At 35, I had finally saved enough money for a house, and when my sister Monica announced she was engaged, I didn’t hesitate to lend her my entire house fund to help with the wedding. Monica had always been the dreamer, and this time, she said she’d met the one—David, a successful man from New York. We all got swept up in the excitement, helping with preparations and looking forward to the big day. But I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was off when the groom never showed up.

On the day of the wedding, Monica’s nervousness grew as guests arrived and David was nowhere to be found. We soon discovered she hadn’t even called him all day. A shocking phone call to David revealed he had no idea about any wedding and hadn’t spoken to Monica in months. Monica vanished, taking all the gifts with her. It was a cruel deception that left our family stunned and heartbroken.

Weeks later, Monica reached out—not to apologize, but to explain she had been involved with another man named Jake who convinced her to scam our family for money. She fabricated the entire wedding and engagement story to get funds and gifts, exploiting our love and trust. The betrayal cu