\nMy life was going great. I was so joyful, it almost didn\u2019t feel real\u2014it was too good to be true. I had a loving boyfriend, a supportive friend, and a bright future ahead of me. But one evening, it all came crashing down. I lost everything because of a few photos of me that I had never seen.\n
I was lounging on the couch at my best friend Mary\u2019s place, sipping wine and laughing about the latest office gossip. Mary, a wedding photographer, sat across from me, scrolling through some of her recent shoots.\n
Her apartment was cozy, filled with framed photos from weddings she had captured.\n
She worked with love stories every day, which made me admire her even more, given that she didn\u2019t have a relationship of her own.\n
\n
\u201cLook at this couple,\u201d she said, turning her laptop screen toward me. \u201cThey look so in love, don\u2019t they?\u201d\n
I leaned in, studying the photo. It was a beautiful shot\u2014sunset in the background, the bride\u2019s veil flowing in the breeze, and the groom smiling warmly at his new wife.\n
But something didn\u2019t sit right. I squinted at the picture, noticing a faint line between the bride and groom, as if they weren\u2019t really standing together.\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s up with this line?\u201d I asked, pointing to the subtle seam between the two figures.\n
Mary shrugged casually.\n
\u201cOh, that? Sometimes I merge two different photos together. It\u2019s a trick I use. People pay extra for it. Sometimes the bride and groom don\u2019t have a good shot together, or maybe the bride likes her smile in one photo, but the groom looks better in another. So I just merge them. It\u2019s harmless, and it looks real.\u201d\n
I blinked, taken aback. “It looks too real. I can’t even tell it\u2019s edited. I never would’ve guessed they weren\u2019t standing together.”\n
Mary\u2019s expression darkened for just a second, her eyes almost guarded, but then she gave a little laugh.\n
\u201cYeah, I\u2019ve gotten pretty good at it. It\u2019s just a skill you develop over time.\u201d\n
I felt a twinge of sympathy for Mary. Here she was, spending all her time making other people\u2019s love stories look perfect, yet she didn\u2019t have anyone in her own life.\n
She put on a strong front, but I could sense her loneliness underneath. I wanted to cheer her up, so I quickly changed the subject.\n
\u201cSpeaking of love, I think Max is going to propose soon,\u201d I said, my voice softening with excitement.\n
Mary\u2019s eyes widened slightly, and she seemed startled.\n
\u201cWhat makes you think that?\u201d\n
\u201cWell,\u201d I said with a grin, leaning in closer like I was sharing a big secret.\n
\n
\u201cI accidentally found a ring in his bag while I was cleaning the other day. It was this little velvet box, and when it fell out, I peeked inside. But I put it right back\u2014I didn\u2019t want to ruin the surprise.\u201d\n
Mary smiled, but there was something off about it, like the smile didn\u2019t quite reach her eyes.\n
\u201cThat\u2019s great, Sarah. Really great,\u201d she said, though her tone lacked enthusiasm.\n
For a moment, I wondered if I had said something wrong. Maybe Mary felt a little sad hearing about my excitement when she didn\u2019t have someone in her life.\n
Still, I couldn\u2019t shake the odd look she gave me, as if she was hiding something behind her smile.\n
I decided not to press her, figuring she was just feeling down about being single. We continued chatting, but a strange sense of unease lingered in the air.\n
\n
The next day, I was excited to surprise Max with a romantic dinner. I had spent the afternoon setting up everything just right\u2014the soft glow of candlelight flickered on the table, the smell of his favorite dish filled the room, and a bottle of wine chilled, ready to toast to us.\n
I wanted it to be a special evening, to show him how much I loved him and to celebrate the future I was sure we were about to share.\n
But when Max walked in the door, something was off. His usual warm smile was nowhere to be found. Instead, his face was twisted with anger, and the second he saw the table set for two, his expression grew darker.\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d he snapped, his voice sharp and cutting as he glanced around at the dinner I had prepared.\n
Confused, I blinked at him. \u201cI thought we could have a nice dinner. What\u2019s wrong?\u201d I asked, hoping to soothe whatever had upset him.\n
Max\u2019s jaw clenched, his eyes cold as they bore into mine.\n
\n
\u201cSarah, tell me the truth. Right now.\u201d\n
My heart started to pound.\n
\u201cThe truth about what? Max, I don\u2019t understand what\u2019s going on.\u201d\n
His face twisted even more in frustration, and his voice grew harsher.\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t tell me the truth right now, we\u2019re done.\u201d\n
I stared at him, completely bewildered.\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand! What did I do?\u201d\n
Max let out an angry breath, reached into his bag, and slammed a stack of photos onto the table.\n
\u201cThis! Explain this!\u201d His voice was raised, and I could feel the tension radiating from him. Without another word, he stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door so hard the windows rattled.\n
My hands shook as I picked up the photos he had left behind. My heart dropped as I flipped through them. They showed me, in different settings, holding and kissing another man. A man I didn\u2019t even know.\n
The photos looked so real, but none of them made sense. I had never cheated on Max\u2014these pictures were lies, and I had no idea how they came to be.\n
