My Boyfriend Has Been Having An Affair With My Best Friend’s Husband, They’re Planning To Leave Us Both…To Expose Their Secret Relationship.

I’m so sorry, Amber. I know. I’m sorry, too, for both of us. Are you staying with Jake’s parents? Yeah, they’ve been amazing. Way more supportive than my own parents. Honestly, my mom keeps saying I should have seen the signs. Like, it’s my fault Jake was closeted. That’s awful. Yeah, but Patricia has been great. She’s horrified by what Jake did, but she also understands his struggle.

It’s complicated. Have you talked to Jake? once through lawyers. We’re dividing assets. It’s all very business-like and horrible. And Marcus, I saw him once at Patricia’s house. He came to get some of Jake’s things. He looked terrible. I wanted to feel sorry for him. I didn’t. They’re living together. Amber said. Did you know that?

No. Jake got an apartment. Marcus moved in. They’re just together now. Like it’s normal. The thought of them happy while Amber and I were miserable made me angry. “Are you angry?” Amber asked, reading my mind. “Yes.” “Aren’t you?” Furious, but also sad because part of me understands they were hiding who they were. living lies and that must have been hard. They still betrayed us. They did. They absolutely did. And I hate them for it. But I also hope they’re happy because if they’re not, if they threw away our marriages for nothing, that would be even worse. I hadn’t thought about it that way. We talked for 2 hours about everything. The betrayal, the hurt, the logistics of moving on.

I’m selling the house, Amber said. Can’t afford it on my own anyway, and every room has memories. I’m staying in my new apartment. It’s small, but it’s mine.

New beginnings for both of us. Yeah. As we left, Amber hugged me. Really hugged me. I missed you, she said. I missed you, too. We’re going to be okay, Elena.

We’re going to get through this. 3 months passed. Christmas came and went.

I spent it with my parents. They were shocked about Marcus, angry on my behalf. New Year’s came, the date Marcus and Jake had originally planned to tell us. Instead, Amber and I spent it together in my apartment with wine and bad movies and biscuit. To new beginnings, Amber toasted. To new beginnings. We didn’t talk about Marcus and Jake. We didn’t need to. February arrived. I was doing better. Working, going to therapy, making plans. Amber was doing better, too. She’d sold the house. found a new apartment, started dating someone from her yoga class. A woman, she told me with a smile. Turns out Jake wasn’t the only one figuring things out. I was happy for her. One day in late February, I got a message on social media from Marcus. Can we talk? I stared at it for a long time. Then I deleted it. There was nothing to say.

But the next day, he was waiting outside my apartment building. Elena, please.

Just 5 minutes. You need to leave, Marcus. I know I hurt you. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know something. What? Jake and I broke up. I froze. What? Two weeks ago, we tried. We really tried, but it wasn’t working. [clears throat] What do you mean it wasn’t working? You destroyed two relationships for this. I know, but being together in secret was one thing. Being together in reality was different. The guilt, the judgment from our families, the way people looked at us. It was too much. So, you broke up.

Yeah. And you’re telling me this. Why?

Because I want you back. I actually laughed. You want me back? I made a mistake. The biggest mistake of my life.

And I’m asking if there’s any way we can start over. No, Elena. No, Marcus. You don’t get to come back after blowing up my entire life because your new relationship didn’t work out. You don’t get to use me as a backup plan. That’s not what this is. Yes, it is. You took a gamble. You bet on Jake. And when that didn’t work, you came back to me. That’s exactly what this is. I still love you.

Maybe you do, but I don’t love you anymore. And I don’t trust you, and I don’t want to be with you. He looked devastated. I’m sorry, he said quietly.

I’m not because meeting you and loving you and having you betray me taught me exactly what I deserve. And it’s not you. I walked past him into my building.

He didn’t follow. I called Amber immediately. Marcus and Jake broke up.

Marcus just showed up asking me to take him back. Are you serious? Yeah. What did you say? I said no. Good. You deserve so much better. So do you. We both do. That night I blocked Marcus on everything. Social media, email, phone, complete clean break. It felt good.

