Cerita Pendek Plot Twists & Novel Best Friend Marriage

My best friend, Yara Campbell, got reborn back to the day she was to reunite with the richest family in town, the Waltons. She didn't want to relive her fate as the Waltons' marionette that was trapped in a gilded cage, so she refused to go home with them. That was why she didn't hesitate to push me out instead. As I gazed at Grace Robinson, whose fingers were adorned with diamond rings, and Raymond Walton, who looked like he was made of money, I instantly rushed toward them. There was no way I'd let this golden opportunity slip through my fingers, after all! Five years later, Yara shows up on the Walters' doorstep with a paternity test report in her hands. She then demands that I be cast out of the family. But she's too late. In the past five years, I'm no longer the replacement she had used on a whim back then. Now, I'm the second-in-command in Walton Group. No one in this family can possibly usurp my position from me now.

My husband, Mitch Cooley, has been with me through my fifth year of battling depression. While searching for recipes online, a notification for a late-night livestream for anonymous confessions pops up on my phone screen. "What's the biggest lie your husband has ever told you?" I tap on the notification out of curiosity as my eyes are drawn to the profile picture showing two hands tightly clasped together. The interviewee replies, "I'm still single, but if it's about my stupid best friend, then she'd been lied to by her husband three times. "The first time, her ex-boyfriend died in a car crash while cheating on her, and her now-husband hid the truth on purpose so that she thought the main reason her ex died was that she wanted to break up with him. "Her husband knew all along that her ex-boyfriend had been cheating on her with me, but he watched her try to slit her wrists in remorse multiple times without telling her the truth. "As for the third time, I just mentioned to her husband that he could only ever have a baby with me, and he immediately got himself a certificate proving that he was sexually frigid and refused to sleep with her. "But the most ridiculous thing is that my best friend still stupidly went to get an IVF done while I was rolling in the sheets with her husband every night." I feel alarm bells go off in my head. Mitch had also suddenly experienced sexual frigidity recently. The hospital he went to for treatment was one recommended by my best friend, Lexie Moyer. My hands tremble as I click on the interviewee's profile picture. I then realize that the red mole on the ring finger is the exact same one on Mitch's finger. The interviewee's tone suddenly turns low and restrained. "Even when her husband told her today that he would be working overtime at the company, when he was actually keeping me and our son company, she still made a whole table of dishes waiting for him to come home." I freeze on the spot the moment the interviewee's voice changer malfunctions for a bit. I know that voice too well. It is Lexie's.

Three years after we broke up, I finally crossed paths with my ex-boyfriend, Leo Davis. It was during a high-stakes police raid. He was the star lead detective. I was the fugitive wanted for four murders across eight states. When our eyes met, Leo froze. “Clara… what are you doing here?” I turned to run, but a bullet caught me in the leg. In the interrogation room, Leo slammed his hands on the table with his eyes bloodshot. “Four innocent people, Clara! How could you do this?! “Tell me it’s a mistake,” he begged, his voice breaking. “Just say the word. Please!” I looked at his broken expression and smiled. “You’re right. It is a mistake. It’s not four bodies, Leo. It’s five.” I leaned in closer. “You care so much about your darling wife and my former best friend, Maya Davis. Didn't you notice she was missing?”

Yves Riverson had a new razor. It was royal blue, wrapped in red silk, and he placed it at the very bottom of his suitcase as though it were some priceless treasure. During the flight, the plane suddenly hit turbulence. The alarm screeched through the cabin, and in that moment, the thing he clutched was not my hand. It was the razor someone else had given him. Only after the plane landed did he seem to remember I was there. He gently caressed my hand and told me not to be afraid. I said nothing, nor did I push him away. After we left the airport, I watched him eagerly pick up his phone. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine." Then he turned and saw me. The smile on his face froze. "Just talking to my parents." I nodded and ended the call with his parents. The car was moving slowly, and he was happily chatting with that person. I was scrolling the screen. The jewelry purchases made through our linked-payment account. That person made sure to note that the razor must be royal blue. "To Ms. Samantha Shaw." Samantha's laughter drifted faintly from the phone. I looked at my tired reflection in the car window and suddenly blurted out, "When did you start having an affair with my best friend?"

