He Thought I Was Waiting

Six years after splitting up with my ex-boyfriend, Caleb, I ran into him at our college reunion. He publicly announced his engagement to Brianna, a younger alumna from his university.

The entire private room was waiting for me—his ex-girlfriend—to cause a scene.

But I didn’t argue or make a fuss. I even gave them a thousand-dollar gift.

Caleb, however, lowered his voice and explained:

“It’s been six years—haven’t you had enough drama? I’m just helping Brianna handle her parents; once this is over, I’ll marry you.”

But later, when he found out I was already married with a child, he broke down in tears, begging desperately for me to take him back.

Inside the private room, everyone stared in shock at my reaction to giving the gift. They all knew I’d been head over heels for Caleb and couldn’t stand seeing him with Brianna. Back then, even catching them having dinner together would send me into a jealous rage.

But soon, the other alumni—eager for more drama—started egging us on. Some called me generous; others praised my “undying affection,” especially for shelling out a thousand bucks for an ex-boyfriend’s engagement.

Egged on by their comments, Brianna smirked, a triumphant glint in her eyes. Caleb, though, frowned deeply, his expression unreadable.

After a minute, he pulled me aside, his voice dropping. “Aubrey, it’s been six years—haven’t you had enough of this drama?”

“Brianna and I are just going through the motions. Her parents have been pressuring her to get married…”

“This is the last time I’ll help her. Once this is done, I’m all yours.”

Hearing Caleb say this, I had to bite back a laugh. I’d lost track of how many times I’d heard those exact words. Back in the day, every time Caleb got close to Brianna, he’d lie to me—promising to cook for me or swearing he’d marry me someday.

And I, like a fool, bought into it every single time.

But now, I was done falling for his lies. Besides, we were broken up. Whether he married Brianna or not—what did it matter to me?

Thinking this, I subtly pulled my hand away, my voice neutral. “Caleb, we’ve already broken up. You don’t owe me any explanations.”

Caleb froze, then his expression instantly hardened. “Broken up? We’ve just been in a rough patch all these years, haven’t we?”

I almost laughed. What kind of rough patch lasts six years? The truth was, six years ago, I’d already blocked and deleted him. I’d even sent him a breakup email and moved all my stuff out of our apartment. If he’d paid any attention at all, he would’ve noticed something was up. Plus, for the past six years, all our mutual friends had quietly accepted we were over. Only he was still living in denial.

At that thought, I couldn’t be bothered to argue. I scoffed and turned to leave. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve skipped the reunion altogether.

I’d barely stepped out of the private room when Brianna and Caleb came rushing after me. Brianna hurried ahead, blocking my path with a fake concerned look. “Aubrey, the reunion’s going great—why leave so suddenly?”

“Are you still upset about what happened six years ago? If it bothers you that much, I can apologize.”

She deliberately emphasized “six years ago.” Caleb’s face immediately darkened. He instinctively pulled Brianna behind him, giving me a cold glare. “Aubrey, why are you being so petty? Can’t you let go of something so trivial after all this time?”

I found that laughable. So in his eyes, my child was just some trivial “thing”?

Six years ago, when I was newly pregnant and emotionally fragile, Caleb bailed on me just because Brianna said she was “feeling down and needed company.” Despite my pleas, he insisted on going to her. We got into a huge fight over the phone—he called me “immature” and “unsupportive.” In my distress, I started having severe abdominal pain and had to be rushed to the ER.

I lost the baby. And when I needed him most, he was by Brianna’s side, comforting her and telling her not to “feel guilty.” I lay alone in the hospital for three days. By the time I was discharged, my heart was shattered. I calmly canceled all our wedding plans over the phone. After that, the physical and emotional trauma made me seriously ill.

During all this, Caleb never visited me once. He was too busy doting on Brianna—even staying overnight to take care of “poor guilty” Brianna. She even posted cryptic Instagram stories, making me the joke of everyone we knew. That was the 99th time Caleb chose her over me.

That’s when I finally gave up. I took an overseas job transfer and left the country. That was six years ago. Now Brianna was picking at those old scars, trying to get a rise out of me. Back then, I would’ve exploded. But today? She was going to be disappointed.

Thinking this, I kept my voice steady. “There’s nothing to be upset about. Caleb and I ended things six years ago. Besides, I’m doing really well now.”

But Brianna was sure I was seething. She put on a concerned face and explained, “Aubrey, don’t get the wrong idea. Caleb and I—our engagement’s just an act to please my parents.”

“If it bothers you that much, I could still call off the engagement party…”

Before she could finish, Caleb cut her off. “No, Brianna! We’ve already invited everyone—canceling last minute would humiliate you!”

I almost laughed out loud. So Caleb cared about Brianna’s embarrassment if the engagement party got canceled? But he never once thought about mine? He knew my miscarriage and canceled wedding would leave me humiliated—yet he still chose her, leaving me to face the physical pain, emotional wreckage, and public shame all alone…

Sensing my disgusted look, Caleb froze, his lips pressing into a tight line. He quickly softened his tone, explaining, “Aubrey, Brianna needs me. I can’t just walk away from her…”

Brianna played the martyr too, dramatically sliding the engagement ring off her finger and offering it to me with fake sincerity. “Aubrey, this ring was always meant for you. Now that you’re back, I should return it to its rightful owner.”

She was putting on a show of generosity, but really, she was flaunting her victory. Caleb glanced at the ring, a self-satisfied smirk tugging at his lips. “Aubrey, I had this custom-made for you, remember?”

It was true he’d commissioned the ring for me—but I’d never worn it. The second Brianna mentioned liking it, he’d given her my custom ring without a second thought. And she’d worn it every day since.

I scoffed and swatted the diamond ring into a nearby trash can. “I don’t want something another woman’s already worn.”

With that, I turned to leave—no more energy for their games. Caleb’s expression flickered, and he lunged forward to grab my arm. “Aubrey, wait!”

As he grabbed me, his hand brushed against something hard. He let go, staring in shock at the wedding ring glinting on my finger. Caleb froze, rooted to the spot.

“A wedding ring? You… you’re married?”