My Best Friend and My Husband Insisted on Getting Married

1

At the party, one of the guests reached into her bag to grab a tissue, only to accidentally pull out a specially customized platinum necklace.

"When did you buy this, Zoe? Why aren't you wearing it?" The nosy culprit, oblivious to the trouble she had caused, asked Zoe excitedly.

The necklace was a gift from my husband to her. He had asked a friend who designed jewelry to custom-make it, which meant that it wasn't something one could find on the market.

The pendant even had the initials "F M" engraved prominently, representing the first letters of their surnames.

"Oh, it's engraved too? Something's going on here," someone chimed in, and a small crowd quickly gathered around, shoving Zoe aside before she could react.

The next second, the necklace landed in my hands.

I frowned slightly at first but then casually lifted the pendant, examining the engraving closely.

I pretended not to notice the look of despair on the face of Zoe Morris, my bestie, and joined in with the others, praising. "Did some guy give this to you? He's got great taste. What brand is it? I don't think I've ever seen it in stores."

I could almost hear Zoe's heart stop. Her face turned as red as a beetroot as she pushed past the people in front of her. She roughly snatched the necklace from my hands and shoving it into the pocket of her jeans.

"Here, your tissue!" Zoe gritted her teeth as she tossed the tissue at the person. She was probably cursing that person out thoroughly in her mind.

A glance in the mirror right then would have shown her a face flushed bright red. All kinds of emotions, including frustration, shame, anxiety, panic, and unease, tangled up inside her.

I didn't say anything at the time, but my gaze stayed fixed on her.

Zoe, likely overwhelmed with guilt, couldn't even maintain her composure. She made up an excuse and left early.

2

In the weeks that followed, Zoe didn't message me once. Before this, we'd chat online almost daily, venting about coworkers, bosses, or even something as trivial as how many times our eyelids twitched.

She was probably drowning in fear, bracing herself for the moment I'd confront her and demand to know what was going on between her and Winston. But when my message never came, she must've started to panic. She knew that Winston Ford, my husband, had commissioned two of those custom necklace, one for her and the other for his wife, to smooth things over at home.

Having known her for ten years, I was sure of one thing. She must be wondering how I could remain so composed after finding out about her affair with Winston.

3

Zoe finally cracked. Even the blurry footage from the video recording couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes or her haggard appearance.

She sat in the passenger seat, leaning on Winston's shoulder, sobbing as she spoke. "It's all my fault for being careless."

She explained that the necklace was a gift from him, so she adored it and wore it all the time.

On the day of the class reunion, she had forgotten to take it off. It wasn't until she saw me at the restaurant entrance that she hurriedly removed it and stuffed it into her bag.

But who could've predicted that someone would dig through her bag in front of everyone?

"What do we do, Winston? What if she knows about us? She and I have been friends for over ten years. It's all your fault. You knew we were best friends. Why did you have to come after me? Of all the women in the world, why did it have to be me, your wife's best friend? I hate you so much! Why did I have to fall for you? I should've never agreed to this from the start."

Sitting at my computer, listening to Zoe's tearful lament and watching her pitiful sobbing, I felt an overwhelming urge to give her a piece of my mind.

But I couldn't deny that I saw a flicker of guilt in her eyes. After all, our friendship had been real.

4

We'd been close since our university days.

Zoe came from a very poor family. Her tuition was covered by student loans, and she had to rely on part-time jobs for her living expenses.

My family wasn't wealthy either, but I was generous by nature.

I'd always gone out of my way to be good to her. Zoe was always frugal, so whenever we ate together, I made sure she had enough, offering her part of mine and pretending I wasn't that hungry.

She never had to buy toiletries because I let her use mine.

When her mother fell ill and couldn't afford the surgery, I didn't hesitate to lend her half of my living expenses for the year. After that, the two of us scraped by in the dorm, surviving on instant noodles and cheap snacks.

After graduation, we both stayed in the same city to work, supporting each other through thick and thin.

We ate together, rented places together, argued with delivery guys and couriers together. From job hunting to falling in love, getting married, and having kids, we never missed a single important moment in each other's lives.

Back then, I never would've imagined that one day she'd stab me in the back and have an affair with my husband.

But one thing I knew for certain was that Winston was the one who started it. He was the one who led Zoe down that path.

Of course, it was only possible because Zoe had feelings for him too.

It took two to tango. If Zoe hadn't been interested, Winston wouldn't have dared to make a move on my best friend, no matter how bold he was.

What was done was done. She felt guilty, she thought she had betrayed our sisterhood, but what was the point? The word "hypocritical" fitted her perfectly.

One moment she was moaning in ecstasy under Winston, the next she had tears in her eyes, whispering, "This is so wrong...I've betrayed my best friend. You've made me a sinner." Honestly, the hypocrisy was unbelievable.

5

In the video recording, Zoe was bawling her eyes out, but Winston remained calm, even smiling faintly as he reassured her. "That's it? I thought it was something serious. Relax, I didn't tell my wife it was custom-made. She doesn't know that. She doesn't even like wearing jewelry. She probably tossed that necklace somewhere and forgot about it."

"Really?" Zoe asked, half-doubting.

"Of course. Otherwise, why hasn't she confronted you yet? If she really knew, the first person she'd come after would be me, right? But look at me, I'm perfectly fine. Trust me, it's no big deal. If she does ask, just make something up."

That reassurance seemed to ease Zoe's nerves.

I saved the video onto a USB drive. A few days later, I called Zoe and invited her out for a meal.

