Lisa plans a surprise for her boyfriend, Max — but instead, she ends up face-to-face with his wife, Kate. The two women join forces to get even with Max, but as their scheme takes shape, Lisa finds herself tangled in a brand-new web of lies.
As the sun dipped below the skyline, Lisa, a 28-year-old attorney, stepped out of her office to see her fiancé, Max, leaning against his car, a bouquet of flowers in hand. Though their romance was just three months old, their bond felt strong — and wedding plans were already in motion.
“These are for you,” Max said warmly, passing the bouquet to Lisa.
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“Thank you! They’re gorgeous,” Lisa said, her face lighting up with joy.
Once they got settled in his car, Max glanced at Lisa, pride and warmth shining in his eyes. “Show me the engagement ring again,” he said with a teasing grin. “I want to admire how perfect it looks on you.”
As Lisa held out her hand, Max spotted an old-fashioned ring on another finger. “And what’s this one?” he asked.
“It’s a family treasure,” Lisa replied.
“Looks pretty pricey,” he remarked as they pulled away from the curb.
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Lisa nodded, her voice carrying a note of pride. “Yes, it’s valuable, but it holds a lot of sentimental meaning for me.”
Max then shared that his father had been hospitalized and urgently needed a costly surgery. He admitted that all his finances were tied up in a startup investment. As a businessman, he often put his money into new ventures.
“How much are you short? Maybe I can find a way to help,” Lisa offered.
“With everything factored in… $50,000,” Max replied.
Lisa paused, uncertain. “I… I don’t have that much saved up.”
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“Weren’t you saving up for a house? I promise I’ll pay you back once the startup money comes through.”
Lisa chewed her lip, thinking it over. “I’ll consider it. I’m sure we can figure out a way to come up with that much.”
Max gave a grateful nod, a warm smile crossing his face. “Alright, thanks so much.”
Suddenly, Max’s phone buzzed, and he picked up. After ending the call, he explained it was his housekeeper, letting him know about a basement flood. He apologized to Lisa, saying, “I’m really sorry, but I have to deal with this. I won’t be able to make it to dinner with your parents.”
Lisa felt a twinge of both sympathy and sadness. “I get it’s urgent, but I’m still disappointed you’ll miss it. Maybe we can reschedule for tomorrow?”
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Max looked genuinely regretful. “I’m really sorry, Lisa. This caught me off guard. It’s going to take longer than I thought, and I probably won’t be free tomorrow.”
Their drive rolled on, clouded by a mix of worry over Max’s father, the damaged house, and Lisa’s growing disappointment about their derailed plans.
When they hit a red light, Lisa made up her mind. “I think I’ll get out here,” she said firmly.
“What? Why?” Max asked, clearly taken aback.
“I need some space to sort things out. You’ve got enough to handle with your house,” Lisa said, stepping into the busy, buzzing city.
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Lisa hurried along the sidewalk, her mind racing, before deciding to stop by her parents’ home. Once there, she poured out the evening’s events, her voice thick with confusion and heartache.
Tom, her father, suggested gently, “Why don’t you pay Max a surprise visit? It might clear the air. Every couple has their fights, sweetheart.”
“I… I don’t even know where he lives,” Lisa admitted, feeling a flush of embarrassment.
“I can track it down for you,” Tom offered. Thanks to his years in the police force, Lisa knew her dad still had access to a few helpful connections. Before long, he came back holding Max’s address scribbled on a slip of paper.
Wasting no time, Lisa headed there. After steadying herself with a deep breath, she rang the doorbell — and a woman answered.
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“You must be Max’s housekeeper? Is he around?” Lisa asked.
“No, I’m his wife, Kate. And you are?” the woman replied.
“I’m Lisa…his fiancée,” Lisa stuttered, stunned.
“Fiancée? Is this some kind of sick joke? He’s married!” Kate snapped, flashing her wedding ring.
Confused and reeling, Lisa held out her engagement ring. “He never told me he was married. I had no idea,” she said, her voice trembling.
Furious, Kate accused Lisa of stealing her husband and started hurling things at her.
“Leave now and stay away from my husband!” Kate screamed, her face flushed with rage.
Before Lisa could utter another word, Kate slammed the door in her face.
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Sitting outside Max’s house, Lisa wept, feeling completely betrayed. Moments later, Kate appeared with a bottle of wine, apologizing for how she had reacted.
“That jerk cheated on both of us,” Kate said bitterly, revealing they had been married for seven years. They sipped wine together in heavy silence.
Lisa apologized, insisting she hadn’t known Max was married. Kate, startled, listened closely as Lisa confessed that Max had asked her for $50,000 to cover his father’s treatment.
“His father passed away five years ago,” Kate said, stunned by the lie. “You know what? It’s about time we called that scumbag out!”
Fueled by anger, Kate called Max, who casually claimed he needed to swing by his office for work. House flooding, Lisa realized, had been just another lie.
