Zara’s world comes crashing down when she discovers her husband has been secretly sending money to her best friend. For months. But the betrayal runs deeper than she ever imagined. Instead of letting it get her down, Zara plots the perfect revenge.
Betrayal stings.
Yes.
But betrayal by your husband and your best friend at the same time? It leaves a wound that sinks into your soul.
An upset woman sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
Claire and I have been inseparable since college. We’ve been through everything together: breakups, internships, first jobs, weddings, and even pregnancies.
But in hindsight, I should have seen the signs.
Claire wasn’t jealous of my looks, my house, or even my money. No, she wanted me to marry her.
Two smiling women | Source: Midjourney
While my husband, Eric, and I were still affectionate—we were still partners in every sense of the word—Claire’s marriage to Jake was in shambles.
She constantly complained about the lack of love she felt and how Jake never made her feel special.
And I, like an idiot , always reassured her.
A woman sitting on a bench with her head bowed | Source: Midjourney
“It’s so hard, Zara,” she told me one day over brunch. “Do you know what it’s like to be around someone who tolerates you? Jake used to look at me like I made the sun shine. Now? He doesn’t mind if I just come out of the shower in just my towel.”
The interior of a cafe | Source: Midjourney
“It’s just a rough patch,” I’d said. “You’ll both get through this. You always have, Claire. Now eat your eggs Benedict and think of something you could do together to spice things up.”
She smiled at me and nodded, stirring her latte.
The problem was, I had no idea Claire had already found her solution .
Food on a plate | Source: Midjourney
I discovered betrayal by chance.
That afternoon, I was on Eric’s laptop ordering clothes for our son, Christopher. My phone was off and the computer was already connected. So I figured that while my husband picked Chris up from swimming lessons, I would do the grocery shopping and make dinner.
That was easy, wasn’t it?
I was wrong.
A woman using a laptop | Source: Midjourney
Suddenly, a notification appears in the corner of the screen.
$800 transfer successful – Claire R.
My stomach knotted, and I was sure my brain had frozen.
Why was my husband sending money to my best friend?
An open laptop | Source: Midjourney
But… maybe something happened? Maybe Claire went to Eric because he was handling our finances? Maybe she was going to leave Jake and needed my husband’s help with the divorce proceedings?
But why wouldn’t she have asked me for help?
I opened our shared banking app, my heart ready to leap.
And there it was, right in front of me. The beginning of the end.
A man sitting in his office | Source: Midjourney
A history of Eric’s transactions over the past few months. Some as small as $300 and others well over $1,000. All sent to Claire.
Eric must have thought I’d never checked our joint account. And to be honest? I usually don’t.
But today, fate had other plans for us.
My hands shook as I clicked on the home screen of my husband’s laptop, searching for something that might explain this.
A shocked woman sitting in front of a laptop | Source: Midjourney
That’s when I did something I never thought I’d do.
I read their messages on Eric’s laptop.
Claire: You treat me so much better than my own husband, you know that? Every time Jake walks into a room, I want to leave. But with you, Eric, every time I hear your voice, I feel safe.
Eric: I’ll always take care of you, Claire. You know that very well. You deserve to be happy.
A woman sitting on a bench and texting | Source: Midjourney
Claire: I wish I had met you first. I wish I had been your wife.
Then comes the worst message.
Eric: I can’t stop thinking about last night, baby. I wish I could have stayed longer.
I stared at the screen, my vision blurring and my head pounding. I felt sick. Physically.
It wasn’t just emotional. It wasn’t just Claire who needed to confide in Eric. No. They had been together .
A man using his phone | Source: Midjourney
My husband and my best friend.
For months.
I kept scrolling, my fingers numb. And I found it, the conversation that changed everything.
Eric: Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t want you to struggle because of him.
A couple standing in a bedroom | Source: Midjourney
Claire: I hate asking you for help, Eric. I know you’re very busy with Zara and Christopher. But Jake has cut my allowance again. He says I spend too much, but you know I hardly ever buy myself anything.
Eric: You don’t need to explain yourself, darling. I told you, I’ll take care of you.
Claire: I feel so guilty about taking your money…
Eric: Don’t be. I love you, Claire. And I want you to have everything you need.
Text messages on a phone screen | Source: Midjourney
I almost threw up.
Eric wasn’t just cheating on me. He was playing the hero in Claire’s story. In my best friend’s story. My husband was covering for her when her husband tried to enforce boundaries.
With our money. With our joint account. Money intended for our family and our son’s future.
He had shared it with Claire.
An upset woman sitting at a table | Source: Midjourney
That’s when I stopped crying, because it wasn’t just a betrayal. It was, at best, a war.
I wanted to scream, throw things, and burn their lives. But revenge is a dish best served cold, of course.
So, for days, I pretended. I continued to answer Claire’s many calls during the day. I continued to prepare Eric’s favorite meals and kiss him goodbye. I played the role of the distraught wife perfectly.
But behind the scenes?
A woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
I was preparing the biggest show of their lives.
I hired a full orchestra. A choir. And a cheerleading squad. I wanted to be extravagant and over-the-top.
I wanted to cause chaos and drama.
So what? I sent Jake a message.
A woman texting | Source: Midjourney
Hey! Claire is preparing a surprise for you today. You should come home early to see it!
I could already hear Claire screaming in my head. It was glorious.
At exactly 6 p.m., the orchestra arrived at Claire’s house.
The choir followed, singing a song about a husband who secretly gave money to another woman. And about a best friend who pretended to be loyal while acting in secret.
A shocked woman standing in a courtyard | Source: Midjourney
And then?
The cheerleaders stepped forward, holding up huge billboards plastered with screenshots of their texts and money transfers.
