Chapter 1I couldn't sleep well during my pregnancy, so I added a Hampton & Moore mattress to my cart, planning to buy it on Black Friday.
The next day, a shipping notification for that exact mattress popped up on my husband's phone.
My heart swelled with emotion. I pretended not to know about this sweet surprise.
But three days later, I saw the same damn mattress posted on my best friend Melissa's Instagram.
[Thank you to my special someone for this amazing gift~ I'm absolutely OBSESSED!]
I clung to hope. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
But in the middle of the night, I couldn't help myself—I opened the Amazon app on his phone.
The recipient's name jumped out at me like a slap in the face—Melissa Parker.
I stared at that name until my vision blurred.
Turned out, while I was waiting for a sale to save this family some money, he'd already given his full-priced love to someone else.
I wiped my tears and took screenshots.
They wanted to play me for a fool? Fine. I'd make sure they both paid in full.
...
My mind was spinning out of control.
The baby in my belly seemed to sense something was wrong, squirming restlessly.
I sat propped against the headboard until dawn broke.
Ryan woke up before seven. Seeing me still sitting up, his voice was soft with concern.
"Babe, what's wrong? Another rough night?"
I nodded stiffly, not knowing what expression to wear around him anymore.
"Didn't you mention checking out a mattress the other day? I saw the Black Friday deal was solid, so I grabbed it for us."
He reached over and ruffled my hair affectionately. "Don't worry about the price, babe. I make money so you can spend it."
People say a man's money flows where his heart is.
But Ryan's heart seemed capable of splitting itself in two.
He made me breakfast before heading to work.
The table was loaded with all my favorites. He hadn't made anything for himself.
After he left, I pulled out my phone and created a burner IG account.
I searched for Ryan's profile and discovered a whole world of content I'd never seen before.
Turned out he posted a breakfast photo every single morning.
Looking at that familiar lunchbox made my chest tighten with a sickening ache.
That lunchbox was one I'd given Melissa back in college.
She loved cooking, so I'd dropped a few hundred bucks on an insulated bento box for her.
I'd even had her initials custom engraved on it.
She'd thrown her arms around me back then. "Cassie-babe, I'm totally gonna pack you lunch in this every day!"
Who would've thought that lunchbox would end up being used to pack lunch for my husband every day instead?
No wonder Ryan never ate breakfast at home.
Someone was preparing it specially for him every morning.
Ryan and Melissa worked at the same company.
A company Melissa and I had founded together.
But after I got pregnant, Ryan stepped in to help me manage it.
They were both people I trusted completely—like family.
Now, betrayal crashed over me like a tidal wave.
I scrolled down. Ryan had posted another post that he'd hidden from me.
[Today's breakfast spread—My favorite roast beef sandwich!]
Ryan and I had been together for five years. I was always the one taking photos, documenting our life, sharing everything.
He used to roll his eyes at me. "What's the point of posting all this everyday crap?"
Now I stared at his daily stream-of-consciousness updates, a bitter smile twisting my lips.
I tortured myself by scrolling through post after post that had nothing to do with me.
Then my finger froze. One username caught my eye.
[@Sunset M]
This account had liked every single post that mentioned Melissa.
I knew all of Melissa's accounts—main and finsta. I desperately hoped this wasn't hers.
But when I clicked through, reality slapped me hard across the face.
Last week was Melissa's birthday. I'd specially ordered her a whimsical fairytale-themed cake.
[@Sunset M] had posted that day with a photo of that exact cake.
Her caption read: [Birthday vibes with the person who loves me most and the person who matters most]
So in Melissa's mind, was I the one who loved her most? Or the one who mattered most?
Chapter 2
I spent the entire day like some kind of stalker, lurking through their secret interactions.
Their behavior was borderline inappropriate, but not quite crossing the line.
Yet the persistent stabbing pain in my chest reminded me—this WAS betrayal.
When Ryan got home, he found me sitting on the couch, hair a mess, eyes bloodshot.
"Babe, what happened?"
Still those deep, warm eyes. Still that low, gentle voice.
But in that instant, everything felt different somehow.
When tears spilled down my cheeks, I saw panic and heartbreak flash in Ryan's eyes.
My instinct whispered: He still loves you. Give him one more chance.
So, I pulled up Melissa's Instagram photo, putting on a pouty voice like I was just whining.
"Melissa got someone to buy her that mattress, but I don't have one!"
Ryan's pupils dilated. His expression froze solid.
I didn't push him. I pretended not to notice his reaction.
He recovered quickly, pulling himself together and forcing out a stiff smile.
"If you want it that bad, babe, I'll get you one. OK?"
His large hand cupped my cheek, wiping away my tears.
Like he was dealing with a bratty kid, he teased me affectionately, "You're a grown woman and you're crying over something this silly?"
However, my heart didn't feel sweet. It just tasted bitter.
If he'd just admitted he bought Melissa that mattress, I wouldn't have blamed him.
But he dodged the question entirely, thinking he could just cover it up because I didn't know.
Didn't that prove something was definitely going on between them?
I hadn't eaten all day. The baby started protesting in my belly.
Worried the kicking would hurt me, Ryan leaned down and put his face against my stomach.
"Be good, little one. Daddy's gonna make you some food right now. Stop giving Mommy a hard time!"
Then he immediately got up and headed to the kitchen.
I watched his back as he bustled around, my heart twisting with an indescribable ache.
Ryan really was good to me.
Whether we were dating or after we got married, he'd always been consistently patient and caring.
After I got pregnant, he took on all the work and household stuff so I could focus on growing our baby.
So where did things go wrong?
Why would someone whose whole world revolved around me start dividing his heart?
