Bethany’s perfect life was shattered when she discovered a love note hidden in her husband’s jacket, implying he was unfaithful. Devastated and consumed by betrayal, she embarked on a quest for revenge that risked destroying the family she cherished.
My name is Bethany, and I had everything a woman could wish for: a devoted husband, Noah, and two wonderful children, Darcy and Jake. Every morning, I woke up feeling blessed and thinking, “This is it. I did it.”
Until one mistake comes along and destroys everything.
A crying woman | Source: Pexels
It was a Friday afternoon, and I was doing one of those big clean-outs where you end up finding all sorts of forgotten treasures and junk. I was sorting through Noah’s jackets, wondering how one man could possibly need so many clothes, when I felt something rustle in a pocket.
Curious, I pulled out a folded piece of paper, thinking it was an old receipt or a shopping list.
My heart stopped as I unfolded the note. The words blurred as my mind tried to make sense of them.
A woman frowns while reading a note | Source: Pexels
” I’ll never forget Friday night. You were the best! I love you! I hope you still divorce her and we have the kids we dream of! “
My hands were shaking. My first reaction was denial. No, this can’t be true. Noah had said he was working late that Friday. He’d even brought home a project he was supposed to be working on.
I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I sat up, clutching the note, my mind racing.
A woman with a broken heart | Source: Pexels
For days, I was a complete disaster. My perfect life was falling apart. I couldn’t look at Noah without those words in my head, imagining him with someone else. The betrayal hurt me more deeply than I ever thought possible.
I became distant, preoccupied. Noah noticed, of course, but every time he asked if something was wrong, I brushed him off with a weak smile and a “just tired, that’s all.”
Darcy and Jake also felt the tension.
A boy and a girl reading | Source: Pexels
Darcy would ask, “Mom, are you okay?” And I would smile, trying to reassure her. But the cracks were showing, and everyone around me was starting to notice.
Friends invited me out, sensing I needed a break, but I couldn’t bring myself to go. I was drowning in an ocean of confusion and pain.
One evening, after yet another silent dinner, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to escape, to escape the pain that was eating away at me from the inside.
A woman looking serious | Source: Pexels
So I did something I’d never done before. I went to a bar alone. The dim lights and low hum of conversation felt like a cocoon where I could hide away from reality. I ordered a drink. Then another. And another.
“Is this seat occupied?” a soft voice interrupted my thoughts.
I looked up to see a charming stranger with a warm smile. His name was Mark, and he exuded great confidence.
A man in a bar | Source: Pexels
“You look like you’ve had a rough day,” Mark said, leaning in slightly. His cologne was a mix of something woody and spicy, both comforting and exciting.
I started laughing bitterly. “You have no idea.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, genuinely curious.
I shrugged, sipping my drink. “Just… life. It has a way of throwing surprises when you least expect them.”
He nodded sympathetically. “Tell me about it. Sometimes you just have to say fuck it and do something crazy.”
A man and a woman in a bar | Source: Midjourney
His words echoed in my head. Madness. Maybe that’s what I needed. Something to take me out of this torment.
Maybe it was the alcohol or the fact that I was desperate for some sort of comfort, but I found myself flirting with him.
As the night wore on, I felt a strange sense of camaraderie with Mark. He was a distraction, a way to forget the pain, even if only for a moment.
“Let’s get out of here,” he suggested, his voice low and inviting.
A man talks to a woman in a bar | Source: Midjourney
There was a dangerous look in his eyes, something that told me he was more than willing to be my escape for the night.
I hesitated. “I don’t know… I shouldn’t.”
“Why not? Life’s too short to play it safe all the time,” he said, moving closer to me. “Come on, let’s do something wild.”
As if on cue, my phone rang in my purse. I pulled it out and saw Noah’s name appear on the screen. Anger flared, hot and bitter.
A woman staring at her phone | Source: Unsplash
Without thinking, I declined the call. Who was he to ask about me now? After what he’d done?
“Okay,” I said, the word slipping out before I could question it. “Let’s go.”
We left the bar, the cool night air hitting my face like a wake-up call as I waited for Mark to call a cab. But I was too far gone to turn back. My phone rang again, and I ignored it, my resolve hardening with every moment.
A yellow taxi | Source: Pexels
Mark’s apartment was a charming bungalow, the kind of house that suggests a confirmed bachelor. As soon as I walked through the front door, we started kissing, a desperate, messy clash of lips and hands. It was so fast, too fast. My head was spinning, my heart was racing.
