Catching My Best Friend in Our Bed

My best friend, Jared Wheeler, gives me a ride home one day. Just before I get off, he fishes out a pair of torn pantyhose from between the seats and tosses them to me. Before I even process the situation, he says with obvious distaste, "Zoey left that in my car. You really should pay more attention. With how wild your wife gets, she might cheat on you without you realizing it." I ball up the pantyhose and toss them into the little trash can Jared keeps in his car. "Zoey never wears this kind of pantyhose." Jared eyes me for a moment before snorting. "Only you could be this oblivious." Feeling a little helpless, I chuckle and say nothing. My wife, Zoey Hansen, Jared, and I have known each other since we were kids. Jared and Zoey have never gotten along. Each time they meet, they always bicker with each other and get into all sorts of arguments. They often trade insults, too. Then, one night, I arrive home earlier than expected, only to find that I've forgotten my keys. When I call Zoey, the first thing I hear is the sound of Jared's heavy breathing. "I told you he's a clueless idiot. He didn't even notice anything after I gave him your pantyhose. Since I won the bet, you can forget about getting off this bed tonight." Zoey's sultry laugh rings out. "Let's see how you're going to explain things to him once you knock me up. He's your best friend, you know…" Chapter 1 Eric's POV Faint rustling and crackling came through the phone, but every word Zoey Hansen and Jared Wheeler said was crystal clear. I froze on the doorstep, my hand raised to knock on the door. The sounds coming from inside the house remained as loud as ever. At last, when Zoey realized the call had connected, she exclaimed in a panic, "Wait! You didn't reject the call?" The call was abruptly disconnected, and within moments, someone opened the door. Zoey stood there, wearing Jared's shirt. She had an uneasy look on her face. Jared leaned lazily against the doorframe. He even raised a hand in greeting when he saw me. My mind was a complete blank. I stood motionless on the doorstep. The oversized shirt hanging off Zoey's body couldn't conceal the red marks littering across her skin. "Eric, let me explain..." Zoey's voice was hoarse as she reached out to grab me. However, the moment she touched me, I jerked my hand away, and she stiffened. "Why?" My voice was choked and barely above a whisper. That was the only word I could get out. The three of us had grown up together. I always thought I knew them like the back of my hand. Never would I have expected my best friend and the woman I loved most to betray me together. Zoey's face went pale as she desperately tugged at the collar of the shirt, trying to cover the marks. For a moment, a heavy silence hung in the air. Then Jared let out a derisive laugh and casually draped an arm over my shoulder. In his usual cavalier tone, he teased, "Oh, come on. Stop pulling the long face. Well, it's exactly what you see. Zoey and I got together ages ago." His tone became even more nonchalant toward the end, as though what he said was something perfectly ordinary. Zoey shot Jared a furious look before taking a deep breath. "Eric, Jared and I were just..." She paused, stumbling over her words, unable to come up with an excuse. Jared pulled her behind him and said, "Don't blame Zoey for this, Eric. Blame yourself. You're the one who's such a bore. You don't know the first thing about romance or passion." His lips curled into a smirk, and when he spread his arms, I saw the hickeys dotted across his chest. "Zoey and I are just fuck buddies. Don't make a big deal out of it. Besides, we've always shared everything with each other anyway. You can even rest easy knowing Zoey is satisfying her desires with me instead of some other guy." The moment those words left Jared's mouth, the last thread of rationality holding me together snapped. I charged forward without a thought, grabbed him by the collar with both hands, and slammed him against the wall. "How could the two of you do this to me!" I bellowed. Jared's face flushed red from the lack of air. My entire body was trembling. I wanted nothing more than to kill him right then and there. "Have you two forgotten what you promised me back then?" The next second, Zoey shoved me away with all her strength, and my forehead struck the corner of the wall. A sharp pain shot through me. Zoey took Jared's hand, her gaze concerned. She turned her reddened eyes on me and shrieked, "Eric Landry! How much longer are you going to hold that over our heads, huh? Yes, your sister died because of Jared and me, but it was an accident! "It's been 13 years, and I even married you out of guilt! What more do you want from me?" They slammed the door shut. It wasn't until the rain began beating against the windows that I slowly came back to myself. I slid down onto the floor, covering my eyes with my palms as my heart throbbed painfully. The glow of my phone screen flickered on and off in the dim living room. Chapter 2 Eric's POV I spent the entire night sitting in the living room in a daze, my mind flashing back to the past. As far back as I could remember, Jared, Zoey, and I had been inseparable. We lived close to one another, went to the same school, and were even in the same class. Our neighbors used to joke that the three of us were so close, we could practically share the same pair of underwear. 