Chapter 1

The first month of my marriage, a girl slid into my DMs claiming to be a victim.

She flooded my inbox with the screenshots of her chats with my husband and intimate photos, advising me to dump the scumbag as soon as possible.

Two weeks later, I found them both in our home.

The girl was clutching his arm, acting like she was doing me a huge favor.

"Don't worry. I'm taking out the trash for you," she announced. "You're welcome."

...

It was our one-month wedding anniversary.

I carried a cake home, ready to surprise my husband Blake.

I’d just finished setting up the candlelit dinner when my phone buzzed.

A text from Blake, "Cassie, Mom took a fall. Heading over there now."

"But, do you know what day it is today?" I typed, but deleted it before sending.

My intended accusatory tone changed to. "Is your mom okay? Do you need me to come and check on her?"

"No need, just look after the store."

To play the part of a perfect, understanding wife, I ate the small cake alone and cleaned up the house.

As I was getting ready for bed, my phone screen suddenly lit up.

A strange girl was requesting to add me as a friend.

Her profile picture was a serene, gentle-looking girl with long hair, holding a cat.

"Who is this?"

I asked first, not liking strangers in my contacts list.

"I'm Blake Harrison's girlfriend, and I have something to tell you."

How could Blake, a married man, possibly have a girlfriend?

Curiosity piqued, I accepted her friend request.

"I saw your contact info on Blake's phone, and I'm adding you to tell you that you should get away from him as soon as possible. He's been two-timing you behind your back, and I only just found out. I've been fooled by him too," the girl got straight to the point.

I tried to keep my voice steady. "What's your name?"

"Amber Jones. You've probably never heard of me, just like I never knew about you, or even that you two were married."

Her words instantly piqued my interest. So, she was his long-term girlfriend from his hometown?

Amber then sent me a long chat history.

Apparently, she knew that my husband had quit his job and started an escape room business.

She also knew about his family background and members.

She even knew his computer and phone passwords.

...

We kept cross-referencing information, and I realized Blake had been juggling his schedule to chat with her, sharing everything.

I was sure Blake was hiding something from me, and this girl was no ordinary person either.

Blake used to tell me he wanted to give each other private space after dating and marriage, claiming that trust was the foundation of a lasting relationship.

So all along, it wasn't about building trust for our marriage, was it? It was just to make it easier to contact his mistress! What a manipulative jerk!

Before I could even process the existing information, Amber sent another intimate photo.

She was nestled in Blake's arm, just like the docile cat in her profile picture.

The image on my phone flickered on and off, burning into my eyes, making them ache. My vision blurred, and tears streamed down my face.

According to Amber, they had been together for many years.

Could it be that I was the other woman?

Blake came home the next afternoon.

"You're back so early? Is your mom okay?" I asked casually, pretending nothing had happened.

His eyes darted to the right, a hint of guilt in his voice, "Yeah, it wasn't serious, so I came back. The store just started making a profit, and now is a crucial time."

"Do you know Amber Jones?" I decided to lay it all out there.

Blake paused, then chuckled, "Amber? No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Amber added me, and she said she's your girlfriend." I fiddled with the paintbrush in my hand, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"Oh, her! I almost forgot. She's my ex-girlfriend, yes. But we haven't seen each other in ages. Why would she suddenly add you?"

I didn't answer, and Blake got anxious, adding.

"She's a bit intense and tends to exaggerate. I broke up with her ages ago, but she's always clung to me. You have to believe me, Cassie. I'm a married man now."

He came over and put his arms around my waist, his breath warm on my neck, making me deeply uncomfortable.

"I'll play along for now. But if you're playing games, you'll regret it, Blake." I turned to face him, staring into his eyes.