They were standing at the altar, about to say, "I do," but Casey had a card up her sleeve. Her whole family was there to show their support for the union while cheering her on.
Little did they know, the wedding wasn't going as planned. It was about to take a very strange turn. Casey was heartbroken and it was only about to get worse. But she wasn't going to let the culprit get away unscathed. She knew exactly how she would take her revenge.
Everyone's In Tears
She looked out into the crowd and saw that her parents had tears in their eyes. What she was about to do would break their hearts, so she had to make the most out of it by letting them see who her fiancé really was.
Casey let the priest continue as he would with any other wedding, but when the time came to answer his question, she pulled out her phone instead. She started reading the messages she received aloud, incriminating the groom and exposing him for what he really was.
The One For Her
Casey had been with her husband-to-be for over six years when they decided to get married. In an interview she said that when they met, she genuinely though that he was "the one."
“I believed we would live happily ever after,” Casey added. Over the years, their lives became entwined. Their families became friends, and everyone believed they would end up in that chapel someday. But on the day of the wedding, Casey received a message that would turn her world upside down.
Hours Before The Wedding
On the day of the wedding, Casey got up early. There was a lot to be done, but with her friends, at her side, she was sure everything would go smoothly.
The women were making the most of the day- laughing and sharing memories of what they all envisioned for that day. Excitement filled the air as they shared their thoughts on what they thought the dress, flowers and bouquet would look like. The champagne was flowing and none of them were prepared for how the day would end.
Suspicions Confirmed
To Casey, the discovery felt like a knife to the heart, but it wasn't the pain of the betrayal that hurt her so much. It was the fact that the suspicions, doubts, and anxiety she'd been feeling over the years had just been confirmed.
And the worst part of it all was that the betrayal didn't come as a surprise to her even when she was in deep denial about what was really going on over the years.
How They Met
Casey could never forget how she met Alex all those years ago; it was the year before she graduated from college, after all.
Alex was two years older than her and was already in grad school, studying to become a judge. A mutual friend had invited them both to a house party and from the moment she saw him, Alex left a strong impression on Casey.
Such A Charmer
She was attracted to him right from the start and at some point during the night, the two of them made eye contact. That was when it all began. Without hesitation Alex walked up to Casey and introduced himself.
The conversation kept going, and he eventually asked her what she was studying. He was pleasantly surprised when she told him that she was in law school as well. But that wasn't all.
It Felt Like It Was Meant To Be
Alex and Casey didn't only have their choice of study in common. Over the course of their discussion, they discovered that both of them also liked hiking, art galleries and theater.
But the thing that really stood out was that they were both opera enthusiasts, which was a rare coincidence since neither of them knew many others who loved it as much as they did. Casey was over the moon, and for a moment, she thought they were predestined to meet. However, things are not always as they seem.
Her Friends Have A Warning
After a relatively short conversation, Alex excused himself so he could converse with some of the other guests. Casey was on cloud nine, but her friends would soon step in with a word of warning.
As soon as Alex left the table, Casey's friends were at her side to inform her of something she didn't know about. There was more to Alex than his charming facade.
He's A Player
Casey's friends told her that Alex was well known as a player and womanizer, and it wasn't just within their social circle. The whole campus knew about his antics. Alex was well aware of his magnetism, and he was known to use it for his own means.
Her friends also told her that there were many girls in their circle who would be willing to tell her more about the experiences they had with him. But their warning didn't take her aback- 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.