Red Threads of Betrayal

When I was ten years old, I suddenly gained the ability to see red threads connecting people’s heads. Only those who had actually slept together would be bound by this unavoidable red line. Over the years, two extra red threads popped up over my father’s head, driving my mother to threaten to file for divorce again and again. Because of this, loyalty became the single most important thing I looked for in a partner. In the end, I chose Jasper—a modest, reserved man whose head was completely clean. On the night before our wedding, my bridesmaids hosted a bachelorette party. We played a game where whoever lost had to hand over their phone for the rest of us to snoop through. When it was my maid of honor Jean’s turn, she clutched her phone tightly, her face flushing red as she bashfully giggled. “Don’t look at mine! He wore me out so late last night. Those photos are definitely not fit for public viewing.” Everyone teased her for keeping her relationship so secretive, since no one had ever met her boyfriend. I was just about to step in and smooth things over when I suddenly saw a bright red thread stretch straight out from the top of her head. It wove right through the crowd and anchored itself directly onto my fiancé, Jasper. Yet, when he dropped me off at home last night, his head had been entirely clean. In fact, just half an hour ago, he had sent me a text. [Aria, I’ve saved myself for you for twenty-five years. On our wedding night tomorrow, I can finally have you. I love you!] I looked over at Jasper standing outside the door, staring at me with deep affection, and then back at Jean, whose face was glowing with passion. I raised my glass and clinked it gently against hers. “Jean, is your boyfriend’s last name Cook?” Chapter 1 A few drops of wine spilled from Jean Young’s glass, and a flash of panic crossed her eyes. “I don’t care if his last name is Cook or Johnson. If you lose, you hand over your phone.” One of our best friends, Imogen Morgan, reached out to grab it, but Jean laughed and ducked right behind me, holding the phone tightly out of reach. “You really can’t look at it. He’s got a huge temper. If he finds out I showed you guys his picture, he’ll be furious.” “Look at you being so protective!” “I can’t help it. His status is a bit complicated, and he doesn’t want to go public with our relationship just yet.” As Jean spoke, her gaze drifted right over the crowd and landed on Jasper Cook, who was standing by the entrance. The red thread connecting the two of them was blindingly bright. Over the years, I’d seen countless red threads of fate tangle and cross, but I never expected to see one attached to the man who was supposed to be my groom tomorrow. “Aria, help me out here, won’t you?” she pleaded, giving me a cute, helpless look. “He really doesn’t want me showing it to anyone.” I did everything I could to stop my wrist from trembling, set my glass down, and managed to force a smile. “Rules are rules tonight. If you lose, you give up your phone.” “Whoa!” Danielle Reed slapped the table. “The bride has spoken!” Jean froze for a second, clearly not expecting me to back her into a corner like that. Just then, Jasper walked over and rested his palm on my shoulder. “Aria, stop messing around. Jean is shy. You’re the bride, so don't lead the pack in picking on the maid of honor.” I stared down at the hand resting on my shoulder. Just last night, that same hand pulled my coat tight around me, wrapping me in a hug through the heavy fabric. He swore to save the absolute best of himself for our wedding night. And yet, less than twenty-four hours later, he had his very first red thread tied to someone else. “I’m picking on her?” I asked. “Well, once you get stubborn about something, who can really handle you?” Jasper chuckled, picking up a glass of juice and handing it to me. “Pre-wedding anxiety is totally normal. Here, drink something sweet.” Jean took the opportunity to shrink behind him. “See? Jasper gets me. Aria, you better not be so mean to him from now on. What if you scare off such a great guy?” “Are you really that concerned about whether my fiancé gets scared off?” “I’m just being concerned on your behalf!” Jean giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. On her pinky finger sat a plain silver band. That ring was a discarded draft Jasper had once shown me. Back then, he told me the lines were too simple and not good enough for me. Now, it sat on Jean’s finger, a perfect fit. Before Jean could react, Imogen pinned her hand down and unlocked her phone. “The more you try to hide it, the more we want to see!” Imogen swiped open the first photo and let out a loud whistle. It was a shot of Jean’s side profile. Her eyes were bloodshot, and starting right from her collarbone, a messy