Claire is happily engaged. One day, she decides to have a friendly dinner with her colleagues. However, during their lobster dinner, Claire realizes there is something fishy about her fiancé, too.

I’ve always believed in signs from the universe, but never in my wildest dreams did I think a lobster dinner would reveal my fiancé’s infidelity.

My fiancé, Mike, and I had this tradition of dining at our local seafood café, well-known for its delicious lobster and even better garlic bread.

So, when the girls at work decided we needed to dine out to get to know each other better, I suggested the café.

I had been working at the accounting firm for a few months, and while there were quite a few of us, I had only really gotten to know two women quite well.

“It’s going to be great, Claire,” one of the women said. “We need a night out, away from the numbers.”

I went home after work, ready to shower and dress up for the occasion. Mike wasn’t there — he rarely stayed over unplanned because of his long hours at work.

On my way, I picked up Sunita, one of my friends from the office, and drove together.

“I think Alice is pregnant,” she said as I parked. “We’ve got to see if she has any drinks tonight.”

I laughed. “$10 says you’re wrong,” I joked with her.

As we sat down, I found myself at a table surrounded by people I interacted with daily despite not knowing much about them.

Excited, I recommended the lobster, boasting about how Mike and I adored it. The waiter took our orders, and everyone settled down to chat.

Conversation turned to family life — everyone wanted to know who was married and single. When it was my turn, I told them all about Mike.

“We actually met on a blind date,” I said, sipping my drink. “My brother was dating Mike’s cousin at the time, and it just seemed like a good idea.”

“How long were you dating before he proposed?” Alice asked. “Show us the ring!”

I showed off my engagement ring, telling the group it was a family heirloom from Mike’s grandmother.

“Hey!” Nancy said. Nancy worked in a shared office with Sunita and was always bringing snacks to work, so I barely knew her.

“You’ve got to be joking! My sister has that exact ring! Her boyfriend proposed last month and also said it was a family heirloom. Imagine, all these grandmothers just passing their rings down the family,” Nancy chuckled.

A shiver ran up my spine. It could only be a coincidence. Even if it was an heirloom, who was to say it wasn’t the only one of its kind?

“Nancy, can you show me a picture?” I asked curiously.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled for a moment.

“Here,” she said, handing me her phone.

There it was, a ring identical to my own.

“Scroll left,” Nancy said. “There are more photos of the proposal there.”

I scrolled, and just like that, my world stopped spinning.

The photo showed Mike on one knee — proposing to Nancy’s sister.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? Are you okay, Claire?” Alice asked.

“Michael Harrison is your sister’s fiancé?” I asked Nancy.

“Yes! He’s a great guy,” she said, beaming. “Do you know him?”

“Yeah, we’ve met,” I said weakly.

The shock was too much. I excused myself, rushing to the restroom to catch my breath, my mind racing with betrayal and disbelief.

I tried to recall any slip-ups from Mike, but nothing came to mind. We had been together for years. Sure, we had seen less of each other recently, but I had chalked that up to work.

I returned to the table, and shortly after, our plates of delicious lobster arrived.

I texted Mike, telling him where I was and that he should join us for dinner.

As we dined, I revealed the truth to the ladies — telling them I had only found out about Mike’s double life from the photo. They looked at me with sympathetic eyes, and Alice suggested a round of shots when I mentioned I had texted Mike.

Nancy phoned her sister, Loren, telling her everything, and invited her to join us.

When Mike arrived, he squeezed my shoulder and sat beside me, completely oblivious to what was to come.

A few minutes later, Loren walked in while Mike was digging into my dinner. The moment Mike saw her, his smile faltered, the color draining from his face as he realized the trap he had walked into.

“Surprise!” I exclaimed. “Both your fiancées in one room!”

Mike stumbled over his words, trying to explain to the table. I cut him off.

“Save it,” I said. “You can cover the bill. Here’s your nan’s ring back.”

I slid the ring off my finger, leaving it in the middle of Mike’s plate.

“We deserve so much better than you,” I said.

With that, I walked out, leaving Mike behind to fumble for explanations no one wanted to hear. I couldn’t imagine how Loren was going to deal with him. I walked around the block, taking in the fresh air before heading back to get my car.

As I stepped into my apartment, I felt a sense of anguish that I didn’t know existed. I had loved Mike with everything I had, but I couldn’t believe that in the years we were together, he had met someone else and even proposed to her.

With an identical ring, at that!

This was my sign. I was grateful that Mike hadn’t moved in with me because, at least, my space was still my own.

I’m sitting in the dark, looking at the phone pinging with messages from our new group chat — all messages of encouragement for Loren and me.

What would you do in my shoes?

Here’s another story for you | A regular trip to a fast-food restaurant exposed my cheating fiancé. It was crowded, so my friend and I sat beside some young women and ordered burgers. Suddenly, one of the women’s faces turned pale when she saw my engagement ring.