My Best Friend Was Helping My Husband Betray Me

This was the twentieth time I threatened Ethan Sterling with divorce.

But this time, my best friend, Chloe, didnt try to stop me.

Usually, she would do everything in her power to hold me back. She would even run to Ethans office herself to beg him to make peace with me.

But this time, she was quiet. She helped me contact a lawyer, drafted the divorce papers, and ran around handling the paperwork at the family court.

As I was about to sign, I couldnt help but ask her why she was acting so differently.

It was like I had touched a sore spot. She snapped, her voice full of sudden anger:

"Do you have any idea that Lily had a miscarriage because of your drama this time? When are you going to stop?"

Lily Vance. She was Ethans mistress.

Seeing my shocked expression, Chloe sighed deeply:

"Actually, Lily is my cousin. I was the one who introduced her to Ethan in the first place."

"For all these years, Ive felt so guilty. I did everything I could to make it up to you, but Maya, Im just so tired."

She put her hand on my shoulder:

"Just do it for me. Stop fighting them, okay? Whatever they owe you, Ill pay it back."

I went completely cold, feeling as if I had fallen into an ice cave.

So, whether it was friendship or love...

It had been a massive lie from the very beginning.

While she wasn't looking.

I quietly opened the divorce agreement.

And stroke by stroke, I signed my name.

The air in the room was dead silent.

Then, my phone rang. The name "Lily" flashing on the screen felt like a cruel joke.

Chloes expression softened instantly as she picked up:

"Okay, Im on my way."

Hanging up, she regained her usual cold composure:

"I know you don't really want a divorce. Otherwise, you wouldn't have let me convince you to stay every other time."

"Go back, apologize to Ethan, and swear youll never harass Lily again. Let's just end this drama here."

With that, she grabbed her car keys and rushed out of the family court building.

Outside, the wind began to howl, and a heavy downpour started to splash against the windows.

I gripped the signed divorce papers tightly.

I suddenly remembered the first time I caught Ethan cheating. It was on a rainy day just like this.

Two tangled bodies, a messy bed.

Faced with my screaming and crying, Ethan had only looked at me with complete indifference:

"It was just a temporary craving."

"Why are you crying? You're still the only Mrs. Sterling."

That day, I went mad. I ran into the pouring rain and tried to jump into the river to end it all.

It was Chloe who risked her life to drag me back.

She cried and swore to me:

"Ethan was just playing around."

"Don't worry. Ill find a way to make him change his mind and come back to you."

Later, every time Ethan cheated, I tried everythingslitting my wrists, threatening to jump from buildings, even trying to take him down with me.

And every time, Chloe would stop me at all costs, telling me over and over that Ethan would change.

But he never did. Not once.

One was my husband, the other was my best friend.

They used to argue passionately over whether I hated onions or cilantro in my food.

They used to stand up for me whenever I was bullied, one fighting the bullies and the other pulling me to safety.

Now, they were hurting me ruthlessly for the exact same woman.

I guess nothing lasts forever.

I tried to control my shaking handsa symptom of my worsening anxietyand took a big step out of the courthouse.

From now on, I only rely on myself.

When I got back to the house, luxury jewelry boxes were piled up across the dining table.

This was Ethans usual routine whenever I brought up divorce.

No apology, no explanation. Just a delivery of the latest designer jewelry the next day.

But this time, as I walked closer, the deep, blood-red color of a ruby necklace flashed in my eyes.

I instantly threw up.

Years ago, my mother was publicly cyberbullied and called a cheap homewrecker. To prove her innocence, she jumped from a high-rise building right in front of me.

Her body shattered on the pavement. Blood was everywhere.

Since then, the color red has been my absolute worst nightmare.

With trembling hands, I shut the jewelry box and dialed Ethans number on Snapchat.

He didn't pick up within ten seconds like he used to.

One minute, thirty minutes, an hour passed. My phone was filled with missed call logs.

I couldn't sit still anymore. I stood up.

I opened the location-tracking app I had installed on Ethans phone long ago.

I grabbed the divorce papers and my car keys, and went out the door.

Following the GPS.

I found the estate in the suburbs that Ethan had bought for Lily.

The moment I reached the gate, a security guard blocked me:

"No unauthorized personnel allowed."

The estate was heavily guarded, almost as if they were trying to keep a specific person out.

I squeezed the divorce papers tighter and cleared my throat:

"Im looking for Ethan Sterling. I am his wife."

The guards looked at each other, then let out sneers:

"What kind of nonsense is that? Everyone knows Mr. Sterling's wife is Lily, the lady living inside."

