“Cheaters” is a 16,700-word contemporary romance novella told from the male POV, blending psychological depth with raw emotional tension. Set in a rain-soaked Appalachian small town, this forbidden love story follows a man torn between his best friend's trust and his consuming desire for the woman they both love. With "friends to lovers" and "best friend's partner" tropes at its core, this commercial romance delivers heartbreak, guilt, and the devastating question: what do you sacrifice for love—and what can you rebuild afterward?

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Vasyl has spent a year lying to himself. Every Thursday night at The Dragon's Hoard, he rolls his dice, runs his D&D campaign, and pretends he isn't in love with Minnie—his best friend Mike's girlfriend. He's the steady one, the reliable one, the friend Mike trusts with everything. But when Minnie's hand brushes his across the gaming table, the carefully constructed walls around his heart begin to crumble.

Minnie is drowning too. She's been pretending to be happy with Mike for years, playing the role of the perfect girlfriend while something essential has been missing. When she finds Vasyl alone on the covered bridge and sees the elven character he's drawn—a woman with her face, her laugh, her freckles—she recognizes the truth she's been running from. Their confession in the rain-soaked bookstore shatters every boundary they've tried to maintain.

But small towns have long memories, and Paula has been watching from the shadows. She's tired of being invisible, tired of watching others get chosen while she fades into the background. With one conversation at the punk club, she sets a countdown to destruction.

Mike starts noticing the absences, the evasions, the way his girlfriend and his best friend orbit each other like planets about to collide. The truth explodes at a pho restaurant, in front of cold broth and shattered trust. Everything Vasyl feared comes crashing down. But sometimes broken things can be mended—if you're brave enough to pick up the pieces and hold them together in a new shape.

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Cheaters isn't just about infidelity—it's about the brutal cost of pretending to be someone you're not, and the unexpected grace of honesty. Vasyl's journey from guilt-ridden liar to a man brave enough to fight for his truth will resonate with anyone who's ever hidden their heart. The Appalachian small town setting pulses with life: rain-soaked bridges, dusty bookstores, the clatter of dice on scarred tabletops. This novella captures the messy, complicated reality of found family and the devastating question: What do you do when love and loyalty point in opposite directions?

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