He Emptied My Mother’s Funeral Fund for His Secret Mistress… Then the Wedding Turned Into an Arrest
Minutes Before We Became Husband and Wife, I Learned My Fiancé Had Emptied My Mother’s Funeral Fund and Handed Every Dollar to the Young Woman He Secretly Spoiled. He Expected Tears. Instead, He Got Handcuffs.
On the way to sign our marriage license, my phone buzzed with a text from the mortuary.
*“Due to the cancellation of your contract, your mother’s body has been moved to temporary cold storage. Please retrieve her immediately.”*
I stared at the screen, my blood turning to ice.
I read the words ninety-nine times, hoping it was a sick joke.
Then, I turned to my fiancé, Ethan, who was driving.
“Did you cancel my mom’s burial plot?”
Ethan didn’t even look at me. He just shrugged, his tone completely casual.
“Oh, yeah. Mia needed some extra capital to open her boutique coffee shop, so I transferred the funds to her. Besides, traditional burials are so outdated. Your mom would have preferred her ashes scattered in the lake anyway. It’s much more modern.”
My throat tightened so hard I couldn’t breathe.
He stole my deceased mother’s funeral fund—money I had painstakingly saved—to give to the twenty-two-year-old college student he “sponsored.”
“Are you insane?” I shrieked, shoving his shoulder.
Ethan slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching on the asphalt.
“What is wrong with you?” he snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. “Do you want to get us killed? Your mother is already dead, Chloe. Mia is young, she has her whole life ahead of her. Think of it as your mom doing one last good deed. Why do you have to be so selfish?”
*One last good deed.*
The sheer audacity of his words left me speechless.
If that was his logic, I wondered how he’d feel when I sold off my thirty percent share in his family’s multi-million-dollar real estate firm.
Ethan seemed to realize he had gone too far. He reached over, grabbing my trembling hand.
“Look, Chloe, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. Today is our wedding day. Let’s not ruin it. Remember what your mom said before she passed? Her biggest regret was not seeing you walk down the aisle.”
Tears threatened to spill over my eyelashes. I bit my lip until it bled, forcing myself to stay calm.
“Let’s just go get the license first,” I whispered.
He smiled, wiping a tear from my cheek. “That’s my girl. I’ll handle the burial situation later, okay? I promise I’ll find her a better place. Just trust me.”
When we arrived at City Hall, Ethan held my hand as we took a number.
“Only three couples ahead of us. It’ll be quick,” he said, checking his watch.
Just then, a sweet, high-pitched voice echoed through the lobby.
“Ethan!”
I looked up.
Mia was jogging toward us, wearing a chic white designer coat.
It was the exact same luxury brand as the button-down shirt Ethan was wearing. They looked like a matching couple.
She slid right next to him, brushing her shoulder against his.
“Are you guys done yet? My mom made a whole feast of your favorite foods. We’re just waiting on you!”
Ethan quickly glanced at me, taking a subtle step back from her.
“Mia, what are you doing here?”
In that instant, the puzzle pieces clicked.
He had already planned to celebrate with Mia and her family the second we got married.
He never had any intention of returning my mother’s funeral money.
“Congratulations, by the way,” Mia said, looking at me as if she had just noticed my existence. “You must be Chloe. You’re so pretty.”
She stepped closer, dropping her voice to a mock whisper.
“Don’t be too sad about your mom. Ethan just wanted to use that money for something more meaningful. Nobody does traditional burials anymore. Tree burials or scattering ashes at sea is so much more romantic.”
I stared at Ethan. His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he said nothing.
“You planned to go to her house for dinner right after signing our license?” I asked.
“Chloe, let me explain—”
“Number 47, please proceed to Counter 3,” the automated voice cut him off.
Ethan immediately grabbed the paperwork, a flash of annoyance crossing Mia’s face.
I let out a cold, quiet laugh.
I walked up to the counter, looked the clerk in the eye, and spoke clearly.
“Actually, we won’t be registering. And I need to call the police.”
Ethan’s face drained of color. “Chloe, stop playing games—”
Before he could finish, I pulled out my phone.
But as I dialed, Mia stepped forward, her phone raised. She was live-streaming.
“Oh my god, Chloe,” Mia whimpered loudly, her voice dripping with fake concern. “I know you wanted Ethan to buy you that luxury penthouse, but you can’t blackmail him with marriage! You’re live right now—everyone can see how greedy you’re being!”
Ethan caught on instantly. He didn’t stop her. Instead, he gripped my wrist tightly, his fingers bruising my skin.
“Chloe, stop making a scene! You’re ruining everything!”
The lobby fell dead silent. Dozens of eyes stared at us, and Mia’s phone camera was pointed right at my face.
Just then, the heavy glass doors of City Hall swung open, and three police officers marched in.
“Who called 911?” the lead officer asked.
I looked at Ethan’s smug face, then at Mia’s camera, and raised my hand.