The night before I was due to marry my wealthy fiancé at the courthouse, my best friend, who studied criminal psychology, asked me a strange question. "Molly, your future mother-in-law never had children. So whose son is your fiancé?" Perhaps she thought I wouldn’t believe her. She showed me footage from twenty years ago, when my future mother-in-law spoke firmly to the press. "Even if this family line ends, I will never have a child or adopt one." I stared at her. My fiancé was already four years old twenty years ago. If he wasn’t her son, could he be my future father-in-law’s child from an affair? Then my friend slapped a medical report on the table. It showed my future father-in-law was infertile. "I checked. Your fiancé wasn’t adopted, and he isn’t the child of a relative or family friend. Something’s wrong with that family. Think carefully before you marry him." My friend had barely finished speaking when a message from my fiancé appeared. [Honey, I know we’re getting married tomorrow, but I still can’t settle down. Can I pick you up? Will you stay with me tonight?]

For our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband, Elliott Quinn, promises me a special gift. But when the day arrives, I walk in on him tangled in bed with my best friend, Lauren Langley. Hysterical, I confront him, but Elliott answers without a trace of shame. "On our wedding night, you were fast asleep. Your dad was the one who put Lauren in my bed. We've kept it from you for five years, and Lauren has had to put up with it all this time." Then he drops another bombshell. "And your last miscarriage wasn't an accident. Jack saw how heartbroken Lauren was, so he slipped abortion pills into your drink." Shaking with rage, I scream, "Why?" Elliott pulls Lauren behind him protectively and says offhandedly, "I got bored with you. Lauren is better than you in every way. She's gentle and considerate. Even Jack prefers her. She's put up with this for five years. You should count yourself lucky." Lauren darts out from behind Elliott and grabs my hand, refusing to let go. "Sienna, I'm not trying to take your place," she says anxiously. "You'll still be Mrs. Quinn. I'll just be part of the family too. Remember when you said you wanted us to stay together forever? Well, now you've got your wish." With that, she reaches out to hug me. Trembling violently, I shove her away. The next second, a pair of small hands shoves me to the floor. Searing pain tears through my abdomen, and blood won't stop pouring from between my legs. I look up to see my son, Jack Quinn, glaring at me with pure hatred. "You're the most evil mommy in the whole world! Why don't you just die?" In an instant, my vision blanks out, and my ears start ringing. As the life inside me slips away, my heart turns completely cold. I force my lips into a bitter smile. If they all think Lauren is so much better, I'll just step back and let her have the family.

After my hundredth disastrous blind date, my best friend and I made a bold decision: we would have children without husbands. She chose sperm from a brilliant PhD donor. I chose a donor with an eight-nation mixed heritage. Later, the PhD donor from Kingsford University was diagnosed with low sperm motility and decided he wanted to marry my friend, Melissa Shaw. She agreed. Whenever she saw me going to my prenatal checkups alone, Melissa would wrap her arm around her husband and mock me. "You're destined to be alone," she sneered. "You can't even find a man to marry you. My husband just launched a major national research project. His future is limitless." What she did not know was that the father of my child was the Prince of Dubaria. He took me back to his country and made me his princess. The jewels I wore were so heavy they practically weighed me down. However, after she saw the yacht I posted on social media, Melissa suddenly called me in tears. "I don't know what happened," she sobbed. "My husband's project was suddenly suspended. We can barely afford baby formula for our child." She said she wanted to make up and even asked if I would be her child’s godmother. However, the moment I stepped through her door, she raised a chainsaw and hacked me to death. "Why do you get to live a better life than me?" she screamed. "Just because you chose better sperm?!" When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my best friend and I first decided to have children without husbands.

After saving my girlfriend, Tiffany Swain, I suffer from a concussion, leading to me getting rushed to the hospital. That's when I decide to play a prank on her. "Who are you?" When I see Tiffany's expression freeze on her face, I almost burst out laughing. But Tiffany suddenly points at her best friend, Janet Emery. "I'm your fiancee's friend. That's your fiancee, Janet Emery." This time, my expression freezes on my face. Janet approaches me at that moment. "That's right. I'm your fiancee." I squeeze out a smile at her. "Let's go home, then."

