Lucy sat across from her boyfriend, Nigel, at a small table near the window. The sunlight streamed through, catching the sparkles of the engagement ring on her finger.

“I can’t believe this is real…” she said softly, almost as if speaking to herself.

Nigel, always attentive, leaned in closer.

“What exactly?” he asked, his voice full of curiosity and affection.

“A few months ago, I was eating ice cream in tears, watching a romantic comedy, thinking I’d never find true love,” Lucy confessed, a light laugh escaping her lips.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t say that,” Nigel replied, his tone gentle but firm. He squeezed her hand as if to reassure her that those days were long behind her.

“And now, I’m about to marry the most handsome man in the world,” she continued, her eyes shining with happiness.

Nigel’s face lit up with a grin. “And I’m about to marry the most beautiful woman in the world,” he responded, his voice rich with sincerity.

“This weekend, we’ll be husband and wife, my love,” Nigel said, his voice tinged with excitement and certainty.

“Everything’s happening so fast. Haven’t you thought that maybe we’re rushing?”

Nigel didn’t miss a beat.

“Why delay something when you know you’re in love? And I know I am,” he said, his eyes locked onto hers, conveying a sense of unwavering confidence.

Lucy’s heart swelled at his words. “Oh, Nigel…” she began, but before she could say more, the cashier’s voice rang out from across the room.

“Lucy! Order ready for Lucy!”

Startled out of their moment, Lucy glanced over to the counter.

“Oh! That’s my coffee, wait here for a minute!” she said, her voice tinged with excitement.

“For you, I’d wait an eternity, my love,” Nigel replied with a charming smile, his eyes following her as she stood up.

Lucy couldn’t help but laugh softly at his sweet words, her joy practically bubbling over as she made her way to the counter.

The cashier, a young woman with tense eyes, handed her the cup with a serious expression. Lucy noticed it immediately but didn’t think much of it—until the cashier gave a subtle nod toward the cup, her gaze intense and insistent.

Frowning slightly, Lucy looked down at the cup in her hand. Where her name should have been written, there was a chilling word instead: “Run!”

The color drained from Lucy’s face. Her heart began to race, pounding so loudly in her chest that she feared others might hear it.

Nervously, Lucy forced a smile, muttered a quick thank you, and returned to Nigel.

“Is everything okay, darling?” Nigel asked, his voice filled with concern as she sat back down.

“Huh? Oh, yes, everything’s fine. The cashier just made a mistake. Let’s get out of here…”

Lucy replied, her voice slightly shaky. She desperately tried to mask the rising fear that had taken hold of her heart.

As they left the café, Lucy couldn’t help but glance back at the cashier, who stood watching them, her eyes filled with an unspoken warning.

That night, sleep was elusive for Lucy. She tossed and turned, her mind racing with thoughts that refused to quiet down.

Marrying Nigel felt like a dream—too perfect, too fast. The way everything had fallen into place seemed almost unreal.

Nigel was everything she had ever wanted: handsome, tall, and fit, with a charm that could melt any heart.

Still, there was that one thing that had always felt a little off—Nigel’s insistence on having a small, quiet wedding with no big ceremony, no guests, no family.

Her heart pounded as she made up her mind. Carefully, she slid out of bed, making sure not to disturb Nigel.

She moved as silently as she could, her breath held in her throat as she crept across the room and slipped out the door. Her nerves were on edge, but she knew she had to find out the truth, whatever it might be.

Inside the study, Lucy hesitated for a moment. She began to search through his belongings, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened drawers and rifled through papers.

But everything was meticulously organized, almost too perfect. There were no loose papers, no random receipts or notes—nothing that would hint at anything out of the ordinary.

Just as she was about to give up, something caught her eye. She reached into the inner pocket of Nigel’s jacket, hanging neatly on the back of a chair, and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

It was a bank statement for a loan, but the name on it wasn’t Nigel’s. Instead, it was issued to a woman she had never heard of.

Lucy’s heart raced. Why would Nigel have a bank statement in someone else’s name? And who was this woman?

She tried to calm her breathing as she turned to face the door, just as Nigel appeared.

“Lucy? Why aren’t you asleep?” he asked, his voice low and calm, but with a hint of curiosity. “I was surprised when I didn’t see you beside me.”

Lucy forced a smile, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Oh, I thought I spilled some coffee on your clothes today, so I thought I’d check while you were sleeping.”

“While I’m sleeping? Why?” Nigel stepped closer, his brow furrowing slightly.

“I was afraid you’d be upset, and I thought I could quietly wash it,” Lucy replied, hoping her excuse would be enough to satisfy him.

Nigel’s expression softened, and he reached out to gently touch her arm. “Sweetheart, even if you spilled something, it’s just clothes. Come on, let’s go back to bed. It’s hard for me to sleep without you.”

Lucy nodded, her heart still pounding. “Alright…” she whispered, following him back to the bedroom.

The next morning, Lucy woke up with a sense of purpose.

As she entered the café, her eyes scanned the room, searching for the familiar face.

The morning rush was in full swing, with customers chatting and baristas calling out orders, but the girl she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. She walked up to the counter, where a manager was overseeing the busy scene.

“Excuse me,” Lucy began, trying to keep her voice steady despite the anxiety bubbling inside her.

