The Groom in Her Photo Was My Boyfriend

I had been with Christopher for seven years. Seven years of a long-distance relationship.

He came from a dirt-poor background but had a sky-high ego.

I walked on eggshells to protect his precious self-esteem. Not only did I pay cash to buy him a ten-million-dollar luxury penthouse in Manhattan, but I also used my familys massive connections to slide him into a high-paying executive role at a top investment bank.

He always told me, "Once I save up enough money, Chloe, Im going to give you the wedding of your dreams."

To surprise him, I secretly flew to New York to custom-order my wedding dress.

But in the bridal boutique, I ended up helping a pregnant woman who was being looked down upon by the staff.

Clutching my hand, she gushed with blushing pride about her multi-millionaire, incredibly sweet, investment-bank-VP fianc.

Until she pulled out his photo.

I stared at the man on her phone screenthe man I had loved with all my heart for seven years. It felt like my entire world had frozen over.

Early autumn in New York brought a chilly breeze.

I pushed open the glass doors of HAPPY Bridal Boutique. The store manager immediately rushed over, her face practically glowing with a welcoming smile.

"Miss Nathaniel! Youre here! The designer made some minor adjustments to the sketches you liked based on your measurements. Please, follow me to the VIP lounge."

I nodded and followed her inside.

Actually, Christopher had no idea I was in New York today.

We had been together for seven years. From college to our careers, it was seven years of flying back and forth between coasts.

While he was grinding in New York, I was back in Los Angeles helping my family run our venture capital firm.

Over these seven years, I watched him go from a broke student who hesitated to buy a Starbucks latte to a VP at a prestigious investment bank.

Of course, none of that would have happened without me pulling strings behind the scenes, securing deals for him, and cleaning up his messes.

But I never told him. His pride was too fragile, almost painfully sensitive.

Last month, he finally got promoted.

He choked up over FaceTime, saying, "Chloe, I finally made it. I finally feel like Im worthy of standing by your side."

"When I get my year-end bonus, lets get married, okay?"

At that moment, I cried like a total fool.

So, I secretly booked a flight to New York today, wanting to get my dress secured first. I wanted to give him the ultimate surprise.

While I was sitting on the leather sofa flipping through the catalog, a loud argument broke out in the main lobby.

"Is this how you run a business? I told you, my wedding is early next month! I need to secure this dress today!"

"Cant I just pay extra?"

A young, high-pitched, and slightly spoiled female voice echoed through the lounge.

The store manager looked embarrassed and gave me an apologetic smile. "Miss Nathaniel, please excuse me for a moment. Ill go handle this."

I had nothing else to do, so I followed her out.

In the lobby, a young woman wearing a Chanel dress from the latest fall collection was sitting on the sofa, puffing with anger.

She was gorgeous, with a sweet face and baby-soft features.

What caught my eye was her slightly round belly. She looked about four or five months pregnant.

The manager was desperately trying to explain, "Miss Aurora, its really not about the money."

"The gown you want is a hand-made haute couture piece by our chief designer. From measuring to the final embroidery, it takes at least three months."

"Next month is simply impossible."

"I don't care!" Aurora touched her belly, her eyes welling with tears. "My baby can't wait!"

"My husband said I must wear the most beautiful gown and have the grandest wedding."

"Are you guys looking down on me?"

Aurora got so worked up that her face suddenly went pale. She swayed, nearly tumbling off the sofa.

"Miss Aurora!" The manager panicked.

Quick on my feet, I lunged forward and caught her.

I reached into my bag, pulled out an imported fruit candy I always kept on me, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.

"Low blood sugar?" I asked gently, helping her lean back onto the sofa.

Aurora sucked on the candy. After a long minute, the color slowly returned to her face.

She looked at me with teary eyes, like a startled little deer.

"Thank you so much. Everything went black for a second. I thought something was going to happen to my baby."

"You shouldn't get this stressed while pregnant." I handed her a tissue and turned to the manager.

"Betty, didn't the Milan headquarters just send over a ready-to-wear runway piece last month?"

"The measurements should be close to this lady's. With some minor alterations, we can have it ready in two weeks, right?"

