When the plane hit severe turbulence, I was on board with my husband, Matt. In the tense, rattling cabin, everyone was frantically writing their last words. I gripped Matt’s hand tightly, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw him send his final message not to me, but to my best friend, Maya. Matt’s lips were a thin, tight line. After a moment, he finally explained, “Don’t misunderstand. She’s the person we both trust the most, isn’t she?” Thankfully, it was a false alarm. As I stumbled off the plane on shaky legs, the first thing I did was call Maya. “Let’s get it notarized,” I said, my voice dead calm. “I’ll be your witness.” 1 “Chloe, what are you talking about?” Maya’s voice was a frantic squawk on the other end. “I just saw the news about the plane! Are you okay?” “I’m on my way to the airport right now, wait for me!” She hung up abruptly. Matt walked beside me, a look of weary frustration on his face. “Your parents and mine are getting older. I didn’t want to scare them. That’s why I sent it to Maya.” “Come on, you… okay, okay, I was wrong. Can you forgive me?” Matt pulled me close, kissing my cheek. “Don’t be mad. When Maya gets here, she’s going to chew me out. You don’t want to see your darling husband get yelled at, do you?” A knot of ice was forming in my stomach. I pulled away and walked ahead. Matt chased after me, murmuring apologies. When we reached the arrivals hall, I saw Maya jump out of her car. The panic in her eyes looked genuine. But I saw it clearly. The first person she looked for was Matt. Only then did she rush over to me, pulling me into a fierce hug before turning to punch Matt playfully on the shoulder. “You idiot! What was that last will and testament crap? You scared me to death!” Matt just smiled. “Hey, we’re fine. Besides, if something did happen, I knew we could count on you to handle everything for us.” “And for that,” he added with a teasing glance at me, “Chloe is giving me the silent treatment.” He said it like a joke. Maya rolled her eyes at him and pulled me toward her car. I watched them, how they bantered, how they moved around each other with an effortless familiarity that screamed of something more. There was no boundary, no sense of propriety. Back at our apartment, I told them I was exhausted and went straight to the bedroom. Lying in bed, sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. I’d known Matt for eight years. We were returning from our honeymoon. I thought I knew him inside and out. But on that plane, staring death in the face, my only thought was of being with him forever. Matt, meanwhile, was tapping out a message to Maya with trembling hands. He called it a will. But in that moment of pure terror, my senses had been dialed to eleven. I had seen the words he sent to her. Everything I have goes to you. And one last line: The vows we made remain, but the letter can never be sent. My nails dug into my palms. Just then, I heard his voice from the living room. “Chloe, I’m walking Maya downstairs. I’ll be right back.” I got up silently and went to the living room. His phone was on the coffee table. In a flash of pure impulse, I picked it up, my fingers flying as I entered his passcode. I checked all the usual apps, but found nothing. Was I just being paranoid? Then, my hands shaking, I went into his settings and tapped ‘Switch Account.’ And there it was. A second profile, one he used so often it didn’t even require a password. In that account, I found their chats. They went back eight years. To when Matt and I had just met. It turned out Maya had known him even before I did. “You’re a lucky guy, getting to know the ice queen of our department. Chloe doesn’t let just anyone in.” “Ask Chloe to the badminton court today. She loves playing. Don’t say I never help you. Make sure you play well!” “So, how’d it go? I’m a good wing-woman, right? Chloe’s my best friend. If you ever dare betray her, I’ll be the first one to come after you.” And then, the conversation shifted. From helping him woo me, to their shared interests, to their dates, and then… to sex. It started with hesitation, then guilt, and then blossomed into a thrilling, passionate affair. In twenty minutes, I scrolled through eight years of deceit. I took pictures of everything I needed, logged out, and locked the phone. Then I walked to the window. Down below, in the parking lot, I saw them. They were wrapped in an embrace, their hands lingering, stroking, like two lovers unable to say goodbye. I took a deep breath. A part of me, a core belief in my life, had just crumbled into dust. 2 I didn’t sleep a wink. When Matt came back to bed, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. The feel of his breath on my neck sent a wave of nausea through me. I pushed him away and went to the guest room. The next morning, I left before he was awake. I couldn’t stand being under the same roof with him. I was afraid I would be physically sick. When Matt called, I was at my lawyer’s office, staring at a draft of our divorce papers. I answered. “Where did you go so early?” “My vacation leave is over. I came to the office to catch up on work.” I was impressed with myself. How could I lie so calmly at a time like this? Matt seemed to buy it. “Okay. I’ve got a busy day too, so I won’t be home for lunch. I sent you a gift, make sure you sign for it.” After hanging up, the lawyer across from me pushed a glass of hot water in my direction. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice gentle. My face must have been a mess. I gave him a weak smile and thanked him. Then I pointed to a clause in the agreement. “Change this. I get ninety percent of everything. He’s the one at fault.” “He’s had a long-term affair. He won’t fight you on material assets. Just do as I say.” Matt, I would make him pay for this. For the rest of his life. The gift he sent was a two-thousand-dollar handbag. Almost immediately, Maya called. “Someone’s lucky,” she chirped, her voice dripping with fake envy. “Sends me a dramatic last will yesterday, and today he’s already dropping two grand on a bag for you. I’m telling you, you’re being too hard on him. Just forgive him already!” Listening to her defend him, even hinting that I was being petty, was so absurd I almost laughed. As if I were the one in the wrong. My silence on the other end must have tipped her off. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?” “I don’t feel like talking. Probably just jet lag. I’m tired.” “Okay, well, get some rest. We’ll catch up later!” After hanging up, I went on the offensive. I scoured all of Maya’s social media accounts. We’d been friends for years, but our “best friend” status had only solidified in the last five—thanks to Matt, who brought us closer. I found nothing suspicious on her main pages. Then I started looking through her ‘following’ lists. One profile stood out—a cartoon avatar of a chubby girl in traditional dress, just her type. I clicked on it. It was her secret account. A digital shrine to her and Matt. Though the man in the photos and videos never showed his full face, I’d known Matt for eight years. I recognized the back of his head, the curve of his jaw in a fleeting side profile. It was him. They had a secret life, a secret home, all behind my back. I watched every single video. The account’s bio read: The Fox and the Rabbit: Eight years and three months of love. July 13, 2017: Saw the Rabbit for the first time. Love at first sight! Got his number. Found out we go to the same university and shamelessly joined the same club as him. October 1, 2017: My roommate has become friends with my crush. She’s so fake, always using that baby voice around him. Do all men fall for that crap? She got to him first. It hurts so much. December 25, 2017: There’s hope! He told me he’s conflicted. He said he feels like he has more in common with me! … 3 Thousands of posts over eight years. I read every single one, my heart shredding with each word. Three months after Matt and I made our relationship official, he started his affair with her. For a long moment, I was numb. Then, a volcanic rage erupted inside me. Matt, how could you do this to our eight years? In that instant, I wanted to burn his world to the ground. As it happened, my mother-in-law’s birthday was in two days. In all the years I’d known Matt, she had been genuinely kind to me. It pained me to have to disappoint her, but this had to be done. I took the jade bracelet she had given me as a wedding gift and placed it in a box. Then I went out and bought a two-thousand-dollar wallet, put it in the same gift bag, and had it beautifully wrapped. On the morning of her birthday, I reminded Matt, “It’s your mom’s birthday today. Be home early.” He promised he would, then left for work. I took the day off. I packed my suitcases. Then I picked up the sledgehammer I’d bought and started swinging. Three hours later, our beautiful home was a wasteland of shattered plaster and broken furniture. I dragged my suitcases out, took the gift, and drove straight to my in-laws’ house. When I arrived, Maya was already there. She saw me and wrapped her arm around mine as if nothing was wrong. “Chloe! You’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you.” She led me to a seat and brought me a glass of water, acting for all the world like she was the lady of the house. My mother-in-law sat there, beaming at her, seeing nothing amiss. My heart sank even further. They all knew. I was the only one who didn’t. “Where’s Matt?” I asked. It was already six. He should have been here. I was about to text him when Maya spoke up. “Matt said he has a last-minute meeting. He’ll be about half an hour late.” A humorless smile touched my lips. “He’s certainly honest with you. He never mentioned it to me.” Maya blinked, then forced a laugh. “Oh, I didn’t know! I just overheard his mom on the phone with him.” “I just got here myself,” she added quickly. “Matt said the more, the merrier!” My mother-in-law jumped in. “Yes, Matt’s just so busy. He took a whole month off for the honeymoon, so he has a lot of catching up to do. You have to be understanding, Chloe.” Before I could reply, Maya squeezed my shoulder, smiling sweetly at my mother-in-law. “Our Chloe is the most understanding person I know. Of course she gets it, right?” I said nothing. Half an hour later, just as predicted, Matt arrived. He came straight to my side and started peeling an orange for me. We all sat down for dinner. The maid brought out the dishes. I presented my gift. “Happy birthday, Mom. This is for you.” My mother-in-law took the box and opened it. Inside was the wallet. Maya gasped beside me. “Ooh, the monogram print! Chloe, you have great taste! That must have cost a fortune.” “Two thousand dollars,” I said flatly. My mother-in-law immediately pushed the box aside. “It’s too much! No, no, Chloe. You and Matt work hard for your money. Don’t be so extravagant.” “It’s fine, Mom,” I replied, my voice light. “If I don’t spend his money, he’ll just spend it on another woman. I’d rather you have it.” She froze. “Don’t say such silly things, dear.” I just smiled. “There’s more underneath.” When my mother-in-law found the smaller box at the bottom and opened it, her face turned pale. “Chloe, what is the meaning of this?” Matt snatched my wrist. “Chloe, what are you doing? You don’t take back a gift you’ve given!” Maya patted my arm. “Chloe, don’t be foolish. This is a very bad omen.” I looked at their faces—the shock, the fear, the panic. Matt took the bracelet and tried to force it back onto my wrist. I pulled my hand away and stood up. “You’re right. I am returning it. And I want a divorce.”
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