All the lies were on display for all to see.
Look, I admit it was an exaggeration. But I needed them to know that I was well aware of their secrets.
Smiling cheerleaders | Source: Midjourney
Claire called me, her voice loud and hysterical.
“How did you find out? Please make them go away, Zara! Make it stop!”
“Oh, Claire,” I said, leaning back in my seat. I was parked right down the street from her house, watching everything unfold. “You were so generous with Eric’s money, so… maybe you should consider this my little thank-you performance.”
And then?
Eric called.
A man holding a phone | Source: Midjourney
Panicked.
“Zara, please! Please stop this! You don’t have to do this!”
I laughed, getting out of the car and walking closer to the scene.
“Oh, but I have to. Things had to come out, Eric. Why should Jake and I stay in the dark?”
And as I stood in front of Claire’s house, watching the chaos unfold, Jake’s car pulled into the driveway.
Close-up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
He came out with a confused face.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Ask your wife, Jake,” I told him.
Claire rushed over to him and grabbed his arm.
“Jake, it’s not what you think! Please listen to me!”
A frantic woman | Source: Midjourney
Jake saw the screenshots, and his expression darkened.
“You cheated on me?” His voice was deep and dangerous.
Claire burst into tears.
“No! It didn’t mean anything! I promise you, Jake. It was nothing! It didn’t matter!”
A few moments later, Eric arrived.
A man sitting in his car | Source: Midjourney
My husband rushed out of his car, looking like a man on the verge of collapse.
“Zara, please, let’s talk…”
I cut him off.
“Oh no, Eric,” I said. “The time for discussion is long over. Like the money in our joint account.”
The whole neighborhood watched. People had their phones out, recording everything. And for the first time, I saw real fear in Eric’s eyes.
A shocked man next to his car | Source: Midjourney
Jake turned to me.
“She cheated on me with him? Your best friend and your husband?”
I nodded.
And that’s when Jake looked at Claire, his face unreadable.
“Go inside. Now.”
Claire obeyed, but she was shaking. This was definitely not over for her.
“Zara,” Eric tried again. “Please.”
I smiled kindly at him.
“Enjoy your new life, Eric. Oh, and don’t worry, I’ve already filed for divorce. I just hope Claire was worth it.”
A woman standing in a front yard | Source: Midjourney
That night, after Claire’s public humiliation, I didn’t expect her to show up at my door.
But she was there.
Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were puffy from crying. She was wearing a hoodie that was way too big for her. I wondered if it was Jake’s or Eric’s.
She was pathetic.
An upset woman standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney
“You’ve got some nerve showing up here,” I said, crossing my arms and leaning against the doorframe.
Claire let out a shaky breath.
“Zara, please listen to me. We’ve known each other for years. You owe me at least that much.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” I said.
I should have slammed the door in his face.
A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
But no. I let her talk. I let her try to justify ruining two marriages. And I figured I’d watch her make a fool of herself once again.
“You have five minutes, Claire.”
She walked in hesitantly, her eyes scanning the living room. She must have been wondering if I’d already burned everything Eric had left behind. She sat down on the couch.
An upset woman sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
“I know what I did was horrible. I know I hurt you. But, Zara… I wasn’t trying to take him away from you. I just… I felt alone.”
“Alone?” I let out a dry laugh.
“Jake hardly looks at me anymore, Zara!” Claire said. “I felt invisible, like I didn’t exist. And then there was Eric, telling me I looked beautiful, checking on me, and making me feel like I really mattered. I mean, he used to pick up Theo and take him and Christopher to swimming lessons. Just to give me a bit of a break.”
A smiling woman relaxing on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
I stared at her, impassive.
“So, you thought… what?” I asked. “That it was okay? That because you were sad and a little lonely, you could take what was mine?”
“I didn’t think of it like that,” she said, flinching.
“Of course you didn’t,” I said coldly. “And that’s because you never think of anyone but yourself. It’s always been like that. When we were in college, you took my Halloween costume because it made you look better. At our graduation, you took my bouquet of flowers because it went better with your dress. For heaven’s sake, even at my wedding! You made the photographer retake pictures because he didn’t capture your ‘good side’!”
A bouquet of flowers | Source: Midjourney
She remained silent.
“You don’t understand, Zara,” she said. “I never meant for this to happen. I never meant for any of these things to happen.”
“Spare me,” I said. “You knew exactly what you were doing, Claire. Then and now. You knew it every time you texted Eric. You knew it every time you took his money. Our money. And you knew damn well what you were doing when you let him touch you. So don’t stand here now and act like you’re just some sad little victim.”
Tears slid down her cheeks.
An upset woman sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
“Zara, I don’t want to lose you.”
“Lose me? Claire, you lost me the moment you decided you’d rather be Eric’s mistress than my friend.”
“Please… I don’t have anyone else, Zara.”
For a second, just a second, I saw him. There was fear in his eyes. The kind of fear that only appears when you realize you’ve burned all your bridges.
A woman standing in a living room with her arms crossed | Source: Midjourney
Claire wasn’t just grieving the loss of Eric. She was grieving for me.
The best friend who had supported her for years. The one who had defended her, comforted her, and loved her like a sister. Now she had absolutely nothing.
“It’s not my problem,” I said. “Goodbye, Claire.”
She let out a small, broken sound. But she didn’t struggle. She walked past me, head down, and out onto the porch. I didn’t watch her leave. But as I closed the door, I knew this was the end of our friendship.
Forever.
A woman walking down an alley | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
Read also: My husband brought his mistress home to kick me out – He had no idea he’d be homeless an hour later
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 regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals 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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