At a cozy lunch in a beautiful restaurant, Marianne and Daniel shared a secret touch under the table. Their hidden intimacy was thrilling yet dangerous because Elise, Daniel’s wife and Marianne’s best friend, was laughing at his jokes, completely unaware of the betrayal.

“You’re so lucky to have Daniel, my friend,” Marianne told Elise, her words soft and insinuating. She wasn’t proud of her actions, but the excitement was hard to resist. Still, she and Daniel needed to be careful.

“Absolutely,” Elise nodded, her attention briefly turning towards the waiter.

When her friend was distracted, Marianne withdrew her foot and whispered to Daniel, “We need to be more careful.”

He simply nodded and became distracted by his phone, which buzzed constantly. After a few minutes, he excused himself, allowing Elise to do what she wanted from the beginning.

She leaned toward Marianne and grabbed her hand tightly. “I think Daniel might be seeing someone else,” she whispered uncertainty and distress in her eyes.

Marianne started sweating and had to swallow quickly as she offered platitudes, suggesting stress might be the cause. Yet, Elise was desperate for the truth and asked her to flirt with Daniel to test his fidelity.

Marianne agreed reluctantly, caught between being glad that this request offered her a chance to spend more time with Daniel and her sense of shame. When Daniel returned, his smile was strained, and his eyes avoided Elise’s inquiring gaze.

They picked up some awkward conversation, but their lunch ended abruptly after Elise’s phone rang with urgent news. “It’s my mom. She’s not well and needs me. I have to go to her.” She stood up, her hands trembling slightly.

“Of course, go. We understand,” Daniel said softly as he watched his wife picking her things.

After Elise left, Marianne grinned tentatively. “Well, that’s convenient,” she said, all guilt seemingly vanishing when it was just the two of them.

But Daniel shook his head. “Maybe we should cool things off. She might be onto us.”

Marianne dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand. “She suspects something, but not us. She even asked me to seduce you, to test your loyalty. Imagine that!” Her giggles filled the restaurant.

He frowned. “This isn’t funny. It’s getting risky.”

Ignoring his concern, she leaned in, her voice turning soft and enticing. “Elise is gone, and we’re here alone. Let’s enjoy the moment.”

Reluctantly, Daniel agreed, caught in her eyes. “How far do we take this?” he asked, gulping.

“As far as necessary to keep us safe,” Marianne declared and suggested going to her place.

Once there, they surrendered to their desires, momentarily forgetting the consequences. But much later, Daniel voiced his fears again, “What if we’re caught?”

“We won’t. We’re careful,” Marianne assured him, wanting to roll her eyes at his pessimism. Instead, she distracted him again.

***

Days later, as Elise prepared for a week-long business trip, Marianne visited with a special travel gift: a neck pillow.

After a few minutes, Marianne brought up what they had discussed at the restaurant. “He’s completely faithful,” she concluded with a bright smile.

Elise sighed in relief. “I was just paranoid, then. This is good news.”

Marianne reached out, touching her friend’s hand gently. “It’s perfectly normal to have doubts sometimes. But I’m glad it all worked out.”

Elise smiled, though uncertainty shadowed her expression. “Me too. Thank you for helping me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“It’s what friends are for,” Marianne replied with a forced smile, though the lie twisted in her stomach. It seemed that when Daniel wasn’t around, her conscience surfaced.

As Elise finished getting ready, Marianne played with a heart-shaped pendant around her neck. It was a gift she had received from Daniel, but of course, Elise didn’t know that. They talked about it for a while until Elise noticed the time.

“What’s keeping my husband?” Elise remarked, looking at her watch. Just in time, Daniel entered the house, apologizing for his tardiness.

After all, he wanted to say goodbye before a taxi picked up his wife to take her to the airport. His eyes briefly met Marianne’s, a silent message passing between them.

Elise misread the look and commented on her friend’s pendant and how beautiful it was. He agreed, his voice tight, “Yeah, Marianne always picks out nice jewelry.”

The room filled with an awkward silence until honking from outside snapped them out of their trances. “Well, that’s my cab. I should head out. Don’t want to miss my flight!” Elise announced cheerily.

“Let me help you with those,” her husband said, trying to sound upbeat and not completely guilty.

As they reached the door, Elise hugged Daniel. “Take care of yourself while I’m gone. Remember, eat some veggies,” she teased.

Daniel hugged her back. “You should eat good food, too. I’ll miss you. Safe travels,” he said, waving goodbye as Elise stepped into the taxi.

When the car was out of sight, Marianne and Daniel went back inside and a charge immediately filled the air. “She’s gone,” she whispered, stepping closer to him.

“Yes, she is,” he replied, his voice low.

They gave in to their feelings again. All their guilt was forgotten again as they moved together, seeking comfort in their shared warmth. This chemistry they couldn’t deny was the only reason they weren’t driven mad by shame in front of Elise.

They knew they had something. It was just too difficult to utter.

Later, they filled the bathtub with warm water, and the scent of lavender wafting in the air. The bubbles surrounded them, and soon, they started laughing, enjoying more than just their bodies.

