My Best Friend's Husband Was Cheating, But I Kept It From Her

Vanessa* and I attended the same secondary school together and have been close friends ever since.

I remember our first encounter like it was yesterday; it was on a nerve-wrecking first day of secondary one when the person who sat down next to me in class extended her right hand and introduced herself to me. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, until about three months ago.

It was at one of our regular shopping-dinner-drinks sessions that Vanessa first introduced me to her then-boyfriend, Carl*. My first impression of him was that he was opinionated, friendly and chatty.

Vanessa suggested that Carl and I should go out and get to know each other better. So we took her advice, and went out together for drinks whenever Vanessa was busy with work. Carl and I started becoming really good friends ourselves the more we got to know each other; I saw Carl as a male version of myself, and soon regarded him as the older brother I never had, but had always yearned for.

Fast forward to four months later, and Vanessa and Carl were wed at a simple beach ceremony in Bali. I cried more than the bride herself, such was my joy for the newlywed couple. Our regular meetings continued, and our bonds of friendship remained strong. Their marriage also seemed to remain loving, even after the first two years. However, things started to turn south after that...