My Boyfriend And Best Friend Thought They Could Mock Me Behind My Back. So, I Decided To Become My Best Friend’s Stepmom. Was This Too Far?

The Discovery

My boyfriend was secretly dating my best friend. I secretly dated her dad.

I’d been with Ethan for two years, and my best friend Khloe had been single that whole time. Or so I thought.

Khloe would come over for wine nights and complain about dating apps while Ethan played video games in the other room. She’d ask me for advice about guys who ghosted her, and I’d comfort her, saying she’d find someone amazing.

She was at every birthday, every holiday dinner, every celebration we had as a couple. Ethan would barely talk to her, acting like she was just my annoying friend he had to tolerate. Looking back, that should have been the first sign, since Ethan never shut up around anyone else.

The discovery happened by accident when I came home early from a work trip. My flight got moved up 6 hours, but I didn’t tell Ethan because I wanted to surprise him with his favorite takeout.

I walked into our apartment and heard voices from the bedroom. Not just voices, but Khloe’s specific laugh that she did when she was nervous. Then Ethan saying she looked better in my sundress than I did.

I stood in the hallway listening to my best friend of 10 years and my boyfriend of two discussing how I was too boring in bed and that’s why they had to find each other. Khloe said I was getting suspicious about her dating life so they needed to be more careful.

Ethan said I was too stupid to figure it out and they’d been doing this for 8 months without me noticing. Eight months of Khloe crying on my shoulder about being single while going home to my boyfriend.

Eight months of Ethan pretending to work late while meeting her at her apartment. Eight months of them sitting at my dinner table eating food I cooked while playing footsie under the table.

The Perfect Target

I left without confronting them and went to my sister’s house to think. She wanted to go slash tires, but I had a better idea.

Khloe’s dad, Bruce, was 51 and divorced for 3 years after her mom ran off with her trainer. He was actually attractive for someone’s dad, owned a construction company, and had been lonely since the divorce.

I’d met him plenty of times at Khloe’s family events, and he always said I was the daughter he wished he’d had instead. Perfect.

I started by running into Bruce at the coffee shop near his office. Total coincidence, definitely not planned. After Khloe mentioned his routine, we chatted about construction, and I mentioned needing help with my apartment renovations that didn’t exist.

Bruce offered to take a look as a favor to his daughter’s best friend. He came over when Ethan was at work, and I wore yoga pants and made sure to bend over a lot while pointing at imaginary problems.

Bruce started texting me about other things I might need fixed. I always needed something: the sink that worked fine, the door that wasn’t squeaking, the light fixture that wasn’t broken.

Bruce would come over, and I’d make him lunch as a thank you. Fresh sandwiches, homemade soup, cookies still warm from the oven.

Bruce mentioned he hadn’t had home cooking since his divorce. I said it was nice cooking for someone who appreciated it, since Ethan never noticed. Bruce started staying longer, talking about his business, his divorce, and how Khloe never visited him anymore.