What? Weve been married ten years! What lover? Ive got enough of you!
Emily could feel it in her gutsomething was off. She sensed, as if through skin, that Tom was being unfaithful. The uncertainty gnawed at her, and one day she finally gathered the courage to ask him straight out.
Is it true or not? she blurted, but he just laughed and said:
What? Weve been married ten years! What lover? Ive got enough of you!
It sounded like an honest, heartfelt reply. She didnt spot any flaw in his smile, his words, his eyes, yet a knot stayed in her chest.
Emily isnt the sort to leave things to fate, so she decided she had to get to the bottom of it. How, though?
After reading a bunch of advice columns online, she started by checking Toms phone. Nothing suspicious showed upjust a few empty chats with a couple of old schoolmates, which she brushed off. Just gossip, she told herself.
Tom never set a password on his phone. He had nothing to hide, at least thats what he kept saying. No secret messages, no hidden appshe seemed as clean as a whistle.
Sometimes she wondered if she was overreacting, but every time Tom stayed late at work she felt a chill down her spine.
Her best friend, Sarah, always told her:
Its just your imagination, Emily! Tom loves you and would never look elsewhere. Your doubts are only ruining things!
Emily didnt listen. Something deep inside her was screaming otherwise, and she refused to share Tom with anyone else.
One afternoon she mustered the nerve to pop into his office, hoping to catch him in the act. As soon as he saw her, he snapped, embarrassed to be seen with a woman in front of his colleagues. He apologised profusely, and after a few minutes he was back to his usual, easygoing self.
On the surface everything seemed fine. The house was a cosy nest, the two kids were growing up, life was pretty much keep calm and carry on. Yet Emily kept looking for a spark of trouble, like a moth to a flame.
You know the saying, If youre looking, youll eventually find something. It just wasnt happening for heryet.
Like many women in their thirties, Emily was terrified of ending up alone with two kids. She appeared calm to the outside world, but inside she was a swirling storm.
Tom showed no outward signs. No new perfume, no sudden change of wardrobe, no shift in habits. Still, Emily felt something was amiss.
If it hadnt been for a chance discovery, she might never have uncovered the truth. Was it imagined or real? Youll have to wait and see.
When their younger son started Year1, Emily decided she wanted to learn to drive. She signed up for lessons after work, and in three months she passed the test and got her licence.
Tom was so proud he bought her a little cara modest hatchback, perfect for her petite frame and easy to park.
He didnt admit it, but the real reason was simple: he didnt want his wife asking to go for a spin in his Audi. He thought she was still too green to be on the road and needed experience first. Youll get there, he told her.
One Saturday morning Emily woke earlier than usual, determined to treat the family to a special dinnereggplant and chicken pie, a favourite at the house. She realised shed run out of flour, though.
Outside it was a proper British wintersnow and a biting chillbut shed learned to drive in those conditions. She headed for the shop, but the car wouldnt start. She trudged back home, the kids still asleep, careful not to wake anyone.
Walking through the frosty night wasnt appealing, so she decided to take a little risk and use Toms car without asking. A quick spin around the block wouldnt hurt, she thought. Hed never even notice.
She grabbed his keys, got the engine warming up, and while the dashboard lights glowed she reached into the glovebox for a tissue. Something slipped out onto the floor.
It was a phone she didnt recognise. Toms phone was always on the kitchen counter; this one was a sleek black model shed never seen before. A flash of panic hit her, but curiosity won, and she pressed the power button.
The first thing that popped up was a message from a woman called Olivia:
Love, I miss you terribly! Come to me soon! Im waiting for you!
Emilys eyes widened. There was no password, so she started scrolling through the conversation. The chat kept going on and on, longer than a novel.
She realised Toms workday ended around five, and he didnt get home until seven. Shed never bothered to check his exact schedule. Apparently, almost every evening he slipped away for about an hour to meet Olivia, then returned as if nothing had happened, writing sweet nothings that Emily had never heard before.
A photo in the chat showed an older womanmidforties, certainly not anyone Emily knew. Who on earth is she? Emily thought, her anger bubbling over.
Just as she was about to hop back into the car and drive home, she saw Tom pulling up the driveway. Hed left a note saying hed be at the shop, probably to send Olivia another message.
Emily remembered Tom often mentioned going out to the garage for his wallet or other errands, but shed never thought to question it.
Tom spotted her in his car and rolled down the window.
Who gave you permission? We never agreed on this! he snapped.
Emily, fuming, slammed the car into reverse and gunned the engine. The vehicle screeched and slammed into the back fence with a loud clang. It was a little cathartic.
She climbed out, looked Tom straight in the eye and shouted:
Go to your woman! Ill see how you manage without a house or a car! Stay out of sight!
She tossed his Audi keys into a big, messy pile on the driveway, then trudged back inside.
The kids, still half asleep, stared at the chaos, clueless. A few minutes later Tom tried to get back in, but Emily had locked the front door and wouldnt let him through.
Get out! Dont come back! she shouted down the hallway.
Tom, now in slippers, a housecoat and a light jacket, trudged off to Olivias flat, hoping for a warm welcome. The door opened, and a male voice called out from inside:
Darling, are you on your way? Ive been waiting for you!
Turns out Olivia only saw Tom on weekdays; weekends he never visited. She herself had a couple of other boyfriends, so weekend visits were a nogo.
She gave him a guilty look and shut the door, leaving Tom standing on the doorstep, emptyhanded.
Dejected, Tom shuffled over to his mothers house two streets away. His mum, Margaret, saw him and instantly understood the story. She gave him a cup of tea, a hot meal, and a listening ear. Dont worry, love, she said softly, who could have guessed your Emily would turn out like this? Youll find love again, youre only thirtyfive. Theres a whole world out there waiting for you.
So Tom stayed with his mum, resolved to start afresh. He even felt a strange relief at being freeuntil Valerie threatened to claim maintenance. Thats when he realised rebuilding a life isnt as easy as it sounds, even with his mothers support.
Anyway, thats the whole saga so far. Let me know what you think, and if youve got any similar stories, drop a comment. Talk soon!
