My husband, Diego, insisted I take his spot on the company retreat to a virgin forest, acting like he was doing me some big favor.

Little did I know, a casual lottery ticket I'd bought on a whim turned into a 50 million-dollar jackpot.

Excited beyond belief, I rushed home on the first flight available, thinking of how I would surprise Diego with this life-changing news.

But just as I reached the front door, I heard his familiar voice, dripping with smugness.

"That jacket was Ellie's—there's no mistaking it. That idiot really did get eaten by a bear! All that planning with Carly paid off—sending her off to that forest worked like a charm."

I froze. My blood ran cold as I glanced at my phone. The retreat group chat had just shared a horrifying video—someone in my jacket, drenched in blood, being torn apart by a bear's vicious teeth.

But the person in that jacket wasn't me.

It was Carly.

...

Her face, once so perfect in Diego's eyes, was now unrecognizable, mauled beyond saving.

I shuddered, imagining how devastated Diego would be if he found out it was Carly who had been attacked, not me.

After all, she was the one he'd promised to protect his entire life.

Even the smallest cold would send him rushing to her side, dropping everything for her.

But right now, he thought it was me just because he saw my jacket.

Without hesitation, without confirmation, he'd assumed the worst—and not because he was worried.

No, he was laughing while mocking me.

My heart twisted, and years of love and trust shattered in an instant. The urge to storm in and demand answers nearly overpowered me, but before I could act, I heard another voice.

It was Barbara, my mother-in-law.

"The little bitch deserved it. Her money belongs to our family now!"

Diego's response was quick, dripping with malice.

"Carly's hated her for years. Now that she's out of the way, I can finally marry Carly."

So this was it. My in-laws had been waiting for me to die, counting on my death to line their pockets with my fortune and to welcome Carly as the new wife.

The people I'd trusted with my heart and my life—they had all been plotting behind my back.

I clutched the lottery ticket in my purse, grateful I hadn't shared the news too soon.

Otherwise, they would've found an even more ruthless way to finish me off.

My rage boiled beneath the surface as I stood frozen at the doorway, straining to hear more.

If they thought I was dead, so be it. But they wouldn't like what happened next!

"Mom, the team leader isn't sure she's dead yet," Diego said, his voice dropping. "I'll call Carly to make sure."

Suddenly, the phone in my pocket rang.

In the silence of the hallway, the ringtone was piercing.

I quickly hung up and bolted down the stairs, hiding in the shadows of the building.

I had left in such a rush last night, overwhelmed by the thought of winning the lottery, that I didn't even realize I had grabbed the wrong jacket.

This jacket belonged to Carly, and her phone was still in the pocket.

I didn't realize the mix-up until I boarded the plane.

Carly, left with no other choice, must've worn mine instead.

When Diego's call went unanswered, he sent Carly a message.

If I didn't reply soon, he would definitely start to get suspicious.

Carly had her phone locked with a password.

I stared at the screen, the lock screen photo showing her and Diego wrapped in each other's arms under the moonlight.

Disgust welled up inside me, but my fingers moved on their own, entering Diego's birthday.

It unlocked.

I opened the chat between her and Diego, my stomach turning at the endless stream of sickening sweet talk and intimate videos.

Before now, I only knew Diego treated her with a little too much affection.

And out of trust for my husband, I'd always ignored that uneasy feeling in my gut.

But now I saw it clearly. He wasn't just affectionate. He'd been using my trust to shamelessly indulge his affair with her.

Even worse, he called her "honey" all the time.

"Baby, were you scared?"

A message popped up, and the sender was "Hubby".

"Give me a call to let me know you're alright."

I replied immediately, "Signal's terrible here. Let's stick to texting for now. I'm fine, don't worry."

The spotty reception in the forest was a convenient excuse.

Diego wouldn't suspect anything yet.

"That's a relief," he replied. "I wouldn't want you to suffer, not even a little."

He followed it up with: "By the way, remember how you wanted to know how I dealt with Ellie?"

"I slipped a special sachet into her jacket, designed to attract bears. I even mapped out a route for the team to ensure she'd run into one."

Diego's arrogance leaped from the screen.

He detailed every step of how he had planned my death, all for the sake of his childhood sweetheart.

I felt a chill crawl up my spine.

If I hadn't won that lottery ticket, the bear would've been devouring me right now.

Holding back my disgust, I typed back in Carly's tone.

Diego soon sent another message: "The team leader called me."

Then, he sent a voice note: "Turns out Ellie survived. She's barely clinging on, though. They're flying her back to the city for treatment. I'll head over there personally to check on her. Don't get jealous."

I never imagined Carly could survive being mauled that badly.

My pulse quickened. Diego would stop at nothing to finish me off.

I had no choice, so I had to follow him to the hospital.