Tears filled my eyes as I collapsed onto the chair, the perfect dinner now forgotten. My mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible.\n
How could I prove that these photos weren\u2019t real? And, more importantly, how could I convince Max?\n
\u200b\u200bCrying uncontrollably, I reached for my phone and dialed Mary\u2019s number. I needed to talk to someone who could help me make sense of this nightmare. When she answered, I could barely form words between sobs.\n
\u201cMax just left me,\u201d I choked out.\n
\u201cHe thinks I cheated on him, Mary! But these photos\u2014they\u2019re not real! I don\u2019t even know the guy in them! I swear!\u201d\n
Mary\u2019s voice, on the other end, was calm. Too calm. \u201cSarah,\u201d she said slowly, \u201cmaybe this is a sign. Maybe you and Max weren\u2019t meant to be. Sometimes, things fall apart for a reason. You should just let it go.\u201d\n
Her response made me freeze. There was something wrong in the way she said it, something cold and dismissive.\n
\u201cHow can you say that?\u201d I asked, my voice rising in disbelief. \u201cMax and I were going to get married! These photos are fake! Don\u2019t you get that? Someone is trying to break us up!\u201d\n
\n
But Mary didn\u2019t seem moved. She sighed, sounding more annoyed than concerned.\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not the end of the world, Sarah. People move on from things like this. You will too. Just let it go.\u201d\n
I felt my chest tighten with frustration and confusion. I needed support, and instead, Mary was brushing me off like my whole world wasn\u2019t falling apart.\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not helping!\u201d I yelled, feeling the tears burn down my cheeks.\n
\u201cI love Max! This is all a misunderstanding! Why aren\u2019t you taking this seriously?\u201d\n
As is ended the call, something clicked in my mind. As I held the photos in my trembling hands, my eyes caught a small, almost invisible line running through the images\u2014the same faint line I\u2019d seen when Mary had shown me the edited wedding photos just days earlier.\n
My heart raced, and my mind started to put the pieces together.\n
Could it be? I thought, staring at the pictures in shock. Could Mary have done this?\n
The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Mary. She had manipulated the photos. I had seen her do it before for her clients, merging separate images into one seamless lie.\n
And now, I knew with terrifying certainty\u2014she was behind this. She was trying to destroy my relationship.\n
Determined to fix the damage, I jumped into my car and drove straight to Jimmy\u2019s house. I knew if Max wasn\u2019t at home, he\u2019d be here\u2014seeking comfort from his best friend.\n
As I pulled into the driveway, my heart pounded, fueled by the betrayal and desperation swirling inside me.\n
When I knocked, Jimmy opened the door with a hesitant expression, sensing the tension between us.\n
\u201cI need to see Max,\u201d I said firmly.\n
Jimmy glanced over his shoulder, clearly conflicted. After a moment, he nodded and let me in. I walked through the house, my pulse quickening as I approached the backyard.\n
There, I saw them\u2014Max sitting on the patio, his face etched with frustration, and Mary by his side, smiling and laughing as she leaned toward him. She was trying to comfort him, but her presence only ignited my anger further.\n
I stormed toward them, my hand clutching the photos. \u201cMax!\u201d I called out, my voice sharp with emotion. Both of them turned, surprise flashing across their faces.\n
\u201cThese photos are fake!\u201d I declared, thrusting the pictures in front of Max. \u201cMary did this. Look at the lines in the pictures!\u201d\n
Max frowned and took the photos from me, examining them closely. I pointed to the faint line in the images, the same line I had noticed earlier.\n
\u201cShe merged two different photos, Max. This guy isn\u2019t real. Mary wanted to break us up.\u201d\n
Mary\u2019s face drained of color. \u201cSarah, stop!\u201d she said quickly, panic lacing her voice.\n
But I wasn\u2019t backing down. I pulled out the original photo of Max and me, the one where we were together, happy.\n
\u201cThis is the original photo. Mary cropped me out and replaced me with someone else.\u201d\n
Max\u2019s face tightened with confusion and hurt as he looked at the evidence. Slowly, understanding washed over him. His eyes moved from the photos to Mary.\n
\u201cYou did this?\u201d he whispered, his voice heavy with disbelief.\n
Tears welled up in Mary\u2019s eyes as she crumbled.\n
\u201cI just… I couldn\u2019t stand seeing you two together. I thought… I thought if I made you break up, I could have a chance.\u201d\n
Max\u2019s jaw clenched as he stood up and turned away from her. His gaze landed on me, and I saw the pain and regret in his eyes.\n
\u201cSarah,\u201d he began, his voice filled with remorse, \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I should\u2019ve trusted you.\u201d\n
Tears brimmed in my own eyes as I nodded, my heart softening. \u201cI know,\u201d I whispered.\n
Without another word, Max knelt down in front of me, pulling out the ring I had seen before. \u201cI love you, Sarah. I was a fool to doubt you. Will you still marry me?\u201d\n
A smile broke through my tears as I whispered, \u201cYes, Max. Yes.\u201d\n
Mary left, sobbing, and Max and I stood there in each other\u2019s arms, ready to rebuild our love and face the future together.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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