When my husband betrayed me with my best friend, I never imagined that three years later, stumbling upon them would fill me with anything but pain.
After he left me, I discovered hed been seeing my school friend. For three years, I carried that wounduntil I saw them at a petrol station and couldnt stop smiling.
When my husband began pulling away, I turned to my closest friend for comfort. She told me I was imagining thingsbut she was lying. Fate made sure I saw the consequences of their betrayal years later.
I always thought infidelity happened to other peoplesomething you read about in novels or whispered over dinner. Never to me. Never to us.
For five years, Oliver and I built a life together. It wasnt lavish, but it was ourscosy evenings curled up with films, Sunday morning coffee runs, inside jokes no one else understood.
And then there was Emily, my dearest friend since school, like a sister. She was there for every milestone, even standing beside me at my wedding as my maid of honour, clutching my hands and weeping with joy.
When I found out I was pregnant, I thought it would be another beautiful chapter.
But then Oliver changed.
At first, it was small thingshe worked later, his smile never reached his eyes. Then it got worse. He barely looked at me. Conversations dried up to one-word replies. Nights spent with his back turned as if I didnt exist.
I didnt understand. I was exhausted, heavily pregnant, desperately trying to fix what was crumbling.
So I called Emily.
I dont know whats happening, I sobbed into the phone, curled into a ball in the dark while Oliver slept soundly beside me. It feels like hes already left.
Youre overthinking it, she said gently. He loves you. Its just stress.
I wanted to believe her.
But the relentless tensionsleepless nights, the gnawing loneliness despite being marriedwore me down.
Then one morning, I woke in agony. By evening, I was in hospital, watching the doctors lips move but hearing nothing.
No heartbeat.
No baby.
They say grief comes in waves. Mine was an avalanche.
The miscarriage shattered me, but Oliver? He was already gone. He sat beside my hospital bed, cold and silent, never taking my hand, never offering comfort. Just waiting, as if for a bus, not mourning the child wed lost.
A month later, he finally said the words he must have rehearsed for weeks.
Im not happy anymore, Clara.
That was it. No explanation, no emotion. Just a hollow goodbye.
The day he left was without shouting, without tears. Just silence.
Im not happy anymore, Clara.
I blinked at him across the kitchen table, his words like a weight on my chest.
What? My voice trembled.
He sighed, rubbing his temples as if *I* were the problem.
I dont feel anything. I havent for a while.
*For a while.*
I swallowed hard.
Since we lost the baby?
His jaw tightened.
Thats not the point.
The lie was almost laughable.
I searched his face for any signremorse, guilt, *anything*. But he just sat there, refusing to meet my eyes.
Thats it? Five years, and you just walk away? My hands clenched into fists under the table.
He sighed again, impatient this time.
I dont want to argue, Clara.
I let out a brittle laughthe laugh of someone pushed to the edge.
Oh, *you* dont want to argue? Funny, because I never had a choice in any of this.
He stood, grabbing his keys.
Ill stay with friends.
Before I could respond, the door slammed shut.
Emily, my best friend, vanished soon after. She had been my rockuntil she wasnt. Calls went unanswered. Messages ignored. Then, she blocked me entirely.
I didnt understanduntil my mother called one evening, her voice strained.
Clara, love look at this.
She sent a link to Emilys Instagram.
And there they were.
Oliver and Emily. Arms wrapped around each other on a beach, laughing like theyd been in love for years.
My hands shook as I scrolled. Picture after picture, week after week. Fancy restaurants, ski resorts, romantic nights by the fireplace. She flaunted it allwhile I was still his wife.
The betrayal burned like acid. But if they thought theyd broken me, they were wrong.
I took my pain and turned it into power. Oliver had been careless, too wrapped up in his fantasy to cover his tracks. In court, his infidelity became my winning card. In the end, I kept the house, half his savings, and the satisfaction of knowing he had to start over.
He took my trust. I took what was mine.
Starting again wasnt easy. But life rewards the resilient.
A year later, I met Daniel.
He was everything Oliver wasntkind, attentive, patient. He never made me feel like my emotions were too much.
We built a real lifenot one for social media. Soon, our daughter was bornmy mirror image with his smile.
Then fate gave me the perfect ending.
One evening, I stopped at a petrol station. And there they were.
Oliver and Emily.
But now, no designer clothes, no happy photos. Their cara rusted wreck. A screaming child in the back, an empty bank card declined at the till.
We cant even afford petrol? Emily whined.
You knew money was tight, Oliver snapped.
Emily laughed bitterly.
Looks like Clara won in the end.
I started my car and drove hometo my real happiness.
