Boyfriend's Betrayal, Best Friend's Lies

Just before the wedding, I stumbled upon a message from my friend Holly Baxter on my fiancé Michael Watts' phone. [One last time?]

And his reply: [Okay, one last time.]

My heart sank.

They'd known each other since childhood, even longer than I'd known either of them. In fact, it was Holly who introduced me to Michael. I still remember the day she playfully slung her arm around his shoulder, joking, "This is my precious gem, for sale only to my best friend! But you better treat him right!"

Back then, I thought she meant I was the one she was calling precious, and her warning was directed at Michael.

Turns out, I was wrong.

——

It was the winter of 2024.

With the wedding date already set, I traveled with Michael to visit his family for the holidays. He was deep into a drinking session with his relatives when he asked me to grab his phone from the bedroom where it was charging.

I saw a new message from Holly pop up on WhatsApp—a simple "OK" emoji.

Instinctively, I opened it.

And there it was, two messages.

[One last time?]

His response: [Okay, one last time.]

My stomach turned, but I tried to rationalize it, telling myself that maybe it was just some inside joke or agreement between childhood friends—something I didn't fully understand, but not necessarily anything inappropriate.

Still, something felt off. Even if it wasn't romantic, their closeness seemed to cross a line. And this uneasy feeling had been there all along. I'd always sensed that Michael wasn't just a "best friend's boyfriend" to Holly but something more.

After all, Michael and I had met through her. Holly was my friend, but also our matchmaker. So, what exactly was Michael to her? A childhood buddy? My fiancé? Or something else?

I could feel my chest tightening. Whatever secret existed between them, it left me feeling hurt, whether it was something that crossed the line. Their private little world, their hidden exchange, made me feel like an outsider. I hated that feeling.

So, I brought Michael his phone, keeping my voice casual as I leaned into him, blinking innocently. "I accidentally saw your messages with Holly," I said lightly. "Anything you want to confess?"

Without missing a beat, he cracked open some sunflower seeds and slipped one into my mouth.

He leaned over curiously, glancing at the phone screen. "Oh," he said, casually explaining, "Every year on New Year's Day, Holly insists I go with her to Grace City Church. She's really into that stuff.

"I told her this year's the last time. It's boring—just a bunch of people crammed together. She keeps praying for good luck, but nothing ever happens."

He shrugged. "I'm done with that."

I studied his face. His expression was calm, his tone steady. He didn't seem like he was hiding anything. Slowly, I felt my worries ease.

"Do they have a church around here? I kinda want to go and check it out," I said eagerly, holding onto his arm and pretending to whine playfully.

His eyes softened, filled with warmth. Without hesitation, he said, "Of course, if you want to go, I'll take you every year."

Just as we were in the middle of talking, a video call from Holly came through.

Michael answered it immediately.

"Don't forget to pick me up tomorrow morning, same time—5:30 a.m.," Holly's voice was chirpy but firm. "If you're late, we'll lose our spot in line."

Michael turned to me, raising an eyebrow. "5:30? Can you get up that early?"

His clear, honest gaze erased the last traces of doubt from my mind. But I hesitated at the thought of such an early start.

Michael, catching the look on my face, responded right away, "No can do, Holly. That's way too early for us. You might need to take a cab if you want to go that early."

His lazy tone made Holly panic. "On New Year's Day? Where am I supposed to get a cab? Michael, don't tell me you're ditching me for Leah! You're choosing her over your friend, huh?"

"Leah, did you hear that?" She called out. I awkwardly gave his sleeve a tug. "I can get up."

Michael remained unfazed, adding casually, "I'm not getting up at 5:30. How about 7:30? If that doesn't work, you're on your own."

Holly's expression instantly darkened. The smile faded from her lips, and her eyes, cold and sharp, seemed to pierce right through the screen.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of unease, though I couldn't explain why. I tugged on Michael's sleeve again.

But he confidently grabbed my hand, holding it in view of the camera. He was unbothered as he slowly repeated, "So, 7:30? Want us to pick you up?"

"Michael, I can get up!" I muttered under my breath.

He squeezed my hand gently, still keeping that aloof, emotionless expression as he faced Holly. "7:30 it is."

Holly, clearly upset, hung up the call with a sharp tone.

I felt uneasy. "Wasn't that a bit harsh? Holly's always complaining that you're too focused on me. Now you're making it worse…"

Michael interrupted me. "You overthink everything. She's the one asking us for a ride and expecting me to be her chauffeur. It's only fair to respect our time, right? Besides, what's wrong with choosing you over her? We're still friends, aren't we? She can pick her guy over her friends, and I wouldn't care."

The way he laid everything out so clearly, with no room for argument, made the last bit of discomfort melt away. Instead, I felt a bit guilty.

I wanted to message Holly to say something, but I wasn't sure what to say.

Michael noticed my restless fidgeting and pulled me into his arms with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Holly's so scatterbrained; she won't even care about this."

He paused, chuckling softly. "Just wait—tomorrow, she'll be all smiles, waiting at the door, excited as ever."

The next day, just as Michael predicted, Holly climbed into the car with a huge grin, proudly showing me all the candles and fruit she'd prepared in advance for the church visit. She chatted non-stop, bragging about how smart she was for thinking ahead.

