When Henry saw the words scrawled across his car, his entire world collapsed in an instant. Hope She Was Worth It. The message, bold and unmistakable, taunted him, tearing through the happiness he had felt just moments ago. He turned to Emily, his pregnant wife, but instead of trust, he saw something else flicker in her eyes—doubt. No matter how much he swore he had never cheated, the damage was already done. But the truth was far worse than betrayal. This wasn’t the work of a scorned lover. This was an attack from someone much closer to him.

Emily trembled in his arms, sobbing into his chest, gripping onto him like he might disappear if she let go. Her voice was muffled, but her words cut deep. “I’m sorry, Henry. I didn’t want to believe it, but I just… I didn’t know what to think.”

He held her tighter, pressing his lips against the top of her head, wishing he could erase the past twenty-four hours. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “None of this is your fault, Emily.”

But someone was to blame. And she was standing right in front of them.

Claire shifted uncomfortably under Emily’s teary, piercing gaze. Arms crossed, expression unreadable, but Henry saw it in her eyes. Regret. Maybe not entirely. Maybe not in the way she should. But she knew she had crossed a line.

“Tell her,” Henry said, voice firm.

Claire sighed as though this were all an inconvenience to her, as though she was doing him a favor. Then, finally, she confessed. She admitted to writing the message on his car, to wanting to drive Emily away, to thinking she was helping him. All because of something he had said months ago.

“I just thought…” Claire hesitated, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “You always said you were scared about being a father. That you didn’t have the best example growing up. I thought maybe… if Emily left, it would be easier.”

Henry clenched his fists, rage burning in his chest. “So you decided for me? You thought you had the right to destroy my marriage over a conversation?”

Emily’s face shifted from confusion to hurt, and finally to something that made Henry’s stomach twist.

“You really didn’t cheat, Henry?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Never,” he said immediately. “Not once, not ever. I love you, Emily. I love our baby. I love our life together. Claire blindsided me with this just like she did you.”

The weight of it all crashed over Emily, and she hugged her belly tightly. She had almost walked away from him. Almost believed the worst. And all because Claire, his own sister, had tried to break them apart.

The last thing Henry had expected after leaving the doctor’s office was to watch his life fall apart in real time. He and Emily had just heard their baby’s heartbeat for the first time. The moment had been pure magic. Walking hand in hand to the parking lot, he was still lost in the rush of emotions—baby names, nursery colors, what life would be like once their child arrived.

And then, there it was.

His car. Four chilling words scrawled across the driver’s side door.

Hope She Was Worth It.

He had stopped in his tracks, unable to process what he was seeing.

“What the hell is that?” The words barely made it past his lips.

Emily stiffened beside him, instinctively placing her hand over her belly as though protecting their baby from whatever this was. He felt the way her fingers loosened from his grasp, the space that opened up between them.

Then, she spoke.

“Did you…?”

She didn’t even finish the question. She didn’t have to.

The accusation was right there, painted in bold letters for the whole world to see. Someone, somewhere, thought he had done something terrible. And now, Emily, the woman who had always trusted him, was caught between him and the damning evidence in front of her.

“It wasn’t me,” he pleaded, stepping closer to her. “I swear to you, my love, I have no idea who did this or why.”

Emily exhaled shakily. “I… I didn’t write it.”

And God, that broke him.

Because he knew what she was really saying. If I didn’t do it, then who did? And why? She wasn’t accusing him, not yet, but doubt had crept in. And doubt, once planted, had a way of spreading like wildfire.

That night, Henry stood in his driveway, scrubbing furiously at the hateful message. He should have been inside, celebrating their first milestone as parents-to-be. Instead, he was out in the cold, trying to erase the damage—damage that wasn’t just on his car, but on his marriage.

The ink refused to budge. Just like it wouldn’t leave Emily’s mind.

Then came the footsteps.

“Don’t bother thanking me,” a voice said behind him. “You’re welcome.”

He froze. He knew that voice.

He turned around, his breath caught in his throat. Claire. His sister. She stood there, eating an ice cream like nothing had happened. Like she hadn’t just shattered his life.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded, his voice dangerously low.

Claire shrugged, licking her ice cream. “I wrote it. Duh.”

The words didn’t register at first. “You… what?”

“I wrote it,” she said again, this time with a smirk. “You’re too chicken to deal with this baby, so I figured I’d help you out. If Emily thinks you cheated, she’ll leave. Problem solved.”

The world tilted beneath his feet.

“You really think you helped me?” he hissed, stepping toward her.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. You’ve been freaking out about this kid for months now. Remember Thanksgiving? You were so stressed. I just made things easier for you.”

“You destroyed my marriage,” he spat. “And for what? What did you get out of this?”

Claire actually had the audacity to look bored. “You’re being dramatic. Emily’s overreacting. It’s just a little lie.”

His hands trembled. “You’re going to fix this.”

Claire scoffed. “Oh yeah? And how do you suppose I do that?”

“You’re going to tell Emily the truth. Right now.”

When they arrived at Emily’s parents’ house, Henry was armed with a bouquet of flowers and a chocolate cake—her latest craving. She hesitated to let him inside, but he begged her to listen. Finally, she agreed.

Claire shuffled in behind him, suddenly not so smug anymore.

Henry turned to her. “Tell her. Now.”

Claire hesitated. But under Henry’s piercing glare, she finally admitted everything.

When she was finished, Emily turned to Henry, her eyes brimming with tears. She reached for him, holding onto his waist.

Then she turned to Claire, her expression unreadable. “You owe me an apology.”