Chapter 16: The Seeds of Doubt

Marcus is my childhood buddy—not by blood, but closer than brothers. I know him extremely well. He’s someone who reads people, knows boundaries—in other words, he has a very high EQ. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so successful at work.

We grew up together—middle school pranks, high school baseball, the same college town. He always knew what to say, how to diffuse a fight, how to talk his way out of trouble. That’s why I trusted him with Natalie. That’s why I never doubted him.

Logically, since I’d already indicated I didn’t want to say how Natalie cheated on me, with his EQ, he shouldn’t have brought up Natalie again. But just now on the phone, Marcus not only asked if I had evidence of Natalie cheating, he also kept hinting—intentionally or not—that I was just overthinking things, idle, and suspecting my wife for no reason.

His tone had changed—more defensive, more insistent. It was like he wanted to plant doubt in my mind, steer me away from digging too deep. The more I thought about it, the more it unsettled me.

My heart gradually sank.

I started to connect the dots. The pieces slid into place, forming an ugly picture I didn’t want to see.

…Could Marcus have something to do with Natalie’s cheating?

I wanted to laugh it off, to tell myself I was being paranoid. But the way Marcus’s eyes darted away, the little hitch in his voice—it all felt wrong.

He wouldn’t lie to me, right? He’s my sworn brother, after all.

But people change. People hide things. I remembered stories I’d heard—best friends sleeping with wives, whole lives unraveled by secrets. I’d always thought we were different. Maybe I was wrong.