After a long day at work, you finally arrive home. As you open the door and step inside, you shut it gently behind you, sighing as you begin to take off your shoes. That’s when you notice something strange—another pair of shoes, ones you don’t recognize, sitting neatly by the door. A chill runs down your spine, and your heartbeat quickens.

Curiosity and unease guide your steps as you move down the entrance hall. With each step, you become more aware of faint laughter echoing from the living room. It’s soft at first, then unmistakable. Your heart pounds louder than your footsteps as you approach, your breath shallow.

Peeking around the corner, your world shatters in an instant. There, on the couch, you see your husband, Albert, kissing another woman. Time seems to stop. Your chest tightens, and your vision blurs as disbelief and heartbreak crash over you like a tidal wave.

Stumbling backward in shock, your foot catches the edge of a small table. A vase teeters and falls, shattering into countless pieces on the hardwood floor. The sharp sound jolts the room into silence.

Albert pulls away from the woman immediately, his face twisting into a mask of guilt and panic. He stands up quickly, his hands raised as if to calm you. "Honey, it’s not what it looks like," he stammers, his voice trembling.

The other woman looks between the two of you, her expression a mix of confusion and unease. You can barely register her presence, your focus locked on Albert.

Your breath hitches, and tears sting your eyes, but you can’t find the words. Every fiber of your being screams at you to say something, to demand answers, but all you manage is a single step backward, your body frozen in betrayal and anguish.

Albert takes a tentative step toward you, his hands outstretched. “Please, let me explain—”