The Birthday Betrayal: The Wife Alliance

For a man who couldn’t tell soy sauce from vinegar after a decade of marriage, he was certainly painting himself as a gourmet.

"Nathan, you’re the best, you know?" Julie took the ladle from him. Her tongue flicked out to taste from the spoon—a slow, deliberate motion—before her heavy, suggestive gaze slid back to him.

The doorbell chimed, and the rest of the men arrived.

Aaron stepped in first, producing an elegant gift box from behind his back. "Happy birthday, Julie! Look what I got you."

Lily paled.

I recognized the brand instantly: that luxury hairpin she’d been eyeing for months but could never justify buying.

"Ah! The Starlight Collection!" Julie shrieked, throwing her arms around Aaron. "You’re amazing!"

Flushing, Aaron glanced toward Lily, though his words were for Julie. "I’m glad you like it. Your, uh, your sister-in-law… she’s not really into flashy things."

Lily’s head sank lower. Her hands trembled.

Next was Mark. He handed over a small jewelry box. Inside, a pair of gold bracelets glittered.

Hailey’s eyes welled up at once.

I remembered her complaining just days before. The company was finally turning a corner, she’d said—or so she’d thought—but Mark had claimed funds were tight and asked her to hold off on any new jewelry.

So this was where the money went.

"Thank you, Mark! I knew you had taste!" Without hesitation, Julie slid the bracelets on and lifted her wrist to his face. "How do they look?"

"Beautiful," he said, his voice soft. "Everything looks beautiful on you." The tenderness in his eyes was something I’d never seen before.