I’m Ava, 35, and three weeks ago, I was ready to marry my dream guy, Lucas. Wedding planning was my world, but I loved it, picturing my dress since I was a kid. Lucas and I met at a friend’s game night, bonding over a tricky board game. His cheeky grin and sharp humor hooked me. We vibed instantly, chatting till dawn. He proposed last summer at our go-to diner, and I was all in. We nailed engagement chaos—venues, invites, cake—without the drama friends warned about. I thought we were golden.
A week before the wedding, Lucas got shady—spacey, phone-obsessed, mumbling about his bachelor trip. He said it was fishing with pals, so I packed him jerky, blaming nerves. But at the mall, grabbing gifts, I bumped into his groomsman, Finn. “You’re cool with the closure trip,” he said. My heart sank. “Closure trip?” Finn spilled—Lucas was heading to Barbados with his ex, Chloe, not fishing. I acted chill, digging for info, learning it was a morning flight. Gutted, I went home, my wedding dress now a stab to the heart.
I called Owen, my college ex, who I’d texted occasionally. I told him about Lucas’s lie and pitched a wild plan. “Fake a closure trip to mess with him?” he laughed. “Let’s do it.” I booked a trip to Belize. On Lucas’s travel day, I rocked a breezy dress and spotted him with Chloe at the airport, laughing like a couple. “Lucas!” I grinned. He froze. I hugged Owen. “Ready, babe?” Lucas freaked, “What’s this?” I said, “Closure before the wedding? Love it! Owen and I are getting ours, too.”
Owen played along, saying closure was key before marriage. We strutted to our gate, actually flying to Belize. Lucas’s texts—excuses, rage—blew up my phone, but I blocked him before takeoff. In Belize, Owen and I clicked again, chilling on the beach, cracking up like old times. We’d split in college over distance, but now we meshed perfectly. We stayed longer, and Owen moved to my city. He proposed, and we had a chill wedding. Lucas emailed, “Closure worked, huh?” Damn right. That trip flipped my life, trading a liar for true love.
