This winter really went all out, didn’t it? Snow just kept piling up, turning streets and gardens into something straight out of a picture book. Those soft white flakes kept spinning around, settling gently on rooftops and paths, and the frost gave the air this sharp, clean edge you could almost taste.
Inside Oliver and Emily’s flat it felt completely different, all warm and peaceful. Through the big window the white show was still happening outside, but with the glass shut tight it was snug and quiet indoors. The lamp on the table gave off this soft glow, making a little circle of warmth that kept the winter chill away.
They’d got themselves settled on the sofa under a thick blanket. On the telly some easy family comedy was playing, nothing heavy, just something to have a laugh at and unwind with. Emily was watching properly, with this tiny smile now and then like she was thinking her own thoughts. Oliver sat beside her, leaning back relaxed, watching the film too, but his eyes kept drifting to the snow falling outside. It looked stunning.
The nice feeling got broken by a cheerful ring from Oliver’s phone. He didn’t grab it straight away, almost like he didn’t want to spoil this quiet time together, but it rang again. With a little sigh he pulled his smartphone out of his pocket, checked the screen and sighed once more.
“Jake’s ringing again,” he told his wife. “Third time tonight.”
Emily turned her head slightly but kept her eyes on the screen.
“Probably trying to drag you over to that cottage he bought,” she answered calmly. “Wants to celebrate it. For some reason this bloke just can’t hear the word no.”
Oliver swiped to answer.
“Yeah, Jake, hi,” he said, making his voice sound cheerful.
“Oliver! When are you getting over here?” Jake sounded full of energy. “I said we’d mark the purchase! Everything’s ready, hot tub’s heated up, table’s loaded with food, the lads are on their way. Stop sitting at home, eh? Bring Emily, it’ll be brilliant!”
Oliver went quiet for a second, thinking it over. He glanced at Emily, who gave the smallest shake of her head. She didn’t say a word but he knew exactly what she meant: noisy parties, loud music, constant chat and fuss just didn’t fit what they had in mind. They both wanted a quiet weekend in their own cosy space, no rushing and no explaining themselves to anyone.
He paused before answering. Then an idea came to him and he used it straight away.
“Listen,” he began quietly, “here’s the thing… Emily’s gone to her mum’s for a couple of days. I don’t fancy going on my own, you know how it is. Someone might say the wrong thing and I don’t want us rowing over nothing. We’ll definitely do it another time, just not now.”
There was a short silence on the other end, then Jake sounded surprised.
“She’s gone? When’s she back?”
“Tomorrow evening,” Oliver said with a bit of a sigh. “It came out of nowhere… And we’d made all these plans! Wanted to go to the cinema, walk in the park while the weather’s decent, maybe even pop to the ice rink. But it didn’t happen. So another time, yeah?”
Jake stayed quiet a moment, like he was weighing it up, then his voice took on this oddly pleased note.
“Alright… but let me know when she’s back. I’d really like to see you both!”
“Of course,” Oliver agreed quickly. “As soon as we can I’ll give you a shout. Maybe next weekend? If plans stay the same.”
He said goodbye, dropped the phone on the table between the chairs and let out a relieved breath. A smile appeared on its own.
“Whew, just about talked my way out of that,” he muttered, turning to Emily. “Why’s he so pushy? I made it clear I didn’t want to go to his cottage! What’s the point? Watch them all getting sloshed? Jake doesn’t know how to chill any other way. Ah well, forget it. I much prefer just being here with you.”
He put his arm round her, feeling the tension from the last few minutes start to fade. The flat stayed warm and quiet, snowflakes slowly swirling outside, and the telly kept playing their favourite film, slow and comfy, nothing like the rowdy parties Jake liked.
Emily snuggled closer to Oliver, feeling the warmth from his body and his steady breathing. The room still had that cosy feel: soft lamp light, the gentle film on screen, the quiet ticking of the clock on the wall. It all gave this sense of safety and peace you don’t get in the usual daily rush.
“Me too,” she said softly, lifting her head a little to look at him. “Let’s just watch the film and go to bed. Nothing else needed.”
Oliver smiled and held her shoulders a bit tighter. He was already picturing turning the lights off in a couple of hours, getting under the warm duvet and drifting off to the distant sound of the wind and snow outside. But their plans got broken by another call. And it was the same person again.
Oliver frowned, shot a quick look at the screen and reluctantly reached for the phone. What now?
“Jake, I already said…” he started, trying to stay calm but with some tension coming through.
“Oliver,” Jake’s voice sounded unusually serious, even tight, “I’m at the Crystal Club, we decided to have a lively bit before heading to the cottage. And then… there’s Emily. With some bloke. They’re drinking, she’s hugging him. I didn’t want to get involved but… you need to know. She told you she went to her mum’s! So she must’ve been lying!”
Oliver froze. He looked at his wife in surprise, then back at the screen, wondering if his mate was messing with him.
“What?” he asked, doubt clear in his voice. “You sure? Maybe you got her mixed up with someone else? I can say for certain I know exactly where my wife is!”
