When Ella’s boyfriend, Ian, plans a romantic getaway to Santorini, she takes the hint that a proposal is on its way. But when the couple gets to their destination, they are surprised by the arrival of Ian’s best friend, Mark. Will Ella get her dream getaway, or will it end in a disaster?

I’ve never been the girl who had a timeline on her dating life. I’d been with Ian for two years and I knew that we were heading in the marriage direction, but still, time wasn’t an issue for me.

But then, for the past six months, Ian had been dropping hints about an “unforgettable surprise” he had planned for our summer trip to Santorini.

A woman looking at a view | Source: Midjourney

Every time I pressed for details, my boyfriend would just flash a mysterious smile and say, “You’ll see, Ella. Just you wait.”

And Ian wasn’t one to plan surprises properly. He seemed to have let the cat out of the bag easily. There were moments when he would casually browse engagement rings online, leaving the tabs open for me to find.

On one occasion, when we were having a quiet night in, he even asked me what my dream wedding looked like.

A couple sitting together | Source: Midjourney

“I just want to try and picture what you see when you think about it,” he said.

Naturally, excitement got the better of me. Was this really it? Was Ian finally going to propose to me?

The weeks passed and before I knew it, we were packing for our trip.

A suitcase being packed | Source: Midjourney

“I can’t believe that we’re finally doing this!” Ian exclaimed, as he went into his closet and pulled out more clothes to pack.

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

As our plane touched down, I felt a surge of anticipation.

A couple sitting in an airplane | Source: Midjourney

I knew that Ian was planning something and just looking at the sun setting over the Aegean Sea, casting a glow on the whitewashed buildings, this felt like the perfect place.

It would be a perfect proposal.

Little did I know, this trip would turn into a whirlwind of emotions and unexpected revelations about my relationship.

A close-up of a woman | Source: Midjourney

“This place is everything I thought it would be and more,” Ian said, as we strolled hand in hand along the cobbled streets.

And it was. Everything was magical…until the next morning.

A couple holding hands and walking | Source: Midjourney

Ian and I were just getting ready to go down to the hotel’s breakfast when his phone buzzed with a message. I was starving and just wanted to feed myself, but I watched as my boyfriend’s face lit up as he read the message.

“What’s going on?” I asked, picking up my sunscreen to take along with us.

A plate of food | Source: Midjourney

“Guess what!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Mark’s in Santorini too! He had some last-minute changes to his work trip and decided to come here because he knew that we were on vacation! Isn’t this just great?”

“Your best friend wants to crash our vacation?” I asked, genuinely surprised. “That’s great!”

And at first, I thought that it was. When Ian and I first started dating, Mark was the first person that he introduced me to. So, I knew him well. And I knew how close they were, too.

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

“Yeah! Isn’t it awesome that he’ll get to share this place with us? We’ll be able to hang out, too,” he said, already texting Mark back, probably giving him the hotel’s details.

I smiled as I put my shoes on. I was happy that Mark was here. It was easy to get along with him and I knew how much he meant to Ian.

I figured that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have him here. Ian could do all the water activities with him because that was one thing my phobia wouldn’t allow.

A person on a jet ski | Source: Midjourney

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

When Mark arrived at our hotel, we were both thrilled to see him. Ian ordered room service and bottles of champagne to celebrate him.

“We’ll explore the island together,” Ian said.

A tray of food | Source: Midjourney

It was heartwarming to see the two friends reunited, laughing and sharing stories.

Until it wasn’t.

As the hours passed, I began to feel like a third wheel in my relationship. Ian and Mark were wrapped up in their own world, reminiscing about old times and planning new adventures.

Three people laughing together at the beach | Source: Midjourney

I tried to join in, but their inside jokes and shared experiences over the years often left me out of the loop.

“This is exhausting,” I mumbled to myself as I stood on the balcony of our hotel room, hearing Ian and Mark giggle like teenagers.

The next few days were a blur of Ian and Mark’s bromance adventures.

A close-up of two men | Source: Midjourney

“What do you mean it’s become a buddy trip?” my friend, Rae, asked on the phone.

“Ian and Mark have been at it nonstop. It’s all about them. They went scuba diving, explored hidden caves, and went on tours. All without me!”

