My Husband Went Public With My Best Friend On My Delivery Day

Start Reading

My husband said he'd give me a surprise the day I went into labor.

I thought it would be a bouquet stuffed with cash, or a heavy gold bracelet.

What I never imagined was that the very night I gave birth, he'd walk in holding my best friend's hand and announce their relationship right in front of me.

"These past ten months, thank God I had Flo. Otherwise I'd have gone out of my mind."

"Honestly, I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but I figured I'd hold off while you were pregnant."

My best friend chimed in with a smile too.

"Cece, don't be upset. If it weren't for me, your husband definitely would've cheated on you."

"We grew up practically joined at the hip anyway. We've shared so many things over the years."

"One more thing, your husband, it's really nothing. And I can even take care of you during your recovery."

I couldn't accept it. I broke down and demanded a divorce.

But the two of them ganged up and scolded me for being unreasonable.

I sobbed, "Aren't you afraid this is more than I can take, that I'll do something to myself?"

They didn't care in the slightest.

"Back when Luke Henson's rival kidnapped you and violated you for three days and nights, you didn't do anything to yourself."

"Something this small, of course you can handle it."

Too bad they forgot that after childbirth, the hormones make you the most prone to depression.

Betrayed twice over, this time I really couldn't hold up.

1.

Seeing me still in tears, Florence Lyons let go of Luke's hand, sat down beside me, and murmured soothingly.

"There, don't cry. You can't be crying right after giving birth."

"There's really no need to be so upset. Think about it, because you were pregnant, Luke couldn't even sleep with you."

"What man can hold out that long?"

"If I hadn't helped, he'd have gone looking for some other woman, and those women would never be as considerate of you as I am."

"They'd only find ways to steal his affection and push you out."

"I'm different. You and I go back years, so of course I'm on your side."

I stared at Florence in disbelief, unable to imagine those words coming out of her mouth.

No, I should have seen it coming, given who she is.

She'd been like this since we were kids. Whatever I had, she wanted it too.

She thought best friends had to have everything the same, the same clothes, the same jewelry.

When we grew up we had to live together, and work in the same place too.

She used to say, "A best friend is really just the twin sister you choose for yourself, born to different parents."

"So we have to stay together, always."

Because of those words, when we were little I'd give her a matching version of whatever I had.

When I grew up and met Luke, I stood by him and built everything with him.

The first thing I did once we got the company off the ground was invite her to come work there.

Back then she clung to my arm, thrilled beyond words.

"I'm so lucky, having a rich best friend, kept by her and her boyfriend both."

At the time I didn't think anything of it.

She was my best friend, after all, and Luke, as my partner, was supposed to look after her.

I just never imagined the two of them would look after each other all the way into bed.

I swallowed the metallic taste rising in my throat and forced the words out.

"When did it start?"

Luke answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "The night your pregnancy was confirmed, Flo and I slept together."

"There was nothing I could do. The first three months are unstable, and I couldn't sleep with you either."

Looking at the face he was wearing now, I remembered the day the pregnancy was confirmed, when Luke pulled me into his arms.

He was shaking all over, so happy he cried.

"Cece, I'm so happy. I'm going to be a father!"

I laughed and teased him back then. "Are you really that happy? While I'm pregnant, you'll have to live like a monk for a few months."

"It's fine. For you and the baby, I can hold out."

Ha. No wonder he could hold out. With Florence there to relieve him, why would it be hard?

Just then Florence stood up, wanting to hold my baby.

"There now, let Auntie see our little girl."

I saw it and scrambled up despite my wound, shoving her away. "Don't touch her!"

Seeing Florence knocked to the floor, Luke lost it too and shoved me hard to the side.

"Cecilia Summers, have you lost your mind?"

"Flo just wanted to see the baby. Why did you push her?"

That shove from Luke drained the color from my face in an instant.

I bit back the pain in my belly and forced myself to shield my daughter.

"You two disgusting pieces of garbage, don't either of you touch my daughter!"

