My Boyfriend Married My Best Friend

I had been dating my boyfriend, Julian Hayes, for four years, yet my best friend Fiona Blake still looked more like his girlfriend than I did. Whenever the three of us went furniture shopping, the sales associate would hand Julian and Fiona a catalog for couples. Whenever we went out for fondue, the server would ask if Julian and Fiona wanted a photo together. At the beach, a stranger once handed me her phone and asked, "Would you mind taking a picture of your friend and his girlfriend?" I smiled, took her phone, and raised it to take the picture. On the screen, Julian and Fiona looked every bit like a couple. Fiona always brushed it off. "We just have similar face shapes. It's a coincidence." Julian always reassured me. "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. You're my only girlfriend." And year after year, I believed him. By our fourth year together, I started pushing him to finally set a wedding date. He said he was too busy and promised we'd set the date the following month. But when the next month came, he had another excuse. Fiona's visa was about to expire. She wanted to stay in the United States, and the easiest way to get a green card was through marriage. I stared at him. "And so?" He was silent for a long moment before finally answering. "I'll marry her first and sponsor her application. It's only a formality. Once she gets her green card, we'll get divorced." For a moment, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "And what about me?" He answered without hesitation. "Just give me a few years. It'll be over before you know it." A week later, Fiona posted a photo on Instagram. She held up their marriage certificate and leaned against Julian's shoulder, smiling so widely that her eyes crinkled. The caption read, "As of today, it isn't a coincidence. It's fate." I went back through years of messages. That was when I finally realized the truth. Julian had never once told anyone I was his girlfriend. Whenever strangers mistook Fiona for his girlfrien Chapter 1 Julian did not come home alone. Fiona came in right behind him, dragging a large suitcase. She slipped on the slippers I kept by the door and greeted me with a smile. "Chloe, USCIS might make a home visit. Julian said I should stay here for a while. You don't mind, do you?" Julian and I had bought those slippers together. The gray pair was one size too big for me. The white pair fit me perfectly. The sales associate had packed them in a gift box designed for couples and handed it to Julian and Fiona. Back then, I had laughed and explained, "I'm his girlfriend." Now the white slippers fit Fiona as if they had always belonged to her. Julian grabbed her suitcase. "The inspection won't take more than a month. Don't overthink it." I closed the export window on my laptop. "Doesn't marriage automatically get her a green card?" He wheeled the suitcase into the spare room without even looking at me. "USCIS still has to verify that we're actually living together. Some of Fiona's clothes and toiletries need to be in the main bedroom so the officers don't get suspicious." I looked at him. "And so?" Fiona immediately held up both hands. "I can keep my things in the spare room. If they catch us, I'll say we sleep separately. It's only a formality anyway." The more reasonable she tried to sound, the more unreasonable I looked. "We're married but sleep in separate rooms? Who would believe that?" Julian walked into our bedroom and opened my closet. He shoved my dresses to one side, making room for Fiona's clothes. "Chloe, pack up your toiletries and move into the spare room for now." I did not move. Fiona leaned against the doorway and murmured, "Forget it. Chloe has lived with you for years. Of course she'll be upset if you make her move." Julian frowned. "You're just switching rooms. Don't make it sound like I'm throwing you out." I pulled up a photo of their marriage certificate and held my phone up to his face. "You're married now. What does that make the woman who's lived with you for four years?" He glanced at the screen and reached for my hand. "You know this marriage is only on paper." The instant his fingertips touched me, I stepped back. His hand froze in midair. "We'll be divorced next month. Don't make a scene until then." Next month again. Our wedding had always been next month. Now his divorce was next month too. When it came to me, everything was always put off. Fiona started unpacking her clothes, then turned to me. "By the way, USCIS will want photos of us as a married couple. Julian hates having his picture taken, and you're the best photographer among us. Would you take a few?" I looked at Julian. He avoided my gaze and picked up the camera I had given him. "It'll only take a few minutes." That camera held four years' worth of photos of us. Fiona was in almost every one. She was always in the middle or hanging on Julian's arm. I was always pushed to the edge, like some stranger who had wandered into the picture. Maybe the signs had been there all along. Fiona propped up her phone and sat beside Julian. "Chloe, USCIS may check the photos' timestamps and locations. It'll be easier if we use a phone. Use mine." Julian held out his hand. "Just help us this once." I took the phone. On the screen, I watched Julian brush a strand of hair from Fiona's face. