Sarah couldn’t tear her eyes away. It felt unreal. A nightmare. But the screen didn’t lie. Her husband, who yesterday vowed his faithfulness, who kissed her in front of everyone, who whispered “you’re mine forever,” was kissing another woman. And not just any woman. Her friend. Her bridesmaid.
On the recording, they broke apart. Jason said something and smirked. Jessica laughed, throwing her head back. Then they sat down on the old loveseat. Jessica pulled a vape pen from her clutch, took a hit, and offered it to him. They sat there, talking. Sarah could only see their lips moving and their body language.
“I’m going to turn on the audio,” Robert said softly. “The camera records sound, but the quality isn’t amazing. The tech cleaned it up a bit.”
He turned up the volume knob. Voices came from the speakers. First muffled, then clearer.
“…thought I was gonna lose it,” Jessica was saying, exhaling a cloud of vapor. “Watching you dance with her all night, kissing her… God, Jason, I almost screamed.”
“Chill out, babe,” Jason replied, putting his arm around her. “Just hold on a little longer. Everything is going according to plan.”
“According to plan,” Jessica scoffed. “Easy for you to say. Do you know how sick it makes me feel when she whispers, ‘Thanks for being here, bestie’? I literally want to gag.”
“Don’t gag,” he chuckled. “You’re a great actress. You played it perfectly.”
“Yeah, bridesmaid of the year…” Jessica sneered. “Hey, how long do we have to keep up this charade? When are you finally going to divorce her?”
Sarah felt the ground drop out from under her. She gripped the edge of the desk so hard her knuckles turned white. The words hit her like physical blows.
“Don’t rush it,” Jason said on the screen. “We have to do this smart. First, she puts my name on the deed. In this state, once I’m on the title, I own half. We wait three or four months so it doesn’t look suspicious. Then I file for divorce. We force a sale of the condo, I take my half of the cash, and you and I live the way we wanted.”
“And if she doesn’t add you to the title?” Jessica asked.
“She will,” Jason said confidently. “I’m already working on her. Telling her, ‘Let’s put everything in both our names so I feel like a true partner in this marriage.’ She thinks it’s about equality. She’s gullible. Another week or two, and she’ll be running to the county clerk’s office herself.”
Jessica laughed—a sharp, cynical sound.
“God, you’re a genius! Seriously! Making that schoolteacher fall in love with you was easier than stealing candy from a baby.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Jason shrugged. “She was lonely, desperate for a guy. Works at a school for peanuts, lives a boring life. Then here comes me—good looking, attentive, flowers, compliments. She fell right into my lap.”
“True.” Jessica put the vape away. “At first I was worried you actually fell for her. When you told me you were gonna marry her, I freaked out.”
“Oh please, Jess!” Jason pulled her closer, kissing her neck. “You know I only love you. Sarah is just a means to an end. She has a fully paid-off condo in a prime location. No mortgage. We sell that place, buy ourselves something nice, and have a cushion to start over.”
“Are you sure she won’t smell a rat?” Jessica asked.
“Nah. She’s naive. Believes every word. Yesterday I told her I wanted kids with her, and she almost cried tears of joy.” He smirked…