“Definitely,” Jake replied firmly. No doubt at all. “She’s already had a few, laughing really loud. It all looks… not great, if I’m honest. And she’s not even bothered I’m there! Just waving me off. Want me to hand her the phone?”
Oliver closed his eyes for a second, trying to get his thoughts straight. Questions were flying around but no answers. What was actually happening? How could his friend be so wrong? Or… was there something else going on?
“Go on then,” he said shortly, putting it on speaker. He was even a bit curious what he’d hear now.
Through the phone came muffled club music, mixed with bursts of laughter and mumbled voices. Then a woman’s voice cut through, so similar to Emily’s that Oliver’s heart skipped.
“Hello? Who’s this?” it came with a slight pause, like the person wasn’t sure at first they were answering.
Oliver swallowed, trying to get rid of the sudden dryness in his throat. He looked at Emily sitting next to him, eyes wide, clearly confused.
“Emily?” he said, keeping his voice steady. “It’s Oliver. What’s going on?”
A short laugh, then the same voice but more cheeky now, with a bit of a rasp: “Oh, Oliver, you’re getting on my nerves! I want to relax, you know? I’m tired of your boring life. I’m going to party until I get bored!”
Emily shot up from the sofa, her face gone pale. She put a hand to her chest like she was trying to calm her racing heart, and whispered almost inaudibly:
“What nonsense! How could he confuse me with someone? And how does that girl even know your name? What’s going on here?”
“And where are you?”
“Like it’s any of your business?” the voice shot back with a defiant tone. “Even though I’m your wife, I don’t have to check in. I do whatever I like!”
More laughter and glass clinking in the background, then Jake jumped in:
“Oliver, did you hear that? I told you…”
Oliver cut him off sharply, feeling anger, confusion and this weird almost childish urge to just look away from it all mixing inside.
“Enough,” he said firmly, though his voice trembled a little. “I’ll deal with this tomorrow. Don’t ring again.”
He quickly ended the call, tossed the phone onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling in total bewilderment. If Emily hadn’t been sitting right there… he really might have believed it!
Emily plonked back down and stared at her husband in confusion. That girl’s voice really did sound like hers! But that wasn’t the main thing right now! The main thing was, how did she know the details to play it like that? Someone must have coached her!
“Well that’s a turn up,” she whispered, her voice a bit tight. “Who was that? What a mess!”
Oliver shook his head, thoughtfully running a hand through his hair, messing up his already not-perfect style. He had no answer, just suspicions. Pretty bad ones…
“No clue,” he replied, looking off to the side as if hoping to find some answer there. “But the voice… it was identical. Even the way she laughed, the tone, it all matched. Can’t be just chance.”
“And Jake was so sure it was me,” she said with a slight tremor. “Just think, if I really hadn’t been home. You’d have thought I was… that I was really there in the club with some man.”
Oliver turned to her, his look softening. He reached out, gently put his arm around Emily’s shoulders and pulled her close. Her body was shaking a bit, and he felt how important it was to be there, to give her that feeling of security.
“I’d still have wondered about it,” he said confidently. “You wouldn’t act like that! I know you. I know how you feel about stuff like that. This is all… some silly mistake, a wind-up, I don’t know. But I’ll get it sorted! If I have to, I’ll go to the club and ask to see the cameras. We’ll find out what girl that was.”
Emily leaned into him, feeling the cold fear starting to melt away, replaced by warmth, not just physical but emotional too. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
“Yeah,” she agreed, lifting her head a little. “It’s definitely not me. But who was it? And why?”
Oliver shrugged, but the confusion in his eyes was gone, now there was determination to figure out this odd situation. He squeezed her hand tighter, as if to say they were in this together and whatever happened they’d handle it.
The next day, around midday, Emily was in the kitchen, sipping tea and going through work emails on her laptop. The quiet was broken by a ring, Jake’s name on the screen. She waited a moment before answering; after last night’s drama it was hard to feel like chatting with him. But curiosity won, she wanted to know what he’d say.
“Hi,” Jake started carefully, like he was walking on eggshells. “Did you have a chat with Oliver after yesterday?”
Emily gripped the phone. She decided to use this chance to get to the bottom of it, find out exactly what Jake thought he saw and why he was so sure about her yesterday. After a small pause, like she was choosing her words, she answered:
“Yeah. We… had words. He blamed me for something I didn’t get, wouldn’t listen to my side. Says I’m lying to him.”
Silence for a second on the phone. Emily heard Jake breathe out heavily, then his voice had this unexpected note of satisfaction, faint but clear.
“Is that so,” he drawled. “Well, you know… I’ve always said that Oliver doesn’t value you. He never understood what you’re really like.”
Emily felt everything boiling up inside, but she made herself stay calm. She needed to hear him out, see where he was going with this.
“What are you on about?” she asked, keeping her voice even.
Jake started speaking quieter, almost in a whisper, and that deliberate intimate tone was a bit worrying:
“About how you deserve more! Emily, I’ve wanted to tell you for ages… I love you. Properly. And I’m ready to take care of you. If you want to leave Oliver, I’ll be there. Always.”
