A voice message from the other end dripped with disdain, "I want to see your sincerity, not just in loving me but in not loving her. I want her to suffer. Do you understand?"
My fists clenched involuntarily.
The depth of their deceit was staggering.
Their affair had begun a year ago at a cocktail party. Selena, smitten with Henry, had orchestrated a drug-induced one-night stand with Henry.
Since then, she had held this over him, summoning him at her whim.
Gripped by the dread that I might uncover his affair with Selena, Henry had reluctantly complied.
After a year of being entangled in the relationship with Selena, Henry fell for her. He even harbored thoughts of severing his marital bonds with me for her.
When I read the final message, a chill was settled in my heart.
Henry: [I understand.]
The cascade of water from the bathroom ceased abruptly. With a surge of panic, I hastily returned the phone to its original place.
As if on cue, a fresh message blinked into existence on my screen.
It was a warning from Jerry. Jerry: [Don't attend the dance in three days. They're plotting against you.]
My heart raced.
Henry's ominous "I understand" echoed in my mind.