Chapter 2
There were 378 screenshots. I spent the whole day scrolling through them.
Some screenshots, one look was enough. Others made me sick to my stomach.
On June 7, 2023, Richard texted Lucy: [I'm taking you to that restaurant you wanted to try last time.]
Lucy replied: [Sounds good, hubby.]
She called him hubby.
June 7, 2023. What day was that? I looked through my own post.
On June 7, 2023, I posted [Worked overtime until midnight. Came home to Richard making me soup. He was worth it.]
That day, I worked late. Richard made me soup. Then he left to take Lucy out for dinner.
I kept scrolling.
On August 12, 2023, Richard texted Lucy: [Happy birthday, babe.] He sent her a picture of a Cartier necklace.
I recognized that necklace because I'd seen it around Lucy's neck before.
Last year, on Lucy's birthday, I asked her where she got it.
Lucy grinned. "I paid for it myself. A little reward."
I said, "It's gorgeous. I kind of want one, too."
Lucy chuckled. "Ask Richard to buy you one."
So I actually asked Richard to buy me one.
But Richard said, "Cartier? That's way too pricey. I'll get you a Swarovski instead."
Swarovski. That was what I ended up with. Lucy? She got a Cartier.
I kept scrolling.
Richard's lines when he was trying to win Lucy over were: [You're the most special girl I've ever met. The first time I saw you, I knew you were the one I'd been looking for. I'll provide for you. I'll take care of everything.]
He'd said every single one to me. Word for word. Like he'd copied and pasted them. Even the order was the same.
I put my phone down and went to the bathroom. I threw up.
Not because I was mad, but because it made me sick to my stomach.
After I was done puking, I washed my face and went back to keep scrolling.
In March 2024, Lucy texted Richard: [Is the house deal done?]
Richard replied: [Yeah, the down payment's already been paid.]
[How much was it?]
[70 thousand. Don't worry. She doesn't know.]
That "she" was me.
I paid 70 thousand for our home. Then Richard turned around and used 70 thousand to buy Lucy another place. Was it the same money?
I went through the bank records again.
On February 28, 2024, I transferred 70 thousand to Richard's account. The note said: [Down payment for our wedding home.]
On March 2, 2024, Richard transferred 70 thousand to Lucy's account. The note said: [Down payment.]
Two days was all it took. My money barely touched his account before it landed in Lucy's hands.
But that wasn't the most outrageous part.
I opened Lucy's Instagram. She'd made her posts visible only to certain people.
When I checked her Instagram on Richard's phone, what I saw was totally different from what I could see on my own.
In the posts I couldn't see, there were cozy photos of Lucy and Richard together, plus pictures of the house after they'd fixed it up.
Lucy even posted a selfie from inside that house, captioned: [Finally feels like home.]
It was posted in June 2024.
Meanwhile, I was working overtime. Saving up. Preparing for what I thought was "our wedding."
I didn't cry.
I still had that group chat with Lucy on my phone. Just the three of us: me, Lucy, and Lily White.
I'd left the group ages ago, since we usually chatted one-on-one anyway.
But suddenly, I wanted to take a look.
I used a throwaway account to hit up Lily, dropped a few hints, and asked her some questions without being too obvious.
Lily stayed silent for a long time. Then she sent me a bunch of screenshots.
They were messages Lucy had sent in another group chat, a group I wasn't in.
She had texted: [She's so gullible. She still hasn't figured it out. I'm going to be her bridesmaid at her wedding. Just imagining it cracks me up.
[She's in for a real show that day. She thinks Richard loves her, but honestly, she's just his walking wallet.]
Lily texted: [I'm sorry. I never knew if I should tell you.]
I didn't reply.
I saved the screenshots, shut off my phone, and sat alone in the dark.
Twelve years of friendship. Undone by a single credit report.