He Saved Me, Then Destroyed Me

On the third day of the divorce cooling-off period, I ran into my husband's car on the side of the road.

Sitting next to him was the best friend who had been trying to steal my man for five years.

"Jill Dudley, you really need to stop fighting with Jeffrey. He's been making me stay up drinking with him until dawn every night lately. Last night he even fell asleep holding me—and I wasn't wearing anything underneath."

"If things accidentally go too far, don't come after me about it. Take it up with him."

The man she pointed at immediately spoke up to explain: "Cut it out. If you hadn't suddenly put on her nightgown, would I have mistaken you for her?"

I smiled faintly and didn't respond.

I just looked at the woman in the passenger seat, my tone calm.

"Good for you. He's got a high drive. If you two aren't planning on having kids, make sure you use protection."

The moment the words left my mouth, the man's expression darkened.

"What did you just say?"

His voice carried the weight of an oncoming storm.

A flicker of surprise crossed Laura Fox's eyes, but then she doubled over laughing.

"Jill, I was just joking! We've known each other for almost ten years—don't you know me by now?"

"I've already explained this to you. Jeffrey and I aren't what you think."

As she spoke, she nudged the man beside her with her elbow, the gesture intimate.

"Come on, say something already."

Jeffrey Farley's expression softened slightly before he spoke.

"There were other people drinking with us. We weren't alone together."

"Besides, Laura is your friend of many years. Even if you don't trust me, you shouldn't distrust her."

In the past, hearing words like that would have driven me insane.

But now, I felt nothing.

Laura clicked her tongue in displeasure, though her smile only grew wider.

"Do you even know how to comfort a woman? Even now you're still playing the loyal friend..."

I cut her off.

"Sorry, I misunderstood."

"From now on, I'll believe whatever you two say."

The air went still. The man's gaze landed on me, sharp as a hawk's.

Laura, however, acted as if nothing had happened and changed the subject.

"Oh, by the way—I wore your nightgown because I forgot to bring a change of clothes when I went over last night. I couldn't exactly sleep in your bed reeking of alcohol, right? Don't overthink it."

Seeing that I remained unmoved, something else seemed to occur to her, and she broke into a grin.

"Also, I just grabbed that nightgown at random. I had no idea the slit in the back was that high. Nearly gave me a heart attack—I almost lost face in front of all the guys."

"But it was really comfortable to wear. Like wearing nothing at all. Send me the link? I want to buy one too."

I shook my head calmly.

"He bought it. I don't have the link."

Laura froze for a moment, her smile stiffening.

"Jeffrey bought it? I never would have guessed. He looks so proper on the surface, but apparently he's into this kind of risqué stuff in private."

"No wonder he wouldn't accept those boxers I gave him when I lost that game of Truth or Dare. If I'd known, I would've gone with leopard print."

That was last Valentine's Day.

My relationship with Jeffrey had already hit rock bottom.

He had never been one to back down, but out of nowhere, he invited me to dinner at my favorite restaurant.

When the dishes arrived, I felt a rare flicker of the warmth we used to share.

Then the door to our private room burst open. Laura led a group of people inside, pushing an ugly cake, singing "Happy Breakup," and setting off party poppers.

Jeffrey wore a helpless smile—he had clearly known about this.

In an instant, the soft violin music, the candlelight on the table, the exquisite food—all of it became a joke.

Laura pulled out a pair of matching couple's underwear from behind her back and announced with a bold laugh: "A bet's a bet. We've warmed up the party for you, and I've left my gift right here. The only question is whether you've got the guts to accept it."