trail of hickeys snaked straight down into her top. “Whoa, hold on!” Danielle shoved the phone right in front of us. The second photo was a tight close-up of two hands intertwined, fingers locked together, practically oozing tension. The man’s wrist bore a black-dial mechanical watch with a distinct scratch near the bottom right of the bezel. I knew that scratch all too well. Jasper had accidentally scraped it against a shopping cart while at the supermarket with me. My fingernails dug deep into my palms. Swiping further, it was a chat history. The contact name was set to "J", and the profile picture was a simple patch of green grass. The chat was packed with daily good morning and good night texts, along with late-night voice calls. The very first message dated all the way back to a year ago. [Jean, I seriously can’t stop thinking about you.] [I miss you too, J. I dreamed about you last night, holding me while we fell asleep.] My breath hitched as my eyes caught a message from three months ago. Jean had asked in a coy tone: [Tonight’s concert was amazing. But when can we hold hands out in the open like this for real?] J replied with four words: [Soon. Wait for me.] Three months ago on that exact day was our seventh anniversary. I had spent two hours doing my makeup and cooked an entire table of food, waiting for him for five hours. In the end, all I got was a text. [Sorry, just finished working late. Go ahead and eat without me, then get some sleep.] “Ah! Give it back! You guys are awful!” Jean squealed, snatching her phone back and jumping up. Flustered, she buried her face in her hands and darted off toward the stairwell. Not even two minutes after she left, Jasper’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and immediately turned it face down. “My mom wants me to book two more rooms. Some out-of-town relatives have just arrived. You girls enjoy yourselves, but don't keep my Aria up too late. She has to get up early for her makeup tomorrow.” Jasper leaned down and kissed my forehead, prompting the whole room to hoot and cheer. After he walked out, I excused myself to use the restroom. Jean’s voice echoed from the stairwell, “Didn’t you say we weren't going to meet up tonight?” Chapter 2 Jasper answered in a low, hushed voice, “I just missed you too much. I came over specifically to catch a quick glimpse of you.” “Well, you’ve seen me, so go. We agreed that after last night, we were breaking things off.” Even though Jean was telling him off, her voice sounded soft and coy. “You’re getting married tomorrow. I don’t want Aria noticing anything. You know how she’s always been terrified of betrayal. She gets paranoid about every little thing. She literally just asked me if my boyfriend’s last name was Cook.” Jasper let out a dry laugh. “So you do realize she’s terrified of betrayal.” A brief silence hung in the air before the rustling of clothes pressed directly against the stairwell door. “Jean, I crossed the line last night,” Jasper said. “So what are you saying?” “I have to marry Aria. I owe it to her.” Jean’s breathing turned ragged. “You love her?” “I do,” he said without hesitation. “I’ve known she was the one since college. The house is under her name, my paycheck goes to her, and I won’t let her go through any hardship after we’re married.” “Then what am I to you?” “I’m sorry, Jean. Call it a moment of weakness, call it losing control,” Jasper’s voice lowered. “Over the years at work, I got used to having you by my side. Whenever you were sad, you came to me, and whenever I was under insane pressure, you were the only one I could talk to. When you cried last night and said we couldn’t see each other anymore, I just couldn’t hold back.” It sounded like Jean gave his chest a soft thump. “If you love her so much, why are you coming to find me right now?” “I miss you.” Those three words landed soft as a sigh, but they shattered every bit of trust I had built over the past seven years. I grabbed the door handle, my legs barely able to hold me upright. So a man could love me with complete clarity, while also missing another woman. He treated his loyalty like some lavish gift, wrapping it up to present to me at the altar tomorrow. But right before handing it over, he opened it up to give Jean a test run. “Jasper, after you’re married, are we really going to end things?” “We have to.” “Can you really bring yourself to do that?” “Even if I can’t, I have to. Aria won’t tolerate it. If she finds out, she’ll never forgive me.” “She loves you so much. How could she ever leave you?” Jasper gave a low chuckle. “Of course she won’t leave me.” His absolute confidence cut deeper than the betrayal itself. “She’s been busy preparing for this wedding for six months, and the house is completely renovated. Our families are arriving