The manager blinked, then nodded respectfully. "Yes, Miss Nathaniel. But that was reserved as your backup option..."

"Its fine. Im not in a rush. Let her have it," I said with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Auroras eyes lit up instantly. She grabbed my hand. "Really? Youre letting me have your dress?"

"Oh my god, you are literally my savior!"

Her name was Aurora, a fairly popular beauty influencer on Instagram.

Because I had done her a huge favor, she insisted on taking me to the Rosewood Hotel next door for high tea to thank me.

Seeing that she was heavily pregnant and alone, I agreed.

Stirring her black tea, the happiness radiating from Auroras face was almost suffocating.

"You have no idea. I originally wanted to have the wedding after the baby was born."

"But my husband refused. He said he couldn't let me feel neglected. He insisted that our baby must witness our love from inside my belly."

She rested her chin on her hands, smiling as if she were drowning in honey.

I smiled along. "Your husband must love you very much."

"Of course he does!" Aurora raised her chin proudly.

"Even though he came from some poor rural town and couldn't even afford tuition back then."

"Hes incredibly ambitious. Hes already an investment bank VP! And he is absolutely gorgeous!"

The hand holding my teacup froze.

Born in a poor town. Investment bank VP.

Putting those details together made something click in my mind.

But I brushed it off. New York was huge, after all. There were plenty of investment banks and young, successful men.

Aurora continued to brag endlessly. "And he is so generous to me. He gave me his credit card and lets me spend tens of thousands every month."

"Not long ago, he bought a three-hundred-square-meter luxury penthouse in Manhattan with cash. Even though only his name is on the deed right now, he said hed add mine once we get married."

Hearing the words "Manhattan penthouse" and "cash," my heart skipped a beat.

A luxury penthouse in Manhattan cost tens of millions.

How could a newly promoted VP afford that in cash, no matter how much he made?

Unless...

A wild, utterly absurd thought began to take root in my mind like a thorny vine, wrapping tightly around my chest.

"What... what is your husbands last name?"

I forced my voice to sound calm, but only I knew that my fingertips were trembling.

Unaware, Aurora smiled and pulled a gold-embossed wedding invitation from her bag, sliding it over to me.

"Christopher Vance. You have to come visit me when youre in New York!"

Christopher Vance. The name felt like a dagger piercing straight through my eyes.

I stared at the name I knew all too well. My mind went completely blank.

A deafening buzz filled my ears, making me dizzy.

"Are you okay? You look so pale."

Seeing my silence, Aurora leaned in with concern.

I snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, and forced down the rising nausea in my throat.

"Im... Im fine." I squeezed out a smile that probably looked worse than crying.

"I just... the name sounds familiar."

"Really?" Auroras eyes lit up with pride.

"Hes quite famous in the finance circle! To become a VP at his age, so many people are jealous."

"Youre in business too, so it makes sense youve heard of him."

Looking at her innocent, boasting face, the blood in my veins turned to ice.

How could I not have heard of him?

Christopher. The man I had loved and financially supported for seven long years.

The shy boy on the college campus who once blushed while handing me a bottle of water, unable to even look me in the eye.

The man who once cried through my phone screen when I was sick, swearing he would make it big just to treat me like a princess.

And now, he was someone elses Christopher. He was even having a child with her?

I gripped my porcelain teacup so hard my knuckles turned white. My nails dug into my palms.

"How long... have you two been together?"

My voice sounded raspy, like sandpaper.

"Almost a year," Aurora recalled, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"We met at a gala."

"He was wearing a custom designer suit, looking so cold and distant. Other women tried to hit on him, but he completely ignored them."

"Then I accidentally spilled my wine on him. Instead of getting mad, he took off his jacket and put it over my shoulders so I wouldn't feel embarrassed in my stained dress."

"Don't you think thats just fate?"

A year. I closed my eyes, my chest aching so bad I couldn't breathe.

A year ago was exactly when Christophers career hit a massive bottleneck. He was depressed and miserable.

Back then, worried about his stress levels, I flew to New York every single weekend to be with him.

I cooked for him, massaged his shoulders, and stayed up all night listening to him vent about work.