6

I took her to a small bar. Once we were seated, I stared at her quietly for a long time without saying a word. Then, I picked up my glass and downed it in one gulp.

Afterward, I started reminiscing, smiling as I brought up memories from our school days.

"Do you remember that on the first day of orientation, I told you your name was beautiful."

"Yeah." Zoe took a sip of her drink and nodded. "My parents said I started babbling before I could even sit up. I was noisy, chatty, always trying to talk. So they gave me the name Zoe, hoping I'd grow up to be full of life and energy, just like I was as a baby. Honestly, I've never liked this name."

"Exactly!" I poured us both another glass and continued. "From the very beginning, we hit it off so well. We did everything as a pair. The others used to joke, saying if we ever got married, would we have to share a house with our roommates?"

Zoe laughed along. "I said living together wouldn't be so bad! They were just jealous."

We went on reminiscing about countless funny moments from the past, laughing so much that Zoe almost forgot the guilt she carried toward me.

But eventually, my eyes turned red.

I looked at her and said, "I've always believed in the idea of destiny bringing people together. The moment I saw you in the dorm, I felt you were a kind and genuine person, someone I could be great friends with. And time proved me right. Back then, even though I helped you a lot, you gave me emotional support in return. You helped me through so many tough times. There were things I couldn't share with anyone else but you. I truly, truly saw you as a sister... and I still do."

That last phrase, "and I still do, " was like a sharp blade of judgment, cutting deep into Zoe's heart. It must have hurt her terribly.

Her nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

I sighed and continued. "I know that bracelet was a custom piece, and I know what the engraving on it means."

I raised my hand slightly to stop Zoe from speaking, giving her no chance to explain. "The issues between Winston and me didn't start yesterday. I don't think it's entirely one person's fault. Nor do I want to pin the blame for the breakdown of a long-standing relationship on one event or one person."

When I said "one person, " I deliberately slowed my pace and emphasized the words. "These past few days, I've been thinking a lot. I've been wondering how I should handle this situation without losing even more. Both marriage and friendship are incredibly precious to me. If one day Winston and I are bound to go our separate ways, all I hope is that the first person to come between us isn't the one I trust the most."

I gently laid my warm hand over Zoe's, my eyes glistening with tears and a pained smile tugging at my lips. "Can I still believe in you? Can we still be friends? I don't want to lose you as a friend."

Zoe broke down instantly, tears streaming down her face. "I... I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I don't want to lose you either."

"I want us to stay friends. That's why I came to talk to you today. That's all I wanted to say. I'll leave now. I'll call a cab myself. Don't worry about me."

7

I knew in my heart that she didn't want to lose me as a friend.

In today's world where everyone seemed so focused on material things, finding someone who truly cared was a rare blessing.

Zoe wasn't someone who forgot kindness. She remembered every single thing I'd done for her over the years.

She just... couldn't resist Winston's allure.

To outsiders, her marriage seemed perfect. But in reality, her relationship with her husband had grown cold. Sometimes, they'd go days without saying more than a few words to each other. Their hearts had grown distant, making them feel like strangers sharing the same home.

She had confided in me every moment of sadness and disappointment in her marriage. I knew how unhappy she was.

She had fantasized more than once about meeting a charming, witty man exuding masculinity, someone who could make her heart flutter and give her the courage to leave her marriage and start anew.

It was just unfortunate that the man she met was my husband, Winston. Zoe must have struggled and suffered when it all began. But how many women trapped in unhappy marriages could resist the allure of charming words and promises?

She tried her best.

8

After saying those words, I left, leaving Zoe standing alone in the biting wind, tears streaming down her face.

She had been on edge for days, and she probably never expected that even at this moment, I would still value our friendship and treat her as a friend.

I wondered if her conscience would awaken now, if she could cut ties with Winston once and for all.

But after secretly checking Winston's phone, I realized she couldn't bring herself to give up that unfaithful man for the sake of our friendship.

Perhaps she also knew that, despite my words, our relationship could never go back to the way it was.

A few days later, I received a message from Zoe. Since that fateful reunion where I saw the bracelet, this was the first time she had reached out to me.

Not only did I reply instantly, but I also sent her a lighthearted meme, just like I used to, as if trying to rekindle the warmth of our friendship.

I never expected that such a simple message would move Zoe to tears.

Later, when our group of close friends planned a dinner, I gladly joined. Throughout the evening, I didn't give Zoe any reason to feel awkward. It was as if nothing unpleasant had ever happened between us, as if her affair with Winston didn't exist.

9

A few days later, I approached Zoe, "Zoe, I need your help with something work-related. Can you lend me a hand?"

Zoe, already feeling guilty toward me, agreed without hesitation, "Of course! Whatever it is, I'll do my best!"

My company had been trying to collaborate with Zoe's firm on a senior living project. With the bidding process approaching and so many competitors, I didn't have much confidence.

But if Zoe could help me connect with her company's decision-makers and secretly hint at their lowest acceptable bid, I'd have a guaranteed win. A promotion to director this year would be a sure thing.

I had never brought this up before because I knew that leaking bid information was against the rules. If a competing company pursued the matter, Zoe could lose her job.

Given her position and seniority, it wouldn't be easy for her to pull this off. But to make up for her betrayal, I knew she would go all out, even risking her career, to ensure my success.

10

Two weeks after the deal went through, I invited Zoe to dinner to thank her. During the meal, she seemed hesitant to speak. I knew she wanted to ask if I hated her. After all these years of friendship, I understood her too well.

Before she could say anything, I spoke first, "Zoe, I'm divorcing Winston."