Chapter 1

During the first month of my marriage, a girl claiming to be another victim added me on SnapChat.

She sent me screenshots of her chat history with my husband, along with some highly explicit photos of them together, warning me to run away from this toxic jerk as fast as I could.

Two weeks later, I caught them red-handed in our brand-new apartment.

The girl clung to his arm, looking like she’d just done the world a massive favor:

"I'm taking this trash off your hands. Aren't you going to thank me?"

It was our one-month marriage anniversary.

I walked home carrying a small cake, ready to surprise my husband.

"Chloe, my mom took a nasty fall. I need to head back upstate to check on her." Just as I finished setting up the candlelight dinner, a message from Austin popped up.

"But... do you even know what day it is today?" I typed it out, but deleted it right before hitting send.

Instead of demanding answers, I changed my tone: "Is it serious? Do you need me to come with you?"

"No need. Just watch the shop."

To play the part of the perfect, understanding wife, I sat alone and ate the entire cake by myself, then cleaned the house top to bottom.

Just as I was getting ready for bed, my phone screen lit up.

A stranger had sent me a friend request.

Her profile picture was a soft, gentle-looking girl with long hair, holding a fluffy gray cat. She looked completely harmless and sweet.

"Who is this?"

I messaged her first. I hated having random strangers sitting in my contact list.

"I’m Austin Vance’s girlfriend. We need to talk."

Austin was already married. To me. How on earth did he have a girlfriend?

Curious, I accepted her request.

"I saw your contact info on Austin’s phone. I'm adding you because you need to know the truth. You need to get away from him. He’s been playing both of us this whole time. I only found out recently. I was scammed by him too," she said, getting straight to the point.

I tried my best to keep my voice steady as I typed: "What's your name?"

"Melanie Frost. You’ve probably never heard of me. Just like I never knew you existed in his life, let alone that you two were married."

Her words instantly piqued my interest. So, she was the girlfriend Austin kept back in his hometown?

Right after that, Melanie sent me a massive batch of chat screenshots.

It turned out she knew everything. She knew Austin had quit his corporate job to start an escape room business.

She knew his entire family background.

She even knew the passwords to his laptop and phone.

...

As we compared details, I realized Austin had been meticulously using time zones and schedule gaps to text her. They talked about literally everything.

I was certain now: my husband was hiding a massive double life, and this girl on the other end was no amateur either.

Austin used to tell me that even in a marriage, couples need private space. He said trust was the foundation of a lasting relationship.

As it turned out, that "space" wasn't to build trust. It was just a convenient way for him to cheat without getting caught. What a calculating snake.

Before I could even process all of this, Melanie sent over a highly explicit photo.

She was snuggled up in Austin's arms, looking just like the sweet, obedient cat in her profile picture.

On my phone screen, that photo flashed on and off in the dark room, burning my eyes. My chest tightened, and hot tears slipped down my cheeks.

According to Melanie, they had been together for years.

Was I... actually the other woman?