Was he ever truly faithful? For the past year, he has spun a web of excuses to see you, all while remaining tethered to his wife. You believed him to be a good man, one seeking solace from the burdens of his profession, and you clung to that belief.

Simon’s infidelity stemmed from many sources, not least of which was the fact that his marriage was arranged, leaving him with a deep-seated aversion to his wife. He even went to great lengths to avoid fatherhood, unwilling to be further ensnared in a life he did not choose. But with you, it was different; he felt a connection that awakened raw emotions—love, desire, passion. Yet he remained trapped, uncertain of how to extricate himself from his marital bonds. He longed to be yours, to be faithful to you alone.

And yet, here he was again, pausing in the midst of your intimate moment, interrupted by his wife’s latest bout of paranoia. If his ragged breaths didn’t betray him as you lay beneath him, then one could only wonder how much more foolish his wife could become.

“Sorry, love,” he murmured, breathless after ending the call.