Chapter 1: The Gift I Never Got to Give
I married my best friend — before our fifth wedding anniversary, I accidentally overheard him say: "My plan is about to work.
I've been planning this since high school."
It seemed like Matthew and I were made for each other.
Our families lived next door to each other, and I met Matthew when we were still little kids.
We went to kindergarten together.
We went to school together.
We were inseparable.
Matthew became one of the most important people in my life.
Whenever someone made fun of me at school, he stood up for me.
When exams were coming up, we studied together.
When prom came around, he was my prince — the one who asked me to go with him.
Everyone said we'd get married someday.
We laughed about it, but that's exactly what happened.
By the time we graduated from high school, we'd fallen in love.
And after college, Matthew asked me:
"Will you marry me?"
Of course, I immediately said yes.
Our life together seemed perfect.
I was genuinely happy.
As our fifth wedding anniversary approached, I wanted to buy Matthew something special.
So I told him I was going to work, but I'd actually taken the day off because I'd ordered him a brand-new watch from a store on the other side of town.
Carrying his gift, I headed home, thinking Matthew was still at work.
I unlocked the front door and heard him talking to someone on the phone.
When I heard him say my name, I quickly stepped behind the door so he wouldn't see me.
At first, I thought he was planning some kind of surprise for me.
But then he said:
"Don't worry!
She walked RIGHT INTO MY TRAP.
My plan is about to work."
My stomach dropped.
I pressed myself against the wall so he wouldn't see me.
Matthew continued:
"I've been planning this SINCE WE WERE TEENAGERS.
Everything will be perfect.
You'll see."
When I heard WHAT HE SAID NEXT, I ran out of the house in tears.
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I couldn't even imagine the SCALE OF THE LIE I'd been living in.
It felt like I'd fallen into a nightmare.
