I looked at him for a long moment. This man I’d planned to spend my life with. This man I’d trusted with my heart, my body, my future, my money. «No, Colton,» I said quietly. «Marrying you would have been the mistake.»
As the police led them toward the church doors, Karen turned back one more time. «Anna,» she called desperately. «The baby! What about the baby?»
«That’s between you and James,» I replied, «or you and Michael, or you and whoever else you’ve been sleeping with. But it’s not my problem anymore.»
The church doors closed behind them with a heavy thud. For a moment, there was absolute silence. Two hundred people stared at me in my wedding dress, standing alone at the altar where I should have been saying «I do» to the love of my life.
Then my grandmother started clapping—slow, deliberate applause that echoed through the church like thunder. One by one, other people joined in: my parents, my siblings, my cousins, my college friends, even some of Colton’s relatives who looked mortified by their family’s behavior. Soon, the entire congregation was on their feet, applauding.
«Mija,» my father said, climbing the steps to the altar and pulling me into his arms. «I am so proud of you.»
«Are you?» I asked, my voice muffled against his shoulder. «I just turned my wedding into a crime scene.»
«You turned your wedding into justice,» my mother corrected, joining our embrace. «Those people, what they did to you… it’s unforgivable.»
Tristan pushed through the crowd to reach us, his face still flushed with anger. «Anna, I’m sorry I didn’t see it. I should have known something was wrong. I should have protected you.»
«You couldn’t have known,» I told him. «I barely knew myself until a few months ago.»
Sydney appeared next to us, her expression a mixture of pride and fury. «Girl, that was the most badass thing I have ever seen in my life. But I’m still going to murder both of them when they get out of jail.»
«No murdering,» I said weakly. «I’ve caused enough drama for one day.»
But even as I said it, I felt lighter than I had in months. The weight of pretending everything was fine, of lying to myself about red flags, of carrying the burden of their betrayal alone—it was all gone.
Father Rodriguez approached cautiously. «Anna, my dear, are you all right? Do you need anything?»
«Actually, Father,» I said, surprising myself, «would it be possible to say a prayer? Not a wedding prayer, obviously. But maybe a prayer of gratitude.»
He smiled. «Of course, Mija.»
The congregation settled into their seats as Father Rodriguez moved to the pulpit. But instead of a somber prayer, he spoke about strength, about truth, about the courage it takes to stand up for yourself when the people you trust most have betrayed you. «Sometimes,» he said, «God shows us people’s true faces not to hurt us, but to save us from a lifetime of being hurt by them.»
As he spoke, I felt my phone buzz with a text message. Then another. Then several more in rapid succession. I glanced down and saw messages from numbers I didn’t recognize: «Girl, we just saw the livestream. You are a queen.» «Holy shit, is this real? This is the best wedding video ever.»
Wait, someone was livestreaming this? I looked around and realized that several people in the congregation had their phones out, not just taking pictures, but actively recording. Some were even holding their phones up like they were broadcasting live.
«Oh no,» I whispered to Sydney. «Please tell me this isn’t going viral.»
She checked her phone and winced. «Uh, Anna, you might want to sit down.»
«How bad?»
«#WeddingRevenge is already trending on Twitter. Someone posted the whole thing on TikTok, and it has two million views. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat… babe, you’re everywhere.»
I stared at her. Everywhere.
«The good news is, everyone thinks you’re a hero. The comments are all about how brave you are and how those two got exactly what they deserved.»
I looked around the church at all the faces—family, friends, strangers who had come to witness what they thought would be a joyful celebration. Instead, they’d gotten front-row seats to the most dramatic revenge plot in wedding history. And honestly, I wasn’t sorry.
«You know what?» I said loud enough for everyone to hear. «I hope it does go viral. I hope every cheating bastard and backstabbing friend in the world sees this and thinks twice before they betray someone who loves them.» The congregation erupted in cheers and applause again.
The wedding reception venue looked like a ghost town. White tablecloths still covered the round tables. Centerpieces of white roses and baby’s breath still perfumed the air, and the DJ still had his equipment set up. But instead of celebrating my marriage, we were having what my cousin Maria dubbed «the world’s most expensive divorce party.»
«Waste not, want not,» my mother had declared when we arrived at the venue. «We paid for this food, we paid for this music, and we’re going to celebrate Anna’s freedom.»
So that’s what we did. We celebrated. The guests who stayed—and surprisingly, most of them did—danced to the playlist Colton and I had chosen for our first dance as husband and wife. They ate the dinner we’d agonized over for months, toasted with the champagne we’d saved up to buy, and took pictures in front of the flower wall that was supposed to be the backdrop for our wedding photos. It was surreal and perfect and absolutely nothing like I’d imagined my wedding day would be. But it was also exactly what I needed.
I was sitting at the head table, still in my wedding dress but with my shoes kicked off under the table, when my phone rang. It was Detective Rivera.
«Anna, I wanted to update you on the arrests.»
«That was fast,» I said, stepping away from the noise so I could hear him better.