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Julian, smile. We don't look like newlyweds." He did not push her away. Just as I took the picture, Fiona turned and brushed her lips against his jaw. Julian frowned but did nothing, as if the kiss really had been an accident. My heart twisted. After 20 shots, Fiona went through the photos one by one and nodded with satisfaction. "Chloe, you're so good at this. Every one of these looks genuine." I handed the phone back. "That's because they are." Julian's face darkened. "Chloe, don't start. You've always been my girlfriend." He set the camera on the table just as its screen lit up. A notification popped up. Someone was being added to the shared family album. Fiona's profile picture appeared among the members. Beneath mine, another message appeared. "Member limit reached. Remove one member to continue." Julian frowned, hesitating over what to do. I watched him struggle with the choice for a moment. Then I quietly opened the album on my own phone and removed myself. If choosing between the three of us was that hard for him, I would make the choice for him. Chapter 2 "Everyone's throwing us a party tonight. You should come." Fiona laid a white dress on my bed. I looked up from the boxes I was unpacking in the spare room. "Celebrating what?" She touched the ring on her finger. "Our wedding. It may be fake, but everyone insisted on celebrating. You're my best friend. If you don't come, people will think it's strange." I had seen that ring before. Three months earlier, Julian had asked if I wanted a round or square diamond. I chose round. But he came home with a square-cut stone, claiming the sales associate had made a mistake and promising to exchange it before he proposed. Now it fit Fiona's finger perfectly. Just like the white slippers, maybe the ring had never been meant for me. I pushed the dress back toward her. "I'm not going." Julian appeared in the doorway. "Everyone there has known us for years. What are you hiding from?" I looked up at him. "How do you plan to introduce me? As your girlfriend? Or as your wife's best friend?" His fingers froze over his cuff link. "The way we always have." I laughed. For years, people had joked that Julian and Fiona belonged together. I was always the third wheel stuck between them. Julian never corrected them. Whenever anyone asked about the boyfriend I kept claiming to have, Julian simply looked down at his phone. So I knew exactly what "the way we always have" meant: pretending we'd never been together. I closed my eyes and reached for the last excuse that might save me some dignity. "I'm not feeling well." Julian lowered his voice. "Chloe, don't ruin tonight." Fiona tugged at his sleeve. "If she doesn't want to go, let it go. We shouldn't force her." Julian looked at me like he was the only reasonable person in the room. "She has to come. USCIS may ask our friends about us during the interview. If they find out you and I were together, the officer may suspect that I married Fiona just to get her a green card." My hand tightened around the hanger. "You want me to tell them we were never together?" His tone remained firm. "We only need to keep our story straight." I scoffed. "Can we erase our four years together too?" Impatience flickered across his face. "I'm not asking you to deny those four years. I'm only asking you to say we've always been friends." Just friends. Friends who shared a bed and built a life together. Friends who kissed and held each other. Friends who met each other's parents and promised each other a future. I could not say it. Even then, part of me was still waiting for him to take it back. He did not. After Julian went to change in the main bedroom, I pulled our lease from the bottom of a box. Only my name appeared under "Tenant." I photographed the lease and payment records, logged into our joint account, and exported nearly four years of transactions to a new folder. Every monthly transfer from Julian was labeled "utilities and living expenses." I encrypted the folder and shut the laptop. By the time I reached the party, everyone else had arrived. Fiona sat beside Julian with the ring on her finger and two matching red mugs in front of them. Someone called out, "Julian, you and Fiona hid this well. We used to tease you about being a couple, and neither of you ever admitted it." Fiona's cheeks flushed. "Don't be ridiculous. We only decided to be together recently." She glanced at me and paused before continuing. "If Julian hadn't been in such a hurry to propose, I never would've married him this soon." Julian added, "I couldn't wait to make Fiona my wife." My fingertips brushed against my glass. It was ice-cold. I quickly pulled my hand away. One of our friends laughed and asked, "Chloe, you're with them every day. You honestly never noticed?" Julian looked at me too. His gaze was calm, but the warning in it was unmistakable. I finally understood what he meant by keeping the story straight. This wasn't just something I had to hide for a month. He wanted me to erase our relationship with my own words. Fiona touched my arm lightly. "Chloe, they're asking you." I raised my head. "I did notice." Julian went rigid. I looked around at all the curious faces and continued. "Every time a stranger got it wrong, neither of them corrected it. Of course I noticed." The table went quiet. "Then what exactly are you and Julian to each other?" Julian answered first. "Friends." He didn't even hesitate. Someone laughed. "That explains it. Chloe, you were always tagging along with Julian. I thought you had a thing for him. Turns out you were just keeping an eye on your best friend's boyfriend." I heard different versions of the same joke all night. Every friend we ran into talked about how close the three of us were and laughed about me always being the third wheel. And every time, I had to pretend Julian and I had never been together. Otherwise, I would look like the other woman trying to come between a married couple. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I rushed out of the private room. Julian came after me. He stopped when he saw me crying. His hand rose instinctively to wipe my tears away. My throat tightened. Even after everything, I gave him—and whatever was left of us—one last chance. "Julian, will you divorce her? Please?" His hand stopped before it reached me. "Chloe, are you really going to ruin this for us tonight?" I hurried to explain. "I only—" "Enough." Julian took my hand. "Fiona and I just got married. What do you gain by giving everyone a reason to gossip about her?" I looked at his hand around mine. He used to wrap his hand around mine. Now, even with a door between us and everyone else, he touched me like he was afraid someone might see. "And me?" He rubbed his forehead. "Once we're divorced, I'll tell everyone about us and make things right with you." I pulled free, my fingers curling into my palm. "Make it public how?" "Tell everyone you're dating your ex-wife's best friend?" Julian's hand slowly fell to his side. Chapter 3 On Fiona's third day in the apartment, my cat, Mochi, scratched her. It was the first time Julian had ever gotten angry with me. "You know she's afraid of cats. Why didn't you keep the door shut?" I picked Mochi up from under the table. "This is his home." Fiona cradled her scratched hand, tears filling her eyes. "Julian, don't blame Chloe. I wanted Mochi to like me, so I tried to pick him up." I frowned. "He doesn't like strangers touching his tail." Fiona widened her eyes innocently. "I didn't know." She looked at the cat in my arms and asked softly, "Didn't he let me hold him before?" Of course he had. Back then, she was only a guest. Now she wore my slippers, drank from my cup, slept in my bed, and called Julian her husband. Mochi had simply recognized the intruder before I did. Julian grabbed his car keys. "Let's get you a tetanus shot." But Fiona did not move. "Don't you think it's time to find Mochi a new home?" I held Mochi tighter and stared at her. "On what grounds?" Fiona still looked hurt, but I caught the flash of triumph in her eyes. "The immigration lawyer said USCIS might ask whether we plan to have children. Julian and I agreed we'd say we're trying for a baby. It's not safe to keep a cat in the house when we're trying for a baby." My fingers tightened around Mochi. "A baby?" Julian cut in before I could say more. "We're not actually going to have one. It's just something they may ask during the interview." Then he took Fiona's hand. Before they left, he looked back at me. "Keep him in the carrier. I'll deal with this when I get back." Mochi was shaking in my arms. I held him all night. Julian still wasn't home the next morning. Fiona posted a photo from urgent care, saying the scratch had gotten mildly infected and Julian was staying with her. I called him three times. He finally picked up on the third call. "What is it?" I got straight to the point. "What's going to happen to Mochi?" His answer came quickly. "Board him for now." I gripped the phone tighter. "He panics around strangers. The last time we boarded him, he stopped eating for three days. Did you forget?" Silence stretched between us. "Fiona has to stay until the green card interview is over. At least a month." "And so?" "Don't let one cat ruin everything we've done." I looked at the blue tag on Mochi's collar. Julian had engraved it himself. Mochi's name was on the front, and both of our phone numbers were on the back. Julian had once told me that no matter where Mochi ended up, that tag would always lead him home. I said quietly, "Then Mochi and I are leaving." For the first time, Julian sounded alarmed. "Don't threaten to move out. Chloe, stop this. We'll talk when I get back." He hung up. I packed Mochi's food and supplies. Just as I was about to leave, a message from Fiona appeared on my phone. "Chloe, Julian already found someone to adopt Mochi. You don't need to find a boarding facility." My stomach dropped. I spun around. The carrier still sat beside the couch, but it was empty. A piercing yowl came from the bedroom. I rushed in and found Julian forcing Mochi into another crate. He must have come in through the side door without me hearing him. "What are you doing?" I lunged for the crate and grabbed hold of it. Mochi clawed at the door until his paws began to bleed. "His new owner is already waiting." Julian put a hand on my shoulder and held me back. "I checked them out. They have a good home." I fought to pull Mochi free. "I didn't agree to this. He's been with me for three years. What gives you the right to give him away? Why does Fiona get to stay?" His expression hardened. "She is my wife now." The words stopped me cold. Fiona stepped out from behind him with a tiny bandage on the back of her hand. She crouched beside the crate. "Mochi, be good in your new home. No more scratching people." Mochi reached a paw through the bars. I reached