Chapter 3

“What are you talking about?”

I stared at him, my eyes widening in disbelief.

Cole sighed.

“Mrs. Sienna, I’ve known about this for quite some time. I didn’t want to tell you because I thought you might believe I was trying to destroy your friendship and marriage. So I kept quiet and waited. Perhaps it would be better if you discovered the truth yourself.”

I sighed, staring at him.

“Oh my God. You’re unbelievable. How have you managed to put up with them? And you knew about the pregnancy too?”

He nodded.

“You see, Vanessa and I haven’t been on good terms for quite some time. So when she came to tell me she was pregnant, I wasn’t convinced. We had gone so long without being intimate that nothing about the pregnancy made sense to me.”

He paused before continuing.

“Then, one day, I overheard her on the phone with your husband. They were being rather affectionate, and I heard her call him the father of her baby. She was even asking him when he intended to divorce you.”

I swallowed.

“I was hurt, obviously. But I couldn’t let her get away with it just like that. Divorce is almost like death. Once it happens, it happens. It might hurt, but it isn’t the end of the world. I wanted something that would hurt both of them even more.”

I sighed, feeling increasingly irritated.

“And do you know what’s funny? They’re still playing in our faces! Yesterday, they were at that gender-reveal party, and Ethan even brought me a slice of their cake.”

“I know,” Cole replied calmly. “I heard her laughing about it on the phone. I suppose Ethan told her what he did.”

I shook my head angrily.

“So, what do you think we should do about them?”

He looked at me.

“I already told you, but you ignored my suggestion, didn’t you?”

I frowned.

“Let’s do the same to them. Let’s form an alliance. We sleep together, give them a taste of their own medicine, and make them suffer for the time they’ve been playing us. Then, when the time comes for divorce, we leave them with nothing. The divorce will be the cherry on top.”

I swallowed.

I wasn’t sure what kind of advice I had expected when I agreed to meet Cole, but it certainly wasn’t this.

I sighed, shaking my head.

“No. No. They might be terrible people, but we can’t repay evil with evil.”

I pushed my chair back, preparing to stand.

“I’m glad you already know about their affair. At least I don’t have to explain everything to you. But I think I’ll have to handle this my own way.”

“Mrs. Sienna.”

Cole’s voice stopped me.

“Please think about it.”

“Don’t hold your breath.”

I gave him one last look before walking away.

I sighed as I settled into my car.

This wasn’t what I had wanted. There had to be another solution, something that didn’t involve stooping to their level.

I had left home early that morning, expecting Ethan to have gone to work by the time I returned. Surprisingly, he was still there.

I wasn’t ready to face him. I hadn’t mastered my pretence well enough, and the thought of looking into his face after everything I had witnessed disgusted me.

I went upstairs and sat on the edge of the bed.

Ethan was in the shower, and his phone kept lighting up with notifications. I sighed, feeling exhausted. I needed some rest, but even that seemed impossible with everything happening around me.

Cole’s video was still playing in my mind.

The footage of Ethan and Vanessa being intimate in their bedroom.

I had only managed to watch a few seconds before feeling sick. I didn’t want to see any more of it.

When I picked up Ethan’s phone to silence the notifications, a message caught my attention.

It was from Vanessa.

Honey, the baby misses you so much. I wish you were here with us.

I stared at the screen.

I didn’t need to read the rest of their conversation. That single message was enough.

I clenched my jaw, my fingers tightening around the phone.

So this was what my husband had been doing behind my back. While I was at home worrying about our marriage, he was building another family with my best friend.

I put the phone down, then picked up mine.

For a few seconds, I stared at Cole’s contact before finally typing.

Yes. I agree.

I sent another message immediately.

Please send me the location of a hotel.

His response came almost instantly, as though he had been waiting for me to change my mind.

I stared at the message, a strange determination settling inside me.

Now, let’s see who plays this game better.