Emily stayed silent, trying to take it in. Her mind was racing: how long had Jake been thinking this? Why say it now, after all this weird stuff? Or… did he set it up, knowing she was supposedly not home…
She took a deep breath, got her thoughts together, and replied calmly but firmly:
“Jake, this is really unexpected. And, to be honest, not the right time. I love Oliver, and we’ll work out what happened. No need for you to get involved.”
“Sorry if I said too much,” he finally said, and his voice had lost that earlier confidence. “I just… wanted you to know there’s someone you can turn to. Oliver was out of order, accusing you of everything. I heard a bit from him… Sounds like he’s just looking for a reason to split up! I just want you to be okay!”
Emily held the phone so tight her fingers went a bit white. She inhaled deeply, trying to stay cool, not let her feelings take over. The last thing she needed was to lose it and yell at this so-called mate!
“You know, Jake,” her voice went icy, steady, no wobbles, “first of all, I was at home yesterday. Second, we didn’t have a row. And third, I know full well you set this whole thing up. I just didn’t see why. Now it’s obvious.”
For a moment there was silence on the line. She could almost feel Jake scrambling for words, desperately looking for a way to dodge or change the subject.
“What?..” he finally managed, and there was confusion in his voice. But a second later he pulled himself together, spoke more strongly: “What do you mean?”
“Exactly that. You found a girl with a voice like mine. Got her to act out this whole scene, call up, talk like me, make out I was in the club with some guy. Because you wanted to cause trouble between us. Come on, admit it, right?”
Silence on the phone. Emily waited patiently, knowing this would decide it, either Jake keeps lying or tells the truth.
Finally, Jake let out a sharp breath. His voice cracked, got louder, almost desperate:
“Yes, I set it up! Because I love you, Emily! Because I see how Oliver treats you. Because I want you to be happy, with me!”
Emily closed her eyes for a second. A wave of bitterness rose in her chest, but she held it back, didn’t let it into her voice.
“Happy?” she laughed bitterly, but it came out dry, no joy in it. “What made you think I’d be happy with you? Who do you think you are, anyway? Just some bloke who changes girls like they’re nothing. Even if you were the only person left, I still wouldn’t look twice at you, got it?”
Jake went quiet for a moment, like he was collecting himself, then spoke softly, almost whispering, as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying:
“I thought… thought that if you two fell out, you’d realise he’s not good enough for you. That you’d notice me! I’m so much better than Oliver! And about the girls… I was just trying to get over you! But no one comes close to you, you know! I’ll carry you on my hands, spoil you, worship you… Just choose me!”
Emily felt anger boiling up inside, not hot and quick, but cold and solid. She gripped the phone, but her voice stayed level, almost emotionless:
“You? Seriously? Not a chance! You betrayed a friend, betrayed trust. And for what? Your daydreams?”
She spoke calmly, but every word sounded like a verdict, clear, no hesitation. No anger or hysterics in her voice, just solid certainty that she was right.
“Emily, I’m sorry…” Jake’s voice shook. There was no push or cockiness left, just confusion and regret.
But Emily had made up her mind. She wasn’t going to give him a chance to explain or justify.
“No, Jake. No apology accepted. And no friendship either. Don’t call me again! Ever! And forget Oliver’s number too, I’ll make sure he hears this lovely conversation!”
She hit the end call button and slowly put the phone on the table. Her fingers were shaking a bit, but she pulled herself together, took a deep breath and looked out the window. Snow was still falling quietly outside, as if nothing had happened.
Just then Oliver came into the room. He noticed her serious face straight away and got wary.
“So what?” he asked, stopping in the doorway. There was concern in his voice, but he tried to sound calm.
Emily turned to him with a bitter little smile.
“It’s all clear now,” she sighed. “He arranged the whole thing. Admitted he loves me and wanted us to argue. Promised me everything under the sun! Can you imagine? What a sneaky git…”
Oliver sat down next to Emily on the sofa, carefully took her hand. His fingers squeezed her palm gently but firmly, so she could feel the support. In that simple touch was everything he wanted to say: I’m here, I’m with you, and what you feel matters to me.
“Guess he was never a proper friend then,” Oliver said quietly. “Just forget about him. No point wasting your energy thinking about it. To be honest, I’d picked up on a few warning signs a while back, but I didn’t have anything solid to go on. I was worried it was just me imagining things. But now it all adds up.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, moving a bit closer and resting her shoulder against his. “But at least now we know what’s what. And who we can count on.”
Her voice was steady, no strain. No resentment or bitterness left, just a bit of relief that everything was out in the open. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in the familiar, soothing smells of home: warm wood, freshly made tea and the faint scent of her favourite perfume.
“You know,” Emily suddenly smiled, and there were little sparkles in her eyes, “this might even be for the best. Now we’ve got a perfect excuse not to go to all those parties. You won’t be falling out with other mates because of him? This way we can just say, you know, there’s someone there we don’t fancy seeing.”