In order to coerce me into getting married, my grandpa dials my number 20 times in a row so that he can annoy me into flying back to the country. "There's a curse running in our family. If a family member doesn't get married by the time they turn 25, they will definitely suffer from a fate worse than death!" I can hear how anxious Grandpa is. Although it's another one of those excuses that I'm so sick of hearing, I still choose to yield to his wishes. I complete my master's thesis defense a month in advance just so I can surprise Grandpa with my presence. One week later, I fly back to my home country. Shockingly enough, a stranger stops me from entering my own home. "Unauthorized people aren't allowed entry. People like you have no right to meet Mr. Gardner Senior. Leave now, or else don't blame me for being rough with you!" I take off my sunglasses to make out the man's features. He turns out to be Jake Ferrell, Grandpa's bodyguard. The thing is, Jake should be loyal to me, so why is he threatening violence against me right now? Then, I watch as Jake opens the door of a limousine, which is parked outside the manor. He holds an umbrella with one hand as he bows slightly to the owner. "Please get out of the car, miss," he says respectfully. Through the car window, I can make out the features of the young woman sitting inside the car. She happens to be Rosalie Gardner, my best friend—the very same woman who has gotten expelled from college because of her laziness and has managed to land a job in Gardner Corporation thanks to my recommendation.

Vivian Hayland called for the thirty-seventh time, asking to borrow my husband Wilson Gomez for a day. The school was holding "Take Your Family to School Day." All the other children would have their fathers with them, and she didn't want anyone making fun of her son. Wilson glanced at me, then grabbed his coat and quickly got out. On his way out, he tossed me the same line as always. "She's divorced, and it's not easy raising her son alone. Stop being so petty." But that was also the day our daughter, Tammy, had been looking forward to for three whole months, because she would be performing for her family. She sat backstage clutching her costume and waited until the show was over, but her father never came. When we got home, we saw Wilson on a live TV broadcast. He, Vivian, and Leonard were all wearing matching outfits. He even let her hold his arm. When the TV host asked how long they had been married, Wilson did not correct the mistake. Instead, he leaned down and ran his hand through Vivian's loose hair tenderly. Leonard even went ahead and hugged Wilson around the waist tightly, shouting Dad as loud as he could. As the camera panned across the audience, applause and cheers rose from all sides. My daughter watched in silence for a long time, then tore the drawing of our family she was holding in half. "Mom, someone else keeps borrowing Dad. Is it okay if we stop waiting for him?" I looked at her red eyes, and whatever hope I was clinging to finally died. I pulled out my phone and messaged my lawyer, Ryan Green. "Get the divorce agreement ready."

The day before our wedding, I spot a red mark on Alvin Lane's neck, right above his suit collar. Right then and there, I shred my wedding gown, press the scissors to my neck, and demand to know who the other woman is. Alvin tries to calm me down as he swears, "Daph, I swear I didn't cheat on you. Can you please put the scissors down first?" I don't believe him. When my best friend, Esther Ford, finds out, she's even angrier than I am. She helps me check hotel records, comb through credit card statements, and even sits with me outside Alvin's office until the middle of the night. However, we still don't find anything. Esther hugs me and says, "Daph, don't be scared. If there really is another woman, I promise I'll help you find her. And if there isn't, then you can marry him without any doubts." Later, Alvin swears I'm the only woman he'll ever love. He says the wedding invitations have already gone out and begs me not to throw away our five-year relationship on a suspicion without proof. Esther tries to persuade me, too. "I helped you look into it. There really isn't anyone else in his life. Daph, it's your turn to be happy." Even I start to think I really have misunderstood Alvin, so I go ahead and marry him. Then, on my birthday, I find out I'm pregnant. I go home, excited to tell Alvin the good news. However, before I can go inside, I hear his strained voice from behind the door. "Esther, I don't wanna keep hiding this. I'm gonna tell Daphne I want a divorce, and then I'll marry you." The next second, Esther cuts him off, crying. "You can't! Do you wanna ruin us? I'm the person she's trusted most her entire life. If she finds out that the woman she spent all that time looking for was me, what is she supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?" Alvin goes rigid. After a long silence, he quietly pulls her into his arms. I stand outside the door, feeling every drop of blood in my veins turn cold. It turns out the two people I trust most have betrayed me from the very beginning. I look down at the pregnancy test results in my hand. Suddenly, I start laughing until tears stream down my face. This time, I want to let go.