My best friend got pregnant before marriage and her boyfriend took off. So, she asked me if she could "borrow" my husband to marry her.

She promised that all she needed was a marriage certificate to get her child registered. The moment that was done, she said, she’d return my husband to me.

When I turned her down, she was furious.

"What's the big deal? It’s just borrowing your husband!" she snapped.

The next day, I found a marriage certificate in my husband’s briefcase.

The names on it were my husband’s and my best friend’s.

***

"Cass, can’t you lend me your husband so I can marry him for a bit?”

Starla White, my best friend, said this so casually, I nearly spat out my coffee.

“What did you just say?”

I stared at her, utterly shocked, my gaze drifting to her eight-months-pregnant belly.

Starla rubbed her stomach, throwing me a quick, dismissive look.

“Oh, relax. I only need your husband for a marriage certificate, so I can register my baby. As soon as that’s done, I’ll give him right back to you.”

The sheer confidence in her tone made my eye twitch.

“That’s not happening. Plenty of women are single mothers now. Since you chose to keep the baby, you should’ve prepared for the consequences, don’t you think?”

I replied coolly.

At this, Starla’s face darkened with visible irritation.

“You know how hard it is for single moms to make it in society. And anyway, it’s not like you and your husband even have a marriage certificate yet! What’s the harm in letting me borrow him for a bit?”

I almost laughed out of sheer disbelief at Starla’s reasoning.

Eight months ago, she’d disappeared for a while and then suddenly showed up to tell me she was pregnant—and that her boyfriend had run off.

I had tried to caution her, saying, “Being pregnant and unmarried is already tough and it’ll be even harder to raise a child alone with the father gone.”

But she’d looked me straight in the eye, resolute. “I’m not afraid. Since I’ve decided to have this baby, I’m prepared to deal with whatever judgment comes my way.”

And now, here she was, asking to “borrow” my husband. How could she say something so outrageous with a straight face?

My husband, Samuel Pearce and I got married a year ago. We only had a wedding ceremony, though and since I had to leave on a business trip, I missed our anniversary. So Samuel suggested that we delay our official registration until this year’s anniversary—which is next month.

Starla was the only person I’d told about this. I never imagined it would spark such an idea in her.

“No way. Even if I agreed, Samuel never would. If he registered a marriage with you and then divorced, he’d be considered a divorcé,” I replied firmly, shutting her down.

Starla’s face immediately darkened and she yanked her hand from my arm.

“Cassey Martinez! I thought you were my best friend, but I guess I was wrong. Besides, you haven’t even asked Sammy—how do you know he wouldn’t agree? Admit it, you just want me to suffer as a single mom and watch my son face shame his whole life.”

She glared at me, her expression filled with venom.

I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, but when Starla mentioned Samuel, I caught a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of satisfaction in her eyes.

When I got home that evening, Samuel had just finished making dinner and as soon as he saw me, his face lit up with a warm smile.

“Cass, come eat.”

Looking at the steaming dishes on the table, I felt a rush of happiness fill me.

As we ate, I mentioned to Samuel the conversation I had with Starla earlier that day.

Clink!

The sound of Samuel’s spoon dropping onto the table echoed in the quiet room, his face suddenly filled with visible panic.

“What’s going on?” I asked, puzzled, staring at him.

Samuel hurriedly picked up the spoon and, trying to act normal, served me a spoonful of braised pork.

“It’s nothing. I just... I’ve never met someone so outrageous. I was a little shocked, that’s all.”

But I wasn’t really listening. My mind was still on the braised pork in my bowl.

Because I never eat braised pork.

The next evening, after work, I was about to collapse onto the couch when I noticed Samuel’s briefcase sitting there.

I picked it up to straighten things out and felt something in the side pocket. Pulling it out, I was met with a notebook.

With trembling hands, I opened it.

It was a fine printed marriage certificate.

I held my breath, my hands shaking as I flipped it open. The names on it were unmistakable—Samuel Pearce and Starla Pearce.

In that instant, my mind went blank, as if everything exploded in my head.

Anger, pain and betrayal crashed over me like a tidal wave.

As Samuel walked toward the kitchen doorway, I quickly stuffed the marriage certificate back into his briefcase.

“Wash your hands and come eat.”

He entered the room, carrying a pot of soup, his face beaming with excitement.

I stood up but froze when I saw the large pot of chicken soup on the table.

I had once owned a pet chicken, but it had tragically fallen from the balcony and died. Since then, I hadn’t been able to bring myself to eat chicken soup.

Samuel knew this well.

As I stood there, lost in thought, the doorbell suddenly rang. I rushed to answer it.

When I opened the door, Starla was standing there, her belly swollen with pregnancy, a smug grin plastered on her face.

Before I even had a chance to invite her in, she breezed past me, practically barging through the door.

“Wow, that chicken soup smells amazing!” she exclaimed.

Samuel smiled at her.

