

Published on September 26, 2025

Days before our wedding, I found out that my fiancé was covertly organizing a “closure vacation” with his ex, so I made the decision to arrange my own getaway. Everything changed after that, including who I walked down the aisle with.

I’m Tessa, and until three weeks ago, I believed I had my whole future planned out. At the age of thirty-five, I was getting married to the guy of my dreams.

I didn’t mind that the wedding planning had taken up eight months of my life.

Since I was a young child playing dress-up in my mother’s old bridesmaid dresses, I had been dreaming of this day.

Two years ago, Jared and I met at a housewarming celebration hosted by a mutual acquaintance. I was standing in the kitchen, attempting to open a particularly uncooperative bottle of wine, when this handsome man with the sweetest brown eyes showed up next to me.

With the sweetest smile I’d ever seen, he said, “Need some help with that?”

With a giggle, I said, “Only if you promise not to judge me for struggling with basic adult tasks,”

With ease, he took the bottle and poured a drink for each of us.

“To struggling with basic adult tasks,” he added, lifting his glass to his lips. “It’s what makes us human.”

That evening, we spent hours discussing our mutual interests, families, and occupations. The connection was electric and instantaneous.

We had swapped phone numbers and planned supper for the next weekend by the end of the evening.

It felt easy and natural to date Jared.

He had a terrific sense of humor, worked as the director of marketing for a software business, and treated me like I was the most important person in the world. We laughed at each other’s jokes, had similar morals, and never ran out of topics to discuss.

I didn’t even think twice about saying yes when he proposed to me last Christmas at my favorite restaurant, hiding the ring in my dessert.

With venue reservations, dress fittings, and guest list discussions, the engagement period went by quickly. Jared and I appeared to be immune to all of the drama, despite my friends’ constant warnings about the potential for couples to turn against one another due to wedding stress.

During the planning process, we became even closer, supported one another through the craziness, and made decisions together with ease.

Everything was flawless. My dress was waiting for the big day in my closet, the venue was reserved, and the flowers were ordered.

Then something changed a week or so before the wedding. I first dismissed Jared’s weird behavior as pre-wedding nerves because it was subtle.

He seemed strangely guarded about his bachelor trip plans, appeared preoccupied throughout chats, and constantly checking his phone more than normal.

“Wedding stress makes people act weird,” I told myself often. Isn’t that what everyone said?

According to reports, he went on a laid-back bachelor trip with two of his friends. Not a drama. Somewhere in the mountains, just some trekking and beer.

I even brought his favorite energy bars and trail mix for him.

My life fell apart three days prior to his trip while I was at the mall getting some last-minute skincare samples and a thank-you present for his mother.

I happened to run into Dylan, one of Jared’s groomsmen, at that point.

“Oh hey, Tessa!” With shopping bags in hand, Dylan rushed over to me and yelled out. “So cool of you to be chill about the whole closure thing.”

“The what?”

Dylan chuckled as if I had told a joke. “The vacation of closure! Man, before we were married, my girlfriend would never permit me to travel with my ex. However, you deserve a lot of credit for being so understanding about it.”

The ground might as well have shook, but it didn’t. As his comments set in, it seemed like every sound in the mall vanished.

My fiancé and his ex-girlfriend were planning a trip. Not going on a hike with his friends. with his former partner.

I made myself continue to nod and smile as though I understood exactly what he was talking about. Panic wouldn’t bring me the information I needed.

I answered, “Oh yeah, totally,” as if I were an expert. “Jared’s always been big on emotional clarity before major life events.”

Dylan gave a nod of approval. “That shows how mature you two are. The majority would panic.”

After pausing, I said, “That evening flight is going to be so inconvenient, though, don’t you think?” as casually as I could.

“Evening? No, I mistook Tuesday’s time for 8:40 a.m. When Jared requested me to cover his morning meeting, he at least informed me that.”

With a fast “Oh right, of course,” I said. “I’m still getting used to the new time zone. Given that it must be raining in Bali at this time of year, I should probably pack an umbrella in his suitcase.”

Dylan appeared truly perplexed now.

“Bali? They were heading to Cancún, I assumed. He brought it up at poker night last week.”

I thought I was going to get sick, but my smile remained fixed. “Really? Oh. His itinerary may have been confused with something else by me. I appreciate you reminding me! I’ll need to check with him again.”

“No issue!” Dylan waved as he made his way to the food court and said, “See you at the rehearsal dinner.”

Cancún. With his former girlfriend, Miranda, whom he had dated for three years prior to our meeting.

My hands trembled as I struggled with my keys as I wandered dazedly to my car.

I sat there for 10 minutes straight once I was safely inside, trying to take in what I had just discovered.

I did not scream or cry. Rather, I devised a scheme that would transform everything.

My wedding gown, in all its ivory splendor, was hanging in my walk-in closet when I stood there an hour later. However, I wasn’t viewing it with the thrill and delight I had experienced that morning. It now seemed to represent everything that was falling apart all around me.

