The Tenth Loan Killed Our Wedding

The day before our wedding, I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when I hit a post that stopped my heart.

It was Toby, my fiancée’s "childhood best friend." He was leaning against a brand-new, charcoal-gray SUV, grinning like he’d won the lottery. The caption read: “Mentioned I needed a new ride, and my girl came through! So lucky to have her in my corner for life. #DayOne #Blessed”

A cold shiver raced from my heels to the back of my neck. My fingers shook as I opened my banking app, navigating to the joint high-yield savings account we’d set up for our house down payment.