Chapter 2

I watched her face for a few seconds.

Her smile faltered for just a moment.

She pulled herself together almost instantly.

"Oh, by the way, can you check if Lucas has flat feet?" Emily asked, quickly steering the conversation away.

But I couldn't forget that moment when her smile slipped.

After that, I started "accidentally" poking around Michael's things.

First up: his computer.

Next, his drawers.

After that, his bank statements.

And that was when I found a transfer.

Every month, 1,500 dollars, always on the same day, sent to a mysterious account.

"What's this?" I asked, looking at Michael.

I asked Michael.

He glanced at it and didn't even flinch.

"Just lending a friend some money. He said he'd pay me back bit by bit," Michael replied.

"Which friend?" I pressed.

"It's someone you don't know."

I didn't ask any more questions.

But I made a note of that account.

That night, I used my own connections to look into it.

Account holder: Emily Carter.

My hands were trembling.

1,500 dollars every month for three years.

Three years, thirty-six months, one hundred and 54,000 dollars.

I never had a clue.

He'd been sending her money, and I had no idea.

Why would he do this?

Was that really helping out a friend with money?

Was she really his friend?

Or was she supposed to be my friend?

I took a deep breath.

Calm down.

I couldn't be sure yet.

Maybe it really was just a loan.

Maybe Emily was having a hard time and didn't want to tell me.

But why keep me in the dark?

The next day, I invited Emily out for coffee.

"Is money a bit tight for you lately?" I asked.

"I'm alright," she said with a smile. "Why do you ask?"

"If you ever need some cash, you can always ask me," I said.

"No, no," she said, waving her hand. "I'm good."

"Really?" I asked.

"Really," she said, looking at me. "Sophia, is something up with you today?"

"Nothing," I said with a smile. "Just worried about you."

"Silly," she said, taking my hand. "With you as my bestie, what do I have to worry about?"

Her hand was warm.

Her eyes looked so sincere.

I almost believed her.

But there was still that 54,000 dollars.

And she says she got enough.

So where did all that money from Michael actually go?

I started digging for more clues.

I started keeping tabs on Michael's schedule.

He said he was going on a business trip over the weekend, and I went along with it.

But what he didn't know was that I'd already put a tracker in his car.

That weekend, the tracker showed he was right in the city center.

Nowhere near the city he claimed he'd be in for work.

Instead, he was holed up in a hotel.

A five-star place, practically next door to Emily's apartment.

I sat there at home, glued to my phone, watching that little dot that was supposed to be my husband.

He was there for three whole hours before finally coming home.

After that, he walked in the door like nothing happened.

"How was your business trip?" I asked.

"It was alright, kinda tired," he said with a yawn. "I'm gonna take a shower first."

I watched his back as he walked away, my mind spinning with suspicion.

Business trip, huh?

Tired, huh?

What were you really doing that made you so tired?

That night, after he was fast asleep, I grabbed his phone again.

This time, I stumbled across a secret photo album.

It needed a password to get in.

I tried his birthday—nope.

Our wedding anniversary—nope.

His mom's birthday—nope.

Finally, I tried Lucas's birthday.

It unlocked.

There were only a few photos inside.

They were all of Emily.

Some were selfies, others were just snapshots from her everyday life.

There it was, a photo of the two of them together.

The background? A hotel room.

Emily was leaning against his shoulder, her smile so sweet it almost hurt to look at.

In the bottom right corner, a date was stamped.

It was two years ago.

I put his phone back where it belonged.

I walked out onto the balcony.

It was pitch black outside, not a single star in sight.

I just stood there for what felt like forever.

I didn't cry.

I just couldn't cry.

All I felt was cold.

Cold, from the inside out.

Twenty years of friendship.

Five years of marriage.

The two people I trusted most in the world.

All this time, the two people I trusted most had been keeping secrets from me.

I remembered what Emily had said. "You're the best friend I've ever had in my life."

I remembered what Michael had said. "We promised we'd always trust each other."

What a joke.

*****

The next day, I kept my mouth shut.