I snatched up my phone and made a crucial call. This was a component of my strategy.

I put on a white sundress and went to the airport on Tuesday, the day Jared was scheduled to go with Miranda.

It was a weird drive to the airport. I parked and entered through the automated doors with a resolve I was unaware I had.

Before they saw me, I saw them. Standing in the security queue, Jared and Miranda were giggling at something. She was just like she had been in all those old pictures I had seen of her on his social media.

They appeared at ease with one another, as if no time had passed.

I approached them wearing my biggest smile.

“Jared!”

When he turned around, I saw his face change from one feeling to another in approximately two seconds. Panic, recognition, confusion, and then what appeared to be sheer dread.

“Tessa? What on earth are you doing in this place?” He stumbled. “This… this isn’t what it looks like!”

However, I was no longer focusing on him. I was staring at the man next to me. He had the same warm brown eyes that had captured my heart throughout our two years together in college, and he was tall and dark-haired.

“Hi, baby,” I whispered to Liam as I rose to my feet to give him a cheek kiss. “Ready for our trip?”

Miranda’s jaw dropped. Jared appeared to be on the verge of a heart attack.

“What is this?” Jared made a demand. “Is this some kind of joke?”

I turned to him and smiled as sweetly as I could. Before the wedding, are you guys taking a final trip? What a fantastic concept! Liam and I reasoned that since the wedding is so near, it would be the ideal moment for us to reflect on the past and achieve closure.

God bless Liam, he did his role flawlessly. He gave Jared a solemn nod and held out his hand.

His statement, “Closure’s so important before making a lifelong commitment,” was sincere. “I really appreciate Tessa being mature enough to suggest this.”

Jared gazed like a snake at Liam’s extended hand. “This isn’t real, hold on. Tell me this is a sophisticated trick of some sort.”

I gave him a smile. “This is real, I’m afraid. The trip is now double-closure. Mine and yours.”

I walked with Liam, holding his hand, straight past security and toward another gate. For sure, we were taking a plane somewhere.

It was more than just a show.

Allow me to explain what occurred the other day.

I called Liam as soon as I got home after my talk with Dylan at the mall. Over the years, we had occasionally texted one other to wish each other a happy birthday and to stay in touch.

To the best of my knowledge, he was unmarried and employed as an architect.

I had stated, “Liam, I need a huge favor,” when he answered the phone. “And it’s going to sound completely insane.”

I filled him in on Jared, the covert trip with Miranda, and how my entire world had fallen apart in the days leading up to my wedding.

“So, you want me to pretend to be your closure trip guy to mess with your lying fiancé?” suggested the man.

“You still like margaritas, right?” I answered.

He chuckled. “Purchase the tickets. You and I will meet at the airport.”

We were now strolling through the airport together, just like any other couple going on a trip. When I had hastily planned a week in Cabo, it had seemed like the ideal revenge plan, but now that we were actually doing this, I felt oddly at ease.

Almost immediately after we went through security, my phone began to vibrate. Jared texted again and again.

“WTH was that back there?”

“This is completely insane, Tessa.”

“I was going to explain everything when I got back from the trip.”

“You just ruined everything.”

“Call me right now.”

As we waited to board at our gate, I read all of the messages. I became increasingly enraged and certain that I was acting morally after each one. When he returned, he was going to explain everything? after deceiving me and leaving behind my back with his ex?

But before our plane even set off, I blocked his number.

It had been years since Liam and I had a genuine conversation until the journey to Cabo.

We talked about his work, his family, his dating life (or lack thereof), my profession, and my now-canceled wedding preparations, among other things.

Liam shook his head and remarked, “I can’t believe he lied to you like that,” as we headed down toward Mexico. “Especially this close to the wedding.”

“I can’t believe I almost married someone who thought it was okay to sneak off with his ex for a ‘closure vacation,'” I responded. “What does that even mean?”

However, as the week progressed, an unforeseen event occurred. What began as a plot of retaliation became actual.

With ease, Liam and I reverted to our previous rhythm. On the beach, we spent hours talking, laughing until our stomachs ached, and reminiscing about the reasons we had initially fallen in love.

Since I had accepted to a graduate program across the nation and long-distance had appeared unfeasible at the time, we had split up while we were still in college. We believed that we had endless time to figure things out since we were young and afraid.

At the age of 35, we both recognized that we had developed into the individuals that were predestined for us. We still fit together flawlessly, somehow.

In Cabo, a week became another week.

Liam then took a plane back to his hometown, resigned from his job, and relocated to my city. He asked her to marry him with a stunning ring six months later.

The next spring, we were married in an intimate ceremony attended only by our closest friends and family.

Jared, too? About three months after Cabo, he wrote me a single email that said, “Guess your closure worked.”

Indeed. It most definitely did.

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