My best friend asked me to commit suicide with her for love

chapter 1

Alexia always used me as her excuse whenever she met her lover.

She told her husband, Paul Eveline, that I was the one calling her outsometimes saying I'd been beaten by a wife for being a mistress and needed comfort, sometimes that I owed loan sharks and begged for help. She even said that I was being treated for a dirty disease and needed her by my side.

If Paul hadn't once stormed into my house in my past life, spitting venom and condemning me for all those fabricated sins, I never would've known just how "colorful" my life had become in her lies.

And now, his number was flashing on my phone again, vibrating relentlessly.

The moment I picked up, his furious voice exploded in my ear.

"Hedy! It's the middle of the nightwhy are you keeping Alexia with you again?"

"I've tolerated you long enough! After we broke up, you wanted to ruin yourself, fine. But must you keep sucking the life out of Alexia? She's your best friend, not your mother!"

"She's married now, and pregnant. Can't you have some shame and stop bothering her every damn day? Do you even know how pathetic you are?"

"What is this, revenge because I dumped you? Are you trying to destroy my family? Alexia is pure and innocentif you dare exploit her again, don't blame me for being ruthless! Send her back right now!"

His voice was so loud and venomous that my ears rang.

The truth was I hadn't had any contact with Alexia ever since she set me on fire.

But Paul never believed that.

I received his calls almost daily.

At first, hearing his accusations, I actually thought Alexia was really punishing him on my behalf.

It wasn't until he barged into my home in a rage, beat me black and blue, stuffed me into a sack, and sold me to the Golden Triangle that I realized I had been nothing but a scapegoat.

Remembering the flames she lit, the slander she spread, and his merciless revengea surge of hatred burned in my chest.

'Paul, this time, you'll see with your own eyes what your so-called "pure, good wife" really is.'

Curling my lips into a cold smile, I answered the call. "Alexia is busy right nowshe's unclogging the sewer. She won't be back anytime soon."

Then my face hardened. Without waiting for his reply, I hung up and switched off my phone.

But only moments later, pounding fists rattled my door.

The lock had barely turned when a powerful force slammed it open, throwing me back.

Before I could react, several bodyguards pinned me to the ground.

And Paul stormed inside, footsteps heavy and furious, tearing through my home in search of Alexia.

My small two-bedroom apartment had been turned upside down by his men.

Yet he still found nothing.

"Didn't you say Alexia was unclogging a sewer? Where is she?"

His face flushed red as he stormed up to me, voice booming with rage.

Seeing him like this, a wicked satisfaction curled in my chest.

Revenge tasted sweet.

I raised my brows, speaking slowly, almost lazily, "I only said she was unclogging a sewer. I never said it was in my house. Maybe she's unclogging one at your driver's place. Why don't you check there?"

Paul's eyes went cold. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked hard.

"Drop the sarcasm," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I'll ask you one last timewhere are you hiding Alexia?"

Alexia's whereabouts had always been a secret. I was nothing but her scapegoathow could I possibly know?

Through gritted teeth, I answered, "She's a grown woman with hands and feet of her own. Why would I know where she goes? I'm not her mother!"

Not getting the answer he wanted, Paul's eyes turned vicious. He released my hair only to strike me hard across the face, the blow leaving my head ringing. Rage flared through meyet beneath it, an even greater anticipation stirred.

'You're angry already? You've seen nothing yet, Paul. The worst is still waiting for you,' I muttered internally.

He loomed over me, striking my face again and again with his palm, as he sneered, "You think keeping your mouth shut means I can't deal with you?"

He reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone, and powered it on.

Holding it up to my face, he unlocked it with the facial scan, then scrolled straight into my contacts.

When he spotted my emergency contact, a cruel smile spread across his lips.

He dialed.

"Hello? What's wrong?"

On the other end, my husband, Leopold, answered with his usual gentle voice.

I opened my mouth, desperate to speakbut one of the bodyguards clamped a hand over it, suffocating my words.

"You're Hedy's husband, right?"

Paul's voice was cold, dripping with disdain.

"And who the hell are you?"

Hearing an unfamiliar man, Leopold's tone sharpened, his calm was instantly replaced by unease.

Paul met my eyes, mocking me as he replied, "I'm Hedy's ex. But don't worryI'm married now. I've got no interest in her anymore."

There was a short silence, then Leopold demanded, "Then why are you calling me with her phone?"

"No real reason. I just thought you should hear the truth about your lovely wife."

Paul began his assault, every word a dagger meant to bury me alive.

"Do you know how she got those burn scars? She tried to set herself on fire when I dumped her and wanted to die with me. If my wife hadn't tried to save her, she'd already be ashes."

"When that failed, she threw herself at man after man, desperate for company."

"She's lived off my wife for yearssold her wedding jewelry to buy gifts for boytoys, gambled away her money, maxed out my credit cards, made my wife pay her debts."

"She even got caught playing mistress and was beaten by the man's real wife."

"Oh, and she was at the hospital recently, getting treatment for a dirty disease. If I were you, I'd go get tested."

"Tell me, doesn't it shame you to be married to a filthy woman like her? Don't you feel pathetic being cuckolded? If I were you, I'd be dead already."

Each word was venom, each sentence a blade, hacking at my dignity until nothing remained.

On the other end of the line, Leopold fell into a long, chilling silence.

My heart twisted.

Since the day we married, our relationship had always been good...