On the Day We Filed for Marriage, I Sent My Cheating Ex to the Cops

On May 20, I received the confirmation text for our county clerk's office appointment for the twelfth time.

I walked into the garage and found Greg Sanchez going at it with his college first love in his car.

He saw me and didn't flinch. Didn't even look sorry. Just looked like he wasn't finished yet.

“Delilah, I promised I'd get the license with you, and I will.”

“It's just……the marriage can be yours. But my love belongs to Emmy.”

The woman in the passenger seat let out a little laugh.

“I'm not here to compete with you for anything. All I need is his body.”

Five years. Eleven appointments at the county clerk's. Every single one, he'd vanished at the last minute because of her.

I thought his family was dragging him down. I paid off his gambling debts, supported his brother, bought the parking spot……

Turns out he was off getting his thrills with another woman while I bankrolled every bit of it.

He asked：“So are we still getting the license?”

I smiled：“Sure. But the one I'm picking up is a police summons.”

……

“Knock, knock.”

I raised my fist and rapped hard on the car window.

Inside, the two entangled figures froze mid-motion……

The window slid down. Greg saw it was me and casually wiped the spit from his mouth.

The woman in the passenger seat pouted and pushed him away, then straightened her shoulder strap right in front of me.

She turned, smiling brightly：

“Oh, hey. What a coincidence.”

Emily Summers. She went to the same school as Greg's younger brother, a year ahead. I'd met her twice.

Greg leaned back against the headrest and let out a long breath：

“Delilah, since you already saw everything, I'll just be straight with you.”

“Yeah, I cheated. But that doesn't change anything about us getting the license.”

I stared at the look on his face, that absolute certainty that this was reasonable, and felt nothing but the absurdity of it.

“Doesn't change anything?”

My voice came out raw.

Greg frowned.

“She's just something new. You're the one I picked to marry.”

“Marriage and love are two completely different things. Don't confuse them.”

Emily sat in the passenger seat with her hand over her mouth, laughing. The silver bracelet on her wrist caught the light.

I recognized that bracelet.

Last month, Greg told me his mother's blood pressure had spiked. I transferred him five thousand dollars without a second thought.

Later I found out he'd turned around and spent my money on a silver bracelet.

Emily's smile got even sweeter：

“Oh, don't be mad.”

“You get to be the wife. I get to be the love of his life. Everybody gets what they need. No conflict.”

I was so furious I laughed. I turned to Greg.

He said it like he was lecturing me：

“Delilah, can you please be more mature about this?”

“You've already waited five years. What's a little more?”

Five years.

In those five years, we'd made eleven appointments at the county clerk's.

Every single time, he'd disappeared right before.

I looked at him：“All eleven times you didn't show up. Was it because of her?”

Greg was quiet for a few seconds, his eyes sliding away from mine：

“Some of them were.”

“But I always came back to you, didn't I?”

Emily cut in immediately：

“Every time he went MIA on you, he was with me. And trust me, we were having the best time.”

I closed my eyes and took a long breath.

“Greg, how much of your family's debt have I paid off in five years?”

“Every mess your brother made, I cleaned up. Every time your mother got sick, I paid. This car, this parking spot, all my money.”

“What exactly am I to you?”

Greg's face darkened.

“Delilah, stop throwing everything you've done in my face.”

“Real love doesn't keep score. The way you count every little thing is really tiresome.”

He glanced down at his watch.

“The county clerk's is about to close……So, are we getting the license or not?”