“If the money isn’t there by tomorrow, we’re done,” declared her fiancé decisively.
Alex and Lily were set to marry in three weeks. Lily’s parents weren’t exactly thrilled by the news, but they didn’t oppose it either.
“Maybe we should just have a simple registry office wedding?” suggested Alex, reluctant to spend on what he considered an unpromising affair.
“No, I plan to marry only once and want that day to be memorable!” countered Lily, who yearned for a grand wedding complete with the dress and its trimmings.
“Our budget can’t really cover that,” Alex replied hesitantly. “Maybe we should save up and do it later?”
“Are you trying to back out?” Lily eyed her future husband suspiciously.
“Lily, if I wanted to do that, I would never have proposed in the first place,” Alex pouted, feeling offended. “Money’s tight right now, that’s all.”
He wasn’t lying. Working as a sales rep for a wine company hadn’t been easy recently. Competitors were always one step ahead, and his earnings had taken a hit as a result.
Lily wasn’t currently employed. She was seeking a job she loved, but hadn’t found the right one yet. She’d mentioned a couple of times wanting to open a clothing store, but she lacked the funds.
“Maybe we could borrow from the parents,” proposed Lily.
“No,” Alex replied. “Borrow just to invite them to the same wedding? I’ll figure something out.”
And so he did. He took out a loan of £3,000 and immediately told Lily over the phone.
Lily danced around the room with excitement, eagerly awaiting his return.
The sight of such a sum made her eyes light up. She sat on the couch, happily counting the notes with her finger.
“Brilliant!” she exclaimed, gathering the money into a pile. “We’re saved!”
“Lily, I have to go. Can you find a good venue for the wedding?” Alex checked the time and started getting ready for work.
“You’re heading out? It’s 8 PM,” Lily said, surprised.
“I got a side job. Need to repay the loan somehow,” Alex explained as he left.
For two solid weeks, Alex worked tirelessly, with no breaks or days off. He would leave at seven in the morning and return after midnight, hardly seeing Lily, who would still be asleep in the morning and already asleep at night.
Six days before the big day, Alex asked Lily how the wedding preparations were coming along.
“Alex, we need to postpone the wedding by a couple of weeks,” Lily said with a strained smile, glancing away.
“Why? Did I take out the loan for nothing?” Alex stared at her, puzzled.
“I’ve put the money into savings.”
“Why?”
“For the wedding I envision, we’re a bit short…”
“And interest on savings isn’t going to make us rich! Speak plainly. What happened to the money?” He clenched his teeth in anger.
“I didn’t do anything with it! It’s in savings!” Lily protested. “Are you accusing me of theft?”
“No, I just want the truth!” Alex couldn’t believe that the bride who longed for her wedding was now talking about interest rates and delays.
“I am telling the truth,” Lily snapped, puffing her cheeks. “I’m doing this for us.”
Her reaction caused Alex to second-guess himself. Why would he suspect she’d squander the money without asking?
“Alright. In a couple of weeks then,” he sighed and headed back to work.
On his way to a nearby town, Alex decided to swing by Lily’s parents’ cottage, which they hadn’t visited for months.
Even from afar, he spotted deep tracks in the snow leading to the cottage. Clearly, someone had been there secretly.
Alex thought about calling Lily to tell her what he saw but opted to first inspect the place himself.
Unlocking the door, he walked inside. There were no signs of a burglary. Scanning around, he noticed large striped bags in the corner. Curiosity piqued, he thought about what they might contain.
Opening one, he found it stuffed with new clothes from China.
For several minutes, he stood there, stunned. Everything rapidly clicked into place. Lily had spent the loan on her dream. Now he understood what those clothes were and what kind of ‘interest’ Lily had meant.
Resisting the urge to call her right away and say his mind, he grabbed one of the bags. Darting back to the car, he turned the vehicle around.
An hour later, he stood at their apartment’s doorstep, clutching the bag tightly, breathing heavily.
“Forgot something?” Lily’s voice came from the hallway as she entered.
“I did!” Alex dropped the bag at her feet. “Is this where our wedding money went? I told you we couldn’t afford to open a shop!”
“I can explain! It’s not what you think!” Lily started defending herself. “The wedding money is in savings.”
“We’re going to withdraw it right now!” Alex insisted. “Get ready!”
“Let’s do it tomorrow, I have a lot on my plate today…”
“Get ready!” Alex held firm.
“There’s only an hour till the bank closes,” Lily glanced nervously at the clock on the wall.
“Lily!”
Reluctantly, she went to the bedroom and began dressing slowly, trying to extend the time.
“Can you hurry up?” Alex barked impatiently.
“I can’t,” muttered Lily as she emerged from the room, dejected. “I broke a nail.”
Cursing under his breath multiple times, Alex realized there was no way they’d make it to the bank today, and waved his hand dismissively.
“We’ll go tomorrow!” he resolved. “If the money isn’t there, we’re through.”
“Alright,” Lily smiled faintly, planning how to scrape together £3,000 by tomorrow to appease Alex.
She made calls to all her relatives and friends, managing to collect £1,500 with their help.
She had no idea where to find the remaining sum, realizing that a breakup, not a wedding, was now on her horizon.
When Alex returned, ready to head to the bank with her, Lily blurted out:
“You’re right, I lied to you. I spent the wedding money on buying inventory, but I’ll sell it and get us even more back.”
“I want nothing to do with a liar!” Alex replied, his gaze hollow as he turned away and left the apartment.
Alex didn’t come home that night. Lily tried calling him, but he never picked up.
Realizing this was the end, Lily packed her belongings and returned to her parents’ house.
She chose not to tell anyone about what had happened between her and Alex.
For about a week, she hoped he’d get over the argument and forgive her, as he had done many times before.
But this time, he showed no interest in her life, and Lily understood that she had lost her fiancé through her own actions.
Alex took a year and a half to repay the loan and eventually married another girl, one who didn’t see him as a source of wealth.