tomorrow, and the thing she fears most is making a fool out of her mom. Even if she found out, she’d wait until after the wedding to deal with it.” Jean’s voice choked up. “Then what about me? Have you ever thought about how I feel? I’m clearly the one in love with you, yet I have to be her maid of honor and watch you marry her!” Jean burst into tears. Jasper spent a long time soothing her before finally saying, “The smart lock passcode to the new house is her birthday. Go over there and wait for me first. I’ll make it up to you tonight, I promise.” “Are you crazy? That’s the home she decorated with her own hands!” “After tomorrow, I’ll never be able to hold you like this again.” “What if she finds out?” “She’s staying at the hotel with her bridesmaids tonight. She won’t go to the house.” I caught the faint sound of a brief, urgent kiss. Then, Jasper whispered huskily, “Wait for me.” As the sound of footsteps drew near, I backed into a bathroom stall. Through the thin door panel, I heard Jean walk in. She turned on the faucet in front of the mirror, humming a cheerful tune. Right then, my phone screen lit up. [Aria, I’m feeling a bit under the weather, so I headed back home early. Don’t be mad. I’ll definitely be there on time tomorrow to be your maid of honor!] I stared at the text, the corner of my mouth twitching into a bitter smile. I typed back: [Get some good rest.] Half an hour later, I sat alone in my car parked in the hotel’s underground garage. A smart lock notification from our new home’s living room camera popped up at the top of my screen. We had taken out a joint mortgage on that house. After the renovations were finished, I had installed a security camera in the living room to prevent break-ins, though I hadn't gotten around to telling Jasper yet. In the cloud livestream, Jean showed zero hesitation. She pulled a pair of men's slippers from the shoe rack, then opened the wine cabinet as if she owned the place. Twenty minutes later, Jasper walked through the front door. Jean threw herself into his arms. “It’s our last night. Don’t bring up Aria again.” “Jean, don’t be stubborn.” “You can’t even grant me this one thing?” Jasper wrapped his arms around her from behind. “Fine. We won’t talk about her tonight.” They kissed all the way from the living room into the hallway, the camera feed cutting off right at the master bedroom door. Chapter 3 That bedroom had the set of white silk wedding sheets I’d spent an entire afternoon steaming by hand. Our couple's portrait hung on the wall, and the wedding gift Jasper had given me sat right on the nightstand. Now, everything I had so painstakingly prepared was turning into nothing more than a backdrop for their little hookup. The camera only captured the living room, but that red thread had already shown me how the rest played out. Even though I’d prepared myself for the worst, watching them kiss made my chest feel so tight I could barely draw a breath. Tears streamed down my face without warning, heavy droplets falling right onto the blurred figures tangled together on my phone screen. The screen dimmed to black. Staring back at me from the dark reflection was a twenty-eight-year-old woman. She was the exact same age my mom was when she found out my dad was cheating. The only difference was that my mom endured it, but I wasn't going to. With the evidence saved on my phone and stored in the cloud, I wiped my tears, put my foot on the gas, and drove straight back to my mom’s house. The second I saw her, I broke all over again. “Mom, I want to call off the wedding tomorrow.” At 11 p.m., Mom had just finished watching the video, her fingers trembling uncontrollably. “Aria, this clip didn’t capture them actually going into the bedroom.” “But yesterday, the red thread was already tied between them.” My mom snapped her head up. “You saw it clearly?” “Crystal clear.” When I was ten years old, I asked my mom why the neighbor downstairs and the woman living across from us on the third floor had a red thread connecting their heads, asking if they had slept together. My mom slapped me across the face, assuming I was picking up trash talk from somewhere. Six months later, when both families dragged each other to court over an affair, she finally realized what I could see. From that day on, she made me promise never to tell a soul about this ability of mine, warning me to stay far away from trouble. She knew better than anyone why I had been so hesitant to get married. My mom closed her eyes tightly. “Why did it have to be the day before the wedding?” “It wasn't just yesterday. They’ve been emotionally cheating for a year or two now. Last night was just when the thread finally tied itself together.” My mother stayed silent for a long moment before pulling out the guest list. “I’ll notify every