On the eve of our wedding, I accidentally saw my boyfriend’s Wish social feed. My replica Valentino wedding shoes cost him $29.90. His own designer sneakers cost over three hundred dollars. Scrolling down further, I realized that every single anniversary gift he had ever given me was a cheap knockoff. Even the Tiffany wedding jewelry set he gave me was fake. After freezing in silence for a moment, I went online and ordered a realistic blow-up doll. Since you love fakes so much, Austin, I’m going to give you a fake bride at our wedding. I was getting my wedding nails done when the nail tech pleaded, "Hey girl, could you please download Wish and help me slash a price? I’ll throw in two extra rhinestones for your nails for free, okay?" I was a regular customer and loved her aesthetic, so I couldn’t really say no. But after registering and opening the app, the smile on my face froze. Just three minutes ago, my boyfriend had successfully placed an order for a pair of replica Valentino wedding shoes. After using a coupon, the final price he paid was $29.90. I stared at the screen, thinking his account must have been hacked. But a second later, Austin sent me a message: "Babe, I just bought those wedding shoes you wanted! They were so expensive—cost me two months of my salary. But hey, making you happy is what matters most!" The picture he attached was identical to the shoes on the Wish order. Except the ones I had looked at were the real deal. The ones he bought were cheap knockoffs. As I scrolled further down his Wish feed, my heart sank lower and lower. Everything he bought for himself came from official flagship stores, while every gift he bought for me was a piece of junk under ten dollars. Even the Tiffany wedding jewelry set he got me was fake. No wonder he looked so uncomfortable and made excuses when I suggested we go to the physical store to pick them out. He had insisted his mother had already prepared them. It turned out they had just ordered them from Wish. By that time, the fake jewelry was probably already sitting in the Amazon delivery locker down the street. I let out a self-deprecating laugh, opened our chat, and typed a quick reply. "Thanks, babe! I also bought you that Rolex Submariner you’ve been eyeing."
The nail tech looked at me with a complicated expression. "Girl, please don't think I'm nosy, but spending too much money on a guy never ends well." I tapped the payment confirmation screen on my phone. A replica watch that cost only fifty bucks. That "Rolex" was probably more of a "Folex." When I got home, Austin rushed over and pulled me into his arms. "Babe! When is my watch arriving?" "Don't worry, it'll be here next week. You’ll definitely have it before the wedding. You can show it off to all your friends!" My words stroked his ego, and his smile widened. I seized the opportunity to make my move. "I bought you such an expensive watch, but I still don’t have a wedding purse. Why don’t we go shopping this weekend?" Austin froze instantly. He stammered, "Why don't... why don't I just order one for you online?" I pretended to be annoyed. "Online shipping takes forever, and if it doesn't match my dress, returning it will be a huge pain!" He gritted his teeth. "Fine. Let's hit the mall this weekend." On Saturday, Austin acted incredibly hesitant. Every time I tried on a purse that was slightly expensive, he began pointing out flaws. "Babe, you’re not that tall. This bag is too big, it makes you look even shorter." "This one isn't great either. The gold chain looks like it'll fade easily. It looks cheap." "No, not this one. It doesn't match your style at all." Then, he picked up the cheapest red canvas tote bag in the store and shoved it into my hands. "This is perfect! The color is great, the style is simple, and it holds a lot of stuff!"
Even the sales associate was stunned. She gently reminded Austin that we were shopping for a wedding purse. Austin scoffed, "Who says you can't carry a canvas bag to a wedding?" The associate smiled awkwardly and nodded. I shook my head. "I don't like it." Austin pulled me aside and whispered all the reasons why the canvas bag was practical. I brushed his hand off. "Austin, you’re being really cheap. I spent thousands on your Rolex, and I even ordered that expensive RTX graphics card you wanted. And you’re trying to write me off with a canvas bag?" Hearing that I had ordered the graphics card he had been drooling over for months, he immediately waved his hand. "Buy it! We’ll get whatever you want, babe!" Perfect. It was time for him to cough up all the money he had saved by cheaping out on me over the years. By the time I picked out three of the most expensive designer bags, Austin’s face had turned pale. He made an excuse to use the restroom and slipped away. I quietly followed him. Through the heavy restroom door, I heard him on the phone with his friends. "Chloe doesn't know shit about luxury brands. With her background, when has she ever touched high-end stuff? A few cheap knockoffs are enough to keep her happy." "I only give people what they deserve. If it were Hailey, of course I’d buy her the absolute best." "Anyway, once my Rolex gets here, you guys can take turns wearing it!" Leaning against the cold marble wall, my heart felt completely frozen. The coldness pierced through me, but it also made me see him clearly for the first time. Hailey was his college ex, his "white moonlight." She had moved abroad after graduation. All these years, he had never gotten over her. Yet he was still playing the role of the generous, caring boyfriend with me. It was absolutely disgusting.
