Betrayal

Turns out, the mystery groom I was shooting in Paris was my boyfriend of eight years.

There he was, looking sharp in a tailored suit, kissing some other chick under the Eiffel Tower.

He told her, "I'm yours, always and forever."

Later, on our wedding day, I wasn't there. Instead, I blasted those engagement photos at the reception for everyone to see.

If he loved her that much, then he could have the wedding.

1.

“Ava, I’m yours, always and forever.”

Jake was holding Ava close, his eyes full of soft adoration. It was the most tender I’d ever seen him look in all the eight years we'd been together.

“Jake, I'm yours, always and forever too. We'll be together for eternity, never apart.”

They kissed as tourists around them cheered, the Eiffel Tower looming tall behind them. It felt like my eight years with Jake were some kind of sick joke.

“Hey, photographer, did you get that kiss shot?”

Jake called out to me as he pulled away from Ava.

Two months ago, he’d booked me to shoot this engagement session of his. Photography is my side-hustle, I’m kinda known in the circles, but I always hide behind a mask and shades to keep my identity secret.

My boss told me the client was private and anonymous, so I had no clue who I was shooting for.

Until today in Paris when I finally saw them for real.

Jake, my boyfriend of eight years.

Ava, his so-called “white whale”, the one he complained about constantly but apparently really loved all along.

And here they were, shooting their engagement photos in Paris.

I had dreamed of coming here to take engagement photos with Jake myself.

He promised me, “Claire, I’ll take you there, only you.”

Promises are only pretty when they are being said. After that, they are like bubbles, popped at the slightest breeze.

My chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

“I… uh, yeah, I missed it. I’ll get it now.” I intentionally deepened my voice.

Jake frowned, “Don't space out, man. I thought you were supposed to be some hotshot photographer? Guess not.”

Ava patted his cheek, “Come on, don’t give the guy a hard time. Maybe he's just going through a breakup, feeling down.”

My pain was a thousand times worse than a break up, this was full blown betrayal.

My boyfriend of eight years was stabbing me in the back.

I wanted to call them out right there, but too many people were around and I didn't want to make it some huge public drama.

2.

So I did the only thing I could, kept shooting.

If it weren't for my side gig as a photographer, I probably would’ve gone on being oblivious to the fact that Jake was cheating on me.

I swallowed down my hurt and finished the shoot.

Jake was over the moon when he saw the pictures.

“They’re awesome, Ava. We look good together.”

“Unlike Claire. She and I never meshed. She’s too tall. It always felt awkward when we were together.”

I am tall, almost his height. Most of the time it felt like I was dragging my little brother around.

He’d always complain, “I don’t want to go shopping...