My Husband Slept with His Brother's Wife and Called It Love

I had been married to Louis Wood for three years. To everyone else, he was the perfect husband. Attentive, thoughtful, the kind of man people envied. That illusion lasted right up until his sister-in-law, Kylie Sanders, came back to the country and lost a game at his birthday party. Kylie smiled like she owned the room and dropped a bomb without hesitation. "The boldest thing I've ever done? Probably sneaking into Louis's bed the night before my wedding." Louis didn't get mad. Not even a little. He just looked at her, soft and almost… fond. And his own brother, Mark Wood, who also happened to be Kylie's husband, was the first to start clapping. Kylie had lost the game. She was Louis's sister-in-law. And to that whole group of guys, she had always been the one that got away. Someone in the crowd egged her on, telling her to share the boldest thing she'd ever done. Holding her glass, eyes slightly glazed, Kylie scanned the room. Then, like she'd been aiming all along, her gaze landed straight on Louis, sitting at the head of the table. After that, Kylie turned to me, smiling sweetly. "Does that count as bold? Sneaking into Louis's bed the night before my wedding." The room went dead silent. It felt like the air froze. Only the background music kept playing, completely out of place. My fingers tightened around my glass, one by one, until my knuckles turned white. Louis sat beside me, completely still. He didn't even bother giving me a reassuring look. As if she thought the fire wasn't big enough yet, Kylie covered her mouth and giggled, her tone innocent but laced with poison. "Don't get the wrong idea, Hannah. I just went to say goodbye." She paused, then spoke slowly, each word hitting like a hammer. "Besides… if I hadn't gone abroad, would you even have had a chance?" The second she finished, Mark laughed out loud and started clapping again. "That's right! Say it louder!" That clap was like flipping a switch. The whole private room lit back up with noise. "I'm telling you, Kylie's got guts!" "Seriously, if Louis's parents hadn't threatened him back then, those two would probably have kids by now!" "Exactly. Don't take it personally, Hannah. We all know they're the real deal." They laughed like they were watching some tragic love story. And me? I was just the villain who got in the way of Romeo and Juliet. I looked at Louis. My husband. Finally, he moved. He picked up a napkin. Not to hand to me, but to stand up and walk over to Kylie. He gently wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes, the ones she'd laughed out. "Alright, that's enough," Louis said softly, full of affection. "You're gonna mess up your makeup." Kylie leaned right into him like a lazy cat. Mark walked over with his drink, grinning at me. "Hey, don't be mad, Hannah. My brother and my wife? They're like best bros. I'm not bothered at all, so don't be petty, okay?" I stared at the absurd scene in front of me, my stomach churning. The game went on. This time, it was Louis's turn. The card read, "Kiss the person of the opposite s*x you most want to kiss here, excluding your partner." Every single pair of eyes shifted, perfectly in sync, toward Kylie. Louis smiled. He looked at me, and there was something almost provocative in his gaze. Then, right in front of everyone, he leaned down and gently kissed Kylie on the forehead. The room exploded with screams and whistles. Kylie blushed, playing shy, but in a voice only a few of us could hear, she said, "Louis, that doesn't count. I wanted a kiss on the lips." Louis let out a low laugh and ruffled her hair. "I'll make it up to you next time."