She said it lightly, almost jokingly, but there was truth in it. No more need to come up with polite excuses, weigh up if they should go, worry that saying no might upset someone. Now it was simple: there’s them, their cosy world, and everything else, which doesn’t matter anymore.
Oliver laughed, genuinely, without any of the tension that had been in the air before.
“Spot on. We’ll watch films and have tea,” he agreed, tilting his head a bit to meet her eyes.
“And stay in,” she added with a small grin, tugging the edge of the blanket and wrapping herself in it like a safe little cocoon.
“Ideal,” he nodded, holding her tighter.
So, with the snowflakes slowly swirling outside the window and the soft, warm light from the table lamp, their little world felt complete and secure again. In this room filled with quiet sounds and familiar smells, there was no room for lies, doubts or other people’s games. Here it was just them, two people who knew that the most important thing was already theirs: trust, warmth and the confidence that tomorrow would be just as calm and cosy a day as this one…
Jake sat in the kitchen in complete silence, staring at an empty cup with tea that had gone stone cold long ago. He couldn’t even remember taking the last sip, all his attention was on the words that kept echoing in his head like a broken record: “Don’t call me again. Ever.”
But instead of feeling sorry, instead of any guilt that might tell him he’d done wrong, a dull, heavy anger was growing in his chest. It was pressing on his ribs, making it hard to breathe normally, forcing him to clench his fists so tight his nails dug into his palms.
“Why did it all go wrong?!” he yelled, suddenly sweeping his hand across the table and knocking away the crumbs from the biscuit he’d been nibbling while thinking.
His mind kept replaying the scenes from last night. There he was walking into the club, having already arranged with Sophie, the girl he’d met a couple of weeks back in a cafe. She caught his eye straight away: same features, similar hair, even her voice was almost like Emily’s. When he told her about his plan, she just smiled and nodded: “No problem. I love these kinds of games.”
He remembered standing off to the side, watching her on the phone, pretending to be a drunk, forward Emily. She laughed, dragged out her words on purpose, threw out sharp comments, all exactly as he’d told her to. At that moment he felt this thrill, almost delight: this was it, the key moment! “If this works,” he thought, “Emily will see that Oliver doesn’t appreciate her. That there’s someone who really loves her.”
And now… now he’d only got a cold no and the bitter realisation: the plan had failed. Worse, he’d lost everything.
“This isn’t my mistake!” he argued with himself mentally, pacing the kitchen and barely noticing when he bumped into a chair. “It’s them… they don’t see, don’t understand! Oliver doesn’t deserve her, and she’s just blindly trusting him!”
He stopped by the table, gripped the edge of the worktop so hard his fingers went white. Memories flashed by: years of watching Emily and Oliver. How he’d envied their easy way with each other, how they could laugh at little things, their warm looks they shared without even realising. He thought he could give Emily the same, only better, more real, stronger. And he’d chosen the path he thought was the only way.
He went to the window. Outside the snow was slowly swirling, settling on the windowsill, on the bare tree branches. Everything looked so peaceful, so… calm…
“Why do they have it all, and I’ve got nothing?!” it burst out of him. “Why did she end up with Oliver! I’m more worthy! I’m better at everything!”
He knew he’d lost not just Emily, he’d lost a friend. Oliver, who’d always been there, always ready to help, always believed in him. Now that friendship was shattered and there was no fixing it. But instead of regret, he only felt this burning irritation, a mix of hurt and annoyance that was eating at him from inside.
The phone was lying on the table, silent and distant. Jake knew: he wasn’t going to call Emily. Wasn’t going to try to explain, justify, beg. That would just be another loss, another sign he couldn’t get what he wanted. But new thoughts were already forming in his head, bitter, sharp:
“Let them live in their cosy little world. Let them think they’ve won. But I know the truth: Oliver doesn’t value her like I would. And one day Emily will realise it. Maybe when it’s too late…”
He went to the window, stared at the falling snow and almost hissed, barely audible, like he was afraid someone might hear:
“You think you’ve won, Emily? Think it’s all sorted? But the truth is you just can’t see beyond your cosy blanket and cup of tea. You don’t see that there’s a guy right here who loves you for real. But you picked the fantasy. Well, enjoy it…”
He turned sharply from the window, spotted a piece of paper on the table, the one where the day before he’d scribbled the plan for the conversation, noted what phrases Sophie should say, how to set up the chat. Without thinking he grabbed it, tore it into tiny bits, scrunched it up and chucked it in the bin. That pathetic bit of paper reminded him of the massive failure!
Outside the snow kept falling, covering the world with a white blanket. Jake closed his eyes, trying to picture Emily sitting with Oliver right now, how they were laughing, watching a film, having tea. How warm and peaceful it was for them. How safe they felt in their small world, with no place for lies and tricks.