single family member right now. As for his side, let Jasper handle it himself. Aria, you’re not making the same mistakes I did. I’ve got your back.” I dialed Jasper’s number. It rang seven times before he hung up on me. Five minutes later, a text popped up from him. [Aria, did you make it to the hotel yet?] [Get some sleep early. You’ve got to wake up early tomorrow for makeup.] Staring at those fake words of concern, I texted back, [Where are you?] The status at the top of the chat flickered back and forth as he typed for two solid minutes. Finally, he sent over a photo of the guest bedroom in our new home. [I took care of all the arrangements for my relatives. The hotel was fully booked, so I’m crashing in the guest bedroom at our new place tonight.] He lied so flawlessly. If it weren't for that red thread or the living room camera, I probably would have spent all day feeling guilty and worried about how exhausted he must be from running around. Without saying a word, I sent him a screenshot straight from the home security feed. Right there in the frame, Jean’s dress was tossed casually across the sofa. Then I sent one final message, [You two don't need to hide anymore. Cancel the wedding tomorrow, and let's keep what little dignity we both have left.] Jasper didn't reply. A minute later, the man in the video burst out of the master bedroom, his eyes locking onto the camera on the wall. Jean rushed out right behind him, wrapped tightly in my bathrobe. “What do we do? Did she see us?” Jasper reached up and ripped the camera down. Right before the screen went completely black, I heard him say in a calm, steady voice, “Don't panic. I'll handle it.” Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, it turned out his idea of "handling it" was to force me to go through with the wedding. Jasper told everyone coming for the wedding that I had come down with a sudden high fever and that the ceremony was delayed. Then, Jasper's mom, Charlotte, showed up at the hotel where I was supposed to get ready, bringing over a dozen relatives with her to block my door. “Aria, you are coming downstairs right now! Backing out at the last minute makes you a total fraud! “Aria, if you don't come out this instant, I’ll make sure the whole city knows you lost your mind right before your wedding! Let’s see who’ll ever marry you after this!” Outside the room, Jasper didn't bother to stop her. He just stood there, speaking through the door in a low voice. “Aria, put on your dress and let me take you to the venue. Once today is over, you can punish me however you want.” When my bridesmaids woke up that morning, they saw my apology text about canceling the wedding, but couldn't find me anywhere. As they searched frantically for me, they bumped right into Jasper and Charlotte throwing a fit outside my room. My friends immediately recorded a quick video and secretly sent it over to my phone. Watching the footage, my hands and feet turned ice-cold. I thought I had given him a clean way out so we could part ways peacefully. Instead, he chose to drag things into the gutter, using the full weight of the Cooks' social power to force me to swallow this bitter pill. I picked up my phone and called Jasper. “Stop harassing my bridesmaids. I’ll go straight to the venue at eleven.” I walked over to the closet, pulled out a black formal dress I had worn to a funeral, and grabbed a black veil hat to hide the heavy dark circles from staying up all night. Then, with my mom by my side, I headed straight for the wedding venue. When Charlotte spotted me standing there in full black, the hand she had extended to collect gifts froze mid-air. Chapter 4 Jasper reached out to grab my wrist. “Stop acting up. I brought your wedding dress with me. Quick, change into it inside.” I yanked my hand back. “Where’s Jean?” “She’s not feeling well.” “From exhausting herself with you last night?” Charlotte suddenly shoved me from behind. “Watch your mouth! On such a joyous day, how dare you slander your own man?” The small of my back slammed into the sharp corner of the reception desk, and I bent over in pain. Mom rushed over. “How dare you lay hands on her!” Before she could reach me, Jasper’s uncle and cousin blocked her path. “Your daughter is dead set on making our family look like a total laughingstock!” Charlotte pointed a finger right at my nose. “She either behaves and goes through with this wedding, or apologizes to every single one of our guests!” Jasper stepped in to hold me up. “Mom, don’t push her.” “You’re still taking her side?” Charlotte shrieked, beside herself with rage. “She’s my wife.” I let out a cold laugh, reminding him, “We haven’t signed the marriage license. There’s nothing between us.” Jasper’s grip on my arm tightened even more. “Aria, stop making a scene. I