They looked me up and down, judging my simple clothes:

"A woman dressed like a total cheapskate claiming to be his wife? Who are you trying to fool?"

I bit my lip, refusing to move from the gate.

A few minutes later, a butler-like figure came out of the villa and whispered to the guards.

The guards suddenly pulled out security batons:

"Get lost! Mr. Sterling said he doesn't know anyone named Maya Miller. Beat it!"

With that, they shoved me hard onto the wet ground. One of them even raised his baton toward me.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The sharp screech of tires stopped the guard in his tracks.

Chloe scrambled out of her car and rushed over to pull me up:

"You already caused Lily's miscarriage. You knew Ethan wouldn't want to see you. Why do this to yourself?"

I bit my lip stubbornly, refusing to say a word.

Chloe sighed:

"Fine. Follow me inside."

The guards let us through. We walked through several iron gates and finally reached a grand, vintage-styled reception hall.

The moment I stepped inside, I froze.

The hall was filled with glamorous people, clinking glasses, and a festive atmosphere.

And right in the center of the room hung a massive, beautiful wedding portrait of Ethan and Lily.

It was a wedding reception.

Our former business partners, mutual friends, and college classmates were all there.

The very same people who used to look down on Lily for being a homewrecker.

Now, they were all lining up to offer her their warmest congratulations.

Through the crowd, Ethan spotted me.

His body went rigid. He pushed through the guests and walked over:

"Did Chloe bring you in?"

I remained silent. He let out a heavy sigh:

"Lily has been with me for years without any legal title, and she just lost our baby. She just wanted a small wedding celebration to cheer her up."

"It's our special day. Can you please stop making a scene?"

He reached out, trying to pat my head like he used to, but I flinched away violently.

His hand froze in midair, and his eyes instantly turned cold and disgusted:

"Fine. What do you want this time?"

"Designer jewelry? A penthouse with a river view? Or more shares in my company?"

My heart ached sharply.

Over the years, whenever I wanted a divorce.

Chloe would always tell me that if I wanted to hold onto a man, I had to grab his wallet.

So every time I caught Ethan cheating, Chloe would help me demand an outrageous amount of money and assets.

And Ethan always gave them to me.

But it only made him despise me more and more.

I gripped the divorce papers, about to speak.

Suddenly, Lily rushed straight toward me:

"Why are you still here?!"

A sharp, burning slap landed on my face.

With tear-filled eyes, she glared at me:

"You really are the daughter of a homewrecker. Just like your mother, you are toxic, vicious, and pathetic."

My heart felt like it was hit by a sledgehammer. My eyes went red:

"My mother was not a homewrecker!"

Ethan took a step forward, shielding Lily behind him, and glared at me with fury:

"Enough! How much longer are you going to keep up this drama?"

The impatience and disgust in his eyes were completely overflowing.

I froze.

The next second, someone shoved me hard from the side.

Chloe, now wearing a bridesmaid dress, looked down at me with a cold face:

"Your mother was a homewrecker, Maya. The family she ruined back then... was Lily's."

I froze completely.

I looked at Chloe, then at Ethan.

During high school, my mother remarried, only to be publicly accused of being a homewrecker.

Later, we found out the man had lied about being single. He had a wife and a daughter.

But no matter how much my mother pleaded, everyone labeled her a homewrecker.

The day the man's wife came to our door with a mob to humiliate her publicly, my mother jumped from the building. The man vanished without a trace to escape the scandal.

After that, the rumor that I was "the daughter of a homewrecker" spread like wildfire at school.

My locker was constantly filled with trash. My test papers were vandalized with red ink.

People whispered behind my back wherever I walked:

"Like mother, like daughter. Shell grow up to be a homewrecker too!"

I fell into such a deep depression that I had to drop out of school.

It was Chloe who dragged me out of bed, washed my hair, and helped me clean up.

And it was Ethan who walked me to and from school every day, snapping at anyone who dared to whisper:

"Did you see it with your own eyes? Or did your own mother get cheated on?"

Those bullies were always left speechless, and eventually, the rumors faded.

The night we graduated high school, Ethan confessed his love to me.

Before I could even nod, Chloe was already crying tears of joy:

"Ethan, you know what Maya fear the most. Swear to me, swear youll never let her bear the shame of being cheated on!"

Ethan immediately went down on one knee and swore to the heavens:

"In this life, I will only love Maya. If I ever betray her, I hope I die a horrible death."

The three of us had such wonderful times. From high school to college.

We started the company together, we were inseparable, we lived in cheap basement apartments and shared expired bread.