13 years ago, I had just graduated from high school. My little sister, Talia Landry, was about to celebrate her 5th birthday then. Jared and Zoey took her swimming. They had gone during the high tide, and she ended up drowning in the sea. My mother went insane, and my father walked out on us. Jared and Zoey had knelt before me, begging for forgiveness, but I knew I couldn't blame them entirely for Talia's death. At the time, Jared swore to me, "I've already pleaded with my parents, Eric. I'll have them find the best psychiatric facility for your mother. I'll look after her as if she were my own mother." Zoey's eyes were red from crying as she held me. "We'll get married whenever you want. I'll be with you for the rest of my life." But now, the two people who had once made those solemn promises to me had forgotten about them completely. When daylight started coming in through the windows, I recalled that I was supposed to visit Mom at the psychiatric hospital today. I quickly wiped away my tears, got in my car, and drove to the hospital. However, when I arrived at her room, the caregiver refused to let me in. "You can't go in right now, Mr. Landry. Your mother had an episode, and the doctor just gave her a sedative." Through the window, I saw Mom strapped to the bed, struggling against her restraints as she mumbled incoherently. My head rang with a deafening roar. I grabbed the doctor and questioned in a trembling voice, "Didn't you say her condition had stabilized considerably? She's been taking that specialized medication every month. Why is she like this now?" The doctor frowned, clearly annoyed by my confrontational tone. "Your mother's supply of the specialized medication was cut off last month. It's perfectly normal that her condition has worsened again." It felt as though my blood had stopped running. Every month, I deposited my entire salary into my bank account, and Zoey was the one who held the debit card to that account. Every cent was meant to go toward paying for Mom's specialized medication, which cost 2,000 dollars per dose. Mom's cries kept ringing out from inside the room, stabbing me in the heart. The doctor continued, "She's only receiving regular medication now. We contacted your wife about it, and she agreed to it." I clenched my fists so hard that my nails dug into my palms, the pain barely enough to keep me rational. I didn't even stay to hear the rest of the doctor's instructions. I marched out of the hospital and went straight to Zoey's company. Zoey's assistant, Isabel Dunn, chased after me. "Mr. Landry! You can't go in right now. Ms. Hanse is..." The door to Zoey's office was shut, and the office had pretty good soundproofing. Still, it was silent enough outside for me to hear faint sounds coming from inside. When I opened the door, Zoey hastily climbed off Jared's lap. Isabel, who'd followed me over, had an awkward expression on her face. She gave me a sympathetic look before leaving. Zoey's face was a little chagrined from the humiliation, but she screamed at me, "Eric Landry! Are you doing this on purpose?" My chest heaved violently. Without looking at her, I slapped the report on Mom's deteriorating condition down on the desk. "The money in that account comes from my salary. You know full well that in order to keep my mother's condition stable, she needs to continue taking the specialized medication. Why did you do this?" Zoey's lips parted, but before she could speak, Jared stepped forward. The choke marks I left around his neck were still visible. Since the affair was already out in the open, he seemed to think he no longer had to pretend. "Eric, my family has already done more than enough for you. We paid your college tuition back then, and we covered your mother's medical expenses. Most of the money came from my family, so now that I've run into some issues with my investments, what's wrong with me taking some money from you?" My stomach churned so violently that I felt the bile rising in my throat. Talia had died because of them. They were the ones who made those promises, yet now, they were acting like I'd been the one who'd guilt-tripped them into everything. "I've paid back every cent your family gave to me. When your studio went bankrupt, I used most of my savings to help you! Is this how you repay me?" Jared looked somewhat guilty and averted his gaze, but Zoey let out a heavy sigh. "It's just a loan. It's not like you're not getting the money back. Besides, wasn't it Jared who got you this job in the first place?" My hands trembled. A profound sense of disappointment settled over me. Zoey pulled another debit card from her desk drawer and slid it toward me, as if she were tossing me a handout. "Quit making a scene. When all is said and done, you should be grateful to Jared." Chapter 3 Eric's POV I couldn't even remember leaving Zoey's office, but I didn't go back to the house either. I spent all my time at the psychiatric hospital with Mom. I also didn't contact Zoey at all. Once Mom was put on the specialized medication again, her condition improved tremendously. Whenever she was lucid, she would hold my hand and cry. "Eric, I saw Talia in my dreams. I haven't visited her in such a long, long time. I want to see her." I clutched Mom's frail, bony hands tightly, my heart aching. I wasn't the only one who'd been suffering all these years. Mom had suffered too. Whenever she was lucid, she would remember the day Talia died. I crouched in front of her, forcing a smile as I said, "It'll be the anniversary of Talia's death in a few days. I'll take you to her then." … On the day of Talia's death anniversary, I pushed Mom in her wheelchair to the cemetery. She had lost a ton of weight. After going so long without sunlight, she could barely keep her eyes open against the glare. Suddenly, she raised a trembling finger and pointed toward the distance. "Eric, isn't that... Jared and Zoey?" My heart lurched, and I immediately looked over. Suppressing the irritation and disgust rising inside me, I tried to soothe Mom. "Mom, why don't we come back later?" But Jared had already spotted us. He took Zoey's hand and walked over. Before I could react, he dropped to his knees in front of Mom. "Ms. Morris, what happened back then was my fault. If it weren't for me, Talia wouldn't have died. I've felt guilty about it all these