But their playful banter in the bath came to an abrupt halt when they heard the front door open. “Daniel? I’m back! I forgot my—” Elise called out, her voice trailing off as she realized something was off.

In a panic, Marianne submerged herself under the bubbles, her heart racing. Daniel called out, “In here, Elise! Just taking a bath. I’ll be out soon, don’t come in!” His voice almost betrayed him.

Elise approached the bathroom. “I didn’t expect to find you here. And since when do you like using bath bubbles?” she asked, her tone light but curious.

Daniel laughed off his nervousness. “Just wanted to relax a bit. Marianne left a while ago,” he lied.

Elise nodded and held up his passport. “I accidentally took yours. I found out in the taxi and came back. I’ve rescheduled my flight for tonight.”

“Oh, that’s why you’re back,” he muttered, still chuckling awkwardly.

“You’re acting strange. What’s going on?” she pressed, frowning.

“Nothing, Elise. It’s just a surprise, that’s all,” he insisted.

“You seem guilty. Is there something I should know?” Elise asked, her hands going to her waist.

From her hiding spot, Marianne felt the tension rise and finally realized the gravity of their situation. She could only hope that Elise couldn’t see her body beneath all the soap bubbles.

Flustered, Daniel changed the subject. “You should repack. Let’s not dwell on this.”

“We’re not done talking about this, Daniel,” Elise said, pointing a finger at him. But she still went out to their bedroom. Marianne surfaced a little to take a breath but didn’t dare emerge fully.

In the bedroom, while fumbling with her bag, Elise noticed something shiny on their bed. It was her friend’s pendant. Returning to the bathroom, she asked, “Why is Marianne’s pendant here?”

“I—I don’t know, Elise. Maybe Marianne left it by mistake?” Daniel stammered.

But Elise wasn’t buying it. The pieces were starting to fit together in a pattern she wished she didn’t recognize. “A mistake? How could she leave it here without realizing it? And why would she even take it off in our bedroom?”

“Elise, you’re reading too much into this. It’s just a piece of jewelry,” he said between more awkward laughs.

And finally, things clicked for Elise as her eyes noted something new in the tub — what she hadn’t seen or subconsciously avoided seeing before. Luckily, she knew exactly how to get the truth out this time.

“It’s not just the pendant, Daniel. It’s the secrets, the lies. I can feel it,” she continued, her jaw setting firmly.

Daniel got out of the bathtub at last, wrapping himself in a towel and reaching for his wife. But Elise stepped out of his reach.

“Elise, I saw how much you admired Marianne’s pendant. I bought one for you as a homecoming gift. I thought it would be a perfect surprise for you,” he said, stammering on his words.

Elise burst out in laughter. “A surprise? Daniel, I’ve only been gone an hour. How could you have possibly bought it in that time?”

Daniel struggled to salvage the situation, and only made things worse. “Elise, please, you’re overthinking this. It’s just a gift.”

Elise was beyond accepting lies and evasions. “A gift? Or a guilt offering? What are you not telling me?”

The room felt like it was closing in on Daniel. He was trapped, not just by Elise’s questions, but by his own guilt and the tangled lies that had brought them to this point.

“Elise, please, this is ridiculous. Let’s just talk about this out in our bedroom,” he said feebly.

“Just a moment longer, Daniel. I need to see something,” Elise stated and looked toward the bathtub pointedly. Daniel finally understood he was screwed.

As the silence stretched, Marianne realized she couldn’t stay submerged much longer. The need for air and the weight of their deceit pressed down on her. She emerged from the water, gasping.

The truth about the affair was now undeniable. As she struggled for breath, Marianne looked from Daniel to Elise, thinking about an excuse.

Despite already figuring out the truth, Elise’s tears surfaced. The betrayal was just too poignant. “How long, Daniel?” she whispered.

Daniel tried to blame Marianne for seducing him, but it was a defense that sounded feeble even to him. “Seduced? You’re my husband. How could you?” Elise shook her head.

“Elise, it wasn’t like that. Daniel, he—he was the one who came onto me first,” Marianne chimed in.

Elise’s anger only grew at her friend’s audacity.

“How dare you? My best friend, betraying me like this?” she snapped, trying to sound strong. “I can’t even look at either of you right now. Get out. Get out of my house!”

Daniel and Marianne wrapped their bodies in towels and began collecting their things while Elise watched them, her heart broken yet her resolve firm. They took too long in her opinion. It was time to teach them a swift lesson.

“Leave! Now! And don’t bother getting dressed. Let the world see the shame you’ve brought onto yourselves!” she commanded, and her eyes told them not to mess with her.

Once alone, the sorrow took over Elise’s body, threatening to destroy her. Yet amidst the pain, a spark of resilience ignited. She began to reclaim her space, packing away reminders of her soon-to-be ex-husband and her ex-best friend.

She decided to cut them out of her life for good, metaphorically and physically.

“I am more than this betrayal,” Elise affirmed in front of the mirror after finishing her purge.

Grabbing her bags, she headed to the airport, but instead of a business trip, she headed to her mother’s house, where comfort and support would help her close this painful chapter of her life.

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