A free vacation with a stranger sounded too good to be true—but the email didn’t ask for credit card details, or even personal information: just a ticket, a hotel, and a mysterious companion. Intrigued, I boarded the plane only to discover my “stranger” was someone I never wanted to see again.
It was an ordinary Friday night, but my body felt like it had endured a full week of exhaustion.
As soon as I took off my shoes, I collapsed on my sister Deborah’s couch, one arm covering my face, the other lazily scrolling through my inbox on my laptop.
Across the room, Deborah was in her own world. She paraded in front of the mirror, putting on outfit after outfit, twirling, striking poses as if she were on a catwalk.
The rustling of shopping bags and the rustling of fabrics filled the air as she excitedly moved from one item of clothing to the next.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
She did a quick pirouette and then looked at me questioningly. “What do you think?”
I barely lifted my head, glancing lazily at her dress before smiling. “Nice, Deb. But I don’t understand why you need so many clothes.”
Hands on her hips, Deborah said mockingly, “Of course you don’t understand. You weren’t the one who had to wear secondhand clothes your entire childhood.”
She flipped her hair theatrically. “Consider it my therapy. I’m healing, Charlie.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I shook my head. “As you wish…” My attention returned to my laptop, aimlessly clicking through emails.
Mostly spam. Bills. Newsletters I forgot to unsubscribe from.
Then something made me pause.
I sat up, my eyes narrowing at the subject line of an email I didn’t remember signing up for.
“Congratulations! You’ve won a free two-day vacation with a mystery travel companion!”
Before I could comprehend, Deborah’s voice interrupted me.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“What do you think of this one?” she asked, putting on another dress.
I didn’t answer.
There was silence for a while.
“Charlie?” she turned around, raising an eyebrow. “Are you even listening to me?”
I suddenly pulled myself together. “Huh? Sorry, I just received a weird email…” I frowned as I reread it.
“He says I won a free two-day vacation with a stranger. This is definitely a scam.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Deborah’s jaw dropped. “What!? A free trip? Let me guess—they need your credit card information or Social Security number?”
“That’s the thing… they don’t need it.” I scrolled through the email again, expecting a scammer red flag.
“No bank details, no suspicious connections. Just a confirmation with my name, flight itinerary, and a hotel reservation.”
Deborah practically threw herself onto the couch, leaning over my shoulder. “Let me see.”
I tilted my screen towards her. She scanned the email, her expression changing from skepticism to shock.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“It’s not possible… Charlie, it looks real! There’s a real booking—the flights, the hotel, even the travel insurance. It’s all there.”
I shook my head. “No, there must be a catch. Nobody gives away free vacations.”
Deborah’s eyes scanned the screen, clicking on links, checking details. Finally, she leaned back, arms crossed.
“I don’t find anything suspicious.” She turned to me with a big smile. “Charlie, you won this trip. Congratulations, sis!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I bit my lip, unsure whether to feel excited or terrified.
“I can’t go on a trip with just anyone.”
Deborah waved her hand dismissively. “Why not? It’s free. And maybe, just maybe, this ‘stranger’ is a hot guy who will finally end your dry spell.”
I glared at her. “Deborah! I like being single, okay? It’s my choice.”
She smiled. “Of course… I’ve heard that after every ‘seasonal fling’ since your divorce.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head.
She dodged it with a laugh. “Hey! Just saying. Maybe it’s fate.”
Fate or not, something about all this seemed fishy to me.
And yet, a small part of me wondered…
What if?
The next day, I stood in the airport terminal, clutching my suitcase so tightly my knuckles turned white. The ticket in my hand felt heavier than it should.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I still couldn’t believe Deborah had convinced me to go.
It was completely crazy.
Strangers sent me free tickets to a contest I didn’t even remember. And somehow, I agreed to spend two days of vacation with a mysterious person.
The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.
I exhaled sharply and turned toward the exit.
What am I doing?
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Every logical part of my brain was screaming at me to leave before it was too late.
I swallowed, staring at the automatic doors. I’ve always been cautious. I’ve always taken the safest route.
I can’t keep running away from new experiences.
I let out a slow sigh, forcing myself to turn around.
Business class was surreal. The soft leather seats, the generous legroom, the complimentary drinks—it was a world I’d never entered before.
But none of that mattered.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I focused on the people boarding, scanning their faces, wondering who my seatmate would be.
Would he be talkative? Annoying? Would we have something in common?
Then I reached my seat.
A man was already there, leaning forward, scrolling through his phone.
I stepped forward hesitantly.
He turned slightly.
My stomach collapsed.
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“…Luther?” My voice barely escaped my lips.
He lifted his head, his eyes widening. The same piercing gaze I’d once loved. The same face I’d tried to forget.
“Charlotte?” He blinked. “What are you doing here?”
I exhaled sharply, my heart slamming against my ribs. “Please don’t tell me you got those tickets too.”