"You have no idea how expensive the stuff is at the church," she said, shaking her head. "A hundred bucks for a candle? No way! I'm not that dumb." She winked and added, "Look, Leah, I even got stuff for you! Come on, tell me how amazing I am!"

Her excitement was infectious, and any lingering worries I had disappeared as I smiled back at her.

When we got to the church, there was already a long line of people waiting to light their candles. We stood there for hours, and by the time we were done and had given the donation for the candles, it was past noon. We barely had time to grab a quick, simple meal at the church hall hosted by the minister before heading back.

A young assistant, dressed in a simple black outfit, came over to tell us about the afternoon activities—there was a blessing ceremony and some fortune-telling, and they even had a small inn nearby where people could stay overnight as a sign of devotion.

That was when Holly and I had a disagreement. I wanted to head back; Michael's family had guests coming over for dinner, and it felt rude to stay out too long. But Holly was keen on spending the night at the inn.

I thought for sure Michael would side with me—after all, it was his family's dinner we'd be late for. But to my surprise, he glanced over at Holly, looking a little uncertain.

That familiar pang of anxiety began to rise again. Was I imagining it?

Holly's gaze locked on mine, and there was something almost mocking in her eyes. With a sly grin, she said, "If you're in such a hurry, Michael can always take you home first."

Michael turned to me, clearly waiting for my response, and the heaviness in my chest deepened.

I frowned, feeling the pressure build. "Michael, aren't you coming with me?"

Sensing my discomfort, Michael immediately softened his tone. "Of course, I'm coming with you."

He shot Holly a brief, irritated look before adding, "If you can't get a ride home tomorrow, call me, and I'll pick you up."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and began to guide me out. As we walked away, I glanced back, catching Holly standing there, her face still, with that same cold, taunting smile.

That evening, the sky was alight with fireworks, the crackle of firecrackers filling the air in celebration. The bright lights and excitement masked the unease simmering inside me.

I'd been chatting with Michael's grandma for so long that my throat felt dry. As I sipped some tea, a sudden realization hit me—I hadn't seen Michael in a while. That lingering sense of unease crept back, heavier this time.

Without thinking, I stood up and began to search for him. "Have you seen Michael?" I asked his mother.

Michael's mom gave me a warm smile, pressing a handful of candy into my hand. "He's at the end of the street, playing cards with his buddies. They do it every year," she said. "Why don't you let Katie take you over there?"

She called over Michael's thirteen-year-old sister, Katie, and asked her to guide me. I dialed Michael's number, but it kept going to voicemail. My unease grew as I aimlessly scrolled through my phone.

That was when I saw it—Holly had just posted something on her story. In the photo, she was barely dressed, her shoulder exposed, with a faint mark that looked like a kiss. The caption read, "One last time. He's getting married soon, and from now on, he'll belong to someone else. Time to let go."

My fingers froze as I stared at the screen, feeling my stomach drop. Just as I tried to look closer, the post vanished. When I refreshed the page, it was gone—deleted.

Doubt clawed at me again.

I tried calling Holly. She picked up almost immediately, her voice carrying a lazy, sensual tone. There was a rasp to it, the kind of voice you might hear after… well, after something intimate.

My heart sank deeper.

"You still at Grace City Church?" I forced the words out, my voice strained.

"Yeah, still here," she replied casually.

Neither of us spoke for a while, letting the silence hang heavy between us. Oddly, Holly didn't seem in any hurry to end the call—she just waited as if expecting something.

By then, Katie and I had reached the spot at the end of the street, where a bunch of young people were crowded around. Some were sitting on the floor, playing a game, while others were huddled around a small table, playing cards.

But Michael wasn't there.

Katie glanced around, frowning. "Weird… where'd he go?"

She called out to a guy nearby. "Max, have you seen my brother?"

Max's gaze flickered over me before he shrugged and said, "Heard your uncle had too much to drink. Michael left a while ago to check on him."

Katie grabbed my arm, pulling me along. "Come on, let's go to my uncle's place."

Her uncle lived on the other side of town, and I'd been there before—it was a good ten-minute walk. I had no idea what I was feeling anymore; I just followed her numbly.

Holly's voice, which had been silent for a while, suddenly cut through the phone again. "Go ahead. But I bet you won't find him there either."

Her words carried a strange, mocking lilt like she knew something I didn't—like she was enjoying this twisted little game.

I felt a cold, sinking sensation in my chest, but at the same time, a strange calm settled over me. My voice came out even, almost detached. "Oh? So where is he then?"

"You tell me," she replied, her voice laced with amusement. "You've been calling him for the past twenty minutes, haven't you? And he hasn't picked up, right?"

"You called him for twenty minutes, and no one picked up, right?" Holly's voice was deliberate, each word dripping with meaning, luring me into the trap she had clearly set.

I stayed silent.

She laughed on the other end, the sound sharp and mocking.

"Leah, how long are you going to keep up this act?

"Come on, it's just us now. Michael's not here. Are we really going to keep pretending to be best friends?

"That day, I know you saw everything!

"I saw you standing there, eavesdropping on our entire conversation before you walked away.

"Stealing your best friend's man and then acting all innocent and clueless? Wow, Leah. You put on an act better than anyone I've ever known!"