My best friend came to me, asking for help. She said she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She wanted to have a sham marriage with my husband. I was shocked when my husband agreed and even let her move into our house. Hearing the unsettling noises from the living room every night, I felt like I was falling apart… I’ve been married to my husband, Declan, for three years. He is thriving in his career while I am the lovely and charming presence at home. We are in love and harmonious. But something happened three days ago that left me in turmoil. My best friend Keira insisted on giving me $100,000, saying she needed to marry Declan. Her reason was that she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She needed a man to protect her temporarily and provide an explanation to her parents. After this period, she promised to return Declan to me. This was outrageous! Even though she is my best friend, I couldn’t agree to it. $100,000 is insignificant to me; I have countless such amounts. But just as I was about to transfer the money back to Keira, my husband Declan came home. He sighed and said, “Honey.” “Why the long face? Was work difficult?” “No.” He opened Instagram, “Honey, look how pitiful Keira is. A girl being harassed every day, it’s awful.” I saw Keira covered in bruises, and my heart ached. It made me start to struggle with whether or not to help her. Every day after that, Keira called and sent voice messages, crying to me about her miserable life. “Please, you are my only good friend, my best friend, help me. My parents say if I don’t get married, they’ll jump off a building.” “After this period, I’ll get a divorce certificate with your husband. He will always be yours.” Against my better judgment, I agreed. When I saw the divorce certificate with Declan and the marriage certificate with Keira, my mind was still buzzing. It all felt like a dream. The day they got the marriage certificate, Declan came home and gave me a bouquet of roses. “My kind and beautiful goddess, you’ve worked hard lately.” Looking at my affectionate and gentle husband, I suddenly felt calm. All the troublesome things seemed to vanish into thin air. Born into a privileged life, I’m actually easy to appease. That night, Declan and I were intimate and close. Midway through, Declan held my wrists and whispered in my ear. “Wife, I heard Keira is still being harassed. Should we let her stay with us?” I frowned slightly. Why was he bringing up Keira at this moment? “Would she want to? It’s just a sham marriage with you. Don’t make it awkward for her.” “Let’s give it a try.” I thought Keira wouldn’t come to my house, so I made a phone call pretending to invite her. “Really?! Thank you, Phoebe, I’m so happy. I’ll come over tomorrow.” Me: “…” I felt uncomfortable. On Keira’s first night at our house, Declan took us out for fondue to celebrate Keira’s visit. I was a bit jealous. Was my husband being too nice to Keira? I tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Declan held me and softly said, “Don’t worry, it’s just a sham marriage with her. Didn’t we agree? After some time, she and I will divorce, and I’ll remarry you. It’s fake with her.” I thought I might be overthinking, but my mind wouldn’t cooperate. I soon noticed Keira being particularly diligent around the house. She always liked talking to Declan and treated him warmly, making it seem like she was the lady of the house. Every time Declan came home, Keira would wear some revealing clothes. Once, I couldn’t hold back and told Keira, “Keira, Declan is my husband. Could you dress more appropriately?” Keira looked at me with wide eyes and admitted her mistake, “I know I was wrong. I won’t dress like that anymore.” Seeing her admit her mistake, I didn’t want to ruin our rare friendship. After that, Keira’s dressing was normal, but her behavior wasn’t. For example, when I was intimate with my husband, Keira would knock on the door, interrupting us. I asked her what was wrong. She sobbed and said, “I had a nightmare.”
Then she looked pitifully at Declan, using a sweet tone, “Declan, I’m so scared, can you stay with me?” I was a bit angry, but Declan immediately reassured me, “It’s okay, don’t worry.” His firm gaze calmed my annoyed heart. I reluctantly told him, “Then go accompany her.” So Declan took Keira to our guest room. Then I heard some strange noises coming from the guest room. I vaguely heard Keira say, “I’m so scared, Declan.” Declan said, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. In my house, I can protect you.” I immediately pulled the blanket over my head, afraid I would overthink if I listened more, but I trusted Declan’s character. The next day, I thought it over and handed $100,000 to Keira. “Please leave my house, Keira. Leave my husband, and divorce him, okay?” Keira’s tears rolled out in three seconds. She clung to my arm like a kitten, pushing softly, “Phoebe, I swore before that after this period, once I explain to my parents about the marriage, I’ll immediately divorce. You may not believe me, but don’t you believe Declan? If you insist on this, won’t he feel like you don’t trust him?” I felt stifled. I only believed in Declan. But believing in someone doesn’t mean you won’t overthink. I was still anxious. But then Keira told me she wanted to take Declan back to her hometown. After explaining to her parents, she said they could immediately get a divorce certificate. I was thrilled. As long as they got a divorce certificate, that was fine. While adjusting Declan’s tie, I reminded, “Just act natural in front of Keira’s parents, okay?” “Don’t worry, my dear wife.” “Slick talker,” I laughed. I dressed Declan elegantly and personally sent them off to board their flight. After Declan left, I really missed him, so I kept sending him messages. He always replied with a flower and a smiley face, then photos. But a few times, I noticed something odd. He posted many photos of Keira on his feed. Some netizens teased, asking if he had found a girlfriend… Soon, they returned. After they got back, I asked Keira, “Can you get divorced now?” Keira suddenly covered her face, crying and sniffling, “No, Phoebe, I can’t yet.” I got angry in a second, “Why not?” “Because I’m pregnant.” “What?” Did I hear that right? Declan came over and put his arm around my shoulder, “The baby in her belly is her ex-boyfriend’s. Now she’s a pregnant woman, she can’t divorce me.” I couldn’t describe my feelings. I was relieved the baby wasn’t my husband’s. I was disgusted she wanted to keep clinging to my husband, yet my husband didn’t object. Because of this, in the following days, I was distant with Keira, feeling her presence in my house gave me a headache. Once, Keira held my hand and said, “Phoebe, I know you’re upset, but I swear once my baby is born, I’ll definitely divorce Declan. I have no choice, I need a man to give me courage. Declan has always liked you, he treats me like a friend.”
