Chapter Thirty-Three
Present: Day Five at Sea
I remove the gun from my pants. For lack of a better option, I slide it under my pillow at the head of the bed, although when I do it, it feels stupid, like I’ve watched too many seasons of Jack Ryan.
But I can’t think of a more protected hiding spot while I’m asleep.
I smooth my pillow and contemplate throwing the gun overboard.
I’m no match for Russell’s strength—none of us are.
At least with his gun we have a fighting chance.
Suddenly, I recall smelling Courtney’s perfume before falling asleep on the couch. How could I have forgotten? I need to tell Beth.
I turn for the door when Beth’s phone chimes. Seeing her screen light up, my heart leaps. I reach for her phone. Has she somehow gotten a signal? We have different phone carriers, so maybe, just maybe—
I sink onto the bed, recognizing the pop-up from a reminder app: Board Meeting tomorrow 9am.
The app must not require an internet connection.
I dismiss the alarm and am about to check to make sure Beth’s phone hasn’t miraculously gotten a signal when an unsent message notification from Instagram appears in the middle of the screen.
Seeing the recipient makes me pause with my finger hovering over the phone.
I tap the screen to see the full message.
As I start to read, my heart drops into my stomach.
Unsent message: I’m so sorry, babe. My work has been crazy, and I promised them I would stay for a few more weeks before quitting. I know you’ll understand. I love you so much and can’t wait to move in and spend the rest of our lives together!
The room sways, and I bite my lip, staring at Beth’s typed words to Matt. It has to be another Matt. But how could Beth be quitting her job and moving in with someone without telling me?
I swipe up, and the phone prompts me for a passcode. I speedily type in the code Beth’s been using since we were kids: 0505. Her birthday.
I hold my breath as it unlocks. I tap the unsent message to see the conversation.
Above Beth’s unsent message is the last text she received from Matt.
It was three days ago. Where are you??? Is everything okay?
I’m all moved into our apartment, and I can’t wait to see you.
I thought you’d be here by now. Please let me know you’re okay, baby.
Then I see Matt’s profile photo at the top of their chat, and I know it’s the same Matt that I’ve been married to for over a decade.
My hands tremble as I scroll up through the previous messages.
I keep reading despite the alarm bells going off in my head, warning me I’ll never be able to unsee the words I’m about to read.
As I read Matt’s words, I’m filled with a sickening sense of reliving the moment when I found the topless selfie from twenty-three-year-old Sydney, puckering her lips into an air-kiss above her perky breasts.
I’m out of the house now, baby. I’m free and waiting for you.
You can call or text me on my cell now that we don’t have to worry about Palmer finding out about us.
I love you and can’t wait until I can lay next to you all night and feel your naked body against mine .
. . The wind leaves my lungs as if I’ve been hit with an airbag.
A message from Beth. I know I’ll see you in a few days, but it’s killing me having to wait any longer to see you. My whole body aches for you. I wish I could make the drive from Colorado go faster!
Colorado? I thought these messages were from Beth.
Confused, I scroll up past Matt’s new apartment address through a lengthy message thread speckled with heart emojis until my finger stops cold on the topless photo that’s already seared in my mind from having seen it once.
It’s the woman from Matt’s conference. Sydney. The one he left me for.
Why would Beth have these messages on her phone?
Beth is much more tech savvy than I am, but it seems unlikely she could’ve hacked into this woman’s Instagram account.
Vomit rises to the back of my mouth. I should stop, but I keep scrolling.
I have to know. I move to the top of the chat, which is surprisingly not that far above Sydney’s topless photo.
I read the first message Sydney sent to Matt.
Like Matt had told me, she reached out to him first.
Hey, Matt! I had so much fun with you in Denver! I just started this Instagram account and was excited to find you! How are you?? This might sound weird, but I miss you. I haven’t ever connected with anyone the way I did with you.
I click on the back arrow at the top of the screen and go to Beth’s profile.
Only it’s not Beth’s. It’s Sydney’s. I skim through her posted photos, clicking on the photo of her and Matt at the bar in Denver.
I pause, seeing it was posted in April, nearly a month after Matt’s conference.
I scroll up and see that more than half of the photos were posted within a few days of each other.
With a knot in my stomach, I click Edit Profile to view the contact options linked to the account. I gasp, seeing Beth’s email and the same phone number Beth has had since high school. The floor sways as my mind reels with what Beth has done.
She catfished Matt by pretending to be the woman he met in Denver. But why?
Tears blur my vision as the screen goes dark in my hand. I toss the phone onto the bed beside me and bury my face in my hands. My friend. My best friend. How could she?