I even went behind his back to beg my father to hand over a multi-million-dollar, guaranteed-profit project to Christophers team.

That was the only reason he overcame his crisis and got promoted.

But what did he do?

During the days and nights I wasn't in New York, he wore the designer suits I bought him, playing the role of a cold, brooding billionaire at galas to charm other women.

"Look, we just took our wedding photos last week."

Aurora eagerly pushed her phone screen in front of my face.

In the photo, Christopher wore a crisp white tuxedo, wrapping his arms tenderly around Aurora from behind.

His hand rested gently on her baby bump. He was leaning down, kissing her cheek.

The look in his eyes was filled with a tenderness and devotion I had never seen before.

In our seven years together, Christopher rarely took photos.

He always claimed he wasn't photogenic, saying it was too cheesy for men to take photos all the time.

We didn't even have a decent couple's photo.

The only one we had was one I forced him to take at our college graduation.

In that photo, his brow was furrowed, looking entirely annoyed.

It turned out he didn't hate photos. He just hated taking them with me.

"Handsome, right?" Aurora giggled as she took her phone back.

"Honestly, at first, I felt pretty insecure."

"Hes so successful, and there are always trashy girls throwing themselves at him."

"Especially his crazy ex-girlfriend. Shes an absolute nightmare!"

Hearing "ex-girlfriend," my nerves spiked.

"An ex-girlfriend?" I asked, pretending to be casual.

"Yeah!" Aurora rolled her eyes in disgust.

"Christopher said she was a gold-digging parasite. Her family was dirt poor, and she relied entirely on him for money."

"Later, Christopher found out she was sleeping around behind his back, so he dumped her."

"But she wouldn't let go. She kept texting him for money every other day."

"Christopher is too soft-hearted. He felt bad for her, so hed occasionally throw her a few bucks to get her to go away."

I wanted to laugh out loud at the sheer absurdity.

A dirt-poor gold digger? Sleeping around? Soft-hearted charity?

Christopher, you really are something else.

You spent the hundreds of thousands of dollars of allowance I gave you every month, lived in the penthouse I paid for in full, and drove the Porsche I bought you.

Yet, in front of your new girl, you turned me into a pathetic, desperate, gold-digging ex?

For seven years, I was a fool, played like a toy in his hands.

To protect his ego, I never let him spend a single dime on me.

I secretly settled the bill whenever we ate out. I always bought him the most expensive gifts for holidays.

Meanwhile, he only got me cheap, twenty-dollar trinkets, which I cherished like priceless treasures.

I thought that was love. I thought it was mutual respect.

In reality, it was just a one-woman show.

And he sat in the audience, watching me perform like a clown, probably laughing his head off.

"Women like that deserve to be put in their place!" Aurora balled her hand into a fist, then smiled again.

"But its fine now. Christopher blocked her on everything."

"He told me he only cares about me and our baby now."

My ears buzzed. Nausea washed over me again. I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up abruptly.

"Whats wrong?" Aurora gasped, startled.

"I need to use the restroom."

I practically fled to the bathroom. Clinging to the sink, I dry-heaved for several minutes, but nothing came out.

Staring at the pale, red-eyed woman in the mirror, I felt entirely detached.

Chloe, you are pathetic.

All the business logic and intelligence you took pride in shattered into worthless dust the moment love was involved.

I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water onto my face.

The freezing water dripped down my cheeks, completely washing away the last shred of my foolish illusions.

Christopher, since you had the balls to do this, don't blame me for what comes next.

You want to step on my back, use my money, and give another woman the wedding of the century?

Keep dreaming.

I dried my face, touched up my makeup, and replaced the vulnerability in my eyes with cold, calculated steel.

When I walked back, Aurora was on her phone, leaving a sweet voice message.

"Chris, what do you want for dinner tonight?"

"I met an amazing lady today. She actually let me have her custom wedding gown!"

"Can I invite her over to our place for dinner tonight?"

I walked up just in time to hear this.

Have dinner at their place?

At the twenty-million-dollar penthouse I paid for in full, where I hadn't even spent a single night?

A cold smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. I was just wondering how to confront this trash. She was handing me the opportunity on a silver platter.

