5. I am surrounded by traitors

Ella’s Point of View

The mountain air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. The campfire crackled at the center of the campsite, casting dancing shadows over the tents pitched in a circle. Laughter echoed, mingling with the sound of beer cans being popped open and the clinking of marshmallows roasting on the flames. It was supposed to be a perfect moment, a relaxing weekend with friends, planned months ago.

Marcus was by my side, his arm casually draped over my shoulders, chuckling at something Theo had said about Ben, their nine-month-old, who had apparently tried to crawl into a mud puddle earlier. Everyone seemed so at ease, so happy. And me? I was just playing my part.

“Ella, did you see Milla today? She brought her fairy tale book up here, says she wants to read to everyone before bed!” Amanda, my cousin and best friend, smiled, shaking her head as she held Ben in her lap. Four-year-old Milla was running between the tents, waving a stick like it was a magic wand.

“She’s getting so smart,” I replied, forcing a smile. My face felt stiff, like I’d forgotten how to smile for real. “You must be proud.”

“Proud and exhausted!” Theo laughed, pulling Amanda into a quick hug while balancing a beer in his other hand. “That girl’s gonna wear us out before she turns five.”

Bea, sitting across the fire next to her husband Rowan, raised her wine glass. “A toast to parents who survive their kids! And to friends who put up with endless stories about diapers and tantrums.” Everyone laughed, even me, because it was expected. Because it’s what a happy wife would do, right? Laugh, toast, pretend the world wasn’t crumbling beneath her feet.

Marcus squeezed my shoulder, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “You’re kinda quiet tonight, love. Everything okay?” His voice was soft, laced with a concern that, weeks ago, would’ve melted me. Now, it just made me nauseous.

“I’m fine, just soaking in the vibe,” I mumbled, shifting my gaze to the fire. The flames licked the logs, and I caught myself wishing they could burn everything: the lies, the betrayal, this mask I was wearing. But no. I had to hold it together. For a little longer, at least.

“You two are so cute,” Bea said, pointing at us with a wide grin. “Seriously, Ella, Marcus, you’re like the perfect couple. Everyone here wishes they had a marriage like yours.”

My stomach churned. Perfect couple. The words echoed in my head like a cruel joke. Perfect? While Marcus was cheating on me with Vanessa Monroe? While he proposed to her, as I saw on TV, and still had the audacity to bring me coffee and drive me to work like he was husband of the year? I swallowed hard, gripping my beer can so tightly my fingers ached.

“You guys are sweet,” Marcus replied, flashing that charming smile that used to make me feel lucky. Now, it just made me want to scream. “But, you know, it’s all Ella’s doing. She’s the heart of our home.”

I wanted to vomit. Heart of our home. How could he say these things without choking on his own hypocrisy? I glanced at him, searching for any sign of guilt, of hesitation, but he looked so at ease, laughing with our friends, like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn’t destroyed everything we’d built together.

“Ella, you okay for real?” Amanda asked, tilting her head. Her brown eyes, so familiar, studied me with what seemed like genuine concern. Or so I thought. Amanda had always been my confidante, my safe harbor. Since we were kids, we shared secrets, laughter, tears. But now, looking at her, I wondered: Did you know?

“I’m fine,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended. “Just… lost in thought.”

“You work too hard,” Rowan said, pointing a roasted marshmallow at me. “Doctor, saving lives, dealing with pressure all the time. You deserve a break, Ella.”

“True,” Theo added, raising his beer. “You and Marcus should take a vacation. Like, a second honeymoon. Bet it’d be epic.”

I forced a laugh, but inside, something snapped. Second honeymoon. While Marcus was meeting Vanessa in dark corners, while she flashed an engagement ring on TV?

All of my friends still believed that Marcus and I were a perfect couple. God, I wanted to scream, to spill everything, to pour out the pain eating me alive, to tell everyone the truth that Marcus betrayed me.

But I couldn’ t. Not yet. Tonight should be a happy moment for my lovely friends with their families. I didn’ t want my sadness to ruin their happiness.

