From License to Lies

When I saw that marriage certificate, my first thought was maybe it was someone with the same name.But then I saw the photos of them. The face on it, the one I'd spent five years with day and night, stared back at me.I couldn't lie to myself anymore.My boyfriend, Piero Conrad, was married to someone else, and his wife was his childhood friend, Vivian Brett.The date on the certificate was May 20, three years ago. The hard reality hit me like a punch to the chest.Tears fell onto my phone screen, unstoppable.Piero and I had been together since college, five years in total. But three years ago, he married another woman.He'd been lying to me for three whole years.Every morning, he'd wrap his arms around my waist and give me a good-morning kiss.He'd thoughtfully make breakfast and see me off to work. Therefore, even though he bailed on our six previous marriage registration plans with excuses, I never doubted him.I trusted our love so much that I thought getting married w

I met Piero back in college.I was prepping hard for a job interview, waking up early to practice on the field.One day, I heard a chuckle, and Piero stepped out from behind the bleachers, grinning at me."I've heard your self-introduction for days," he said. "How about practicing with me as your interviewer? It'll feel more real."His eyes were limpid and kind. There wasn't any hint of mocking.Blushing, I stammered my agreement.After that, the morning practice became our unspoken routine. We grew closer, and after graduation, we naturally became a couple.On our second anniversary, he proposed. I said yes through tears, hugging him tightly.I was sure he was my Mr. Right, and we planned to register our marriage that year on Valentine's Day.Then I waited all day at City Hall, but he never showed up.That night, he hugged me, full of apologies. "Honey, I'm so sorry. Work got in the way. Can we do it next time?"I believed him.Every time after that, he'd miss our registra

Piero panicked. "Why? I only did it for Vivian's health. Is the certificate really that important? It's just a piece of paper. Love is all that matters."His tone turned accusatory, like I was making a fuss over nothing.I almost laughed at how absurd it was.My boyfriend of five years married another woman and lied to me. And he wanted me to accept it."You expect me to stay and be the other woman between you and Vivian?" I asked sharply.Piero's face darkened. "I've explained already. It was just to fulfill Vivian's wish. Why are you being so aggressive?"In our five years together, I rarely saw him look this upset. He used to brag about being the most patient boyfriend, and I hadn't argued about that.But now, he flipped out for Vivian.Maybe I just never touched his sore spot before. Vivian was that sore spot."Let me answer you something," I said. "If I told you to divorce Vivian, would you?"Piero froze, his face flushed with conflict. Then he replied firmly, "The docto

Unwilling to give up, Piero tried to reach me through different numbers.Annoyed, I set my phone to reject unknown calls.Finally, some peace.The guesthouse was hiring volunteers, and I signed up to keep myself busy.For months, I only checked in with my parents and close friends, cutting off everyone else. Till an old classmate sent me a wedding invitation, I booked a flight back.At the wedding, tons of old classmates were there, catching up on old times.Someone brought up Piero. "You and Piero were so tight back then. Bet you're close to tying the knot now, huh?""Yeah. The next wedding we're attending might be yours," echoed another."By the way, why are you here alone? Where's Piero?" asked a third person.I'd only told my parents about the breakup, so no one else knew. This was a good chance to set the record straight and avoid misunderstandings."Piero and I broke up months ago," I replied.Right then, a male voice came from behind me. "We didn't break up."I turne

I heard about Piero's recent life from other classmates.After that day, he and Vivian had a huge fight.He said he still loved me, wanted to divorce Vivian, and blamed her for keeping him from marrying me.Vivian was furious, blurting out that she never had cancer. It was all a lie to get him to marry her.When she went abroad and learned Piero was with me, she couldn't accept it. Knowing he'd liked her before, she crafted a lie, and it worked.Even that video was posted to make sure I'd see it.In fact, back when they got their marriage certificate, Piero told her to keep it secret from me.Thrilled, Vivian agreed without a second thought, thinking that would push me out of the picture. But three years later, Piero and I were still together.Unable to accept it, she posted the video online and sent me that taunting text to break us up.It worked, and I left Piero.Vivian was relieved, thinking Piero would stick with her forever. But when he heard I was back, he rushed to th