"Sure," I said smoothly as I sat down, offering a warm smile.

"Actually, my hotel reservation had some issues, and I don't have a place to stay tonight."

"I hope I won't be intruding?"

"No way!" Aurora grabbed my hand excitedly.

"Its an honor to have you!"

"Christopher is always busy with work, and I get so bored alone at home."

"Isn't your boyfriend in New York too? Why don't you call him to join us?"

I lowered my gaze to hide the mockery in my eyes.

"No need. Hes... 'working late.'"

I put extra emphasis on "working late."

Over the past seven years, Christopher had used this excuse to brush me off countless times.

"Ah, thats too bad. Long-distance is so hard. You have to be understanding."

Aurora comforted me like an experienced wife, then happily pulled me along. "Lets go. We can take my car!"

In the parking garage, a brand-new, metallic pink Porsche Panamera pulled up in front of us.

My pupils dilated when I saw the car.

This was the gift I bought Christopher for his thirtieth birthday last year.

Because he said people in investment banking looked down on you if you didn't drive a good car, I ordered the top-tier trim, which cost me nearly three hundred thousand dollars.

But now, the car was wrapped in hot pink, serving as Auroras ride.

"Pretty, right?" Aurora tapped the car door, beaming.

"Its a pregnancy gift from Christopher!"

"He said pink suits me perfectly. Get in, what are you waiting for?"

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to key the car, and climbed into the passenger seat.

The interior smelled of sweet, cloying perfume. A photo of the two of them hung from the rearview mirror. The back seat was piled high with luxury shopping bags.

Every single detail in this car felt like a slap to my face.

As we drove out, Auroras phone rang.

It was a FaceTime call from Christopher.

Aurora mounted her phone on the dashboard and answered it.

On the screen, the face I knew down to the bone appeared.

Christopher was wearing the Armani custom shirt I bought him, his tie slightly loosened, his brow furrowed in his classic "busy executive" look.

But the moment he saw Aurora, his expression softened instantly. His eyes filled with warmth, even a hint of subservience.

"Hey babe. Did the baby behave today? Are you tired from trying on dresses?"

His deep, smooth voice was once my favorite sound.

Now, it just made me sick.

"Not tired at all! I met an amazing person who helped me today!" Aurora chirped.

"Chris, when are you getting off work?"

"I invited her over for dinner. Hurry home and cook for us!"

Christopher on the screen paused, then smiled dotingly. "You always make decisions on a whim."

"Fine, Ill head back now. What do you want to eat? Ill stop by the grocery store."

"I want steak!"

"Sure, whatever you want. Wait for me at home."

Christopher blew a kiss to the camera and hung up.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I was out of the camera's angle, so Christopher didn't see me.

But I saw his loving, attentive face clearly.

For seven years, he had never spoken to me in that tone.

He was always cold, always saying, "Im busy," "Don't start," or "Be mature."

I thought he was just naturally distant and bad with words.

It turned out he knew exactly how to love someone. He just didn't love me.

He gave all his warmth, patience, and emotional care to another woman.

And left the coldness, excuses, and financial demands for me.

"Isn't my husband literally the best?" Aurora turned to me, smiling.

I stared at the traffic ahead, my lips curling into a cold line.

"Yeah. Hes quite the 'husband.'"

The car pulled into one of New Yorks most exclusive residential buildingsthe Senna Residences.

The security was incredibly tight, but Aurora scanned her face and drove right in.

In the underground garage, she parked in a private spot. I glanced at the spot number: A-001.

Another thing I paid for.

I followed Aurora into the private elevator, riding it straight to the penthouse.

The moment the door opened, even though I was prepared, the sight still pierced my chest.

I had personally hired a top Italian designer to style this three-hundred-square-meter penthouse.

From the Mediterranean-style archways to the million-dollar crystal chandelier in the living room, to the smart home systemevery detail had my heart poured into it.

Back then, Christopher said he liked a minimalist style, so I had replaced all the furniture with sleek black, white, and gray tones.

But now, the spacious living room was covered in a fluffy pink rug. The sofa was piled with cute plushies, and a massive crib sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The entire home had been transformed by Aurora into a cozy pink castle.