I recall the devastating moment when I found that photo on Matt’s phone. It was from Beth, not Sydney.
A sob escapes my throat, and it strikes me that her betrayal stings much worse than Matt’s. I’ve known Beth since kindergarten.
Tears slide down my cheeks. Who the hell is she? What else has she lied about? Have I ever known her at all?
“I found the pills.”
I whip around at the sound of Beth’s voice.
“I know what you did.” I raise my phone light to see Beth’s expression.
She blinks while pressing her lips together. “I don’t—”
My hand holding my phone trembles with rage. “I found your messages to Matt from your fake Instagram account.” The last three words come out a scream.
Salt water sprays against the cabin window.
Beth flinches.
“Why the hell would you do this to me? To my family? What is wrong with you? I thought you were—” My voice breaks. “My best friend.”
I pray for her to tell me that it’s not true. That I’ve somehow gotten it wrong.
When she doesn’t, I add, “You were the one who sent Matt that topless photo of Sydney. How?”
Beth frowns. “You can do pretty much anything with AI now. And yes, I catfished him. I’ve never trusted Matt, and after you told me about him being at the bar all night with that girl in Denver, I wanted to see just how faithful Matt really was.
It was a test. To see if he was telling the truth about it being ‘nothing.’”
My jaw falls open as Beth makes air quotes with her fingers.
“And guess what? No surprise—Matt failed. I could tell he wanted that woman as soon as I started messaging him.” Beth sighs. “Then, I needed to see how far Matt would take it. And maybe I got carried away.”
I gape at Beth. “Carried away?” I shout. It was the same expression Beth used when she ordered too many books on Prime Day. I stare at her in horrified shock. “You tricked my husband into leaving me!”
Beth scoffs. “Matt left you because he wanted to. All he needed was an excuse. Why would you want to be with a man who would leave you the second a younger woman came onto him? I was only helping you see that.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the face. Is this really the same Beth I’ve known almost my whole life?
Beth averts her gaze to the wall, and I want to clench my hands around her throat.
“You were always jealous of Matt, ever since we were dating,” I tell her.
“You’d complain that he was controlling when he wanted to spend time with me without you.
But you’re the controlling one.” I jab my finger toward Beth’s chest. “Thinking you have the right to break up my marriage. Why? So that I would need you the way you need me?”
Beth returns her gaze to mine. “I get that you’re upset right now. But trust me, Palmer, you’ll thank me some day.”
I glare at Beth in disbelief. Does she really expect me to just get over it?
“Stop acting like you were being my friend. You wanted Matt to leave me.” I shake my head, half smiling at the absurdity of it all. “In some sick way, you wanted me to end up just as alone as you.” I want to spit. Beth’s betrayal is so tangible I can almost taste it.
“You’re not seeing things clearly right now, Palmer.
I get that you’re mad at me, but Matt is the one who betrayed you—not me.
I only helped to show you who Matt really is.
He lied, by the way, when he said nothing happened with that girl in Denver.
They had sex in the bathroom at the bar. He told me in those messages.”
“You think that’s going to allow me to forgive you? Because I don’t. As soon as we get off this boat, you’re dead to me. Forever.”
“Maybe I went too far, okay? But Matt’s leaving was just as much your fault as it was mine.
” Beth inches closer to me, her finger pointed at my chest. “Ever since that hike, you stopped letting people in. Matt told me how you were always pulling away, busying yourself so you wouldn’t have to spend time with him after the girls went to bed.
Blame me all you want, but if you’d been a better wife, Matt might not have needed someone else so badly. ”
It feels like a grenade has exploded inside my chest. I surge forward, fists clenched. “Get out. And stay away from me, you lying bitch!”
I slam my cabin door in Beth’s face. My chest heaves as I think of how close I was to grabbing Beth by her neck. I double over, resting my palms on my knees.
I find Beth’s phone on the bed and throw it against the wall.
“Ahhh!”
How could she? I sink onto the bed and bury my face in my hands as I break into a sob.
Minutes later, the door flings open. I recognize Beth’s outline in the doorway.
I haven’t felt this enraged since that night I punched Courtney.
I’m tempted to rip the flashlight from Beth’s hand and club her over the head with it.
Over and over until blood streams down her face the way tears do mine.
“I told you to leave me alone,” I seethe. “Jump in the ocean for all I care. Just stay the hell away from me.”
“Palmer, I need you,” Beth breathes, her voice coated with panic. “It’s Emma. She won’t wake up.”