What are you talking about? Weve been married ten years! What lover? Ive got enough of you!
Emily cant believe her ears. She feels, as if through skin, that James is cheating on her. The uncertainty gnaws at her, and one day she finally gathers the courage to confront him directly.
She asks, Is it true or not? but he only repeats:
What are you talking about? Weve been married ten years! What lover? Ive got enough of you!
It sounds as if James is being honest, sincere even. She doesnt notice any flaw in his smile, his words, or his eyes, yet something still refuses to settle.
Emily isnt the type to leave things to fate, so she decides she must get to the bottom of it. How?
After reading countless tips online, she first checks Jamess phone. Theres nothing out of the ordinaryjust idle chatter with a few former classmates, which doesnt alarm her. Just gossip, she thinks.
James never sets a password on his phone. He has nothing to hide, at least thats what he claims. No secret chats, no hidden messages. He seems as pure as an angel in a body.
Sometimes Emily thinks shes imagining things, but every time James comes home late from work, a bad feeling settles over her.
Her best friend Sophie always says:
Its just your imagination! James loves you and would never look elsewhere! Your suspicions are only ruining everything!
Emily doesnt listen to Sophie. Her gut tells her otherwise, and she refuses to share her husband with another woman.
One afternoon she daringly follows James to his office, hoping to discover whether hes spending his days on work or on a lover. As soon as James sees her, he snaps, embarrassed in front of his colleagues. He apologises profusely later, and the tension eases quickly.
On the surface their life looks perfect. The house is full, two children are growing up, theres nothing to complain about. Yet Emily constantly searches for excitement on the backstreets.
As the saying goes, Seek and you shall find, but so far she only finds dead ends.
Overall, Emily worriesa common feeling among women in their thirties who fear ending up alone with two kids.
She appears calm outwardly, but inside a storm rages.
James shows no sign of infidelity. No lipstick stains, no foreign perfume, no change in style or habitsstill, Emily senses something off.
If it werent for a chance discovery, Emily might never learn the truth. Is it imagined or real? The story will tell.
When their younger son, Tommy, starts Year1, Emily decides she wants to learn to drive. She enrolls in a local driving school and attends lessons in the evenings after work. After three months she passes the test and receives her licence.
Proud of her, James buys her a cara tiny, practical Mini Cooper. Emily is petite and short, so the little vehicle feels just right and is easy to park.
James never admits it, but he bought the Mini so Emily wont keep asking to ride in his Audi. He argues that shes still too green to drive a big car; she needs to gain experience first.
One Saturday morning Emily wakes earlier than usual and decides to treat the family to a special dinnereggplant and chicken pie, a favourite of everyone. She starts cooking, only to realise she has no flour.
Outside the frost is thick, snow piled up, but shes already mastered winter driving. She heads for the shop. She gets to the Mini, but it wont start. She returns home, the kids still asleep, and moves silently so as not to wake anyone.
Walking in the cold isnt appealing, so she decides to take a risk and drive Jamess Audi without his permission. She figures a couple of kilometres wont raise eyebrows; James will never know.
She grabs the Audis keys and steps back outside. While the engine warms up she wipes the windows. She reaches into the glove compartmentshe knows James keeps napkins thereand accidentally knocks something onto the floor.
She picks it up and finds a smartphone. Its not Jamess; his phone is familiar, but this one is foreign. A flash of panic hits her, yet curiosity pushes a finger to the power button. The screen lights up.
The first message she sees is from a woman named Claire:
My love, I miss you so much! Come to me quickly! Im waiting for you!
Emily blinks in disbelief. Theres no password, so she scrolls through the conversation while the car continues to idle.
The chat is longlasting almost an eternity. It becomes clear that James works until fivep.m. and only gets home around seven. Emily never thought to check his exact finish time.
Almost every evening James first drives to meet his secret Claire for about an hour, then returns home as if nothing happened, sending her messages hed never share with his wife.
A photo attached shows an older woman, around forty, smiling. Emilys fury flares.
Just as she is about to leave the car, she spots James emerging from the driveway.
She had left a note saying shed gone to the shop. He must have seized the moment to send another message to his clandestine Claire.
Emily suddenly recalls how James often returns home late, sometimes forgetting his wallet, sometimes looking for something else. He steps out at night, disappears for a short while, and then comes back, leaving her none the wiser.
James notices Emily behind the wheel and drives straight toward her.
Who gave you permission? We never agreed on this! he shouts.
Seeing him, Emilys anger spikes.
She snaps the reverse gear, floors the accelerator, and crashes the Audi into the back fence with a screech. The impact gives her a brief, twisted relief.
She climbs out, staring at the stunned James, and yells:
Go back to your own! Ill see how you manage without a house or a car! Stay away from my sight!
To prove her point she tosses Jamess Audi keys into a huge pile of rubbish and storms back inside.
The boys, still halfasleep, stare confusedly at the chaos. A few minutes later James tries to reenter the house, but Emily has locked the door shut.
Go on! Forget this road! she shouts, her voice echoing through the hallway.
James, now in slippers, a housecoat and an old jacket, trudges out toward Claires flat, hoping for shelter. He imagines a warm welcome, but there is none.
Claire opens the door, and a male voice from inside calls out:
Darling, are you coming? Ive been waiting for you!
James only ever visits Claire on weekdays; weekends are never mentioned. It turns out Claire also has two other lovers, so weekends are free for her.
She gives James a guilty look, then slams the door in his face.
Desperate, James trudges to his mothers house two streets away. His mother, Margaret, spots him and instantly understands. She takes him in, offers tea, a hot meal, and listens to his tale of a bad wife who drove him out of the house. She comforts him with a motherly smile:
Dont worry, dear. Who could have guessed your Emily would turn out like this? Youll have another chance at love, even at thirtyfive. Keep your chin up!
James ends up living with his mother, deciding to start his life anew. He feels a strange relief at finally being freeuntil Valentina files for child support. Only then does he realise rebuilding a new life wont be easy. At least his mother hasnt abandoned him, otherwise he would have vanished completely.
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