My hard work had been effortlessly wiped out by another woman.

"Make yourself at home!"

Aurora greeted me warmly, pulling a pair of brand-new pink slippers from the shoe cabinet.

I glanced down at the cabinet.

The dozens of limited-edition sneakers I had bought him were completely gone.

They were replaced by Auroras high heels and maternity shoes.

"What do you want to drink? Juice or coffee?" Aurora walked toward the open kitchen.

"Water is fine, thank you."

I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the glittering New York skyline.

This was where I had imagined us standing side-by-side, countless times.

"Look at this!" Aurora walked over with a glass of water, pointing proudly to a massive oil painting on the wall.

It was a portrait of them. Christopher in a tuxedo, Aurora in a wedding gown, staring deeply into each other's eyes.

"Christopher commissioned this. It cost hundreds of thousands!"

"He said he wanted to freeze our most beautiful moment forever," Aurora sighed dreamily.

I stared coldly at the painting, my stomach churning again.

Hundreds of thousands?

Last month, Christopher told me he needed to butter up some clients for a project and was short on cash. I wired him a million dollars without a second thought.

So, my money went into painting this disgusting trash.

"Aurora," I turned around, looking at her glowing face. "Do you really know Christopher?"

Aurora blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." I smiled, taking a sip of water.

"I just think men nowadays are really good at pretending."

"Especially the ones who suddenly get rich. You should be careful."

Aurora burst out laughing. "Youre overthinking! Christopher is not like that."

"I have his credit cards, and I can check his phone whenever I want."

"He doesn't even have any female friends. How could he lie to me?"

"Really?" I put down my glass, my eyes mocking.

"What about that crazy ex-girlfriend? What if she comes back?"

At the mention of the ex, Auroras face darkened, her teeth clenching.

"She wouldn't dare! If she tries to ruin my family, Ill tear her face apart!"

"A cheap escort trying to steal my man? Please."

"A cheap escort?" I raised an eyebrow, holding back the urge to splash the water in her face.

"Yeah! Christopher told me himself," Aurora said with pure disgust.

"He said she worked at some shady gentleman's club. Who knows what diseases she has."

"Christopher was fooled by her at first, thinking she was some innocent college girl."

"Once he found out the truth, he was so disgusted he packed up and left overnight."

I trembled with pure rage, my nails biting so deep into my palms that they drew blood.

Christopher, you have truly set a new low for human trash.

To paint yourself as a saint in front of your mistress, you turned mea partner at a top venture capital firm in LAinto a diseased escort?!

I closed my eyes, taking several deep breaths to force down the fury.

Fine. Great.

Christopher, since you love acting so much, Ill play along tonight.

Just then, the front door beeped as the smart lock scanned a fingerprint.

"Chris is back!"

Aurora squealed, flying toward the door like a happy bird.

The door opened, and Christopher walked in carrying two large grocery bags.

As he kicked off his shoes, he caught the throwing-herself-at-him Aurora and kissed her forehead.

"Miss me?"

"Yes! So much!" Aurora clung to his neck.

"Missed you too."

Christopher pinched her nose dotingly, then raised his head. His gaze swept past Auroras shoulder and landed on the living room.

In that instant, time froze.

The smile on Christophers face turned into a solid block of ice the moment he saw me.

His pupils dilated. Pure terror and disbelief washed over his eyes.

The grocery bags slipped from his hands, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Tomatoes rolled out, stopping right at my feet.

"You... how are you..."

His mouth hung open like a dying fish. He couldn't even squeeze out a full sentence.

Aurora was startled by his reaction. She looked back at me, then laughed, pulling his arm.

"Chris, why do you look like that?"

"Its like youve seen a ghost. This is the nice lady I told you about!"

"She let me have her wedding dress today, or I would've cried my eyes out!"

Aurora dragged the statue-like Christopher over to me.

"Let me introduce you properly. This is my husband, Christopher."

Staring at Christophers pale, sweat-slicked face, my lips curved into a freezing smirk.

I extended my right hand, my voice clear and sharp.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Vance. Ive heard so much about you."