admit that I screwed up last night. Once the wedding is over, I’ll make it up to you. “You still think I’m just trying to bargain with you?” Jasper stared at me, a flicker of genuine confusion in his eyes. “Are you seriously going to ruin seven years of our relationship over one little mistake I made?” Just then, the host’s heartfelt voice echoed through the grand hall. “And now, let us welcome the groom!” The guests broke into applause as Jasper pasted a bright smile on his face and walked inside. Beyond the doors lay a dreamlike setup—dazzling spotlights, overwhelming arrangements of fresh flowers. The melodic strains of the wedding march began playing. Dressed entirely in black, looking like I was attending a funeral, I stepped into the very wedding venue I had looked forward to for five long years. Jean was standing by the stage in her bridesmaid dress. Her eyes were puffy, and that plain silver band was still sitting snugly on her pinky finger. The second she saw me walk in, tears welled up in her eyes. “Aria, you’re finally here. I was just in a bad mood last night, so I grabbed a few drinks with Jasper. Please don’t misunderstand. There’s really nothing going on between us...” As she babbled on, she reached out to straighten the nonexistent hem of my dress. The host invited the groom to fetch his bride. Smiling as if nothing had ever happened, Jasper walked straight toward me and dropped to one knee before me. I reached my hand out, but instead of taking his, I grabbed Jean by her collar and dragged her forward with all my strength. With a gasp, Jean lost her balance and fell directly into Jasper’s arms. The crowd gasped in shock, whispering and staring at each other. I pulled out my phone, walked up to the main control console, and plugged in the living room security footage from our new house. The moment the video hit the giant screen, the entire hall fell dead silent. The footage showed Jean opening the door and entering the house, followed closely by Jasper. The two kissed passionately in the living room as her bridesmaid dress slipped off onto the couch. Wrapped around each other, they stumbled straight toward the master bedroom door. The video cut off right there. I raised my voice so the entire room could hear. “Today’s wedding is canceled. Because the groom cheated on me with my bridesmaid in our new house.” Jean suddenly let out a frantic laugh. “You can’t even see her face!” She pointed wildly at the blurry side profile on the screen. “It’s fake! Everyone, don't believe her! You can't see the face clearly at all! Aria majored in advertising design in college, which means she’s a professional editor! She must've synthesized this entire thing with AI just so she could back out of the wedding!” Jasper’s boss, Mr. Short, stood up from his table. “Aria, you can’t just accuse people of something like this based on an incomplete clip without clear faces.” Jasper’s uncle, Damien, slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “Exactly! You can’t even see the side profile clearly. For all we know, the girl in that video is you!” Gabby, Jasper's cousin, pointed a finger right at me. “Right! What kind of bride does this? Going out of her way to fake a video... Did she just take the money and try to run a wedding scam?” Accusation after accusation rained down on me like heavy rocks. Jasper walked over to me and held out his hand. “Delete the original video, and I won't press charges against you for defamation.” Charlotte grabbed the microphone. “Did everyone hear that? The Whitlocks slandered my son today just to intentionally back out of this marriage! We demand a full refund of thirty-eight hundred thousand dollars for the wedding deposit and venue costs! "And the cost for the banquet and wedding planner? The Whitlocks are paying for every single cent of it! “On top of that, she has to make a public apology and swear she’ll never use this to smear Jasper ever again!” I looked past Charlotte, taking in the full room of guests. Countless red threads extended from the tops of their heads, crisscrossing into a filthy, tangled web. The uncle who had just accused me? His red thread was tied directly to the hotel manager. The cousin who hurled insults at me? Her red thread crossed three whole tables, anchoring itself straight onto her best friend’s husband. Even Charlotte, who claimed so loudly to defend her family’s purity, had a bright red thread stretching straight from her head to the main table. I snatched the microphone right out of the host’s hand. “If you don't believe the security footage, then let’s verify things another way.” Charlotte sneered. “What else could you possibly make up?” I raised my hand and pointed a finger straight at the main table. “Let’s start with the affair between you and Jasper’s boss.”