A Proposal Trip Gone Wrong: How I Got Back at My Boyfriend for Ditching Me

My Boyfriend Invited Me on a ‘Proposal’ Trip and Spent It With His Best Friend Instead — My Revenge Was Priceless

Ella gets a sense that a proposal is imminent when her boyfriend Ian arranges a romantic vacation to Santorini. However, the pair is taken aback upon arriving at their destination to see Mark, Ian’s closest friend, arrive. Will Ella have her ideal vacation, or will everything go horribly wrong?

I’ve never been the type of girl who planned out her dating career in advance. Even though I’d known Ian and I were getting married after two years together, I didn’t feel pressed for time.

Then again, Ian had been hinting over the previous six months about a “unforgettable surprise” he had arranged for our summer vacation to Santorini.

“You’ll see, Ella,” my boyfriend would merely remark with a cryptic smile if I pressed for more information. You just need to wait.

Ian was also not good at organizing surprises. It appeared as though he had revealed the secret with ease. Sometimes he would just flip through engagement rings on the internet, leaving the tabs open so I could locate them.

He even asked me once what my ideal wedding would look like when we were spending a nice evening together.

“I just want to try and picture what you see when you think about it,” stated the man.

Excitation, of course, overcame me. Was this all there was to it? Was Ian going to ask me to marry him after all?

We were packed for our trip before I really realized how quickly the weeks had gone.

“I can’t believe that we’re finally doing this!” Ian exclaimed, taking out additional clothing to pack from his wardrobe.

“I just can’t wait for the beach and the cocktails,” I responded.

I was filled with excitement when our jet touched down.

Observing the sun set over the Aegean Sea and its reflection on the whitewashed houses gave me the impression that Ian was up to something special.

It would be the ideal suggestion.

I had no idea that this trip would become an emotional roller coaster filled with shocking insights about my relationship.

Ian remarked, “This place is everything I thought it would be and more,” as the two of us walked down the cobblestone streets holding hands.

Indeed, it was. All was enchanted…until the following morning.

Ian’s phone chimed with a message as we were about to head down to the hotel’s breakfast. Even though I was starving and only wanted to feed myself, I couldn’t help but notice how happy my boyfriend looked as he read the message.

“What’s going on?” As I picked up my sunscreen to bring with us, I inquired.

He joyfully yelled, “Guess what!” “Mark is also in Santorini! He heard we were on vacation, so he chose to come here after making some last-minute alterations to his work trip! Isn’t that fantastic?

“Your best friend wants to crash our vacation?” Sincerely shocked, I inquired. “That’s great!”

And initially, I believed it to be. Mark was the first guy Ian introduced me to when we initially started dating. I knew him well, then. And I was also aware of their proximity.

“Yes! How wonderful that he will be able to share this space with us? We’ll be able to hang out as well,” he said, texting Mark back and presumably providing him with the hotel’s information.

As I put on my shoes, I grinned. Mark’s presence made me pleased. I realized how much he meant to Ian, and it was easy to get along with him.

I reasoned that having him here would not be such a horrible thing. One thing my phobia did not allow was doing any of the water activities with him, so Ian could do them all with him.

Ian assured them, “We’ll still get to have our alone time.” “Don’t you worry about that, Ella.”

We were both really happy to see Mark when he got to our hotel. To celebrate his birthday, Ian got bottles of champagne and room service.

Ian said, “Let’s explore the island together.”

Seeing the two buddies together again, laughing and telling stories, brought me great joy.

Up until it wasn’t.

I started to feel like a third wheel in our relationship as the hours went by. Ian and Mark were lost in their own thoughts, making plans for future travels and reminiscing about the past.

I made an effort to participate, but their inside jokes and experiences throughout the years frequently kept me in the dark.

I said to myself, “This is getting old,” as I stood on our hotel room’s balcony and heard Ian and Mark laugh like teenagers.

The exploits of Ian and Mark’s bromance unfolded in a haze over the next few days.

My pal Rae said over the phone, “What do you mean it’s become a buddy trip?”

Ian and Mark have not stopped interacting. It’s all focused on them. They took tours, investigated secret caverns, and went scuba diving. Everything without my presence!”

She questioned, “What are you doing now?”

I said, “Waiting on a massage.” “I reasoned that I might as well amuse myself. I had other expectations for my romantic holiday than this.”

Rae said, “Talk to Ian, babe.” Tell him your thoughts. He’s probably just lost all sense of priorities since he’s so anxious to see Mark.”

I gave myself a self-nod.

Yes, I replied, nodding. “I’ll have my massage and calm my nerves and then go find Ian.”

We had dinner arrangements for the two of us that evening, so I knew Ian would show up eventually, even though I couldn’t find Mark or Ian anywhere.

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

I got ready in the hopes of spending some quality time with my lover. We needed to spend time together alone if the purpose of this vacation was for the two of us to create a new direction.

However, Mark appeared at our door just as we were ready to go.

“Oh, boy,” I said to myself.

With excitement, he pushed his way into our room and said, “Hey, guys!” “I recently learned that there will be a fantastic beach party this evening. I’m eager to investigate it. You must attend!”

My partner’s eyes gleamed.

“Wow, it sounds fantastic! Ella, hurry up and let’s go!”

Breathing deeply, I tried not to panic.

“Ian, we’re scheduled for supper. But if you truly want to, perhaps you should go. It’s alright. I’ll talk to you again later.”

Ian, though, was not having it.

“Come on, Ella, it will be fun, babe!”

“I’ll see you later,” I firmly stated.

Something broke inside of me as I saw them arranging their night out and giving each other high fives. This was meant to be our special journey together, a turning point in our partnership.

I felt invisible instead.

I sat on the big bed and placed an order for room service.

“This is going to be my life, isn’t it?” To the empty room, I said.

And it was visible to me. Ian’s marriage to Mark ensured that he would always be present. He would be standing next to Ian during our wedding. Most likely, he would visit during the honeymoon.

And should we become parents? Is Mark going to be in the delivery room too?

No. I have to end this nonsense.

I went to the hotel management with a plan the following morning while they were off on yet another trip. I gave him my explanation and, using a little bit of charm, managed to get him to assist me in taking my unorthodox retaliation.

“I can’t say that I’ve ever been a part of something like this before, ma’am,” he replied.

Ian and Mark were greeted by a staff member upon their return to the hotel later on.

It said, “You’ve been upgraded.” to them. “Your possessions have been relocated to a new room. Please come with me.

They probably assumed we were moving into a larger suite, big enough for all three of us to share.

However, no. That was not my intention.

The room had been converted into a honeymoon suite when they walked in. A bottle of champagne sat chilled on the table, candles glowed, and rose petals covered the entire space. The little velvet box I had discovered in Ian’s bag was positioned in the center of the bed.

“What’s all this?” Mark enquired.

“Ian, you wanted a proposal? Here, it’s obvious that Mark is the most significant person to you. You guys can now officially announce it.”

Together, they exclaimed, “What?”

“Ian, I can’t do this. We’re only on vacation, so it might seem ridiculous, but this feels like this is how the rest of our lives will be. I’m not registering for this, either. I’ve reserved the next return flight.”

Ian made an effort to talk sense into my head, but I knew it was done. I simply didn’t want to continue doing this because something inside of me had broken.

As unexpected as it came, Santorini brought both a proposal and a split.

I thought back on the vacation while I waited at the airport. Although it wasn’t the proposal I had anticipated, it made clear to me what I really needed: a partner who prioritized me.

How would you have responded in that situation?