They Bet On How Fast I Would Cry On Our Anniversary Chapter 03

They Bet On How Fast I Would Cry On Our Anniversary Chapter 03

That afternoon, Ethan posted a “clarification” video on his own account.

In the video, he claimed that every anniversary prank over the years had been planned by the two of us together.

Sophie and our other friends had only played along at my request. None of them had ever come between us.

He also said I was sensitive and easily got carried away.

Every tear, every fight, every time I walked out—according to him, it was all part of the act to make the videos more entertaining.

To back it up, he recut footage from the previous three years.

Three years ago, I’d cried and begged him never to say again that he regretted marrying me.

He cut out the sound of me crying. All he left was the footage of him carrying me back into the private lounge.

Two years ago, after the kissing game, they brought out a fake divorce agreement and pressured me to sign it.

My hands shook so badly afterward that I could barely hold my glass.

He cut out every argument. The only part he kept was the next day—him sliding my wedding ring back onto my finger.

Last year, after the fake wedding, I broke down alone in the bathroom. My tears never made it in.

Instead, he showed the forced smile I managed when I returned to the table.

Every time I’d given in just because I was too drained to keep fighting—it was all edited to look like I’d known about the games all along.

At the end of the video, Ethan even apologized to Sophie on my behalf.

[Claire got too caught up in the act this year, so she didn’t get around to filming the planned ending.]

[I hope everyone will stop blaming an innocent friend.]

Within an hour of the video going live, “Claire’s Acting Reel” was everywhere.

Coworkers and friends blew up my phone.

Some asked if all the pain I’d shown over the past few years had really been an act.

Others accused me of making my best friend play the other woman just to test my husband.

Some even said I could dish it out but couldn’t take it.

They figured since Sophie was getting torn apart, I’d suddenly backed out to save myself.

Ethan knew perfectly well I’d never agreed to any of this.

Yet he used being my husband to tell every lie for me.

I took my phone and went to find him at the office.

He was with the PR team, having them delete more comments.

Sophie sat beside him with her eyes swollen from crying.

I put my phone down in front of him.

“Take down the video.”

“Release the unedited footage.”

“Once people see what I actually looked like every time I fell apart, they’ll know this was never some cute couple’s thing.”

Ethan refused. “If we take the video down, Sophie’ll be branded the other woman all over again.”

“Our friends’ll get dragged for turning someone’s pain into a show.”

“And I’ll become exactly what everyone thinks I am. A husband who’s spent years publicly humiliating his wife.”

I looked at him. “Isn’t that the truth?”

He was silent for a moment.

“The truth matters less than making the backlash go away.”

I stared at the face that had once promised to protect me forever.

Then I asked one last question.

“At least when the cameras aren’t rolling. Can you admit that I’ve been hurting all these years?”

Ethan finally stopped dodging.

“So what if it was?”

“You’re my wife. Taking a little heat for me and Sophie won’t kill you.”

He paused, then said it slowly, word by word.

“But in front of everyone else. Your pain has to be a lie.”