Florence started crying the second she heard it.

She looked at me like I'd wounded her, wide-eyed and disbelieving. "Cece, I was only trying to help you. How can you think that of me?"

I didn't want to hear another word of her shameless act. I pointed at the door and, low and hard, told them to go.

"Both of you, get out. I don't want to see either of you."

"Cecilia, you're impossible! Flo does one kind thing for you and you treat it like an insult!"

Luke had Florence tucked against him, and just then he noticed the inside of her palm was scraped and bleeding. He rushed to help her up so he could get it treated.

But Florence noticed the incision on my belly had split open, the blood seeping through and already soaking the hem of my gown.

"Luke, let the nurse look at Cece first. I think her incision's torn."

Only then did Luke register that I wasn't doing well.

Something like concern flickered in his eyes, but he steadied himself fast.

"This is a hospital. She'll be fine."

"Besides, she just shoved you. Why bother worrying about her? She'll only decide you're up to something again."

"Let's get your hand treated first. There are so many germs in a hospital. What if you catch something and get sick?"

Luke didn't look at me again. He firmly steered Florence out to have her hand seen to.

Even though the scrape on her hand would have healed on its own in another thirty seconds.

I pressed a hand to my belly, the room already starting to spin.

I was supposed to be resting after giving birth, and I'd had a C-section on top of it.

I tried to hang on to consciousness long enough to call a nurse, but the faint came too fast.

Too fast for me to even make it back onto the bed. I dropped straight to the floor.

Lucky for me it was the nurses' rounds, and before long one of them found me collapsed by the bed, out cold.

They rushed me into the operating room to stabilize me.

The incision had split, but at least there was no major bleeding.

I was under for maybe two or three hours before I slowly came around.

The first thing I heard when I woke was the doctor's sharp scolding.

"Doesn't your family stay with you? Why were you left alone in the room?"

"If the nurse hadn't found you in time, your life would have been in danger. Do you understand that?"

My face stayed blank. My heart already ached past the point of feeling anything.

Family?

What family did I have left? My husband was off getting my best friend's hand treated.

Who else was going to look after me?

Once I was stable, the nurse wheeled me back to my room.

By then Florence had long since had her hand seen to and was back in the room with Luke.

The moment they saw me return, they both rushed over, all concern.

"Cece, how are you feeling now?"

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone off to get my hand looked at. And you're being foolish too. If you felt bad, why didn't you call a nurse?"

At that point the nurse who'd come with me spoke up again.

"The mother is in a very bad way right now. She needs complete rest, and she needs family to take proper care of her."

"Someone has to stay at her side to keep this from happening again. Do you understand?"

The two of them nodded quickly and agreed.

Once the nurse left, Luke sat down beside me, looking at me like I was the one causing trouble.

"You heard what the nurse said. In your condition, what you need most is someone caring for you."

"Whatever's going on, you shouldn't be gambling with your own health."

"I wouldn't feel right leaving you to a stranger. Flo's attentive. She can take good care of you and the baby."

I shut my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at him. Coldly, I said, "I can hire a caregiver."

Florence jumped in at once.

"A caregiver's no good at all. I've seen so many stories online. Abusing pregnant women or children happens all the time."

Then she went right back to playing the victim. "We're best friends. If you won't trust me, are you really going to trust an outsider?"

"Best friends?" I let out a mocking little laugh.

"I don't have a best friend who sleeps with someone else's husband. Your fake concern right now makes me sick."

"Cecilia, are you done throwing your fit?"

"Flo's been your friend for over ten years. You're like sisters. How can you be so cruel to her?"

Luke got up and went to Florence's side, gathering her tenderly into his arms.

"Let's go. She doesn't appreciate it. There's no need to keep pushing yourself on someone who won't warm up to you."

"Since you're so tough, let's see how long you can keep it up."

With that, Luke took Florence's hand and turned to leave the room.

Just before he stepped fully out the door, I spoke, slowly.

"Luke, let's get a divorce."