«Well, when suspects confess to everything the moment they’re alone in interrogation rooms, it speeds things up considerably.»
«They confessed?»
«Oh yes. Colton broke down the moment we separated them. Told us everything: the affair, the money, the fake documents… even some things you didn’t know about. Apparently, Karen convinced him to take out a loan against your house to pay for her medical bills.»
My stomach dropped. «Our house?»
«The one you just bought together,» he corrected. «According to the bank records, you’re the only one on the mortgage. But Colton forged your signature on a second mortgage application last month. For $50,000.»
I sank into a nearby chair. «$50,000 more?»
«The good news is we caught it before the money was dispersed. The bank flagged the signature as suspicious and held the funds pending investigation, so that money is safe. As for Miss Oscar? Well, she’s a mess. Crying, apologizing, claiming she was manipulated by Colton. But then she started trying to negotiate a deal, which pretty much eliminated any sympathy we might have had.»
«What kind of deal?»
«She offered to testify against Colton for a reduced sentence. Said she could provide evidence of other crimes he committed. When we told her we already had all the evidence we needed, she tried to claim he forced her to steal from you.»
I almost laughed. Even handcuffed in a police station, Karen was still trying to manipulate everyone around her. «How long will they be in jail?»
«That depends on the D.A. and how much they cooperate. But Anna, with the evidence you provided, we’re looking at multiple felony charges. They’re going to prison, not jail. Probably for several years.»
Several years. I tried to process that. By the time they got out, I’d be in my thirties. Maybe married to someone else. Maybe with kids. Maybe living a completely different life. The thought didn’t make me sad. It made me hopeful.
«Detective Rivera, can I ask you something?»
«Of course.»
«How did you know? When I first came to you three months ago with my suspicions, you didn’t seem surprised, like you’d seen this kind of thing before.»
He sighed. «Unfortunately, Anna, I see this more often than you’d think. Financial betrayal between romantic partners, friends taking advantage of friends, elaborate deception schemes. What I don’t often see is someone as prepared as you were. The evidence you collected was better than what most of our detectives gather. Every document labeled and dated, every conversation recorded, every financial transaction tracked. You built an airtight case.»
«I’m a nurse,» I said simply. «We’re trained to be thorough.»
«You’re also incredibly brave. A lot of people in your situation would have confronted the cheaters privately, maybe tried to work things out. You chose justice instead.»
Justice. Was that what this was? It felt more like survival. After I hung up, I walked back toward the celebration, but before I could reach my table, I was intercepted by a woman I didn’t recognize. She was in her mid-thirties, professional-looking, with a press badge hanging around her neck.
«Anna Derrick? I’m Jennifer from Channel 7 News. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about what happened today.»
The news. I looked around and realized there were several people with cameras and notepads scattered around the venue. «How did you—?»
«The video went viral about two hours ago. We’ve been trying to reach you for comment.» She held up her phone, showing me a TikTok with over five million views. It was the moment I played Karen’s recorded confession through the church speakers. Someone had filmed the entire thing and posted it with the caption: «Bride exposes cheating fiancé and maid of honor at altar. WATCH TO THE END!»
The comments were endless. «This woman is an icon.» «The way she stayed so calm… queen behavior.» «I wish I had her spine when my ex cheated.» «Plot twist: this is the best wedding ever.» «Can we make this woman president?»
«So,» Jennifer continued, «would you be willing to give us an exclusive interview? Our viewers are very interested in your story.»
I looked at her, then at the cameras, then at my family celebrating my freedom instead of mourning my humiliation. «You know what?» I said, smiling. «Yes. But not here. This is my family’s time. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything. The whole story. How I found out, how I planned the trap, how I gathered the evidence. All of it.»
Her eyes lit up. «That would be incredible. This story has all the elements: betrayal, revenge, justice, courage. People are calling you a hero.»
A hero. Three hours ago, I’d been a heartbroken bride. Now, I was a hero. Life was weird.
As the evening wound down and guests started saying their goodbyes, I found myself alone for the first time all day. I’d changed out of my wedding dress into a simple black cocktail dress, which ironically, I’d bought to wear to the rehearsal dinner. The reception venue was mostly empty except for family helping clean up. I walked out to the venue’s garden, where fairy lights twinkled in the trees like stars. This was where Colton and I were supposed to have our first dance as husband and wife. Instead, I’d spent the evening dancing with my father, my brother, my grandfather, and anyone else who asked. It had been perfect—different from what I’d planned, but perfect in its own way.
«There you are.» I turned to see Sydney walking toward me with two glasses of champagne. «Thought you might need this,» she said, handing me a glass.
«Thanks.» I took a sip. «Can I ask you something?»
«Anything.»
«When did you know? About Colton and Karen.»
«Honestly,» she said after a moment, «I had suspicions for about six months. Little things. The way they looked at each other when they thought no one was watching. How Karen always found excuses to be around him. How Colton seemed distant with you. Why didn’t you say anything?»
«Because I wasn’t sure,» I admitted.