Jack had always striven to be the best version of himself for me. When he proposed, he made me feel like the luckiest person alive. Soon, planning our wedding became our top priority. But within a few months, he had me seriously questioning whether I could spend a lifetime with him.

I’ve known my fiancé, Jack, for eight years, and never once did I imagine he would break my trust. Yet, he did precisely that by secretly using our savings. Discovering this betrayal shook me to my core.

I’m Francine, a 29-year-old self-proclaimed hopeless romantic. Meeting my soulmate made me believe in romance and that it was meant for me.

Jack proposed to me nine months ago. Having been together since university, I was ecstatic about finally marrying him. Soon after the proposal, we started a wedding fund, each contributing $1,000 monthly.

I scrimped and saved—no dining out, no vacations, hardly any new clothes—all to fund our dream wedding. Jack knew I envisioned a wedding straight out of a movie, and as the months passed, I felt confident our dream would come true.

Thanks to a substantial bonus I recently received, we saved more than anticipated. A couple of days ago, on a whim, I decided to check our safe, expecting to bask in the joy of our financial discipline. However, what I discovered left me shattered—I opened the safe to find it completely empty.

When Jack returned from the store, I confronted him. His explanation left me dumbfounded. He hadn’t used the wedding fund for an emergency or a family crisis but to bankroll an extravagant bachelor party in Las Vegas. He described a wild spree involving luxury suites, high-stakes gambling, and more.

“I’m so sorry, Franny. I got carried away at the party and didn’t realize I had spent everything,” he confessed. “I thought I could win big and afford us an even better wedding. When that didn’t happen, I was devastated. I believed I could replace the money before you noticed.”