Whenever she spoke to me, she was sweet and cute, making me look like the villain. Seeing her tears, I couldn’t bear to drive her away, so I made peace with her. I even personally made broth for her and ensured she had a nutritious diet. During this time, she indeed kept a respectful distance from Declan, which made me more comfortable serving her. Keira had a healthy pregnancy with my care, turning plump and healthy. Ten months later, Keira went into labor. That day, Declan suddenly took leave and went with me to the hospital. “Didn’t you say there’s a multi-million project? Why come to the hospital?” I didn’t understand Declan’s actions. Declan didn’t look at me but anxiously watched the maternity ward door, brushing me off, “It’s okay, it won’t affect it.” For a moment, Declan felt so unfamiliar to me. While I was full of doubts, Keira’s eight-pound son was born healthy. When the doctor opened the maternity ward and asked who Keira’s husband was, Declan rushed in like a rocket, “It’s me, it’s me, I’m her husband.” “Congratulations, this is your son.” The doctor placed the baby in Declan’s arms for him to hold first. Me: “…” What was I feeling? Like eating something vile. Soon after, Keira was wheeled out by the nurses. Although she had just given birth, because she was young, she recovered well. Keira was soon settled in a private hospital room. Looking at the delicate newborn, I sincerely said to Keira, “Congratulations, this baby looks so much like you.” Keira gazed at the baby with gentle eyes, her tone filled with maternal love, “He not only looks like me, but he looks more like his father.” Then she side-eyed Declan. Did she mean the baby looked like Declan? Yet Declan didn’t deny it and seemed more excited about the baby than Keira. I was very upset. I felt suffocated in this environment, so I went out for some air. Just as I stepped out, I realized I hadn’t taken my bag. When I turned back to get it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a baby, but I can. Are you happy?” I noticed her give Declan a sidelong glance. Was she implying that the child resembled Declan? Surprisingly, Declan didn’t refute it. He seemed even more thrilled about the child than Keira did. A surge of anger rose within me. Feeling suffocated by the situation, I stepped outside to catch my breath. Just as I left, I realized I’d forgotten my bag. When I turned back to retrieve it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation through the door. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a child, but I can. Are you happy?” “Keira, you did such a great job. The boy is absolutely adorable.” “Yes, what a cute child. We have a son now.” Their conversation felt like a knife cutting through me. One was my best friend, the other my husband. I recalled how my best friend had given me ten thousand to “borrow” my husband, and I had actually agreed. Now, the ridiculousness of it all hit me like a slap in the face. I wanted to burst in, scream, and tear them apart. But I restrained myself, taking a deep breath to calm down. I should have known there couldn’t be an appropriate relationship between them, but I trusted Declan’s integrity. Reality, however, proved me wrong. Declan had betrayed me, and Keira was a traitor. I composed myself, pretending nothing had happened, grabbed my bag, and left. That night, I went out to drown my sorrows, drinking until I was a wreck. I drank, vomited, then drank and vomited again. No one knew the depths of my pain, feeling as if I were being torn apart and ground to pieces. Declan, the man I loved most, had always assured me of his character. Yet, he had fathered a child. His integrity was worthless, absolute garbage. That night, I betrayed Declan and ended up in bed with a younger guy. Then I acted as if nothing was amiss, waiting for Keira and their little family of three to return. I watched as Declan personally prepared postpartum meals for Keira. “Keira, the child is born. Can you divorce my husband now?” Hearing my words, Keira held her son, looking pitiful and aggrieved. “But the child is still young. He can’t be without a father…” “Declan isn’t your child’s father. You had a sham marriage.” I pretended to know nothing. Keira cried, holding her child, appearing weak and helpless. Hearing the commotion, Declan rushed in angrily and said to me, “Phoebe, what are you trying to say? Keira is still in her postpartum period; can she afford to cry now? What about the risk of postpartum complications?”
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