Chapter 2

Not long after, Cassie’s husband, Ethan, came home from work, carrying a few bottles of red wine.

The moment he spotted me, a strange smile crept onto his face. “Jenna, I knew you’d be here for dinner, so I went out of my way to grab some wine for us.”

I gave him a faint smile. “How thoughtful. Now, why don’t you head to the kitchen and help Cassie with dinner? Make sure the pork is braised until it’s nice and tender—I like it that way.”

Ethan’s face darkened, his brows furrowing. “Weren’t you two already cooking? Why do I have to do it?”

I almost rolled my eyes right there. Back when Cassie announced she was marrying Ethan, I was the loudest voice against it.

He was the walking embodiment of everything wrong with a man: broke, unattractive, stingy, and loaded with an ego the size of Mount Everest.

Now, though, I had to admit—they were a match made in heaven. Lock them together forever, please.

Cassie poked her head out of the kitchen, her face a picture of wounded innocence. “Ethan, Jenna broke all the dishes while washing them, and I cut myself on the shards. My hands and feet are bleeding!”

Ethan set the wine down and walked over to the kitchen. The sight of the greasy mess on the floor mixed with blood was enough to make anyone gag.

His face twisted with anger. “How old are you? You can’t even handle something as simple as washing dishes? What’s the point of having you around?”

“Other men’s wives have dinner ready and waiting when their husbands get home. You’re just lazy as hell. If you weren’t pregnant, I’d have taught you a lesson right now.”

The veins bulging on his forehead, the fists clenched at his sides, and Cassie’s trembling body told me all I needed to know—this wasn’t the first time he’d blown up at her like this.

Of course, Cassie never mentioned it to me before. Probably because she was afraid I’d tell her parents, who’d either beat Ethan to a pulp or force them to divorce. Neither outcome was something Cassie wanted.

Ah, love. The logic of the hopelessly infatuated is truly beyond comprehension.

Cassie tried to soothe him, her voice meek and apologetic. “I swear I’ll do better next time, Ethan. Let’s just focus on cooking for now, okay? Jenna’s probably starving.”

Ethan shot me a sleazy glance, his eyes lingering on me far too long before he let out a grunt. “Fine. For Jenna’s sake, I won’t make a big deal out of it today.”

Cassie exhaled in relief, but her moment of peace was short-lived. As soon as Ethan turned back around, she threw me a venomous glare, jealousy written all over her face.

I caught the whole thing in vivid detail thanks to the mirror hanging on the wall.

Despite all his grumbling, Ethan didn’t forget to add his own little twist to the meal. I watched as he pulled a small vial from his pocket and began slipping something into the food—carefully lacing every dish with drugs.

At one point, Cassie stopped him. “Ethan, if you spike everything, what am I supposed to eat? If I don’t touch any food, Jenna’s going to get suspicious.”

Ethan snorted. “Fine. I’ll leave the salad alone for you.”

Cassie beamed at him, her eyes practically sparkling. “I knew you loved me the most.”

Listening to this exchange, I nearly burst out laughing. Cassie had started gaslighting herself now. Incredible.

Then, as if the scene couldn’t get any more absurd, Ethan pulled out a bottle of Viagra from his pocket and popped two pills into his mouth.

Cassie, seeing this, pouted like a jealous teenager. Ethan smirked, reached over, and gave her a firm smack on the butt. Her mood instantly flipped, and she giggled, blushing like she’d just won the lottery.

Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.