Chapter 1

I was whining to my bestie about how broke I was, telling her my husband only left me 333 dollars for living expenses while he was on a business trip.

Her eyes instantly welled up. "That's just not right. Come on, I'm treating you to dinner."

During dinner, she kept trash-talking my husband, calling him a good-for-nothing, and even pressed 666 dollars into my hand.

Still feeling grateful, I came back from the bathroom and caught a glimpse of her phone screen.

Turned out, she was chatting with my husband.

The latest message popped up: "She told me you only gave her 333 dollars. How much did you actually give her?"

My husband, Ryan Cole, was on a business trip for two weeks.

Before he left, he transferred 6,666 dollars to my account.

As the bank alert chimed on my phone, he was bending down to put on his shoes. He turned around and smiled softly at me.

"Honey, make sure you eat well while I'm gone. If you want something, just buy it. Don't be stingy with yourself," he said.

I nodded, my heart melting at his words.

Ryan and I had been married for three years. He'd always been good to me, incredibly attentive, and gave me all his earnings.

Everyone envied me for marrying such a wonderful husband.

After seeing Ryan off, I stared at the 6,666 dollars transfer notification on my phone. After thinking for a bit, I sent a message to my bestie, Jessica.

"Jessica, you there?" I typed.

Jessica replied in a flash. "What's up, babe?"

I took a moment to put on my best pout before typing out my message.

"Ryan's off on a business trip for two weeks, and he only left me 333 dollars for living expenses. How am I supposed to survive like this?" I whined.

After sending it, I locked my phone, feeling a little smug about my prank.

Jessica and I had been besties for ten years. She was my ride-or-die, and we shared everything.

I just wanted to tease her a bit and see if she'd stand up for me by roasting Ryan on my behalf.

Jessica called me right away, her voice practically shaking with shock and outrage.

"What? 333 dollars? Seriously? Your mortgage, car loan, and utilities alone are almost 3,333 dollars a month, and he only gives you 333 dollars? Is he trying to starve you or what?" she snapped.

Listening to her rant on the phone, I nearly burst out laughing.

"Don't be mad. Maybe he's just a bit tight on cash lately," I said, pretending to defend Ryan.

"Bullshit!" Jessica cursed. "He's a project manager who pulls in hundreds of thousands a year. How could he possibly be broke? No way, I'm not letting this slide. Where are you? Come out, I'm treating you to a feast. Don't shortchange yourself because of him."

My heart felt all warm and fuzzy.

That's what best friends are for, always on your side, no questions asked.

We met up at a fancy restaurant downtown.

The moment Jessica saw me, her eyes instantly filled with tears.

She grabbed my hand and ooked me up and down, her face full of concern.

"Sophie, look at you. You've gotten so skinny. Has Ryan been neglecting you?" she asked, worry written all over her face.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, it's only been half a day. How could I possibly have lost weight already?"

"No way, we need to spoil you today," she insisted.

She took charge, ordering the priciest steak and lobster on the menu, and even got us a bottle of red wine.

As we ate, she went on and on about how Ryan was such a jerk, claiming men always turn rotten when they get money, and kept reminding me to stay in control of the household finances.

I just nodded along, enjoying the feeling of having someone fiercely on my side.

We spent nearly three hours at dinner, and Jessica's phone rangseveral times, but she just declined every call, saying they were nothing but annoying work calls.

"No matter what happens today, nothing is more important than spending time with my precious bestie," she declared, raising her glass with conviction.

I was completely overwhelmed by her kindness.

When it was time to pay, Jessica insisted on picking up the tab, over 666 dollars, and didn't even bat an eye.

As we walked out of the restaurant, she pulled an envelope from her bag and pressed it into my hands.

"Here's 666 dollars. Just use it, and if you need more, tell me. Don't let your husband think less of you, or believe we can't make it on our own," she said.

I tried to refuse, but she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Come on, don't be so formal with me. Your problems are my problems," she said.

I couldn't win against her, so I finally took it, already planning to find an excuse to pay her back tomorrow.

While we were still tugging over the envelope, my stomach suddenly felt a bit upset. Maybe I drank the wine too quickly.

"Jessica, wait for me. I need to use the restroom," I said.

"Go ahead," Jessica said, waving her hand considerately.

The restroom was way over on the other side of the mall, and it was pretty crowded. I had to wait in line for a bit.

When I got back, Jessica was standing outside the restaurant, leaning against a pillar, her head down as she played with her phone.

Smiling, I walked over, planning to give her a playful tap from behind.

But as I got closer, I suddenly froze, rooted to the spot.

I could see Jessica's phone screen clear as day.

The pinned chat was with Ryan, his profile picture was him holding our cat.

The contact name was "Ryan."

And the latest message had just been sent by Jessica.

"She said you only gave her 333 dollars. So, what's the real amount?"

My mind went blank, everything just faded out.

My heart clenched so hard I could barely breathe.

A cold wave rushed up from my feet, flooding my whole body.

So those calls weren't about work after all.

It was them, working together behind my back all along.