She Confessed, I Clapped

At our engagement party, my fiancée, Rachel Levine, looked lost, tears shining in her eyes.

A friend stepped in to smooth things over. "Micah, did you upset Rachel? I'll let it slide today, but after the party, you'd better apologize."

I looked at Rachel, worried.

She was pale. I thought she might not feel well and was about to tell her to go back to her room and rest.

Then a man appeared at the entrance.

I hated the way he looked at her. The second Rachel saw him, her eyes lit up.

She set down her wineglass and turned to me. "Micah, there's something I have to tell you. Even if I marry you, my heart will always belong to Jude.

"You love me so much. You want me to be happy, don't you? You won't mind... right?"

The room went dead silent.

A friend forced a smile, trying to defuse it, but before he could speak—

Rachel cut him off.

"I'm serious. I'm grateful Micah is willing to marry me, but the only person I'll ever love is Jude."

Jude Erwin was Rachel's first love.

The certainty in her voice left me stunned.

This was our engagement party. After tonight, we were supposed to get our marriage license, have the wedding, and start our life together.

Instead, she said it in front of everyone, humiliating me in front of all our guests.

Heat crawled up my neck.

Every stare cut like a blade.

Rachel's steady gaze only made it worse.

In the end, she chose Jude.

She chose him over me.

Rachel and I had been together for three years.

For three years, I gave her everything she wanted. I even gave up a great career overseas just to stay with her.

I loved her with everything I had.

She hated cabs and the subway, so I drove her everywhere, rain or shine.

She wouldn't eat at the company cafeteria or order takeout, so I cooked for her every day.

When Rachel agreed to marry me, I wanted the whole world to know.

But right when I was at my happiest, she shattered everything with one blow.

I opened my mouth, wanting to ask why.

But all that would do was earn me everyone's pity.

So I swallowed the pain, clapped, and smiled.

"If marrying me makes you that miserable, I won't stand in your way. Since Jude's already here, why not get engaged to him instead?"

After a beat, I added, "Just don't forget to pay back the wedding money I gave you."

Rachel immediately blew up.

"Micah, why are you so petty? All you ever care about is money! You sit at home all day without a job. I paid for everything while we were together, and did I ever complain?

"You're a loser with no ambition. You'll never measure up to Jude. And you still have the nerve to ask for your money back?"

I froze.

The woman in front of me felt cold. Unfamiliar.

Every word cut straight into my heart.

That was when I realized it.

I didn't know Rachel anymore.

She had become a stranger.