The Wedding Scammer

"What's wrong with a check-up?" I asked, puzzled by his sudden change in tone. "Lots of couples do premarital health screenings, don't they?"

"That's only for people who sleep around. We don't need one!" Jake replied. "Besides, it's not even required for marriage anymore. Why waste time?"

"Waste? It's about taking care of our health..."

I was about to make my case when his phone buzzed, cutting me off. He glanced at the screen. "A buddy just texted. Something urgent came up, and I need to go. Want me to drop you off first?"

He was already standing before I could respond. Seeing how rushed he was, I swallowed my words.

"No need, I can get home on my own. You should hurry," I said.

"Alright, I'm off then."

He left in a hurry, and as I watched him go, a feeling of unease crept over me. Was he trying to dodge something?

Back home, I texted to let him know I'd made it safely. But he didn't reply. It wasn't until that evening that he finally called.

"Just saw your message. My friend had a bit of a crisis, and I only just got home," he explained.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned.

"It's his ex-fiancée. They were about to get married, but she suddenly demanded an expensive engagement ring and insisted on a lavish wedding. My friend's just an average guy—there's no way he could afford all that. They broke up, but now she regrets it and showed up at his place, threatening to hurt herself."

Jake paused, then asked, "Laura, your family wouldn't expect a big, fancy wedding, would they?"

I frowned. Asking about wedding expectations was fine, but the way he'd framed it, like he was prepping me for something, made me uneasy. Still, I answered, "My mom mentioned something small and intimate, maybe just close family and friends."

"Small and intimate?" His tone shifted.

"Why? Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all. For you, I'd throw the biggest party in town if I could!" he said sweetly, which put me a bit more at ease.

But then he added hesitantly, "It's just, with the pandemic, business hasn't been great. Plus, we'll need to save for a house, which isn't cheap. So even a small wedding feels a bit steep..."

"I understand," I said.

I'm not unreasonable. I knew he was already thinking of our future with the house savings. I couldn't ignore that.

I decided to be honest. "The wedding is really just a formality. My parents said they'd help out with some of the costs. It's not all on you."

"Really?" Jake's mood lifted. "I knew it—you and your parents are so understanding! Don't worry, we'll figure it out. By the way, did you talk to your parents about setting up a meeting between our families?"

Hearing that, I thought back to his strange behavior earlier. I decided to bring it up again. "About the health screening?"

Silence fell on the other end of the line. After a moment, I heard him ask coldly, "Laura Jefferson, are you doubting me?"

I froze. "No, I didn't mean it like that..."

"If you aren't, then why insist on a screening?" Jake sounded angry. "You're just worried I might be sick or that I'm fooling around, aren't you? I can't believe, after six months together, you'd still think that. I'm really disappointed in you!"

"No, that's not it!" I exclaimed, sitting up in bed. "That's really not what I was thinking!"

I took a deep breath, trying to explain. "I'm not doubting you. I just think it's better for our future. You know, when we get married, we'll probably want kids. If either of us has health issues and we don't know, it's unfair to both of us and to our future children."

The line was quiet for a few seconds. Then Jake's tone softened. "Oh, that's what you meant. But don't worry. No matter what, I'd never leave you. So let's not overthink this, okay?"