And instead of genuinely wishing them well, instead of trying to accept it, inside him there was only this stubborn feeling growing:
This was meant to be mine. All of this should have been mine….This winter really went all out, didn’t it? Snow just kept piling up, turning streets and gardens into something straight out of a picture book. Those soft white flakes kept spinning around, settling gently on rooftops and paths, and the frost gave the air this sharp, clean edge you could almost taste.
Inside Oliver and Emily’s flat it felt completely different, all warm and peaceful. Through the big window the white show was still happening outside, but with the glass shut tight it was snug and quiet indoors. The lamp on the table gave off this soft glow, making a little circle of warmth that kept the winter chill away.
They’d got themselves settled on the sofa under a thick blanket. On the telly some easy family comedy was playing, nothing heavy, just something to have a laugh at and unwind with. Emily was watching properly, with this tiny smile now and then like she was thinking her own thoughts. Oliver sat beside her, leaning back relaxed, watching the film too, but his eyes kept drifting to the snow falling outside. It looked stunning.
The nice feeling got broken by a cheerful ring from Oliver’s phone. He didn’t grab it straight away, almost like he didn’t want to spoil this quiet time together, but it rang again. With a little sigh he pulled his smartphone out of his pocket, checked the screen and sighed once more.
“Jake’s ringing again,” he told his wife. “Third time tonight.”
Emily turned her head slightly but kept her eyes on the screen.
“Probably trying to drag you over to that cottage he bought,” she answered calmly. “Wants to celebrate it. For some reason this bloke just can’t hear the word no.”
Oliver swiped to answer.
“Yeah, Jake, hi,” he said, making his voice sound cheerful.
“Oliver! When are you getting over here?” Jake sounded full of energy. “I said we’d mark the purchase! Everything’s ready, hot tub’s heated up, table’s loaded with food, the lads are on their way. Stop sitting at home, eh? Bring Emily, it’ll be brilliant!”
Oliver went quiet for a second, thinking it over. He glanced at Emily, who gave the smallest shake of her head. She didn’t say a word but he knew exactly what she meant: noisy parties, loud music, constant chat and fuss just didn’t fit what they had in mind. They both wanted a quiet weekend in their own cosy space, no rushing and no explaining themselves to anyone.
He paused before answering. Then an idea came to him and he used it straight away.
“Listen,” he began quietly, “here’s the thing… Emily’s gone to her mum’s for a couple of days. I don’t fancy going on my own, you know how it is. Someone might say the wrong thing and I don’t want us rowing over nothing. We’ll definitely do it another time, just not now.”
There was a short silence on the other end, then Jake sounded surprised.
“She’s gone? When’s she back?”
“Tomorrow evening,” Oliver said with a bit of a sigh. “It came out of nowhere… And we’d made all these plans! Wanted to go to the cinema, walk in the park while the weather’s decent, maybe even pop to the ice rink. But it didn’t happen. So another time, yeah?”
Jake stayed quiet a moment, like he was weighing it up, then his voice took on this oddly pleased note.
“Alright… but let me know when she’s back. I’d really like to see you both!”
“Of course,” Oliver agreed quickly. “As soon as we can I’ll give you a shout. Maybe next weekend? If plans stay the same.”
He said goodbye, dropped the phone on the table between the chairs and let out a relieved breath. A smile appeared on its own.
“Whew, just about talked my way out of that,” he muttered, turning to Emily. “Why’s he so pushy? I made it clear I didn’t want to go to his cottage! What’s the point? Watch them all getting sloshed? Jake doesn’t know how to chill any other way. Ah well, forget it. I much prefer just being here with you.”
He put his arm round her, feeling the tension from the last few minutes start to fade. The flat stayed warm and quiet, snowflakes slowly swirling outside, and the telly kept playing their favourite film, slow and comfy, nothing like the rowdy parties Jake liked.
Emily snuggled closer to Oliver, feeling the warmth from his body and his steady breathing. The room still had that cosy feel: soft lamp light, the gentle film on screen, the quiet ticking of the clock on the wall. It all gave this sense of safety and peace you don’t get in the usual daily rush.
“Me too,” she said softly, lifting her head a little to look at him. “Let’s just watch the film and go to bed. Nothing else needed.”
Oliver smiled and held her shoulders a bit tighter. He was already picturing turning the lights off in a couple of hours, getting under the warm duvet and drifting off to the distant sound of the wind and snow outside. But their plans got broken by another call. And it was the same person again.
Oliver frowned, shot a quick look at the screen and reluctantly reached for the phone. What now?
“Jake, I already said…” he started, trying to stay calm but with some tension coming through.
“Oliver,” Jake’s voice sounded unusually serious, even tight, “I’m at the Crystal Club, we decided to have a lively bit before heading to the cottage. And then… there’s Emily. With some bloke. They’re drinking, she’s hugging him. I didn’t want to get involved but… you need to know. She told you she went to her mum’s! So she must’ve been lying!”
Oliver froze. He looked at his wife in surprise, then back at the screen, wondering if his mate was messing with him.
“What?” he asked, doubt clear in his voice. “You sure? Maybe you got her mixed up with someone else? I can say for certain I know exactly where my wife is!”
