Unexpected Vows
It all went smoothly until they were about to say, "I do," but nobody saw that Casey had something else planned. Her whole family was there cheering her on for her wedding.
But what no one knew was that the wedding was about to take a weird turn. There was no way Casey was about to let the man who shattered her heart get away with what he'd done. She knew how to take her revenge.
Tears In Their Eyes
As she looked out at her parents sitting in the crowd with tear-filled eyes, she knew she'd have to make the most of this.
When the priest turned to her with the question, she revealed her phone and started reading the messages she received. Not only did they incriminate the groom, but they showed everyone who he really was.
A Perfect Match
They had been together for over six years. In an interview, she stated that when they met, she honestly thought he was "the one."
And the only things that changed over time were that their lives became entwined and that their families became friends. Casey said, “I believed we would live happily ever after.” But on their wedding day, she received a message that would change everything.
Preparing For The Wedding
The morning of the wedding, she got up early so she and her girlfriends could prepare for her big moment.
They laughed and shared memories of what they envisioned for her big day. They talked about everything from the dress to the beautiful flowers and bouquet. The champagne flowed, and excitement filled the air. None of them were prepared for how the day would end.
Ultimate Betrayal
The discovery felt like a stab in the heart. But it wasn’t just the pain of betrayal that had Casey feeling that way. It was that the years of suspicions, doubts, and anxiety had actually been confirmed.
The worst part of the betrayal wasn't his deceit. It was that none of it caught her by surprise. Even when she was deeply in denial about what was really going on for all those years.
Meeting Him
Casey would never forget where and how she met Alex. It was a year before she graduated from college.
Alex was two years older than her and had already entered grad school, where he was studying to become a judge. The two of them met at a house party that a mutual friend hosted. From the very beginning, Alex left a strong impression on the woman who would later choose to marry him.
He Could Be Prince Charming
There was an instant attraction between them and at one point in the night, they made eye contact. Alex then approached her and introduced himself.
They hit it off right off the bat, and the conversation went smoothly. He asked her what she was studying she told him that she was in law school as well. He seemed pleasantly surprised by her answer. But it didn't end there.
Similarities Between Them
Studying law wasn't the only thing Casey and Alex had in common. They both loved hiking, going to the theater, and visiting art galleries.
They both were also opera enthusiasts. It was a rare coincidence since they barely knew anyone else who enjoyed it as much as they did. Casey was delighted to have so much in common with such a charming man. It was almost as if they were predestined to meet. However, not all that shines is a treasure.
A Word Of Warning
After getting to know each other a little, Alex was drawn away by some of the other guests. Casey was in seventh heaven and didn't expect to receive a word of warning.
As soon as Alex left her side, Casey’s friend stepped in. They informed her that there were still some things she needed to know about her Prince Charming. There was more to Alex than his perfect facade.
Well Known Player
It turned out that Alex was known in her friend's social circle as well as the entire campus. The rumor was that Alex was a player and womanizer who was well aware of his magnetism and knew how to use it to his advantage.
Casey's friends went on to tell her that there were many girls in their circle who could tell her more about their experiences with him. But that didn't bother Casey too much. It actually had the opposite effect.
Curiosity
As a matter of fact, it only increased her interest and curiosity for that young man. It didn’t take long before Casey and Alex went on their first date.
That was just the beginning of a romance that seemed like something straight out of a movie. However, as it happens with every relationship, the honeymoon period didn’t last forever.
Insecurities
After approximately one year of dating, Alex’s former playboy tendencies began worrying Casey. To put things in perspective, they had been dating casually for about three months before Alex agreed to be exclusive at Casey’s request.
Casey was absolutely elated when Alex told her that he wasn’t seeing other people and he didn’t have an interest in doing so. But soon enough, she began feeling haunted by certain insecurities.
Doubts
Casey was well aware that Alex had been an eternal bachelor until he met her. She couldn’t help but feel flattered by that; it felt like an accomplishment.
However, she couldn’t shake the fear that Alex might go back to his player ways. But was she justified in fearing that or were they just her insecurities talking?
Suspicion
Some of Alex’s behaviors gave her reasons for suspicion; every time he came back from work late at night, a thousand undesirable possibilities crossed her mind.
She often found herself smelling her husband’s clothes before putting them in the washing machine, in search of some infelicitous smell like some other woman’s perfume. And a few times, she found something alarming.
Looking For Proof
She smelled what she believed was the scent of a perfume she had never used before. The first time it happened, her stomach dropped to her knees, and a shiver went down her spine.
However, she didn’t dare say anything. She just couldn’t bring herself to confront the possibility that she might, in fact, not be the only one for Alex.
Just Her Imagination?
But all throughout the years, she kept repressing those fears. She kept telling herself that she just felt paranoid and intimidated by Alex’s past and that him choosing her should be good enough proof that their connection was true.
But that was until the day of their wedding. That was when Casey found proof of all the suspicions that had tormented her for years.
Nothing Would Be The Same
Hours were counting down until she would say her vows to her future husband. But at that very moment, she had no idea that that would never happen.
Her whole world would come crashing down in just a matter of minutes, but she didn’t know it yet. Nothing would ever be the same after she checked her soon-to-be husband’s phone.