“Maybe,” I muttered, taking a sip of my beer. The bitter taste matched what I was feeling.

The night went on, with more laughter, stories, and jokes. Milla eventually fell asleep in Amanda’s lap, and Ben was already in the tent, probably dreaming of his mud-puddle adventures. Marcus didn’t leave my side, always with a hand on me—my shoulder, my waist, my hand. Like he was marking his territory. Like I was still his.

When the fire started to die down, I decided I needed a break. “Gonna grab more water,” I announced, standing from the log we were sitting on. Marcus made a move to come with me, but I shook my head. “Stay here, love. I’ll be right back.”

He smiled, confident, and went back to talking with Theo about some football game. I walked to the tent where we kept our stuff, the cool night air biting at my skin. I grabbed my phone out of habit, but then I saw Marcus’s phone on the folding table, next to a flashlight. He’d left it there, unlocked, like he sometimes did, trusting I’d never snoop.

But something in me—maybe anger, maybe desperation—made me pick it up. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure the whole campsite could hear it. I swiped the screen and opened the photo gallery. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew I needed to see something, anything, to confirm what my gut was screaming.

And there it was. A group photo. Marcus, smiling, with Vanessa Monroe by his side, her arms thrown over his shoulders like they were old friends. But it wasn’t just them. Amanda was there, laughing, with Theo beside her. Bea and Rowan too, all toasting with plastic cups, like it was just another party. A simple caption: Unforgettable night. The date? Three weeks ago.

My world stopped. The air caught in my lungs, and for a moment, I thought I might faint. They knew. All of them. My cousin, my best friend, the friends I considered family—they all knew Marcus was cheating on me with Vanessa and said nothing. Worse: they celebrated with her. They threw a party. They toasted while I was at home, probably crying alone, trying to figure out why my husband seemed so distant.

Tears burned my eyes, but I swallowed them. I couldn’t cry. Not here, not now. I put Marcus’s phone back exactly where it was, grabbed the water bottle, and returned to the fire, my face a mask of neutrality. I sat back down beside Marcus, who looked at me with that smile that now made me sick.

“Everything okay?” he asked, as always, like he actually cared.

“Perfect,” I replied, my voice so cold it even surprised me. I looked around, at Amanda, Theo, Bea, Rowan. All so happy, so oblivious to what I’d just found out. Or maybe not oblivious. Maybe just complicit.

“Ella, you’ve gotta tell that story about the patient who tried to convince you to prescribe chocolate as medicine,” Bea said, laughing, trying to pull me into the conversation.

I smiled, a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Maybe another time. I’m kinda tired.”

“Tired?” Amanda frowned, adjusting Milla, who was sleeping in her lap. “You’ve been off since we got here, cousin. Wanna talk?”

Wanna talk? I wanted to laugh, scream, throw it in her face that she’d betrayed me as much as Marcus had. My best friend, my cousin, the person I trusted above everyone, was there, toasting with my husband’s mistress. But I said nothing. I just shook my head.

“Nah, I’m good. Just need a good night’s sleep.”

Marcus squeezed my hand. “Let’s hit the sack, then? The tent’s ready.”

“Good idea,” I agreed, standing. As we walked to the tent, I felt their eyes on my back. Were they whispering? Were they relieved I didn’t know? Or were they, deep down, laughing at the naive wife who thought she had a perfect marriage?

Inside the tent, Marcus lay down beside me, pulling me close. “Good day, huh?” he murmured, kissing my forehead. “I love these moments with you.”

I didn’t answer. I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep, while my mind spun. I was alone. Completely alone. My friends, my family—they’d all chosen to protect Marcus and Vanessa. They’d chosen laughter, a party, complicity, while I drowned in doubt and pain.

But it’s fine. They didn’t need to know how much it hurt. They didn’t need to know I was planning every step to escape this trap they called friendship, love, family. Tomorrow, I’d smile, play with Milla, talk to Amanda like nothing had changed. But deep down, I was counting the hours.

I was leaving. Without a trace. And when they realized, it’d be too late.