Me volqué en la planificación de la boda con la que soñaba desde la infancia. Reservamos una iglesia preciosa, hicimos una lista de invitados que creció demasiado rápido y empezamos a organizar cada pequeño detalle. Nick estuvo involucrado en todo eso.
Desde el principio, acordamos dividir los costes por igual. En la práctica, sin embargo, eso se volvió complicado.
Una noche, tras horas ordenando facturas y presupuestos de proveedores, me desplomé por el papeleo de la frustración.
Nick cogió el montón y dijo: "Déjame encargarme de los contratos."
Miré hacia arriba. "¿De verdad?"
"Por supuesto." Sonrió. "Soy el novio. Debería aportar algo más que presentarme y lucir bien. Puedes transferirme tu parte antes de la boda."
Así que mientras yo pasaba el tiempo eligiendo flores y comparando colores, él firmaba contratos.
Siempre que algo se finalizaba, me mostraba la factura y me decía cuánto debía de mi parte. Estábamos construyendo un futuro juntos. Se sentía práctica. Maduro. Como el trabajo en equipo.
Al menos eso era lo que yo creía.
Tres meses antes de la boda, se canceló una reunión con un cliente, así que llegué temprano a casa del trabajo.
Nick’s car was already in the driveway.
He was supposed to be working late, so I smiled, thinking maybe we would get an unexpected quiet evening together.
I stepped inside softly and slipped off my heels by the door.
Then I heard voices in the living room.
“Andrea still has no idea,” Lori said.
Nick let out a short laugh. “Of course she doesn’t. She trusts us completely.”
I froze.
Then Lori asked, quieter this time, “So when are you actually leaving her, baby?”
My bl00d ran cold.
Nick chuckled. “Once the wedding day gets here, we’ll handle it. By then she’ll have paid for everything, and you can step right into her place. It’s perfect.”
There was no misunderstanding. No other explanation.
Nick and Lori were having an affair.
And they were talking about me like I was a fool. Like I was a bank account in a white dress.
I backed away in silence, walked out the front door, got into my car, and cried until I could not breathe.
Then the tears stopped.
Then the anger came.
Then I started planning.
If they wanted to humiliate me, they were not going to do it easily.
From that moment on, every time Nick asked about another payment, I calmly told him it had already been sent.
“Transferred this morning,” I would say.
He never checked.
Why would he?
As far as he knew, the wedding was fully covered.
Over the next three months, I learned just how deep the betrayal went.
They were careless because they thought I saw nothing. Maybe people become reckless when they think they have already won.
