My boyfriend invited me on a “proposal” trip and he spent it with his best friend instead – My revenge was priceless

I’d never been a girl who had a timeline in her love life. I’d been with Ian for two years and I knew we were headed towards marriage, but still, time wasn’t an issue for me.

But then, for the past six months, Ian had been dropping hints about an “unforgettable surprise” he had planned for our summer trip to Santorini.

Every time I asked for details, my boyfriend would smile mysteriously and say, “You’ll see, Ella. You just have to wait.”

But Ian wasn’t one to plan surprises well. He seemed to drop all sorts of clues easily. There were times when he’d casually search for engagement rings online, leaving the tabs open for me to find.

One time, when we were having a quiet night, he even asked me what my dream wedding was like.

“I just want you to try to imagine what you see when you think about it,” he told me.

Naturally, my excitement got the better of me. Was this really the case? Was Ian finally going to propose to me?

Weeks passed and before I knew it, we were packing for our trip.

“I can’t believe we’re finally doing this!” Ian exclaimed as he went into his closet and pulled out more clothes to pack.

“I’m looking forward to the beach and cocktails,” I replied.

When our plane landed, I felt a surge of anticipation.

I knew Ian was up to something and just looking at the sun setting over the Aegean Sea, casting a glow over the whitewashed buildings, it seemed like the perfect location.

It would be a perfect proposition.

Little did I know that this trip would turn into a whirlwind of emotions and unexpected revelations about my relationship.

“This place is everything I thought it would be and more,” Ian said as we strolled hand in hand along the cobblestone streets.

And it was. Everything was magical… until the next morning.

Ian and I were heading down to the hotel for breakfast when his phone rang with a message. I was starving and just wanted to eat, but I saw my boyfriend’s face light up when he read the message.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, grabbing my sunscreen to take with us.

“Guess what!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Mark is also in Santorini! He had some last-minute changes to his work trip and decided to come here because he knew we were on vacation! Isn’t that great?”

“Your best friend wants to crash our vacation?” I asked, genuinely surprised. “That’s great!”

And at first I thought he was. When Ian and I first started dating, Mark was the first person who introduced me. So I knew him well. And I also knew how close they were.

“Yeah! Isn’t it great that you can share this place with us? We can hang out too,” she said, and was already texting Mark, probably giving him the hotel details.

I smiled as I put my shoes on. I was glad Mark was here. He was easy to get along with and I knew how much he meant to Ian.

I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have him here. Ian could do all the water activities with him, because that was something my phobia didn’t allow.

“We’ll still have our alone time,” Ian promised. “Don’t worry about it, Ella.”

When Mark arrived at our hotel, we were both very happy to see him. Ian ordered room service and bottles of champagne to celebrate.

“We’ll explore the island together,” Ian said.

It was heartwarming to see the two friends together, laughing and sharing stories.

Until it stopped being so.

As the hours passed, I began to feel like a third wheel in my relationship. Ian and Mark were off in their own world, reminiscing about old times and planning new adventures.

I tried to join in, but their inside jokes and shared experiences over the years often left me feeling sidetracked.

“This is exhausting,” I muttered as I stood on the balcony of our hotel room, listening to Ian and Mark giggling like teenagers.

The next few days were a whirlwind of love affairs between Ian and Mark.

“What do you mean it’s become a buddy trip?” my friend Rae asked over the phone.

“Ian and Mark haven’t stopped. It’s all about them. They’ve gone diving, explored hidden caves and gone on hikes. All without me.”

“What are you doing now?” he asked.

“Waiting for a massage,” I replied. “I thought I might entertain myself. This is not how I thought my romantic getaway would end.”

“Talk to Ian, babe,” Rae said. “Tell him how you feel. He’s probably too excited to see Mark that he’s completely lost control of what’s important.”

I nodded to myself.

“Yes,” I said, agreeing. “I’ll get a massage to calm my nerves and then I’ll go find Ian.”

But Ian and Mark were nowhere to be found, although I knew Ian would eventually show up because we had dinner reservations for just the two of us that night.

“I promised you, Ella,” Ian said once he reappeared. “We’re going to have some time for just the two of us, too.”

I got dressed, looking forward to spending this time alone with my boyfriend. If this trip was supposed to be about us, and about forging a new path together, then we needed to spend time alone.

But when we were about to leave, Mark appeared at our door.

“Wow,” I muttered under my breath.

“Hey, guys!” he exclaimed excitedly, pushing his way into our room. “I just heard there’s an amazing beach party tonight. I can’t wait to go. You guys have to come.”

My boyfriend’s eyes lit up.

“Sounds great! Come on, Ella, let’s go!”

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

“Ian, we have a dinner reservation. But maybe you should go if you really feel like it. It’s okay. See you later.”

But Ian didn’t want to hear about it.

“Come on, Ella, it’ll be fun, babe!”

“See you later,” I said firmly.

As I watched them high-five and plan their night out, something inside me snapped. This was supposed to be our special trip, a milestone in our relationship.

Instead, I felt invisible.

I ordered room service and sat on the big bed.

“This is going to be my life, right?” I said to the empty room.

And I could see that. Being married to Ian meant that Mark would be everywhere. He would be at our wedding, with Ian. He would probably come on our honeymoon.

What if we had kids? Would Mark be in the delivery room too?

No. I had to put an end to this nonsense.

The next morning, while they were away on another adventure, I approached the hotel manager with a plan. I explained my situation and, with a little persuasion, convinced him to help me with my unconventional revenge.

“I can’t say I’ve ever been involved in anything like this before, ma’am,” he said.

Later, when Ian and Mark returned to the hotel, they were greeted by a member of staff.

“You have been promoted,” they were told. “We have moved your belongings to another room. Please follow me.”

I’m sure they thought they would move us to a larger suite where the three of us could stay together.

But no. That wasn’t what I had planned.

When they entered the room, it had been transformed into a honeymoon suite. There were rose petals scattered everywhere, flickering candles, and a chilled bottle of champagne on the table. In the middle of the bed was the little velvet box she had found in Ian’s suitcase.

“What’s all this?” Mark asked.

“You wanted a proposal, Ian? Mark is clearly the most important person to you here. So you can make it official.”

“What?” they said in unison.

“I can’t do this, Ian. It may seem absurd because we’re just on vacation, but this is what the rest of our lives are going to look like. And I’m not signing up for this. I’ve booked the next flight back.”

Ian tried to reason with me, but I knew it was over. Something inside me had broken and I didn’t want to go on like this.

From a marriage proposal to a breakup, Santorini was the most unexpected trip.

While waiting at the airport, I reflected on the trip. It wasn’t the proposal I was expecting, but it showed me what I really needed: a partner who would put me first.

What would you have done?

If you liked this story, here’s another one.

My fiancé proposed to me with his ex’s engagement ring

Samantha is on cloud nine, basking in the glow of her engagement to Rob. Until she receives a text from her boyfriend’s ex, Emily, claiming that engagement ring had previously been hers. Samantha is forced to decide what to do next.

Of course, I couldn’t stop smiling. It felt like all the stars in my life had finally aligned and I was going to be happy forever.

But it’s not always that easy, is it?

I sat up in bed and looked through my camera roll. I had just returned from a perfect trip to Santorini, where Rob had proposed to me.

It had been magical.

Read the full story here .

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This work is inspired by real people and events, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or the depiction of characters, and are not responsible for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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