for him, but Julian lifted the crate out of my reach. "After Fiona and I divorce, you can get as many cats as you want." "I only want Mochi." "A cat is a cat." Then he shut the door in my face. I raced downstairs, but the car was already pulling away. Two hours later, I arrived at the address Julian had given me. There was no adopter. After checking the records, an employee looked grim. "The cat became severely distressed when he was brought in, so we couldn't complete the intake. Ms. Blake left the paperwork and walked out." I rushed into the treatment room. Mochi was curled up in the back of a cage. Someone had cut the blue tag from his collar. Julian's number had been blacked out with permanent marker. Beneath my number, someone had written, "Owner surrendered. Do not contact." Chapter 4 When I returned with Mochi, my code no longer worked. It took Julian a long time to answer his phone. "Why did you change the code?" He sounded half-asleep. "The immigration lawyer came by this afternoon. He said if USCIS comes by for a home visit, they'll know something's wrong if they find someone else's belongings here." The wind made my voice tremble. "So you locked me out?" There was a pause, as if Julian had only just remembered I had nowhere else to go. "Stay at a hotel for a couple of nights." He paused, then asked, "Did you find Mochi?" I looked at Mochi in my arms, the IV line still taped to his leg. "I found him." He exhaled in relief. "Good. Come to Southbridge tonight. Fiona needs more evidence for her green card application, and you need to sign an affidavit as a mutual friend." His voice softened. "Chloe, this is the last step. After you sign, I'll help her move out and change the code back." I closed my eyes and let the tears fall. It wasn't the wind making my voice shake. Even now, a small part of me still wanted to believe him. Just one last time. The private room at Southbridge was packed with our mutual friends. Fiona wore a red dress, her arm linked with Julian's. A slideshow of photos from the past four years played across the wall. The beach. A sushi bar. The furniture store. I had seen every one of them. I had taken the original photos myself. But I had vanished from the slideshow. Every photo had been cropped to put Julian and Fiona in the center. Someone said, "So you two have been together for four years? Chloe's been a good sport, taking all these pictures for you." I stood in the doorway and did not go in. Fiona saw me first. "Chloe, come in. Your signature is the last one we need." An affidavit lay on the table. One sentence read, "I confirm that Julian Hayes and Fiona Blake married voluntarily, have lived together in a committed relationship, and did not enter into their marriage for the purpose of obtaining U.S. immigration benefits." I looked at Julian. "A committed relationship? For years?" Julian held out a pen. "It's just evidence for the green card interview." I did not take it. "When did this supposed relationship begin? The first time the three of us went to the beach? Or the first birthday you celebrated with me?" Fiona put her glass down. "Stop cornering him. I'll tell you." Julian frowned. "Fiona." She ignored him. "Four years ago, he confessed his feelings for me. I told him I didn't want a relationship unless he could prove that no one else could take him away from me." My fingers went cold. "So that's why he started dating me?" Fiona nodded. She even sounded apologetic. "At first, he only pursued you to make me jealous. Then you took the relationship so seriously that he couldn't find a way out." I looked at Julian. "Is that true?" He was silent for a long time. "In the beginning." My voice shook. "And after that?" He looked away, unable to meet my eyes. "Later, I did develop feelings for you." Developed feelings for me. Four years, and that was all he could say about us. Fiona's eyes reddened. "Chloe, I was going to step aside. But every time someone mistook us for a couple and he refused to correct them, I knew he was still waiting for me." She took out her phone and played a voice recording. It was a recording of Julian's voice from two years earlier. "Chloe is understanding. She won't leave me. But you're still the only woman I love. Whenever you're ready to come back, I'll be waiting for you." I recognized the date immediately. My birthday. He had disappeared that entire evening, claiming a friend needed him at the hospital. That friend had been Fiona. I looked at him. "Then what about the apartment you pushed me to rent, the furniture you asked me to buy, and the cat we raised together?" Julian's voice grew hoarse. "That recording is two years old. After that, I really did start imagining a future with you." He grabbed my wrist. "But Fiona needs me. I can't abandon her. Once her green card is approved and we're divorced, I'll come back to you. This will be the last time, Chloe. Please trust me." He spoke with absolute certainty. As if he already knew what I would do. I would go home, clean the apartment, hold Mochi in my arms, and wait for him. I looked down at the affidavit. "Once I sign, you'll have everything USCIS needs?" Fiona's shoulders relaxed. "Yes." I picked up the pen. Julian's fingers slowly released my wrist. Everyone in that room thought I would help them cover up this final lie, just as I had covered for them for the past four years. I wrote two words in the signature field. Not my name. "Not true."