April came. Spring in Portland.

Everything blooming and new. I was sitting in a coffee shop working when someone tapped my shoulder. I looked up.

Jake, can I sit? He asked. I should have said no, but curiosity got the better of me. 5 minutes. He sat down. looked as bad as Marcus had, maybe worse. I heard you and Marcus broke up. I said, “Yeah, I also heard Marcus tried to get back together with Elena.” He did. Did you try to get back together with Amber? No.

She’s happy. She’s with someone new. I’m not going to ruin that for her. How noble of you. He winced. I deserve that.

You deserve worse than that. I know. We sat in uncomfortable silence. “Why are you here, Jake? I wanted to apologize.

Really apologize. Not the half-assed apology I gave you and Amber when this all came out.” “Okay, apologize.” He took a breath. I’m sorry for betraying Amber, for lying to her for months, for making her question her entire marriage.

I’m sorry for dragging you into this, for putting you in an impossible position, and I’m sorry for being a coward who couldn’t be honest about who I am until it destroyed the people I cared about. It was a good apology, better than I expected. What about Marcus? Are you sorry about him? I’m sorry we hurt you both, but I’m not sorry I loved him. Even if it ended badly, even if it was wrong, I’m not sorry I got to experience that. At least he was honest. Amber’s happy. I told him she’s thriving. actually better than she was with you. Good. She deserves that.

What about you? What are you doing now?

Therapy. A lot of therapy. Trying to figure out how to be honest about my sexuality without hurting people. Trying to forgive myself. Have you forgiven myself? No, I don’t think I ever will.

Good. He smiled sadly. Thanks for hearing me out, Elena. I know you didn’t have to. No, I didn’t. He stood to leave. Jake. Yeah, I hope you figure it out. I hope you find a way to be happy and honest, but far away from me and Amber. That’s fair. After he left, I texted Amber. Jake just showed up and apologized. Did you punch him? No, but I thought about it. Next time, punch him for both of us. Deal. Summer came. 6 months since everything fell apart. I was seeing someone new. Nothing serious.

Just dating. Taking things slow. Amber and her girlfriend were talking about moving in together. We had brunch every Sunday. Our tradition. Do you ever think about them? Amber asked one Sunday.

Marcus and Jake sometimes. Do you? Yeah.

I wonder if they ever think about us. If they regret what they did. Marcus regrets it. He tried to get me back. I know. Pathetic. What about Jake? Last I heard, he’s dating someone. A man this time. someone he met at a support group.

Good for him, I guess. Yeah, we ate in comfortable silence. You know what’s weird? Amber said, “I’m happier now than I was with Jake. Even with all the pain and betrayal and divorce stuff, I’m happier. Me, too. Because we’re free. We don’t have to pretend anymore. We don’t have to make excuses for partners who weren’t fully present. We get to start over. She was right.” Marcus and Jake had tried to control our narrative, tried to leave us on their terms.

Instead, we took control. We told our story. We decided how it ended, and we came out stronger. A year later, I ran into Marcus at a grocery store. He looked good. Healthier, different haircut. Elena. Hi, Marcus. Awkward silence. How have you been? He asked.

Good. Really good, actually. I heard you’re seeing someone. News travels fast. Small city. What about you? I’m okay. Taking things day by day. Still in therapy. That’s good. More silence. I’m sorry, he said suddenly. For everything.

I know I said it before, but I need you to know I mean it. You deserved better.

I did, but thank you for saying it. Are you happy? Yeah, I am. He smiled genuine this time. Good. I’m glad. We said goodbye and went our separate ways. I didn’t feel angry anymore, didn’t feel hurt, just indifferent. And that felt like winning because Marcus and Jake had made their choice. They chose to lie, to cheat, to blow up our lives for a relationship that didn’t even last. But Amber and I had made a choice, too. We chose to survive, to heal, to build better lives. And that’s exactly what we