Luther ran a hand through his hair, still looking as confused as I did.
“…Through a contest email? Yeah. You too?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I groaned, every fiber of my being screaming at me to leave.
“Oh no. No, no, no. This is too much. I’m leaving.” I turned around, ready to walk straight out of the plane.
But before I could take a step, a gentle but firm hand placed itself on my shoulder.
I turned around to find a flight attendant offering me a polite but unwavering smile.
“The plane is preparing for takeoff, madam. Please remain seated.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, Luther spoke first.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
He turned to the hostess with that same damn charming smile I’d seen a million times before.
“It’s okay, everything’s fine.” Then he grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly—the way he did when he wanted me to calm down.
My body remembered before my head.
For a second, just one second, I was breathless.
Then I took my hand away.
No not yet.
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“Charlotte, our marriage ended years ago,” Luther said, his voice softer now. “Please don’t ruin your free trip just because of me. I promise I won’t bother you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that from you…”
“Then you’d be rich. But seriously, let’s coexist for two days,” he said, smiling.
I hesitated, my whole body itching to refuse.
But what was I supposed to do?
The plane was taking off, and I wasn’t going to miss my first ever business class flight just because of Luther.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
With a long sigh of frustration, I sat back in my seat.
“All right. Don’t ruin this trip for me.”
Luther leaned back, smiling. “Only your best youthful years.”
I turned to the window, ignoring him.
I didn’t expect to see Luther again. And honestly? I hoped I never would.
As soon as we entered the oceanfront hotel, I felt my breath catch.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
The grand entrance, the huge bay windows reflecting the sea, the marble floors that seemed to stretch into infinity—everything about this place screamed luxury.
For the first time since this ridiculous trip began, I was almost glad I came.
And then Luther came up to me.
“Nice place, huh?” he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.
I forced a tight smile. “Yeah, that’s true. Not bad.”
“It reminds me of the room where we celebrated our wedding. Same decor.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
My stomach twisted. My jaw clenched.
“Oh, so now you remember our wedding?” I snapped. My voice came out sharper than I’d intended, but I didn’t care.
Luther’s casual expression weakened. “Charlotte, let’s not…
“No, let’s go.” I crossed my arms, my heart pounding with anger. “Do you suddenly want to relive the past? Let’s talk about how you destroyed everything.”
A muscle in his jaw tightened. He sighed, shook his head before grabbing our bags and heading for the elevator.
“Can we not do this in the entrance hall?” he muttered.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I should have let it go. I should have kept quiet.
But years of hurt, betrayal, and anger had remained buried inside me for far too long.
And now ?
I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
The moment we entered the hotel room, the door had barely closed before the words exploded.
“Are you afraid someone will hear about what you did?”
Luther stiffened. He turned around, facing me, his eyes shadowed by something I didn’t recognize.
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“Charlotte, please…
“Don’t call me that!” My voice cracked. “You deceived me, Luther!”
A heavy silence fell between us.
Luther ran a hand through his hair, exhaling as if preparing himself for something painful.
For the first time since I saw him again, he looked ashamed.
“I know.” His voice was calm. “And I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
A bitter laugh escaped me.
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“Well, congratulations. You did it. And I don’t care about your excuses, or your pretenses.” I took a step back, my voice going cold. “You don’t have the right to ruin my life anymore. Do you hear me?”
I dashed across the room, grabbing one of the beds and dragging it to the opposite side.
“For the next two days, don’t talk to me. Don’t even look at me.”
Then I slammed the bathroom door behind me.
The first day went by very quickly. I spent it by the pool, avoiding Luther at all costs.
But something was bothering me.
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He didn’t leave the room.
That evening, when I came home, I heard a cough coming from the bathroom. A deep, dry, painful cough.
A tissue was lying on the floor. It was stained with blood.
I froze.
Then the bathroom door opened and Luther stepped out.
I stared at him. “What stadium?”
His eyes softened. “Stage four.”
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I swallowed hard. “When did you find out?”
“Six months ago,” he blurted. “It’s strange to live when you know you’re going to die.”
I bit my lip. “I’m sorry.”
“This trip… it wasn’t a competition. I organized everything,” he admitted.
My heart stopped.
“For what ?”
“Because I needed to see you one last time,” he said. “To tell you I’m sorry. And to tell you… that I never stopped loving you.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Tears blurred my vision.
“Is it too late?” I whispered.
Luther smiled sadly. “For me, yes. But for you? You have your whole life ahead of you, Charlotte. And I hope it’s beautiful.”
I shook his hand.
“Thank you, Luther.”
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If you enjoyed this story, read this one: Margaret’s world was slipping away, memories fading like ink on old paper. But one thing remained clear: a name written in a shaky hand: “Find Bonny.” She didn’t know who Bonny was, but she knew she had to find her. As her daughter watched, Margaret clung to the only truth she had left. Read the full story here .
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