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 Confrontation

But I was done protecting her feelings. I was done being the stupid one they laughed about.

Bruce’s hand went stiff in mine. He turned to look at me. His face had this confused, hurt expression, like a dog that got kicked. He asked if that’s why I approached him. His voice was quiet.

I saw the exact moment he understood his daughter had betrayed me, and maybe I had used him to get back at her.

Ethan’s mother stood up fast. Her chair scraped against the floor. She demanded to know if this was true. Her voice was sharp and angry.

Ethan started talking fast, saying no, saying it was a misunderstanding, saying I was being crazy. But Khloe was sobbing too hard to back up his lies. Her face was buried in her hands and her shoulders shook.

The front door opened and my sister walked in. She was late, like always. She looked around the room and I watched her take it all in: Khloe crying on the couch, Ethan standing there looking guilty, Bruce’s hurt face, my parents’ shocked expressions.

She walked straight over to me and stood next to me. She crossed her arms and glared at Ethan.

Bruce pulled his hand away from mine. The loss of his warmth felt like a punch. He turned to face Khloe. He asked her directly if she’d been sleeping with my boyfriend. His voice shook. I’d never heard Bruce sound like that before—betrayed, disappointed, hurt.

Khloe couldn’t even look at him. She kept her face buried in her hands. That was answer enough. Bruce’s whole face seemed to collapse. The strong construction company owner who always stood tall looked like someone had knocked the air out of him.

He took a step toward Khloe then stopped. His hands hung at his sides.

The Evidence

I started talking again. I told everyone exactly what I heard that day. How Ethan said I looked worse in my sundress than Khloe did. How they talked about me being too boring in bed.

How Khloe said I was getting suspicious and they needed to be more careful. How Ethan called me too stupid to figure it out.

My dad’s face got red. My mom started crying quietly. Ethan’s parents turned to look at their son with fury in their eyes. Ethan’s dad stood up and pointed at Ethan. He told him this was unacceptable.

Ethan’s mom looked like she wanted to slap him. Ethan tried to defend himself. He said I was boring. He said I was distant. He said I didn’t pay attention to him. He said that’s why he had to find someone else.

My sister cut him off before he could say more. She asked if being bored gave him the right to lie to my face for 8 months. Her voice was loud and angry. She asked if being bored meant he could mock me with my best friend.

Bruce stood up suddenly. The movement was so fast it made everyone look at him. He walked toward the kitchen. I could hear him breathing hard like he couldn’t get enough air.

Khloe jumped up from the couch and followed her father. She was still crying.

She kept saying, “Dad, dad please.”

Bruce stood by the sink with his back to everyone. His shoulders were tight. Khloe reached for him, but he pulled away.

She started trying to explain. She said she didn’t mean for it to happen. She said she fell in love. She said she never wanted to hurt anyone.

Bruce turned around and looked at his daughter. He told her he was ashamed of her. His voice broke on the word ashamed. He said he couldn’t believe she would betray someone who loved her like family. He said I had been nothing but good to her for 10 years.

The pain in his voice made my stomach twist. I realized right then that I had hurt him deeply by using him this way. He was a good man who didn’t deserve to be a tool in my revenge plan.