After Austin came out of the restroom, I picked out a gold bracelet. He paid for it with a pained expression. A minute later, his phone alarm went off, and he quickly made an excuse to run, terrified I would drag another dime out of his wallet. The moment he left, I took all the items we had just purchased back to the counter and returned them. Watching the $15,000 refund hit my bank account, I smiled. Austin, this is just the beginning. The day before the wedding, the realistic blow-up doll I ordered arrived. I dressed "her" up in a wedding gown and put those $29.90 fake Valentino shoes on her feet. Once everything was ready, I turned off my morning alarm and went to sleep. The next day, I woke up near noon. My phone was blowing up with dozens of missed calls and frantic text messages from Austin. "What is wrong with you, Chloe? Why aren't you at your apartment for the bridal party pickup?" "Our wedding is today! Where the hell are you?" "Why did you cancel the makeup artist, the photographer, and the videographer last night?" "Are you trying to embarrass me? Get your ass to the venue in thirty minutes, or the wedding is off!" Thirty minutes? I didn’t even need that long. Because I was already staying in a suite right above the banquet hall. I had canceled the wedding planning team because when it was time to pay them, Austin had pretended to have a stomachache and made me pay the deposit. Later, he had said, "Oh, babe, why are you making such a big deal out of this? The makeup, the photos, they're all for you. It's to give you face." Well, I didn’t care about "face." The only person who cared about "face" was Austin—a selfish, superficial prick who loved to show off. I carried the dressed-up doll down the elevator. The moment I pushed open the doors to the banquet hall, I was met with complete chaos. Austin’s relatives were gossiping in groups. Austin was holding the bouquet, standing near the stage, desperately dialing my number. When my ringtone echoed from the entrance, his eyes lit up. He ran over and grabbed my arm. "Chloe, have you lost your mind? What the hell are you holding?!"
I smiled. "It's a gift for you." He pursed his lips, putting on a generous act. "I forgive you for this morning. Now go change quickly. All our friends and family are here, don't embarrass me. I'll have Uncle David host the ceremony for us." I nodded. In the dressing room, I asked two venue staff members for help. "When they announce the bride's entrance, please place this doll right at the doorway." Since I was from out of town, only Austin's family and friends were at the venue. The ceremony began. "Please welcome our beautiful bride!" the MC announced. The spotlight hit the entrance. Everyone turned to look. The doors swung open, revealing a plastic doll in a wedding dress. The crowd gasped. Austin rushed down the aisle, furious. "Chloe, are you fucking crazy?!" I smiled at him. "Are you mad? The doll is wearing the shoes you bought me. What's the problem?" He froze, nervously rubbing his nose. I pushed him aside, carried the doll onto the stage, and grabbed the microphone. "These are the wedding shoes Austin bought me. They're fake. This is the jewelry his family gave me. It's fake. This is my birthday gift from him. Fake..." The guests immediately erupted into whispers. The venue was buzzing. Uncle David tried to salvage the situation. "Hey now, replica goods don't mean he doesn't love you. You can't measure love with money." I turned to look at him. "Oh, I almost forgot. David, remember that designer lipstick Austin gifted your daughter last month? It was a cheap replica. She ended up in the hospital with severe lip inflammation, didn't she? Must have been awful." Uncle David’s face turned red with anger. He threw down his microphone and started cursing Austin out! Aunt Susan couldn't watch any longer and stepped in. "Austin was probably scammed! There are so many scammers online. How is a man supposed to know about these makeup and luxury brands?" I walked up to her. "Susan, remember when your electric hand warmer short-circuited and burned your hand? Did you ever suspect it was the cheap knockoff your dear nephew got you?" Susan froze, staring at Austin in utter shock. Austin completely panicked, babbling excuses. "I didn't know! I don't know anything about this! How was I supposed to know they were fake..." Suddenly, the guests began to recall the various gifts they had received from Austin over the years. Most of them had some kind of issue. The relatives surrounded Austin, yelling and cursing at him. Look at that. Just moments ago, they were telling me to be understanding. Now that they realized they were the victims, they yelled louder than anyone else! After the wedding was ruined, Austin’s reputation among his family was completely trashed. His mother was so embarrassed she couldn't lift her head, having to apologize door-to-door. That night, a reeking-of-alcohol Austin banged on my apartment door. "Chloe, I only did it to save money! I did it for our future. I didn't mean to lie to you." I nodded. "I get it. You saved money on me so you could buy real designer things for yourself. You saw me as an easy, small-town girl with a single mom, so you thought you could treat me like garbage, right?" He shook his head, squeezing out a few tears. "No, that's not true. You deserve the best in the world. I just... I didn't have that much money, and I didn't want you to feel left out when other girls had luxury goods. It was just a stupid mistake." How pathetic. I slapped him across the face. "Cut the crap, Austin. We’ve been together for three years. Have I ever been greedy? Have I ever asked you for a single expensive gift? You're right, I grew up in a small town, so I couldn't tell your fake gifts apart. But because I thought you gave me expensive things, I saved up every penny to buy you gifts of equal value. I didn't want to owe you anything. Now it turns out you're the one who owes me. Get the hell out of my sight." Panicking, Austin grabbed my leg and started crying about our past memories. I kicked him away. He looked up at me miserably. "Chloe, I'm sorry." "Fine, we can break up. But can you at least give me the Rolex you bought me?"
