My Best Friend Was His Wife

Marissa's POV: I went to register the birth of my daughter, who had just turned a month old. To my shock, I was told that the space for her father's name on her birth certificate was blank. I hurriedly pulled out my Avelorn marriage certificate. Conrad Voss had told me that divorce wasn't allowed there, that getting married there meant staying together for life. But the clerk said matter-of-factly, "This is a commemorative certificate. It has no legal effect." Refusing to believe it, I gave the clerk Conrad's personal details and asked them to check. "He's already married," the clerk told me. "His son is 8 years old." I froze at the counter, a chill spreading through me. My father's mistress and their illegitimate daughter had driven my mother to her death. There was nothing I hated more than a homewrecker, and now I had become one myself. I went home in a daze. Through the wall, I heard Conrad say, "Our son is 8. We can't keep telling everyone he's my parents' youngest child for the rest of his life." My best friend, Tessa Mercer, answered in a trembling voice, "Marissa hates homewreckers. She's barely recovered from giving birth. She can't handle this. At least don't tell her today. It's the anniversary of her mother's death." I leaned against the cold wall and fought back the sob rising in my throat. On a night when families everywhere were coming together, I thought, 'It's time for this lie to end.' I pushed the door open and walked in. The two of them hastily moved apart. My eyes fell on the handmade cup in front of Tessa. Conrad had made it for me himself. It was so precious to me that I'd never been able to bring myself to use it. I'd kept it in the cupboard, never imagining someone else would end up drinking from it. Conrad got up and came toward me, speaking before I could say anything. "You were just registering a birth. What took so long? Tessa's been waiting for you all afternoon." I ignored the accusation and flung the marriage certificate onto the table. "Why did you two work together to deceive me? You made me the other woman without my even knowing you were married!" For a moment, the room went silent. Conrad frowned and demanded, "Were you eavesdropping at the door?" Tessa's eyes reddened. She stepped forward and tried to take my hand. "Marissa, I wanted to tell you so many times. I just couldn't bear to hurt you." We'd spent 8 years confiding in each other. She'd had countless chances to tell me the truth. I shook off her hand and took a half step back, as though she were something filthy I couldn't stand to touch. Conrad immediately pulled Tessa behind him. His eyes turned cold. "When it comes down to it, you're the one who came between us. When your mother died, Tessa felt sorry for you. She introduced us so I could help you through it. Who knew you'd fall for me? Tessa was the one who stepped aside. You tore us apart." Tears burned in my eyes, and my voice shook. "You pursued me, Conrad! And Tessa kept telling me to give you a chance! Now you're turning it all around and saying I was the other woman? Are you saying I broke you up?" Even as I broke down and demanded answers, he showed no remorse. "Marissa Ellery, you're always so unreasonable." Tessa gently patted his arm, tears glistening in her eyes. "Conrad, it's the anniversary of Marissa's mother's death. She's upset. I understand." He gave a cold laugh. Every word that followed was meant to hurt. "Some people don't deserve the sacrifices you make for them. Her mother would never rest in peace if she knew her daughter had become a homewrecker, the very thing she hated most." His words cut straight through me. I still remembered curling up in his arms and telling him how my father's mistress had driven my mother to her death. Trembling, I'd asked him, "Conrad, would you ever cheat on me and let me end up like my mother?" He'd held me tightly and promised, "No. I'd never hurt you." My mind went blank. I raised my hand and swung at him. The slap cracked through the room. But Tessa had suddenly stepped in front of Conrad, and my hand struck her face instead. Her head snapped to the side, and tears immediately spilled down her cheeks. Conrad saw the red mark on her cheek and, almost on instinct, turned and slapped me. The force whipped my head to one side and left my ears ringing. I couldn't believe he'd actually hit me. All his tenderness was for Tessa. He looked at me coldly. "Marissa, haven't you caused enough trouble?" Our daughter burst into frightened tears in the bedroom, but he paid no attention. I stumbled into the room to soothe her. She was crying so hard that she trembled. Pressing my cheek against the top of her head, I murmured without thinking, "Don't be scared. Mommy's here." Outside the bedroom, he was gently comforting Tessa. In my arms, my daughter was sobbing desperately. Hearing him soothe Tessa while our baby cried killed the last of my hope. Once my daughter was sleeping peacefully, I packed our things and carried her out of the bedroom. In the living room, Conrad was carefully applying ointment to the faint red mark on Tessa's cheek. Meanwhile, five angry, swollen finger marks covered half my face. I looked a wreck. Holding my baby, I turned toward the door, my face expressionless. Tessa stepped into my path. "Marissa, don't go! I'm the one who should leave! Your baby's only a month old. Where can you possibly take her?" Conrad drew her behind him again. There was no guilt in his eyes. "Marissa, you know how much it hurts to grow up in a single-parent home. Can you really do that to our daughter? You'll come back on your own before long." My heart ached as I stroked my daughter's cheek. I said slowly and clearly, "What I can't do is let her grow up with a monster for a father, like I did." I carried my sleeping daughter through the door without looking back. He was certain I'd return. But from that moment on, I knew I never would.