Part 1My Husband’s Best Friend’s Baby

I was in such a rush this morning that I grabbed his phone instead of mine. I didn’t even realize the mistake until I was standing outside my best friend’s apartment, clutching the gold-embossed engagement invitations I’d just picked up from the printers. I wanted to surprise her.

The moment I stepped into her foyer, the phone in my hand buzzed. A notification popped up: WiFi Connected.

My heart did a slow, sickening roll in my chest. Garrett had told me he’d never been here. He’d barely even met her, or so he said.

My best friend, Melody, looked up from the sofa. She didn’t look surprised to see me, or the phone. She just offered a thin, mocking smile.

"Stop lying to yourself, Donna," she said, her voice airy and casual. "For the last three years, every time he told you he was on a business trip? He was right here, in my bed."

I looked down at the invitations. Ten years of friendship with her. Three years of a life built with him. It all felt like a punchline to a joke I wasn't in on.

She reached into a side drawer and pulled out a slip of paper, waving it like a trophy. It was a lab report. Two months pregnant.

"The baby needs a legal father," she said, her eyes narrowing with a predatory glint. "If you still want to marry him, fine. You can be our live-in nanny. Free childcare, right?"

The front door clicked open. Garrett walked in, carrying a basket of organic fruit, looking every bit the doting partner. When he saw me, the smile on his face didn't just fade—it calcified into a mask of stone.

I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I simply folded the invitation, tucked it into my pocket, and walked toward the door.

From this moment on, the script of my life was being rewritten. And these two were no longer in the cast.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing running around with my phone?"

Garrett kicked off his loafers and tossed the fruit onto the entryway table. He glanced at the ultrasound photo in Melody’s hand, then back at me. After a momentary flicker of panic, he straightened his cuffs and sat down beside her.

"Since you’ve seen it, there’s no point in lying," he said. He looked up at me, his expression remarkably calm. "The report is real. Melody is pregnant. It’s mine. Almost eight weeks."

In my pocket, I felt the sharp edges of the invitation crumple against my palm. "And?" I whispered. My voice sounded like it belonged to someone else.

Garrett frowned, clearly annoyed by my lack of hysterics. "What’s with the attitude? I haven't even brought up the fact that you went through my private messages."

He took a sip of water from a glass on the table, his tone shifting into something terrifyingly reasonable. "Look, after those two injuries you had, the doctors said your body couldn't handle the strain of a pregnancy. You can barely handle a long week at the office without collapsing. I want a family, Donna. Can you give me that? No. But Melody can. She’s doing this for us."

He leaned forward, entirely sincere. "When the baby is born, it’ll call you Mom. You get a child without the physical toll. Why are you acting like this is a bad thing?"

Ten years. I had gone hungry so he could finish his degree. I had signed my name to his debts when his first startup failed. I had nearly died twice—once in a hit-and-run meant for him. And now, he was telling me that cheating on me with my best friend was an act of charity.

Melody leaned back, crossing her legs. "Donna, we grew up together. You’re the only sister I’ve ever had." She lowered her eyes, her voice turning soft and fragile. "You know about my struggles... my clinical depression. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it through these years. We can all live together. My baby will be your baby."

She tilted her chin up, a flash of victory in her eyes. "You’ve always wanted a family. Well, now it’s complete."

Garrett patted her hand. "See how mature she’s being? Not like you, always so grim and moody lately."

He reached into his leather briefcase and tossed a document onto the coffee table. "It’s a supplemental agreement. I had my lawyer draft it."

"The wedding goes ahead as planned. You’ll still be my wife. But officially, Melody moves in as my 'cousin.' She needs the support during the pregnancy."

I stared at the paper. "A cousin? You want her to live in our house as your cousin?"

"Yes," Garrett nodded. "Her mental state is fragile. I can’t leave her alone. What if she has another episode?"

"And after the baby is born?" I asked, my lips twisting into a ghost of a smile.

"We’ll register it under your name. Melody is young; she shouldn’t be tied down by a child's paperwork yet." Garrett clicked a fountain pen and held it out to me. "I’ll increase your monthly allowance by ten thousand. That’s your budget for the nursery and the help. Donna, don’t be greedy. I’m providing you with the best life possible. What more could you want?"

He looked into my eyes, and I realized with a shudder that he truly believed he was the hero of this story. To him, I was a spent asset—a loyal dog that had grown too old to hunt but was still useful for guarding the house.

Melody took the pen and forced it into my hand. "Sign it, Donna. If you don't, you’re throwing away ten years for nothing. You don’t even have a career anymore. Without Garrett, how will you even survive?"

The pen dug into my skin. I looked at the two of them, and for the first time, the tragedy of it all felt like a farce. Ten years of my life, traded for a contract that made me a pro-bono nanny in my own home.

I set the pen down. "I’m not signing this."

Garrett’s face darkened instantly. "Don't be ungrateful. I’ve lived with the guilt of what happened to you for years. This child is a gift to you. What is there to fight about?"

He stood up, looming over me. "You know how delicate Melody is. If you stress her out and something happens to the baby, that’s on you. I’m giving you one last chance. Sign it."

I looked at her. Melody had been my shadow since the orphanage. When she was diagnosed with depression, I stayed up every night for a year just to make sure she was still breathing. I thought I was saving her life. It turns out she was just using her life to hijack mine.

I stood up and pulled the invitation from my pocket, dropping it into the trash can. "I’ll think about it."

I turned and walked out.

Behind me, I heard Garrett sit back down. "I knew you’d come around," he called out. "Make sure you pick out the rings tomorrow. Melody said she liked that limited edition watch—get one for her while you’re at the jeweler."