His Final Letter To My Best Friend

Tags: Plane crash, deathbed confession, cheating, betrayal When the plane went into a terrifying dive, my husband, Justin, and I were both on board. In the suffocating panic, everyone around us was frantically writing their final words. I clutched Justin’s hand with all my strength, only to catch a glimpse of his screen—he was sending his final letter to my best friend, Rachel. Justin pressed his lips together, taking several seconds to stammer out an excuse: "Don't get the wrong idea. She's the person we trust the most, isn't she?" Miraculously, the crisis passed, and the plane landed safely. Weak-kneed, I walked down the boarding ramp, turned to him, and announced: "I want a divorce." At the same time, I sent a text to Rachel: "You two can go ahead and get married. I’ll even be your witness." Rachel’s voice was loud and chaotic over the phone. "Natalie, what are you talking about? I just saw the news about your flight’s emergency! Are you okay?" "Listen, I’m already on my way to the airport. Wait for me!" She hung up abruptly. Justin walked beside me, sighing helplessly. "Both our parents are getting up there in years. I didn't want to terrify them, which is why I sent it to Rachel! "Come on, babe! Fine, I was wrong, okay?" Justin grabbed my hand and kissed my cheek. "Don’t be mad. When Rachel sees me, she’s going to chew me out anyway. Do you really have the heart to watch your darling husband get scolded by her?" A suffocating lump blocked my throat. I kept walking in silence while Justin trailed after me, throwing out sweet promises and apologies. When we reached the exit, we saw Rachel getting out of a car. The panic in her eyes looked real enough. Except I saw clearly that the very first person she looked at was Justin. Only then did she rush toward me, wrapping me in a tight embrace before turning to punch Justin’s shoulder. "You idiot! What was that letter for? You scared me to death!" Justin smiled casually. "Hey, we’re fine, aren't we? Besides, if the worst had happened, I knew you'd handle everything for us." "And look at Natalie, she's actually jealous over it!" He laughed it off like a joke. Rachel rolled her eyes at him and ushered me into the car. Sitting behind them, I noticed how natural their banter was. There wasn't a single shred of hesitation or boundary between them. Once we got back to our apartment, I used exhaustion as an excuse and retreated to the bedroom. Lying on the mattress, though, I couldn't sleep at all. Justin and I had been together for eight years. We had just returned from our honeymoon. I used to pride myself on knowing him inside and out. Yet, during those terrifying minutes when our lives hung by a thread, all I thought about was dying in his arms. Meanwhile, Justin, with trembling fingers, had typed out a letter and sent it to Rachel. He claimed it was a deathbed letter to a trusted friend. But under the paralyzing terror of death, my senses had been hyper-attuned. I had seen every single line he sent her. He was leaving all his assets to her, along with a desperate vow: *Even if fate tears us apart, my heart has always belonged to you.* My fingernails dug painfully into my palms. Just then, his voice drifted in from the hallway. "Natalie, I'm walking Rachel down to her car. I'll be right back." I quietly got up and walked into the living room. He had left his phone on the coffee table. In an instant, an overwhelming urge took over. I picked it up, entered the passcode, and opened it. I checked the usual apps, but found nothing. Was I truly overthinking? My hands shook as I opened the settings and switched accounts. Sure enough, his burner profile loaded immediately. He must have used it constantly, because it didn't even ask for a password. And there, right in front of me, was his entire chat history with Rachel. The earliest messages dated back eight years. Back when Justin and I had just met. Turns out, Rachel had met him before I did. *“You’re one lucky bastard. You actually caught the eye of the prettiest girl in our department. Natalie has high standards, she doesn't just look at anyone!”* *“Ask her to play tennis today, she loves it! Don’t say I never helped you. Make sure you impress her!”* *“So, how great am I? Natalie is my best friend. If you ever dare to hurt her, I’ll be the first to make you pay!”* Later on, their messages shifted from him asking for advice on pursuing me, to playing sports, to dating—and eventually, to sex. It started with hesitant flirtation, followed by brief bouts of guilt, which then spiraled into sheer, thrilling passion. In just twenty minutes, I scrolled through years of betrayal. I took photos of everything I needed, logged out, and locked the screen. Then I looked out the living room window. Down by the parking lot, the two of them were hugging. Their hands lingered, stroking each other gently—looking exactly like a pair of lovers who couldn't bear to say goodbye. I took a deep, shuddering breath. Inside me, a world completely collapsed.I didn't sleep a wink that night. When Justin finally came to bed, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. Hearing his breath by my ear only made my stomach heave with violent nausea. I shoved his arm away and moved to the guest room. Early the next morning, I left the house. Staying under the same roof with him made me feel like I was going to throw up at any second. When Justin called, I was sitting across from a divorce attorney, reviewing the separation agreement. I took a breath and picked up. "Where'd you go so early?" "My leave is over. I came into the office to sort through some pending work." I surprised myself with how smoothly and calmly I could lie. Justin breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright. I've got a lot on my plate today too, so I won't be home for lunch. I ordered a surprise for you, make sure to pick up the delivery." After hanging up, the lawyer across the table gave me a concerned look. "Are you alright?" My face must have been pale. He pushed a glass of warm water toward me. I managed a polite smile, thanked him, and pointed at the contract. "Add a clause. All of this belongs to me. He is entirely at fault, so I want ninety percent of our marital assets." "He's been cheating on me for years. Compared to what he's done, these are just material things. He won't dare refuse. Just draft it the way I asked." Justin and I were done, and I would make sure he paid for every second of it. Perhaps sensing that I was in a foul mood, Justin’s "gift" arrived soon after—a luxury handbag worth over three thousand dollars. Right on cue, Rachel’s call lit up my screen. "God, I'm so jealous of someone. All he did was send me a stupid letter yesterday during an emergency, and today he turns around and drops thousands on a designer bag for you. Honestly, Natalie, don't be so dramatic. Just forgive the poor guy!" Listening to Rachel cover for him—even subtly blaming me for making a fuss out of nothing—I found it almost laughable. She was painting me as the petty, unreasonable wife. When she realized I wasn't responding to her chatter, she hesitated. "Natalie? What’s wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" "I don't really feel like talking. Jet lag, probably. I'm exhausted." "Oh, get some rest then! We'll catch up later!" As soon as the call disconnected, I moved fast, scouring every social media platform for Rachel’s accounts. We had known each other for years, but we only became tight-knit best friends over the last five—mostly brought closer by Justin. Her public profiles were clean. No trace of anything suspicious. Then I dug through her following list and spotted an avatar featuring a chubby cartoon girl in vintage aesthetics—exactly Rachel’s taste. I clicked in. It was her secret burner account. Every post was a meticulously documented archive of her life with Justin. Even though the guy’s face was never fully shown, I had known Justin for eight years. A blurry back, a quick glance of his jawline—I recognized him instantly. Behind my back, they had built a secret little love nest of their own. I watched every single video. Her bio read: *Eight years and three months of Miss Fox and Mr. Rabbit.* *“July 13, 2017. Met Mr. Rabbit for the first time. Love at first sight! I worked up the courage to get his SnapChat, only to find out we go to the same college. I shamelessly joined his club just to see him.”* *“October 1, 2017. My roommate became friends with my crush. She’s honestly so manipulative, acting all soft and helpless the second they met. Do all men fall for that baby-voice routine?”* *“She beat me to him after all! My heart is breaking!”* *“December 25, 2017. Things are turning around! He says he’s so torn, but he feels like he connects with me on a deeper level!”* …Over a thousand posts spanning eight years. I read every single one, feeling as though my heart was being sliced open piece by piece. Just three months after Justin and I officially started dating, he had already begun flirting behind my back with her. A roaring fury rose up in my chest. *Justin, is this how you repay the eight years I gave you?* In that instant, I wanted nothing more than to tear his life apart. Conveniently, the day after tomorrow was my mother-in-law’s birthday. Ever since I met Justin, she had treated me like a daughter. But this time, I was destined to break her heart. I packed the heirloom jade bracelet she had given me into a jewelry box. Then, I bought a luxury wallet worth three thousand dollars and wrapped them both together. Two days later, before he left for work, I reminded Justin, "It’s your mom’s birthday today. Don’t be late." "I won't," he promised and headed out the door. I took the day off. First, I packed all my personal belongings into suitcases. Then, I bought a heavy sledgehammer from the hardware store, took aim at the living room drywall, and swung it with all my might. Three hours later, the apartment was reduced to absolute ruins. Dragging my luggage and holding the birthday gift, I walked out and drove straight to his mother's house. When I arrived, Rachel was already there. The moment she saw me, she linked her arm through mine with practiced familiarity. "Natalie! You're finally here, we’ve been waiting forever!" I watched her guide me to a chair and pour me water, acting as though she were the true lady of the house. My mother-in-law sat across from us, beaming at her warmly, completely blind to how inappropriate it was. My stomach sank even deeper. They all knew. The only person kept in the dark was me. "Where’s Justin?" It was already six in the evening. He should have arrived by now. Just as I pulled out my phone to text him, Rachel chimed in, "Justin mentioned he had a late meeting. He said he’d be about half an hour late!" I forced a cold smirk. "He certainly keeps you informed. He didn't even tell me." Rachel froze for a second, then quickly laughed it off. "How would I know on my own? I just overheard it when your mother-in-law called him earlier! "I only came because Justin said the more people, the merrier!" His mother chimed in, "That's right, dear. Justin’s under a lot of stress. Taking a whole month off for your honeymoon left a mountain of work on his desk. He's swamped right now. "Natalie, you need to be understanding." Before I could answer, Rachel wrapped an arm around my shoulder, smiling sweetly at the older woman. "Our Natalie is the most understanding woman in the world. Of course she gets it, right?" I smiled without saying a word. Half an hour later, Justin walked through the door. He came straight to my side, affectionately peeling an orange for me. We all sat down at the dining table as the food was served. I pulled out my gift. "Happy birthday, Mom. This is for you." She took the box and unwrapped it, revealing the designer wallet. Rachel gasped beside me. "A classic monogram! Natalie, you have great taste! That must have cost a fortune!" "Three thousand dollars," I said evenly. His mother immediately set the box aside. "That’s far too expensive! Take it back, Natalie. You and Justin work hard for your money, you shouldn't waste it on me!" I shrugged carelessly. "Mom, if I don't spend his money, he’ll just blow it on another woman. I’d rather give it to you." She frowned, taken aback. "What a silly joke to make!" I smiled. "Take another look. There’s something else underneath." When his mother pulled out the smaller velvet box resting beneath the wallet and clicked it open, her face went completely pale. "Natalie... what does this mean?" Justin instantly lunged forward, grabbing my wrist. "Natalie, what are you doing? Who gives back a family heirloom like this?!" Rachel patted my arm soothingly. "Natalie, don't lose your mind. You can't just return something like that!" I looked at their faces. Shock, panic, and guilt danced across their eyes. Justin snatched the bracelet, trying desperately to force it back onto my wrist. I jerked my hand away and stood up straight. "That's right. I'm returning it. Because I want a divorce."