“I’m looking for a girl who works here. I think her name tag said Sam.”

“Sam? Yes, we have a Sam. Why are you looking for her? Who are you?”

Lucy hesitated for a moment, not sure how much to reveal. “I’m just a grateful customer,” she finally said.

“Yesterday, she made me such a great coffee, and we had a nice chat, but I didn’t get her number. I wanted to do that today.”

The manager’s face softened slightly, though he still looked somewhat suspicious.

“Hmm. Well, alright,” he said after a moment. “Sam isn’t working today; she has the day off. But she lives nearby. I can give you her address.”

Relief washed over Lucy as she quickly nodded.

“Thank you!”

Armed with the address, Lucy made her way to Sam’s apartment.

As she approached the building, she spotted Sam standing outside, fumbling with her keys.

Without thinking, Lucy rushed towards her.

“Wait! I need to talk to you!” she called out.

Sam turned, startled by the sudden approach. “Lady, who are you?” she asked, her tone defensive.

“I don’t want to buy whatever you’re selling, so leave me alone!”

Lucy quickly shook her head, trying to reassure her.

“I’m not selling anything. I’m the woman from the café yesterday; you wrote a message on my cup.”

Recognition flashed in Sam’s eyes, and she squinted, studying Lucy’s face. “Oh, I remember you,” she said cautiously.

“What did you mean by writing that?” Lucy asked, her voice trembling slightly. “Why did you tell me to run?”

Sam sighed, glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening. “Exactly what it said,” she replied quietly. “You need to run away from that man as fast as you can.”

“Nigel?” Lucy asked, her breath catching in her throat.

“Nigel, Kevin, Tony… Whatever name he’s going by now,” Sam said with a hint of bitterness. “He’s a con artist.”

Lucy felt the ground shift beneath her as Sam’s words sunk in. “What are you talking about?” she whispered, barely able to form the words.

“Come inside,” Sam said, nodding toward the building. “It’s better if we talk in private.”

Once inside Sam’s modest apartment, the two women sat down, and Sam began to explain everything. She told Lucy how Nigel, or whatever his real name was, had a pattern of deceiving young women like her.

He would charm them, marry them quickly, and then take out loans in their names before disappearing without a trace.

He had done the same thing to Sam years ago, and it had destroyed her life. She was still paying off the loans, and despite her best efforts, the police had been unable to help her because she had no concrete proof.

As Sam spoke, Lucy felt a mixture of anger, fear, and sadness welling up inside her. She couldn’t let Nigel get away with this.

Sam looked at Lucy, a spark of hope flickering in her eyes. “What do you have in mind?” she asked, and the two women leaned in, ready to take down the man who had wronged them both.

The day of Nigel and Lucy’s wedding finally arrived.

Lucy, dressed in a stunning white gown, felt a mix of emotions as she stood by his side.

She forced herself to smile, to play the role of the happy bride, even though inside she was boiling with anger and disgust.

She knew the truth now—Nigel was not the charming, loving man he pretended to be, but a con artist who had deceived countless women before her.

As the ceremony began, the couple walked down the aisle together, hand in hand. The room was filled with the soft sound of music, and for the guests, it appeared to be a picture-perfect moment. But Lucy’s mind was elsewhere, focused on the plan she and Sam had carefully crafted.

When it came time for the vows, Nigel’s voice was smooth and confident as he spoke, his words dripping with flattery and promises of eternal love.

He painted a beautiful picture of their future together, and the guests looked on, clearly moved by his speech.

But Lucy, standing there beside him, had to fight back the urge to recoil. She knew every word was a lie, a carefully constructed facade meant to lure her deeper into his web of deceit.

Then it was Lucy’s turn. She took a deep breath and smiled sweetly.

“Before I say my vows, I have a little something special prepared for you, my love,” she said, her voice steady.

She gestured to the back of the room, and the projector was turned on, the lights dimming slightly as the screen flickered to life.

At first, the slideshow showed innocent images—photos of their time together, memories of happy moments that now felt tainted by his lies. But then, the images changed.

The photos on the screen were no longer of just her and Nigel, but of Nigel with other women, at different weddings, each time with a different bride.

“Where did you get this?!” Nigel’s voice was panicked, his smooth composure cracking as he turned to Lucy. “Darling, I can explain—these are all fakes, edited photos!”

“Really?” came a voice from behind the altar. Sam stepped forward, her eyes locked on Nigel’s, and his face turned ashen. He looked like a cornered animal, desperate for a way out.

“Don’t believe her, darling, she’s lying!” Nigel stammered, but there was no conviction in his words anymore. The guests were murmuring, their eyes wide with shock and confusion.

Lucy smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

“You covered everything up so well, thinking you’d get away with it,” she said, her voice cold and clear.

“But wedding organizers often keep photos from every wedding in their archives. It wasn’t hard to find so many of your weddings.”

Nigel’s eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape, but there was none.

“You can change your name all you want,” Lucy continued, “but your face stays the same.”

Just then, the doors at the back of the chapel swung open, and the police officers entered, their presence adding to the tension in the room.

As he was led away, Lucy felt a wave of relief wash over her. She turned to Sam, who was standing nearby, and the two women embraced, knowing that they had succeeded in bringing Nigel to justice.

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