Suddenly, the sound of a car door slamming outside broke the fog. I backed away from Mark, my breathing coming in short gasps.
I staggered to the window and my heart sank. Noah’s car was parked right outside.
An emotional woman looking out the window | Source: Pexels
“What’s going on?” I mumbled, my panic rising.
The front door burst open, and there he was, his face a mask of fury and hurt.
“Bethany!” he shouted, his voice raw with emotion.
“Get out, Noah!” I yelled back, trying to sound strong, but my voice cracked. “You have no right to be here! How did you find me?”
A man and a woman arguing | Source: Midjourney
“I tracked your phone’s location when you didn’t answer my calls. I thought you were in danger…” he swung between me and Mark. “What’s going on here? Have you lost your mind?”
“Have I lost my mind?!” I shouted. “And you? You’re cheating on me, you’re lying to me! I found the word, Noah! I know everything!”
Noah looked like he’d been slapped. “What grade? Bethany, I never cheated on you. I swear!”
A stunned man | Source: Pexels
“Liar!” I retorted, tears streaming down my face. “I saw it! The note in your jacket. I’ll never forget Friday night. You were the best! I love you! I hope you still divorce her and we have the kids we dream of!”
His face was turning pale, and for a moment I thought he was going to faint.
“Bethany, that’s not true. I don’t know who wrote that, but I would never do that to you, to our family.”
I was shaking, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. “Then explain it! Explain to me why it was in your jacket!”
A man and a woman arguing | Source: Midjourney
“I can’t,” he said, his voice breaking. “I don’t know how it happened! Is that why you’ve been so distant lately? Why haven’t you told me?”
“Because you would have denied it, like you’re doing now!” I retorted.
Noah flinched. He looked at me, his eyes filled with so much pain, then his expression hardened.
“So that’s your solution?” he said, pointing at Mark. “Instead of talking to me, you go out and hook up with the first Casanova you find?”
A man screaming | Source: Midjourney
Even in my drunken state, his words hit hard. Before I could reply, he made a disgusted sound and stormed off.
Emotions overwhelmed me and I collapsed on Mark’s couch crying. I passed out shortly after.
The next morning, I dragged myself home, hoping to find some semblance of normalcy. But the house was eerily quiet. Noah and the children were gone. I felt a pang of guilt and dread as I scanned the empty rooms.
An empty house | Source: Pexels
I decided to go see Noah at his office; I needed answers. When I arrived, his secretary, Lisa, gave me a wry smile that sent shivers down my spine.
“Well, wouldn’t that be Mrs. Perfect,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Where is Noah?” I asked.
“He’s not here,” she replied, sounding far too pleased with herself. “Is something wrong? Maybe you found something to make you feel down?”
A woman working as a secretary | Source: Midjourney
“Did I find something?” Observing Lisa’s low-cut top and smug attitude, I then realized the situation. “Oh my God, you wrote that note!”
Her smirk widened. “So what? I’ve been in love with Noah for years. I figured if I could make you think he was cheating on you, you’d leave him and he’d finally see me.”
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. “You… you destroyed my marriage for what? A fantasy?”
Lisa shrugged. “I did what I had to do. I guess it worked.”
A woman standing in an office | Source: Midjourney
I stormed off, my head in a tizzy. How could I have been so blind? So easily manipulated? I doubted Noah because of a jealous woman’s scheme.
Back home, the weight of my mistakes crashed down on me. I’d been so consumed by my own pain that I hadn’t seen the truth. I’d hurt Noah, hurt my children, and for what? For a lie.
I tried calling Noah, leaving him messages, but he wasn’t answering. He had every right to be angry, to feel betrayed. I had pushed him away, and now I was paying the price.
A crying woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney
In the silence of our empty house, I reflected on everything that had happened. I realized that trust and communication were the foundations of any relationship. Without them, everything collapses.
I sat down and wrote a letter to Noah, pouring out my feelings. I apologized, asked for forgiveness, and promised to do better. I told him I loved him and understood he would need time. But I hoped that one day he would forgive me.
By seeking revenge, I had mostly punished myself. It was time to put things right.
A crying woman | Source: Pexels
Do you think I deserve another chance?
Click here to read Mark’s story, which tells how strange receipts among his wife’s belongings led him to discover her double life.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims as to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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