“Definitely,” Jake replied firmly. No doubt at all. “She’s already had a few, laughing really loud. It all looks… not great, if I’m honest. And she’s not even bothered I’m there! Just waving me off. Want me to hand her the phone?”
Oliver closed his eyes for a second, trying to get his thoughts straight. Questions were flying around but no answers. What was actually happening? How could his friend be so wrong? Or… was there something else going on?
“Go on then,” he said shortly, putting it on speaker. He was even a bit curious what he’d hear now.
Through the phone came muffled club music, mixed with bursts of laughter and mumbled voices. Then a woman’s voice cut through, so similar to Emily’s that Oliver’s heart skipped.
“Hello? Who’s this?” it came with a slight pause, like the person wasn’t sure at first they were answering.
Oliver swallowed, trying to get rid of the sudden dryness in his throat. He looked at Emily sitting next to him, eyes wide, clearly confused.
“Emily?” he said, keeping his voice steady. “It’s Oliver. What’s going on?”
A short laugh, then the same voice but more cheeky now, with a bit of a rasp: “Oh, Oliver, you’re getting on my nerves! I want to relax, you know? I’m tired of your boring life. I’m going to party until I get bored!”
Emily shot up from the sofa, her face gone pale. She put a hand to her chest like she was trying to calm her racing heart, and whispered almost inaudibly:
“What nonsense! How could he confuse me with someone? And how does that girl even know your name? What’s going on here?”
“And where are you?”
“Like it’s any of your business?” the voice shot back with a defiant tone. “Even though I’m your wife, I don’t have to check in. I do whatever I like!”
More laughter and glass clinking in the background, then Jake jumped in:
“Oliver, did you hear that? I told you…”
Oliver cut him off sharply, feeling anger, confusion and this weird almost childish urge to just look away from it all mixing inside.
“Enough,” he said firmly, though his voice trembled a little. “I’ll deal with this tomorrow. Don’t ring again.”
He quickly ended the call, tossed the phone onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling in total bewilderment. If Emily hadn’t been sitting right there… he really might have believed it!
Emily plonked back down and stared at her husband in confusion. That girl’s voice really did sound like hers! But that wasn’t the main thing right now! The main thing was, how did she know the details to play it like that? Someone must have coached her!
“Well that’s a turn up,” she whispered, her voice a bit tight. “Who was that? What a mess!”
Oliver shook his head, thoughtfully running a hand through his hair, messing up his already not-perfect style. He had no answer, just suspicions. Pretty bad ones…
“No clue,” he replied, looking off to the side as if hoping to find some answer there. “But the voice… it was identical. Even the way she laughed, the tone, it all matched. Can’t be just chance.”
“And Jake was so sure it was me,” she said with a slight tremor. “Just think, if I really hadn’t been home. You’d have thought I was… that I was really there in the club with some man.”
Oliver turned to her, his look softening. He reached out, gently put his arm around Emily’s shoulders and pulled her close. Her body was shaking a bit, and he felt how important it was to be there, to give her that feeling of security.
“I’d still have wondered about it,” he said confidently. “You wouldn’t act like that! I know you. I know how you feel about stuff like that. This is all… some silly mistake, a wind-up, I don’t know. But I’ll get it sorted! If I have to, I’ll go to the club and ask to see the cameras. We’ll find out what girl that was.”
Emily leaned into him, feeling the cold fear starting to melt away, replaced by warmth, not just physical but emotional too. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
“Yeah,” she agreed, lifting her head a little. “It’s definitely not me. But who was it? And why?”
Oliver shrugged, but the confusion in his eyes was gone, now there was determination to figure out this odd situation. He squeezed her hand tighter, as if to say they were in this together and whatever happened they’d handle it.
The next day, around midday, Emily was in the kitchen, sipping tea and going through work emails on her laptop. The quiet was broken by a ring, Jake’s name on the screen. She waited a moment before answering; after last night’s drama it was hard to feel like chatting with him. But curiosity won, she wanted to know what he’d say.
“Hi,” Jake started carefully, like he was walking on eggshells. “Did you have a chat with Oliver after yesterday?”
Emily gripped the phone. She decided to use this chance to get to the bottom of it, find out exactly what Jake thought he saw and why he was so sure about her yesterday. After a small pause, like she was choosing her words, she answered:
“Yeah. We… had words. He blamed me for something I didn’t get, wouldn’t listen to my side. Says I’m lying to him.”
Silence for a second on the phone. Emily heard Jake breathe out heavily, then his voice had this unexpected note of satisfaction, faint but clear.
“Is that so,” he drawled. “Well, you know… I’ve always said that Oliver doesn’t value you. He never understood what you’re really like.”
Emily felt everything boiling up inside, but she made herself stay calm. She needed to hear him out, see where he was going with this.
“What are you on about?” she asked, keeping her voice even.
Jake started speaking quieter, almost in a whisper, and that deliberate intimate tone was a bit worrying:
“About how you deserve more! Emily, I’ve wanted to tell you for ages… I love you. Properly. And I’m ready to take care of you. If you want to leave Oliver, I’ll be there. Always.”