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When Kate and Lisa arrived at his office, Max was nowhere to be found. A security guard, familiar with Kate, allowed them inside without hesitation. Seizing the opportunity, the two women rifled through his desk and uncovered loan documents under Kate’s name, a house mortgaged without her knowledge, and fake passports listing different aliases for Max.
“So Max isn’t even his real name,” Kate muttered, her sham marriage unraveling before her eyes.
“He was probably plotting to swindle you out of your money,” Lisa guessed.
Kate fell silent for a moment, lost in her swirling thoughts. “And in three days, we were supposed to fly to Chicago for an auction. Max talked me into selling a painting that means the world to me.” She trailed off, realizing she might have said too much.
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“What auction?” Lisa pressed, curiosity sparking.
“Forget it — we’re not going anymore. We have bigger things to deal with,” Kate replied, waving off the question.
Lisa glanced at the forged passports. “We could just hand all this over to the police.”
“That’s too simple,” Kate said, her tone steely. “Besides, he’ll just find a way to run. I want him to see his world crumble around him.” She leaned in. “Send him the money,” she proposed, “and we’ll work with the police to trace the withdrawal.”
Lisa hesitated, worry creeping into her voice. “I’ve been saving for a house… I can’t risk losing it all.”
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“Do you want to see him locked up?” Kate asked, her eyes sharp and unwavering.
Lisa gave a firm nod. “More than anything.”
“Then let’s move forward with the transfer.”
Lisa dialed Max and set up a lunch meeting. “Hi, Max,” she said, masking her emotions with a steady tone. “Want to grab lunch today?”
“Of course, Lisa. I’ll swing by and pick you up. Give me about an hour,” Max replied, sounding relaxed.
Right after Lisa hung up, Kate’s phone buzzed. “It’s Max,” she murmured to Lisa.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice icy.
“Hey, Kate,” Max said casually. “I’m going to be late tonight. Don’t wait up.”
“Alright, Max,” Kate responded smoothly, keeping her tone even.
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Over lunch, Lisa made the transfer. “Max, I’ve decided to give you the money for your dad’s treatment.”
“Seriously? Lisa, that’s… thank you, really,” Max said, his face lighting up with excitement.
Lisa forced a smile, her chest tightening with unease. Once the transfer was complete, they finished eating in heavy silence, Max unaware of the trap that had just closed around him.
Afterward, they drove to Lisa’s home. Max asked if he could use her bathroom before heading out. Lisa, feeling uneasy, agreed. After he left, she tried calling Kate but got no response.
With a sinking feeling, Lisa rushed to Kate and Max’s house, only to find it eerily deserted. That’s when the truth hit her — they had disappeared together. Panicking, Lisa dialed her father.
“Dad, I’ve been conned. Max and Kate stole all my savings and vanished,” Lisa said shakily to Tom.
“Oh, Lisa, I’m so sorry,” Tom said, his voice full of worry. “Do you have any idea where they could’ve gone?”
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Lisa combed through websites and auction listings, but found nothing. It had to be an underground auction — one that wasn’t publicly advertised.
Determined to reclaim her stolen family heirloom, Lisa reached out to a client familiar with such secretive events. He managed to get her into the only underground auction happening in Chicago.
In disguise, Lisa arrived at the event and spotted Kate standing on stage with her ring. “That’s mine. She’s lying. It’s just a regular ring,” Lisa whispered to a woman nearby, who simply brushed her off.
As the bids soared higher, Lisa pushed herself to stay in the race, her pulse hammering with every price jump. At last, she secured the ring for $300,000.
“And how will you be paying today?” Kate asked, her voice wavering slightly.
Lisa rose from her seat, the crowd’s gaze locking onto her. She strode up to the stage amid a polite smattering of applause. Staring Kate down, Lisa declared, “Max will cover every cent.”
Right then, police officers stormed in, throwing the room into chaos as they arrested Kate. Lisa stood there, feeling a bittersweet wave of satisfaction and regret as her former ‘friend’ was led away in handcuffs.
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Inside the police station after the auction, Lisa stood behind a one-way mirror, watching Kate being questioned. Though her precious ring was finally back on her finger, the victory felt hollow.
Kate sat slumped in her chair, defeated. “We can make this go easier for you, Kate,” the detective coaxed. “But you need to be straight with us. Where’s Max?”
After a long pause, Kate nodded and said, “I’ll tell you where he’s hiding — but I want a lighter sentence.”
She gave them the address where Max was laying low. Hours later, Lisa watched as officers led Max into the building, stripped of his former charm.
In the interrogation room, a detective leaned forward. “You’re in serious trouble, Max,” he said firmly. “Fraud, grand larceny, identity crimes. Kate gave us everything.”
Max slumped back in his chair, the weight of reality sinking in — he knew he had lost it all.
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Lisa was filled with both pain and a sense of relief. Max was finally paying for what he’d done. As she walked out of the police station, she felt a sense of closure settle within her. She was ready to move on, stronger for the lessons she’d learned. Stepping into the night, she embraced the start of a new chapter.
