I Left as a Loser, Came Back as Their NightmareChapter 1
The coatroom was dim and smelled faintly of cedar and expensive perfume. I stood inside, clutching an ivory envelope so tightly the edges bent against my palms. Inside were two first-class tickets to Santorini—a trip I’d spent nearly two years saving for, picking up extra shifts and cutting back on everything I could. It was supposed to be my surprise for Matthew’s birthday.
I had imagined his face lighting up, his arms wrapping around me, his voice low with gratitude. I had imagined us starting fresh, leaving behind his long hours and my constant loneliness. For one golden week, I thought, we could remember what it felt like to be in love.
But before I could step out and surprise him, voices drifted through the door.
“Why would you invite your wife to this?” a man scoffed, followed by laughter. “She wouldn’t understand the first thing about high finance. She’d be bored to tears.”
A knot twisted in my stomach.
And then Matthew’s voice—steady, amused, so familiar it broke my heart.
“Exactly. Evelyn was never cut out for this world. She tries, but…” He chuckled. “She was born small and will stay small. Better to let her sit quietly at home.”
Their laughter stung like a slap.
Then came the voice that made my blood freeze.
“Don’t be cruel, Matthew,” Claire teased. Her tone was playful, but sultry underneath. Claire. My best friend. The girl who used to pass me notes in algebra, who stayed up cramming with me in college, who held my bouquet at my wedding with tears in her eyes.
“You make it sound like you don’t need her at all.”
“I don’t,” Matthew said smoothly. “Evelyn was convenient. That’s all. My father wanted me settled, and she was… available. She plays the part of the quiet, dutiful wife. She doesn’t argue, she doesn’t complain.”
I pressed a fist against my mouth, shaking.
Claire gave a low laugh. “You’re horrible.”
“You know it’s true.” His voice dipped lower, intimate. “You’ve always been the one, Claire. You, not her.”
The air seemed to vanish from the tiny coatroom. My throat closed, and for a moment I thought I might faint.
“Then why not tell her?” Claire’s voice sharpened with mock concern. “You know Evelyn adores you. Isn’t it cruel to keep her in the dark?”
Matthew’s reply was careless, cold. “If she knew about us, she’d probably throw herself off a building. You know how dramatic she gets.”