Emily stayed silent, trying to take it in. Her mind was racing: how long had Jake been thinking this? Why say it now, after all this weird stuff? Or… did he set it up, knowing she was supposedly not home…
She took a deep breath, got her thoughts together, and replied calmly but firmly:
“Jake, this is really unexpected. And, to be honest, not the right time. I love Oliver, and we’ll work out what happened. No need for you to get involved.”
“Sorry if I said too much,” he finally said, and his voice had lost that earlier confidence. “I just… wanted you to know there’s someone you can turn to. Oliver was out of order, accusing you of everything. I heard a bit from him… Sounds like he’s just looking for a reason to split up! I just want you to be okay!”
Emily held the phone so tight her fingers went a bit white. She inhaled deeply, trying to stay cool, not let her feelings take over. The last thing she needed was to lose it and yell at this so-called mate!
“You know, Jake,” her voice went icy, steady, no wobbles, “first of all, I was at home yesterday. Second, we didn’t have a row. And third, I know full well you set this whole thing up. I just didn’t see why. Now it’s obvious.”
For a moment there was silence on the line. She could almost feel Jake scrambling for words, desperately looking for a way to dodge or change the subject.
“What?..” he finally managed, and there was confusion in his voice. But a second later he pulled himself together, spoke more strongly: “What do you mean?”
“Exactly that. You found a girl with a voice like mine. Got her to act out this whole scene, call up, talk like me, make out I was in the club with some guy. Because you wanted to cause trouble between us. Come on, admit it, right?”
Silence on the phone. Emily waited patiently, knowing this would decide it, either Jake keeps lying or tells the truth.
Finally, Jake let out a sharp breath. His voice cracked, got louder, almost desperate:
“Yes, I set it up! Because I love you, Emily! Because I see how Oliver treats you. Because I want you to be happy, with me!”
Emily closed her eyes for a second. A wave of bitterness rose in her chest, but she held it back, didn’t let it into her voice.
“Happy?” she laughed bitterly, but it came out dry, no joy in it. “What made you think I’d be happy with you? Who do you think you are, anyway? Just some bloke who changes girls like they’re nothing. Even if you were the only person left, I still wouldn’t look twice at you, got it?”
Jake went quiet for a moment, like he was collecting himself, then spoke softly, almost whispering, as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying:
“I thought… thought that if you two fell out, you’d realise he’s not good enough for you. That you’d notice me! I’m so much better than Oliver! And about the girls… I was just trying to get over you! But no one comes close to you, you know! I’ll carry you on my hands, spoil you, worship you… Just choose me!”
Emily felt anger boiling up inside, not hot and quick, but cold and solid. She gripped the phone, but her voice stayed level, almost emotionless:
“You? Seriously? Not a chance! You betrayed a friend, betrayed trust. And for what? Your daydreams?”
She spoke calmly, but every word sounded like a verdict, clear, no hesitation. No anger or hysterics in her voice, just solid certainty that she was right.
“Emily, I’m sorry…” Jake’s voice shook. There was no push or cockiness left, just confusion and regret.
But Emily had made up her mind. She wasn’t going to give him a chance to explain or justify.
“No, Jake. No apology accepted. And no friendship either. Don’t call me again! Ever! And forget Oliver’s number too, I’ll make sure he hears this lovely conversation!”
She hit the end call button and slowly put the phone on the table. Her fingers were shaking a bit, but she pulled herself together, took a deep breath and looked out the window. Snow was still falling quietly outside, as if nothing had happened.
Just then Oliver came into the room. He noticed her serious face straight away and got wary.
“So what?” he asked, stopping in the doorway. There was concern in his voice, but he tried to sound calm.
Emily turned to him with a bitter little smile.
“It’s all clear now,” she sighed. “He arranged the whole thing. Admitted he loves me and wanted us to argue. Promised me everything under the sun! Can you imagine? What a sneaky git…”
Oliver sat down next to Emily on the sofa, carefully took her hand. His fingers squeezed her palm gently but firmly, so she could feel the support. In that simple touch was everything he wanted to say: I’m here, I’m with you, and what you feel matters to me.
“Guess he was never a proper friend then,” Oliver said quietly. “Just forget about him. No point wasting your energy thinking about it. To be honest, I’d picked up on a few warning signs a while back, but I didn’t have anything solid to go on. I was worried it was just me imagining things. But now it all adds up.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, moving a bit closer and resting her shoulder against his. “But at least now we know what’s what. And who we can count on.”
Her voice was steady, no strain. No resentment or bitterness left, just a bit of relief that everything was out in the open. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in the familiar, soothing smells of home: warm wood, freshly made tea and the faint scent of her favourite perfume.
“You know,” Emily suddenly smiled, and there were little sparkles in her eyes, “this might even be for the best. Now we’ve got a perfect excuse not to go to all those parties. You won’t be falling out with other mates because of him? This way we can just say, you know, there’s someone there we don’t fancy seeing.”
