After My Husband Chose the Faker Over Me

The night air carried a chill that didn't match the warmth I'd expected from our third anniversary celebration. I stood in the shadows of our apartment rooftop garden, my hand instinctively moving to my slightly rounded belly—our baby, our future. The champagne flutes I'd brought up remained forgotten in my hands as I watched my husband Maddox and his childhood friend Elodie standing far too close by the edge, their silhouettes illuminated by the city lights below.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Maddox," Elodie's voice trembled with practiced vulnerability. "The rumors Arielle has been spreading about me... they're destroying everything I've worked for."

My breath caught in my throat. Rumors? I hadn't spoken to anyone about Elodie in weeks.

"What exactly is she saying?" Maddox's voice was tender, protective in a way it hadn't been with me lately.

"That I don't deserve my success, that I'm sleeping my way through the industry." A perfectly timed sob escaped her. "She's always been jealous of our friendship, but this is beyond cruel."

I stepped forward, the glasses clinking in my hands. "That's not true."

They both turned, Maddox's face hardening while Elodie's eyes widened with theatrical surprise before she shrank against my husband's side.

"Arielle." My name sounded like an accusation on his lips. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to hear these lies." I set the glasses down, my hands trembling. "I haven't spread any rumors about you, Elodie. But I know you've been going through my design files."

"See what I mean?" Elodie whispered to Maddox, her fingers clutching his sleeve. "She can't stand that I might succeed on my own."

"I found the backup files you didn't manage to delete," I continued, stepping closer. "My original sketches for the competition pieces—the ones you're presenting tomorrow as your own."

Maddox moved between us, his broad shoulders blocking Elodie from my view. "That's enough, Arielle. You've been obsessing over this competition for months, and now you can't handle that Elodie might win?"

"She's going to win with MY designs!" My voice rose despite my efforts to stay calm. "The diamond constellation pendant? The sunrise gradient technique? Those were in my private sketchbook!"

"The one you conveniently can't find?" Maddox's eyes narrowed. "Stop this. It's our anniversary, and you're acting crazy."

"Crazy?" The word stung worse than a slap. I pressed my hand against my belly, trying to calm myself for our baby's sake. "Check my cloud backup. The timestamp on my designs predates anything she's submitted."

Elodie stepped around Maddox, tears streaming perfectly down her cheeks. "I can't believe you'd do this to me. After everything we've been through together."

"We?" I laughed bitterly. "You've been trying to sabotage my marriage from day one."

"That's IT!" Maddox's voice thundered across the rooftop. "Apologize to her, Arielle. Now."

"I will not apologize for telling the truth." I moved toward Elodie, my finger pointing accusingly. "She's manipulating you, can't you see that?"

What happened next seemed to unfold