My Husband Cheated With My Best Friend

At three in the morning, my husband and my best friend were caught together in a hotel room and taken to the police station.

I’d lost count of how many times he’d cheated, but this was the first time he’d ended up at the station. Seeing that he had buttoned his shirt wrong in his panic, I stepped forward to straighten it for him.

Brandon subtly moved to shield Nalani behind him. I stopped short. The female officer’s pitying look met mine, and I forced the polished smile I’d perfected. “Officer, they’re here for work. I’m aware of the situation.”

As we left the station, Brandon glanced at me, confused. “You’re not angry?”

I handed him the keys and slid into the back seat, closing my eyes to go straight to sleep. Why would I be mad? My agreement with Duncan, Brandon’s father, was almost fulfilled. It was time for me to walk away.

I had only just closed my eyes when Nalani burst into loud, theatrical sobs beside me.

“Cecilia, it’s not what it looks like with Brandon and me. I just had too much to drink,” she insisted. “If you’re angry, hit me or yell at me—just don’t ignore me, okay?”

She grabbed my hand and tried to make me slap her. Nalani wasn’t the first woman Brandon had messed around with. Every time he strayed before, she’d act outraged and suggest ways to deal with the other woman. At first, I was touched by her loyalty. Eventually, I stopped caring.

Nalani alone persisted, using my name to bully every woman around Brandon. I thought she genuinely cared about me. Turns out, she only wanted to take my place.

The car door swung open, and a cold wind rushed in, biting at my skin. I pulled my hand free and wrapped my coat tighter. Nalani let herself fall backward dramatically, hitting the ground with a thud. The drop from the car to the ground was enough to raise a large bump on the back of her head.

She paused for only a second, then turned to Brandon with tear-filled eyes. “Brandon, this has nothing to do with Cecilia. I just lost my balance.”

Brandon didn’t react the way she expected. Instead of helping her up, he pulled her away from me. “Nalani, how dare you go after Cecilia? I was only fooling around with you. She’s the only one in my heart.”

Brandon took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders as I shivered in the cold. Then he carefully shut the door and turned up the car heater. He was always so careful—so attentive—that he had me fooled into believing he truly cared.

At first, when I discovered his affairs, I asserted my position as his wife and drove off every mistress. But no matter how many I chased off, Brandon always found someone new. Once, with tears in my eyes, I asked him why. Didn’t he claim to love me?

Brandon ruffled my hair, his gaze soft. “Of course I love you, Cecilia. But sleeping with other women is a mistake every man makes. Just remember, no one can ever threaten your place.”

In that moment, everything became clear, and I stopped hoping for his love. Our marriage had always been a transaction. His act fooled me for a while, but after two years, the illusion shattered completely.

As Brandon drove away, I caught Nalani’s venomous glare in the rearview mirror.

The car was mine, and it was perfectly clean. But the jacket Brandon had given me reeked of Nalani’s cloyingly sweet lychee scent. Without hesitation, I tossed it out the window.

Watching me, Brandon’s mood seemed to lift. “Cecilia, I knew you cared. I shouldn’t have stayed out last night. It was an impulsive mistake. But I promise it won’t happen again.”

Brandon had been with plenty of women, but he’d always managed to come home every night. Last night was a rare exception—but I knew it wouldn’t be the last.

When we got home, Brandon opened the car door and reached for me like he meant to carry me inside. I pushed him away, got out on my own, and locked myself in my room without missing a beat.

Brandon knocked once. When I didn’t answer, he gave up.

The next morning, Nalani’s video call woke me. She aimed the camera at the gemstone as big as a pigeon’s egg hanging around her neck.

“Cecilia, look at this! Brandon gave it to me to make up for yesterday. He was just putting on a show for you.”

“So what if you have his heart? His body’s with me—and soon enough, his heart will be too.”