She said it lightly, almost jokingly, but there was truth in it. No more need to come up with polite excuses, weigh up if they should go, worry that saying no might upset someone. Now it was simple: there’s them, their cosy world, and everything else, which doesn’t matter anymore.
Oliver laughed, genuinely, without any of the tension that had been in the air before.
“Spot on. We’ll watch films and have tea,” he agreed, tilting his head a bit to meet her eyes.
“And stay in,” she added with a small grin, tugging the edge of the blanket and wrapping herself in it like a safe little cocoon.
“Ideal,” he nodded, holding her tighter.
So, with the snowflakes slowly swirling outside the window and the soft, warm light from the table lamp, their little world felt complete and secure again. In this room filled with quiet sounds and familiar smells, there was no room for lies, doubts or other people’s games. Here it was just them, two people who knew that the most important thing was already theirs: trust, warmth and the confidence that tomorrow would be just as calm and cosy a day as this one…
Jake sat in the kitchen in complete silence, staring at an empty cup with tea that had gone stone cold long ago. He couldn’t even remember taking the last sip, all his attention was on the words that kept echoing in his head like a broken record: “Don’t call me again. Ever.”
But instead of feeling sorry, instead of any guilt that might tell him he’d done wrong, a dull, heavy anger was growing in his chest. It was pressing on his ribs, making it hard to breathe normally, forcing him to clench his fists so tight his nails dug into his palms.
“Why did it all go wrong?!” he yelled, suddenly sweeping his hand across the table and knocking away the crumbs from the biscuit he’d been nibbling while thinking.
His mind kept replaying the scenes from last night. There he was walking into the club, having already arranged with Sophie, the girl he’d met a couple of weeks back in a cafe. She caught his eye straight away: same features, similar hair, even her voice was almost like Emily’s. When he told her about his plan, she just smiled and nodded: “No problem. I love these kinds of games.”
He remembered standing off to the side, watching her on the phone, pretending to be a drunk, forward Emily. She laughed, dragged out her words on purpose, threw out sharp comments, all exactly as he’d told her to. At that moment he felt this thrill, almost delight: this was it, the key moment! “If this works,” he thought, “Emily will see that Oliver doesn’t appreciate her. That there’s someone who really loves her.”
And now… now he’d only got a cold no and the bitter realisation: the plan had failed. Worse, he’d lost everything.
“This isn’t my mistake!” he argued with himself mentally, pacing the kitchen and barely noticing when he bumped into a chair. “It’s them… they don’t see, don’t understand! Oliver doesn’t deserve her, and she’s just blindly trusting him!”
He stopped by the table, gripped the edge of the worktop so hard his fingers went white. Memories flashed by: years of watching Emily and Oliver. How he’d envied their easy way with each other, how they could laugh at little things, their warm looks they shared without even realising. He thought he could give Emily the same, only better, more real, stronger. And he’d chosen the path he thought was the only way.
He went to the window. Outside the snow was slowly swirling, settling on the windowsill, on the bare tree branches. Everything looked so peaceful, so… calm…
“Why do they have it all, and I’ve got nothing?!” it burst out of him. “Why did she end up with Oliver! I’m more worthy! I’m better at everything!”
He knew he’d lost not just Emily, he’d lost a friend. Oliver, who’d always been there, always ready to help, always believed in him. Now that friendship was shattered and there was no fixing it. But instead of regret, he only felt this burning irritation, a mix of hurt and annoyance that was eating at him from inside.
The phone was lying on the table, silent and distant. Jake knew: he wasn’t going to call Emily. Wasn’t going to try to explain, justify, beg. That would just be another loss, another sign he couldn’t get what he wanted. But new thoughts were already forming in his head, bitter, sharp:
“Let them live in their cosy little world. Let them think they’ve won. But I know the truth: Oliver doesn’t value her like I would. And one day Emily will realise it. Maybe when it’s too late…”
He went to the window, stared at the falling snow and almost hissed, barely audible, like he was afraid someone might hear:
“You think you’ve won, Emily? Think it’s all sorted? But the truth is you just can’t see beyond your cosy blanket and cup of tea. You don’t see that there’s a guy right here who loves you for real. But you picked the fantasy. Well, enjoy it…”
He turned sharply from the window, spotted a piece of paper on the table, the one where the day before he’d scribbled the plan for the conversation, noted what phrases Sophie should say, how to set up the chat. Without thinking he grabbed it, tore it into tiny bits, scrunched it up and chucked it in the bin. That pathetic bit of paper reminded him of the massive failure!
Outside the snow kept falling, covering the world with a white blanket. Jake closed his eyes, trying to picture Emily sitting with Oliver right now, how they were laughing, watching a film, having tea. How warm and peaceful it was for them. How safe they felt in their small world, with no place for lies and tricks.
And instead of genuinely wishing them well, instead of trying to accept it, inside him there was only this stubborn feeling growing:
This was meant to be mine. All of this should have been mine….
Leave a Reply