I was absolutely speechless. I turned around, grabbed the package, and threw it at him. "Take your trash and get out." Austin picked up the box like it was a sacred treasure. "Be careful! My precious watch." The moment he left, my phone buzzed with a text from him: "Chloe, did you really think a small-town girl like you deserved a guy like me? I have a house, a car, a good degree, and a solid job. Have you ever wondered why I chose you in the first place?" I replied: "Keep dreaming. I wasted three years on a dog. But the apartment your family bought? I paid for the entire renovation. Transfer my money back to me right now!" "You chose to pay for that renovation. Why should I pay you back? Go ahead and sue me if you want. A cheap girl like you trying to act high and mighty. You don't deserve nice things." I didn’t reply. Winning a text argument wasn't going to get my money back. I needed to figure out how to minimize my financial losses. The next day, I saw Austin's selfie on Ins. The caption read: *Happily Single.* It was a very pretentious photo. His hand was resting on his steering wheel, clearly showing off the car logo and his new "Rolex." The comment section was filled with envious compliments. As luck would have it, our college class president, Marcus, was organizing a reunion in the group chat. Austin was the first to RSVP. After graduation, thanks to his family's connections, Austin had secured a manager position at an import-export company. He would never miss an opportunity to show off. Since he was going, I was going too. And I was going to bring a few things with me! On the day of the reunion, I gathered all the fake luxury goods Austin had bought me over the years. I wore the fake clothes, put on the fake jewelry, and carried the fake bag. He wanted "face," right? I was going to make sure he was utterly humiliated in front of everyone! I was going to rip away his final piece of dignity.
"Chloe, you're here! Long time no see!" I smiled and greeted my old classmates. Everyone knew Austin and I had broken up, so they didn't seat us together. Halfway through the dinner, someone started gossiping. "Chloe, back in college, didn't you say you wouldn't marry anyone but Austin? Why did you guys suddenly break up?" I chuckled. "I was blind back then. My eyes are wide open now." Austin sat diagonally across from me, rolling his eyes. Hearing that Marcus was now a senior director at a big firm, Austin eagerly stood up to pour him a drink. "Wow, Austin, that's a nice watch," Marcus noted. Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn to his wrist. The table began whispering, wondering if Austin had struck it rich. He smirked. "Oh, it's nothing. Just had a streak of good luck and closed a few major international deals this year." International deals? He really loved making things up. "You're amazing, man. That watch must be at least twenty grand. You're doing better than me now," Marcus said. But then, Marcus frowned, squinting closely at the watch. "Wait, Austin... The polishing and the color of the dial look a bit off compared to the authentic Submariner." The moment he said that, a few others leaned in to look. Austin panicked for a split second. He glanced at me, but I kept my face blank. I knew what he was betting on. He was betting that because I loved him so much, I wouldn't have bought him a fake. During the discussion, a wealthy classmate named Brandon smirked. "Austin, why are you wearing a fake Rolex to show off? We're all old friends here. Is your ego really that fragile?" Austin snapped, "Bullshit! How could this watch be fake? Just because your family has some money doesn't mean you can look down on everyone else!" Brandon wasn't about to take that. He slammed his forks down. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to? I had three Rolexes in middle school. Even my driver wears one of these. You think I can't spot a fake? Look at your background. You think you're on my level?" The moment he said that, the other classmates began to snicker. The dining room filled with hushed laughter. Austin stood frozen, red-faced, unable to find his tongue. Then, someone suddenly started a FaceTime call. "Hey Hailey! Austin wore a fake Rolex to the reunion. It's hilarious!"
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