I made breakfast like always, and sent Michael off to work like nothing was wrong.

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" I asked him.

"Anything's fine, I'll eat whatever you make," he said, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Thanks for all your hard work, honey."

I smiled.

I watched him drive away.

Then I shut the door behind me and slumped against the wall.

Even breathing hurt.

But I told myself: it's not enough.

Photos could be faked.

I needed something more solid.

I made a decision.

I was going to get a DNA test.

When Emily mentioned Lucas had a cold, I jumped at the chance to go over and check on him.

I brought a toy, some fruit, and quietly slipped a Q-tip into my bag, just in case.

"Let me take a look at Lucas's throat," I said, trying to sound casual while my heart raced.

Emily didn't suspect a thing and handed Lucas right over to me. I tried to steady my hands, telling myself, 'This is it. Just act normal.'

While Emily was busy getting some water, I swiped the inside of Lucas's mouth with the Q-tip, quick and sneaky.

"What are you doing, Sophia?" Lucas asked.

"Just making sure your throat's not sore," I said with a smile. "You're all good, healthy as ever."

Lucas grinned.

I slipped the Q-tip into a bag and tucked it into my pocket.

Getting Michael's DNA was way easier.

I grabbed his razor.

Took his toothbrush.

Picked up a hair he left on the pillow.

Once I had enough, I sent everything off for testing.

"It'll take about a week," the lab tech said.

"Okay, I'll wait," I replied.

A week.

For the next seven days, I'd have to act like nothing was wrong.

Those seven days dragged on forever.

I kept up the routine: cooking, working, chatting with Michael like nothing was wrong.

He didn't notice a thing because I was a damn good actress.

Or maybe he just didn't care enough to notice.

On Thursday, he said he was going on another business trip over the weekend.

"Where to this time?" I asked.

"Easthaven, to meet a client," he replied.

"How long will you be gone?" I asked.

"Just a couple of days," he said.

I just nodded, not saying a word.

But I knew he wasn't really going to Easthaven.

He was heading straight for that hotel.

Friday night, Emily called me.

"Sophia, come over for dinner this weekend. I'll make dumplings," she said.

"Sure," I said.

"Is Michael coming? Bring him too," Emily added.

"He's away on a business trip," I replied.

There was a pause on the other end.

"Oh, just come by yourself then," she said.

I hung up.

Business trip, huh?

They thought I didn't know a thing,

They still thought I was just some fool.

I didn't go to Emily's place on Saturday.

Instead, I went straight to that hotel.

I had to see it for myself.

I sat in the lobby for two hours, and finally, I saw them walk in together.

Michael wrapped his arm around Emily's waist.

Emily nestled against his shoulder.

They were laughing and chatting, looking so natural together, just like any other couple.

No, more like a married couple who've been together forever.

I snapped a photo of them with my phone.

Then I left.

I didn't confront them.

I didn't make a scene because it wasn't time yet.

Sunday night, Michael came back from his "business trip."

"Tired?" I asked him.

"Not too bad," he said, putting down his luggage. "The client was a real pain. Took me two days to finally get things sorted."

"You must be exhausted," I said.

"You're so sweet, honey," he said, smiling as he kissed me.

I smiled back.

I let him kiss me.

Then I said, "Can you promise me something?"

"What?" he asked.

"It's about you and Emily" I started.

He tensed up for a moment.

"I want you to keep your distance from Emily," I said. "I don't like how close you two are."

He let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Come on, you're reading way too much into this. There's nothing between me and her. She's your best friend, I was just lending a hand," he said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Really," he said, locking eyes with me. "Honey, maybe you're just tired lately. You're acting all suspicious for no reason."

I looked him in the eye.

Those eyes used to make me feel safe.

Now, just looking at them made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Maybe," I said. "I'm probably just being paranoid."

He wrapped his arms around me. "Silly girl, how could I ever do anything to hurt you?"

I leaned against his shoulder.

I closed my eyes.

Alright, I was giving you one last chance.

If the DNA test came back negative, I would act like nothing ever happened.

But if it was positive...

A week later, the results came in.