years, but Zoey and I don't want to be guilt-tripped anymore." Jared tightened his grip around Zoey's hand. She looked deeply uncomfortable and hissed warningly at him, "Jared! Have you lost your mind?" "I haven't." Jared looked at me, his expression darkening as he continued, "Ms. Morris, Zoey and I have been seeing each other." Mom pointed at Jared with a shaky finger before looking at Zoey. "You two are seeing each other?" I tried to put an end to this, but Mom clutched my hand tightly and looked up at me. "You knew about it?" She turned back toward them and screamed with all her might, "How could you do this? Have you forgotten what you did to Talia? My daughter wouldn't have died if it hadn't been for the two of you!" I held her tightly, my eyes red as I stared at Zoey. "You two are doing this on purpose." Zoey said nothing, while Jared got back on his feet and pulled her tightly into his arms. "Don't make it sound so awful, Eric. I'm just telling Ms. Morris the truth because I don't want to hide it from her." At those words, Mom became so distressed that she couldn't breathe. She ended up blacking out. My head spun, and Zoey panicked as well. She hurriedly called for an ambulance before slapping Jared. "You went too far! Why did you have to tell her today?" Jared answered calmly, "I just didn't want Eric to keep pestering you." Mom was rushed to the ER. Zoey stayed at the hospital as well. As I passed her in the hallway, she grabbed my sleeve. "Eric..." "Are you satisfied now, Zoey? If you want a divorce, just tell me when you need me to come and sign the paperwork," I said quietly, leaning against the wall after yanking myself free from her. Zoey's outstretched hand froze in midair before she lowered it and brushed at the hem of her blouse. Her voice was flat as she snapped, "You think you can just ask for a divorce? I suppose it's a good thing your mother knows the truth after all." I stared numbly at the closed doors of the operating room. Soon, I was the only one left in the hallway. It wasn't until well after midnight that the doctors managed to stabilize Mom's condition. … The next day, I left the hospital for a short while to get some breakfast. When I came back, I saw a crowd gathered right outside the building. Zoey stood among them, looking shell-shocked and frantic. A wave of unease surged through me. I pushed through the crowd and rushed forward. "Which floor did she jump down from?" "Oh, dear. I heard the doctors spent half the night saving her life. Why would she do something like that?" The voices around me seemed to fade away. My pupils kept flickering as I stared at what was in front of me. Mom was dead. She hadn't survived the fall. "Eric, I... I didn't know this would happen." Zoey grabbed my sleeve, her voice tearful. I simply stood there, dazed. I couldn't tell how much time had passed before the police finally dispersed the crowd. I was ushered away as well. Chapter 4 Eric's POV There was nothing to dispute. According to the surveillance footage, Mom had climbed onto the rooftop on her own and jumped. Jared didn't seem to have expected things to end this way either. He said to me, "Eric, I didn't think your mother would actually jump. Don't worry. I'll take care of your mother's funeral arrangements." I couldn't process a word he said. Seeing how utterly devastated I was, Zoey sighed. "Eric, you can't blame Jared entirely for this either." When Talia died, they told me that I couldn't blame them entirely for her death. Now that Mom was dead, Zoey was telling me I couldn't blame Jared for it either. Then who was I supposed to blame? It wasn't as if I'd done anything wrong. At this very moment, I realized that when someone reaches absolute despair, they wouldn't even have the strength to argue. This was also when it became clear to me that I had truly lost all feelings for Zoey. Perhaps out of guilt, she stayed by my side at all times. If none of these things had happened, I might still have naively believed that she and I were happy together. A few days later, my immediate superior at work, Desmond Green, sent me a message. "Eric, your application for a transfer to the overseas branch has been approved. You can leave whenever you're ready." After receiving the confirmation email from the overseas branch, I filled my suitcase with everything in the house that belonged to me. Zoey didn't know about the transfer. After things settled down for a few days, she went to see Jared again. She said to me, "I'll cut things off with Jared for good. Trust me on that." I nodded absentmindedly without saying anything. … On the day I was leaving the country, Zoey called me. "Eric, I found a good burial plot for your mother. We can't keep her ashes in the house forever. It's time to lay her to rest." My initial reaction was to reject her idea. I wanted to take Mom's ashes with me. Nevertheless, I thought about how Mom had spent her entire life in this city. Everyone she loved dearly had been laid to rest here, too. After a long silence, I agreed to Zoey's suggestion. However, on my way to the cemetery, Jared sent me several photos and videos from a burner account. "You should just give it up, Eric. Ever since we were kids, you've never been able to beat me. Zoey is still asleep. She's been using my arm as a pillow for so long that it's gone numb already. She won't be able to meet you today. You can try again tomorrow." His flippant remarks conveyed nothing but cruel mockery. In one of the photos, Zoey's arm was wrapped around Jared's waist. She appeared to be sound asleep. I leaned back against the seat and exhaled heavily. Instead of feeling heartbroken or crushed, I felt a strange sense of relief. After setting course for the airport, I sent Zoey one last message. "I'm taking Mom's ashes with me. I've left the divorce papers on the living room table in the house. Remember to sign them."