She Stole My Life, I Ruined Theirs

On my birthday, a post appeared in my feed. [What Does It Mean to Lift Someone Up Through Love?] Someone had answered in the comments. A: I can answer that. A guy who had a crush on me became my best friend's boyfriend just to get close to me. A: In college, I needed money for a bag. He was our class president, so he pulled her scholarship application and replaced it with mine. I got the money. The poor i***t thought she hadn't met the requirements. A: Later, her name appeared on the list for direct admission to grad school. I said it wasn't fair, and he reported her for me. She ended up having to take the entrance exam twice before she got in. Her smug account of being adored drew a flood of angry replies. As the thread gained attention, she only grew prouder. Then she posted a photo of a diamond ring. A: Be jealous. It won't change anything. Today's my best friend's birthday. He bought me a diamond ring. She got the free gift that came with it. A: One word from me and he'll even put off celebrating with her. My phone buzzed. My boyfriend, Ethan Brooks, had sent me two w******p messages. Ethan: Baby, something came up at work. Can I use a late pass? Ethan: Your birthday present's on the nightstand. See if you like it. I opened the box. Inside lay a plain silver band. On impulse, I scanned the product code. The result showed the words "Free Gift" beside a diamond ring identical to the one in the post. The scholarship. Grad school. My birthday. The two rings. It all fell into place. I was the best friend they had made a fool of. A: I've gone too far? How? A: If I didn't care about our friendship, I'd have made him dump her years ago. A: I still haven't broken them up. Isn't that nice enough of me? Challenged by the other commenters, she kept boasting about the man who worshiped her. People were so disgusted that they urged everyone to share the thread until it reached her friend. They had no idea I had been there from the beginning, watching every update in real time. Perhaps fate had finally decided I deserved better than a lifetime of lies. After nine years with Ethan, just before we were due to make our marriage legal, I had been shown the truth. A: I'm done talking to a bunch of unwanted losers. A: I'm off to a candlelit dinner with my simp. A: Sorry, bestie. Your man's mine tonight! To provoke another round of outrage, she posted a photo of a restaurant. I saved the picture of its elegant interior and ran an image search. The restaurant's full name appeared, along with the average cost: more than $1,500 per person. People said that when someone truly loved you, they gave you the best they could. In nine years with Ethan, our usual meal had been takeout from the local deli down the street. Our biggest splurge was a $12 combo each at Sunshine Diner downtown. Yet on my 28th birthday, he had bought my best friend, Chloe Miller, a diamond ring and taken her to a restaurant that cost over $1,500 a head. He had told me he was working late. The old saying was right. Follow the money, and you would find his heart.