Chapter 1

Tags: Plane crash, deathbed confession, cheating, betrayal

When the plane went into a terrifying dive, my husband, Justin, and I were both on board. In the suffocating panic, everyone around us was frantically writing their final words.

I clutched Justin’s hand with all my strength, only to catch a glimpse of his screen—he was sending his final letter to my best friend, Rachel.

Justin pressed his lips together, taking several seconds to stammer out an excuse: "Don't get the wrong idea. She's the person we trust the most, isn't she?"

Miraculously, the crisis passed, and the plane landed safely. Weak-kneed, I walked down the boarding ramp, turned to him, and announced:

"I want a divorce."

At the same time, I sent a text to Rachel: "You two can go ahead and get married. I’ll even be your witness."

Rachel’s voice was loud and chaotic over the phone. "Natalie, what are you talking about? I just saw the news about your flight’s emergency! Are you okay?"

"Listen, I’m already on my way to the airport. Wait for me!"

She hung up abruptly. Justin walked beside me, sighing helplessly. "Both our parents are getting up there in years. I didn't want to terrify them, which is why I sent it to Rachel!

"Come on, babe! Fine, I was wrong, okay?"

Justin grabbed my hand and kissed my cheek. "Don’t be mad. When Rachel sees me, she’s going to chew me out anyway. Do you really have the heart to watch your darling husband get scolded by her?"

A suffocating lump blocked my throat. I kept walking in silence while Justin trailed after me, throwing out sweet promises and apologies.

When we reached the exit, we saw Rachel getting out of a car. The panic in her eyes looked real enough.

Except I saw clearly that the very first person she looked at was Justin.

Only then did she rush toward me, wrapping me in a tight embrace before turning to punch Justin’s shoulder.

"You idiot! What was that letter for? You scared me to death!"

Justin smiled casually. "Hey, we’re fine, aren't we? Besides, if the worst had happened, I knew you'd handle everything for us."

"And look at Natalie, she's actually jealous over it!"

He laughed it off like a joke. Rachel rolled her eyes at him and ushered me into the car.

Sitting behind them, I noticed how natural their banter was. There wasn't a single shred of hesitation or boundary between them.

Once we got back to our apartment, I used exhaustion as an excuse and retreated to the bedroom.

Lying on the mattress, though, I couldn't sleep at all.

Justin and I had been together for eight years. We had just returned from our honeymoon.

I used to pride myself on knowing him inside and out. Yet, during those terrifying minutes when our lives hung by a thread, all I thought about was dying in his arms. Meanwhile, Justin, with trembling fingers, had typed out a letter and sent it to Rachel.

He claimed it was a deathbed letter to a trusted friend. But under the paralyzing terror of death, my senses had been hyper-attuned. I had seen every single line he sent her.

He was leaving all his assets to her, along with a desperate vow: *Even if fate tears us apart, my heart has always belonged to you.*

My fingernails dug painfully into my palms. Just then, his voice drifted in from the hallway. "Natalie, I'm walking Rachel down to her car. I'll be right back."

I quietly got up and walked into the living room. He had left his phone on the coffee table.

In an instant, an overwhelming urge took over. I picked it up, entered the passcode, and opened it. I checked the usual apps, but found nothing.

Was I truly overthinking?

My hands shook as I opened the settings and switched accounts. Sure enough, his burner profile loaded immediately.

He must have used it constantly, because it didn't even ask for a password.

And there, right in front of me, was his entire chat history with Rachel.

The earliest messages dated back eight years.

Back when Justin and I had just met.

Turns out, Rachel had met him before I did.

*“You’re one lucky bastard. You actually caught the eye of the prettiest girl in our department. Natalie has high standards, she doesn't just look at anyone!”*

*“Ask her to play tennis today, she loves it! Don’t say I never helped you. Make sure you impress her!”*

*“So, how great am I? Natalie is my best friend. If you ever dare to hurt her, I’ll be the first to make you pay!”*

Later on, their messages shifted from him asking for advice on pursuing me, to playing sports, to dating—and eventually, to sex.

It started with hesitant flirtation, followed by brief bouts of guilt, which then spiraled into sheer, thrilling passion.

In just twenty minutes, I scrolled through years of betrayal. I took photos of everything I needed, logged out, and locked the screen.

Then I looked out the living room window. Down by the parking lot, the two of them were hugging. Their hands lingered, stroking each other gently—looking exactly like a pair of lovers who couldn't bear to say goodbye.

I took a deep, shuddering breath. Inside me, a world completely collapsed.