Phone Buzz
Casey was hanging out with her girlfriends in her hotel room while they were drinking bubbly. They were in a glitzy hotel room and felt like princesses. Casey’s phone buzzed from across the room and with the drink in hand, she went to retrieve it.
She had been receiving messages all day from loads of people wishing her love for her big day, but this message was not in any way like that.
The Text
“Phone is running hot tonight,” said one of her bridesmaids as Casey picked up her phone. The text took her by surprise and changed everything in a heartbeat.
The text message contained a series of screenshots from a number she did not recognize, and under the pictures, an accompanying message simply stating, “I wouldn’t marry him. Will you?”
Distraught
The screenshots were of conversations between her husband-to-be and another woman. The texts in the screenshots ranged from everything and even included selfies of the pair.
The woman in the picture was the complete opposite of Casey; the unknown woman had dark hair and olive skin. What was going on?
Panicked
Casey grabbed the phone and locked herself in the bathroom while she inspected every single screenshot. The texts the pair had shared went as far back as months, and some were only days before their wedding!
Her brain could not compute what was going on, still, in her heart, she knew these texts were real. No one was playing a trick on her. Or were they?
Decisions
Everything was all set up for their incredible day. The caterers were already serving food, and all the guests had arrived. Casey had no idea what to do, but the texts kept swirling in her mind.
“This weekend. You and I. It is on hot stuff. Bring your A game.” said one text. Casey could not believe her fiancé had been cheating on her! How could she get her revenge?
What To Do?
Every word she read in the text was like a dagger in her heart, and her wedding was hours away. She couldn’t cancel, so she broke down in tears. She told her girlfriends everything, and they all stood there in shock, but they had to do something!
But what? Her bridesmaids insisted she called him immediately and tell him that she knew everything, but Casey was still too shocked!
A Choice
Still in shock, Casey decided to do the only thing she could think of. “I was going to go ahead with the wedding as expected and ‘out’ him in front of our friends and family,” she said.
So she got dressed in her beautiful white gown and pristine flowers and made her way down the aisle. “My dream dress is now just a costume,” she thought as she walked towards her cheating fiancé.
The Reveal
As her fiancé looked at her, he knew that her face was not of an ecstatic bride-to-be. But he had no idea what was coming. “I arrived at the front of the room, took a big breath and I faced our friends, our parents and I told them the truth about Alex,” Casey stated.
As the time came for them to say their vows and their “I Do’s,” Casey whipped out her phone and faced the crowd.
Revelation
“There will be no wedding today,” Casey announced. Every guest gasped as they had no idea what was happening, and more so, the groom had no idea what was happening either.
He looked at Casey and grabbed her hand, which she quickly flicked away and continued. “It seems Alex is not who I thought he was.”
Disbelief
A ripple of shock went through the crowd, and the groom still tried to grab her hands. Casey dropped her bouquet disguising the well-hidden phone she was holding. She read every single message that was in the screenshots and with every word, the groom’s face dropped.
He had been caught and had nothing to say. He quickly stalked out of the church with his best man trailing behind him. But what was going to happen now?
Explanations
The groom’s family looked on, horrified. They still could not believe what was happening, and neither did any of the guests.
Casey thought she would have to explain a little further, so she took a deep breath and turned to face her guests.
Casey's Courage
“I love all of you and as horrible as this is I’m glad you all are here. There will not be a wedding reception today.”
“Instead, there will be a celebration of honesty, finding true love, and following your heart even when it hurts,” Casey said as she faced the guests once more.
Awkward Applause
There were awkward applauses and a little cheering, but Casey’s bridesmaids were the ones clapping the most.
They could not believe how strong their friend had been, and more so, she had continued with everything as planned — except the getting married part.
Celebrating
That night, she celebrated surrounded by her family and friends. And even though she was heartbroken, Casey celebrated how she had almost made such a terrible mistake.
She threw one heck of a party, and everyone went home smiling. But what caused his infidelity? And how did she not catch it sooner?
The Psychology Of Cheating
According to Dr. Rowan Burckhardt, there are two main reasons for infidelity. “The first is what the cheater probably sees as a problem in the relationship,” he states
“The second is the straying party failing to have romantic feelings for their partner,” he continues. These forms of dissatisfaction can lead to the maladjusted behavior of cheating on one’s spouse.
Maladjusted Behavior
“In the first case, a person can react to a problem by stepping “out of the relationship” into the arms of someone else,” according to Dr. Burckhardt.
“And in the second case, the cheater needs to find this romantic connection elsewhere. This is when attraction for a person outside the relationship becomes all the greater,” he explains.
Little To No Idea
Casey had no idea her husband-to-be was a cheater. They had their problems like every relationship does, but when things got bad, she just endured a sleepless night and hoped it would be better in the morning.
Luckily for Casey, she knew about his infidelity before the wedding! She went public with her story, and it quickly went viral.
Happily Never After
Casey’s story made waves, and everyone shared their thoughts on the matter. Graham Houghton said, “A very brave woman who deserves , and will certainly find, someone better. I wish her luck and happiness.”
Will Agee expressed similar sentiments saying, “Wow!! Very strong and forward-thinking of her!! Honesty is the best policy with self and others!! Blessings all!!” Still, Casey explained: “It was certainly not the wedding day I had planned, but to our credit, it was one hell of a party.”
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.