But everything changed silently the moment Lily appeared.

I could never understand why.

Now, finally, I understood.

"So... Lily is the daughter of the woman who drove my mother to her death?"

Chloe quietly pulled Lily further behind her back:

"What do you mean 'drove her to death'?"

"Lily told me the whole truth about what happened back then."

"It was your mother who ruined her parents' marriage. She knowingly destroyed Lilys family."

"After that, Lily had to live with different relatives for years. Her college years were a hundred times harder than yours."

My lips trembled uncontrollably:

"You felt sorry for her... so you introduced Ethan to her?"

Chloe avoided my gaze, but she didnt deny it.

"Enough!"

Ethan stepped forward, looking at me with a cold face:

"Even if Chloe hadn't introduced us, falling in love with Lily was only a matter of time."

Looking at his determined eyes.

I suddenly laughed. I laughed so hard that tears started rolling down my face.

They looked at me defensively. The moment my hand reached into my bag.

Ethan panicked and yelled:

"Stop her! Don't let her hurt Lily!"

Several bodyguards rushed forward, pinning me brutally to the cold floor.

Fists and kicks rained down on me.

But the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.

I suppressed a groan, wiping the blood from my lip:

"Ethan... I came here to give you the divorce papers."

His body went stiff.

He looked down at me in utter disbelief:

"Maya, when are you going to stop this childish drama?"

Right.

To him, every time I mentioned divorce, it was just a dramatic show.

The suicide attempts, the screamingit was always loud, but in the end, I would always listen to Chloe and go back to him.

But only I knew that this time was different.

The bodyguards let go of me, and I slowly stood up:

"The jewelry, the cars, the house... I don't want any of it. Just sign the papers."

Ethans hand, which was wrapping around Lilys waist, froze:

"Im not signing. What kind of reverse psychology is this?"

Lily had stopped crying by now, looking anxious:

"Ethan, you promised me youd give me a real family."

Ethan was silent for a long moment before whispering to her:

"Sweetheart, I also promised her that I would give you my love, but keep her as my legal wife."

Lily turned her head away, looking incredibly hurt and angry.

Seeing Ethan's suspicious gaze, my heart felt a sharp prick.

I had expected this reaction. I pulled a share transfer agreement out of my bag:

"You've been wanting me to give back my shares in Sterling Group, right? Sign the divorce papers, and these are yours."

Chloe grabbed my arm tightly:

"Are you insane?! You got those shares when we first founded the company!"

"You can give up anything else, but if you lose those shares, you'll literally have nothing!"

I ignored her, keeping my eyes fixed on Ethan:

"I know you're currently bidding against Julian Hayes. With these shares, you'll have absolute control over the company."

Ethan stayed silent for a long time, his eyes narrowing:

"Maya, I can agree to the divorce. But you better not be playing any games with me."

I looked him straight in the eyes:

"Ethan, let me go, and let yourself go. I'm just so tired."

As if triggered by my words, he snatched the papers from my hand and quickly signed them:

"Fine! Let's see how many days you can survive out there without the protection of the Sterling Group!"

"Ill be waiting for the day you come crawling back, begging me to remarry you!"

I didn't say a word. I just stared at his signature on the paper.

"It's signed. Now get the hell out of here!"

He threw the papers right at my face.

I didn't cry. I didn't yell. I just turned around and walked away.

Behind me, Chloe was screaming my name:

"Maya! Are you crazy? How are you going to survive without Ethan?"

"Just because I didn't stop you this one time, you actually went through with it?!"

She tried to run after me.

But Ethans cold voice stopped her:

"Let her go. We've protected her too well all these years."

"It's time she faces the harsh reality of the world. Only then will she realize how good she had it with us."

My footsteps paused for a fraction of a second.

He didn't know. My world didn't have any storms.

All the pain and disasters in my life were brought to me by them.

I went back to the house and began packing.

The high school photos, the college postcards.

I left behind every single memory of the three of us.

Just a few clothes and my ID documents.

In this house, which was already taken over by Lily's things, my belongings were pathetic.

But at least it made packing quick.

As I dragged my suitcase into the airport, a man in a black suit was already waiting for me:

"Miss Miller, you did Mr. Hayes a huge favor this time. He has arranged everything for your trip."

"Don't worry. As long as you don't want to be found, Ethan Sterling will never find you."

I nodded to the man, turned off my phone, and boarded Julian Hayess private jet.

Two hours later, the plane landed.

A flood of text messages and missed calls popped up the moment I turned my phone back on.