“What are you doing now?” she asked.

A woman using a phone | Source: Midjourney

“Waiting for a massage,” I replied. “I figured that I may as well entertain myself. This isn’t how I thought my romantic getaway would turn out.”

“Talk to Ian, babe,” Rae said. “Tell him how you feel. He’s probably just overly excited to see Mark, that he has completely lost control of what’s important.”

I nodded to myself.

“Yeah,” I said, agreeing. “I’ll have my massage and calm my nerves and then go find Ian.”

A person getting a massage | Source: Midjourney

But I couldn’t find Ian or Mark anywhere, although, I knew that Ian would show up eventually because we had dinner reservations for just the two of us that evening.

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

I dressed up, hoping for this time alone with my boyfriend. If this trip was supposed to be about us, and us forging a new path forward together, then we needed to spend time alone.

A woman getting dressed | Source: Midjourney

But as we were about to leave, Mark showed up at our door.

“Oh, boy,” I muttered under my breath.

“Hey, guys!” he exclaimed excitedly, pushing his way into our room. “I just heard that there’s an amazing beach party happening tonight. I really want to check it out. You have to come!”

People at a beach party | Source: Midjourney

My boyfriend’s eyes sparkled.

“That sounds awesome! Come on, Ella, let’s go!”

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

“Ian, we have dinner reservations. But maybe you should go if you really want to. It’s fine. I’ll catch up with you later.”

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

But Ian wouldn’t hear of it.

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

“I’ll meet you later,” I said firmly.

As I watched them high-fiving each other and planning their night out, something inside me snapped. This was supposed to be our special trip, a milestone in our relationship.

A woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney

Instead, I felt invisible.

I ordered room service and sat on the large bed.

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

And I could see it. Being married to Ian meant that Mark would be around at every corner. He would be there at our wedding, right next to Ian. He would probably come on the honeymoon.

A woman sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney

And what if we had kids? Would Mark also be in the delivery room?

No. I needed to put a stop to the nonsense.

The next morning, while they were out on another adventure, I approached the hotel manager with a plan. I explained my situation and, with a little persuasion, convinced him to help me with my unconventional revenge.

A smiling hotel manager | Source: Midjourney

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

Later, when Ian and Mark returned to the hotel, they were met by a staff member.

“You’ve been upgraded,” they were told. “We’ve moved your belongings to a different room. Please, follow me.”

I’m sure that they thought that we were moving into a bigger suite, one where the three of us could be together.

A hotel staff member | Source: Midjourney

But, no. That wasn’t what I had planned.

When they entered the room, it was transformed into a honeymoon suite. Rose petals were scattered everywhere, candles flickered, and a bottle of champagne chilled on the table. In the middle of the bed, was the small velvet box I had found in Ian’s suitcase.

“What’s all this?” Mark asked.

A honeymoon suite | Source: Pexels

“You wanted a proposal, Ian? Mark is clearly the most important person to you here. So, you guys can make it official.”

“What?” they said in unison.

“I can’t do this, Ian. It may seem absurd because we’re just on vacation, but this feels like how the rest of our lives are going to be. And I’m not signing up for this. I’ve booked the next flight back.”

A woman at an airport | Source: Unsplash

Ian tried to reason with me, but I knew that it was over. Something in me had snapped and I just didn’t want to do this anymore.

From a proposal to a breakup, Santorini was as unexpected as it came.

As I waited at the airport, I reflected on the trip. It wasn’t the proposal I expected, but it showed me what I truly needed — a partner who put me first.

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one |

My Fiancé Proposed to Me with His Ex’s Engagement Ring

Samantha is on cloud nine, basking in the afterglow of her engagement to Rob. Until she gets a message from Rob’s ex-girlfriend, claiming that Sam’s engagement ring is Emily’s hand-me-down. Samantha is left trying to decide what to do next.

Of course, I couldn’t stop smiling. It seemed that all the stars in my life had finally aligned, and I was getting my happily ever after.

A smiling young woman | Source: Midjourney

But it’s not always that easy, right?

I sat in bed scrolling through my camera gallery. I had just returned from a perfect trip to Santorini where Rob had proposed to me.

It had been magical.

A close-up of a smiling couple | Source: Midjourney

Read the full story here.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.