“You came at the perfect time. You should drink more—it's good for you to replenish.”

His words hit me like a jolt and an uneasy feeling rose in my chest, a sense of dread that I couldn’t shake.

I forced down the anger building inside me and walked over.

“What are you doing here?”

Starla had already seated herself comfortably.

“Isn’t it fine to come visit? I also wanted to try Sammy’s cooking. It’s been ages since I’ve had it and I’ve really missed it.”

As she spoke, her gaze was fixed entirely on Samuel.

“Craving it, huh? I’ve got some pig’s trotters simmering in the kitchen too. You’ll have to eat a couple extra pieces later,” Samuel said, his focus entirely on Starla as he handed her a hot towel to wipe her hands.

“Go ahead, wipe your hands and dig in!” he added with a carefree smile, before turning back to the kitchen to bring out the trotters—completely ignoring my presence as if I were invisible.

It wasn’t until Samuel sat down across from Starla that he seemed to realize what had happened. He awkwardly got up and glanced at me.

“Cass, sit down and eat. Try the soup I made and let me know if it tastes good,” he said, dishing out a bowl of chicken soup and placing it in front of me.

Without thinking, I pushed the bowl away.

“Samuel, have you forgotten? I don’t drink chicken soup.”

The force of my push sent the hot soup splashing onto Samuel’s hand and he yelped in pain, stumbling back a step.

“Cassey, are you trying to burn me?”

Starla immediately jumped up, grabbing Samuel’s hand to inspect the burn.

“Sammy, are you okay? Does it hurt? Should we go to the hospital?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Then, her gaze turned to me and her anger flared.

“Cassey, why did you do that? Sammy was just being kind, offering you the soup and you deliberately spilled it on him! How can you be so heartless?” she snapped.

Samuel and Starla leaned into each other, looking like they were the real couple. I let out a cold laugh.

"Starla, if I remember correctly, Samuel is my husband."

Samuel froze, immediately pulling his hand away from Starla's, his expression somewhat evasive.

"Starla is just concerned about me, that's all. Cass, why are you so sensitive lately?"

All I did was ask a single question and he already called me aggressive.

Looking at my husband of five years, I felt nothing but cold disappointment.

Samuel and I were college sweethearts, dating for four years before we got married one year ago. Samuel's family background wasn't ideal and to be with him, I went as far as breaking ties with my parents just to marry him.

Thankfully, he's been nothing but devoted to me since we got married.

If only I hadn’t found that marriage certificate.

“Sammy, I’m fine, really! Let me disinfect your wound first!” Starla looked at Samuel with a wounded expression, then easily located the first-aid kit in my home and pulled out a bottle of antiseptic to treat Samuel’s injury.

“That antiseptic’s from two years ago...”

I suddenly remembered that it was expired and was about to step forward to warn Samuel. But before I could even touch Starla, she suddenly stepped back.

“Ah!”

Starla let out a shriek, stumbling backward and hitting her back against a chair. Then, clutching her stomach, she looked at me with a pained expression.

“Cass, I was just trying to clean Sammy’s wound. Why did you push me?” 

With that, she looked up at Samuel with eyes full of feigned innocence and hurt.

“Sammy, my stomach hurts so much! I think I may have disturbed the baby,” Starla whimpered.

Samuel immediately scooped her up in his arms, his face twisted with worry and shot me a furious glare.

“Cassey, I never thought you could be this kind of person. If anything happens to Starla or the baby, I won’t forgive you.”

With that, Samuel rushed out with Starla in his arms. As he passed me, he rammed his shoulder into mine, almost knocking me off balance.

I watched them disappear down the hallway, then picked up my phone and called a friend.

“I need you to investigate someone for me.”

After Samuel left, I went straight to the market, bought a few hidden cameras and installed some around my house. I then headed over to Starla’s apartment.

The place she was staying in was actually an apartment unit I bought before I got married.

After she became pregnant, she tearfully confided in me that her prenatal checkups were so expensive. I felt sorry for her, so I let her move into my apartment.

However, the apartment I live in now was officially owned by both Samuel and me. I paid three hundred thousand dollars for the down payment, while Samuel contributed only seven thousand five hundred dollars. Still, the property ownership was split evenly between us.

After the installation was done, I sat quietly at home, just staring at my phone screen.

Until Samuel walked into the apartment, supporting Starla as they entered.

The moment they stepped inside, Starla threw herself into Samuel’s arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“We’ve already got our marriage certificate. Now we’re truly, legally married. How long are you planning to keep hiding this from that fool Cassey?” she demanded.

Samuel stroked Starla’s belly, his eyes full of anticipation. “Just a little longer. You know Cassey’s family owns a business and she’s their only child. Everything they have will eventually belong to her. As long as I keep her happy, it’ll all be in my hands, won’t it?”

Starla seemed displeased. “What about me and the baby? Don’t forget, I’m carrying your child. You don’t plan on keeping me and our child in the shadows forever, do you?”