My phone buzzing on the table snapped me out of my thoughts.
It was a FaceTime call from Melissa.
"Cassie-babe, how are you feeling? Everything okay?"
Even through the screen, the concern in her eyes was crystal clear.
I nodded, my response flat. "I'm fine."
She made small talk for ages. I ran out of patience.
"Is there a reason you're calling right now?"
Sensing my mood, she dropped the chitchat and cut to the chase.
"There's something at the company I wanted to run by Ryan, but he hasn't gotten back to me."
I flipped the camera around, pointing it at Ryan working away in the kitchen.
"He came home and went straight to making me dinner. Hasn't had time to check his phone."
Silence on the other end. Then her voice came back, forced and joking.
"Ugh, why do I feel like a total third wheel right now!"
Ryan walked out just then carrying a plate, looking curious when he saw me holding up my phone.
"Babe, whatcha doing?"
"You didn't reply to Melissa, so she tracked me down."
Just for a split second—but I still caught it—Ryan's slight pause when he heard Melissa's name.
He set down the plate and walked over, casually taking my phone to talk to Melissa.
They really were discussing work stuff.
Seeing me still sitting on the couch, Ryan spared some attention for me.
"Babe, go ahead and eat. I'll be right there."
Maybe he genuinely cared about me. Or maybe they needed to talk privately.
Either way, Ryan took my phone into the study and closed the door.
A whole table of food I loved, but it all tasted like cardboard in my mouth.
I couldn't stop my mind from spiraling.
What were they talking about behind my back?
Confessing their feelings?
Complaining about their moody, high-maintenance pregnant wife?
The chaotic thoughts tangled in my brain, threatening to make my head explode.
That night before bed, Ryan wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Babe, I already ordered that mattress you wanted. You'll be able to sleep properly from now on."
In that instant, an irrepressible urge surged up from deep in my heart.
I don't want to share a bed with Ryan while living in two different worlds.
I tried to keep my voice steady as I let the painful truth slip out.
"I know you bought that mattress for Melissa."
Chapter 3
The large hand gently rubbing my belly suddenly froze. Ryan didn't respond right away.
The fear buried deep inside made me speak in an almost pathetic tone.
"Just give me a reasonable explanation. That's all I'm asking."
Silence spread through the air. Just when I felt like I was about to suffocate, Ryan finally threw me a lifeline.
"There was this really tough project at the company a while back. Melissa pulled overtime for a whole week to get it sorted. Last week was her birthday and I hadn't gotten her anything, so I figured I'd send her that as a gift."
I accepted this answer.
There were still so many questions weighing on my heart, though.
Why send it anonymously? Why hide those IG posts from me? Why eat the breakfasts she made for him...
But we had a baby on the way. And I couldn't let go of what I'd thought was a perfect marriage.
I clumsily turned over. My belly was in the way, but I stubbornly completed the hug.
"Ryan, I can't lose you."
He gently stroked my hair. "You're being silly."
His breathing gradually evened out beside me. I carefully sat up and pulled the covers over him.
I sat in the bathroom, using my burner account to pull up [@SunsetM].
[Butterflies are an involuntary reaction. He reminds me of that fact over and over again.]
[I'm awful for thinking this, but what if the reason he's willing to cook after a long day... was me? How amazing would that be!]
Tears dripped onto the screen, blurring the ambiguous words.
I thought back to my wedding day with Ryan. Melissa had been my only bridesmaid.
When she handed him the ring, she'd whispered a warning.
"If you ever treat Cassie wrong, I'm gonna turn her gay and steal her right out from under you!"
I'd always proudly told Ryan: "I have a best friend who loves me so much. If you ever treat me badly, she won't let you get away with it!"
But now, memories that once touched my heart had become boomerangs stabbing straight through it.
I didn't fall asleep until the early hours. When Ryan got up, I dragged myself out of bed too.
Seeing my bloodshot eyes, he pinched my cheek with concern.
"Get some more sleep, babe. Is the baby keeping you up again? You barely slept."
I shook my head. I didn't want to sleep anymore. Nothing good happened in my dreams anyway.
He made a lot of breakfast today. I was about to ask him about it when I saw him pull out a lunchbox from the kitchen.
Watching him pack the food, my mind immediately jumped to the post Melissa had made last night.
"What made you decide to bring lunch to work today?"
Ryan paused for a beat, then quickly recovered. "No reason, really. Just felt like switching things up."
I smiled without saying more.
After he left, I calculated when he'd arrive at the office and opened IG.
Sure enough, Ryan had posted an update. But the breakfast in the photo was still one Melissa had made.
Then I clicked on [@SunsetM]'s account. The pinned post had changed to her newest one.
The photo showed the breakfast Ryan had packed himself.
The caption read: [Dreams really do come true.]
I dropped my phone and ran to the bathroom, throwing up everything I'd just eaten.
I collapsed over the toilet, sobbing hysterically until my eyes swelled and my temples throbbed.
My phone alarm suddenly went off—a reminder I'd set earlier.
In two days, it would be our third wedding anniversary.
I'd specifically made plans. I wanted him to keep that day free for me.
The moment Ryan got home, I told him about it.
He hesitated. My heart sank, and the stiff smile on my face fell.
"You don't want to celebrate our wedding anniversary?"
"No, of course I do!"
Seeing me upset, he rushed to reassure me.
"It's just—you haven't been eating or sleeping well lately. You've gotten so thin. I'm worried that going out on a date will be too exhausting for you."
"Then let's just have an at-home date. As long as you're with me, I'm happy with anything."
Ryan naturally agreed.
I couldn't wait to post it on Instagram, announcing to the world that we had a date.
Seeing Melissa silently like the post made me feel ugly inside.
