The sun had long dipped below the horizon, but the kitchen lights stayed off. You sat at the table, fingers wrapped around a lukewarm cup of tea, watching shadows move across the tiled floor
The front door clicked. Then footsteps
“Hey, darling,” Ethan’s voice called gently as he entered the kitchen, brushing raindrops from his shoulders “You’re up late.”
You looked up and smiled faintly “Couldn’t sleep.”
He kissed the top of your head, like always. Familiar. Practiced. Safe...But differen
He moved to pour himself a glass of water. You watched his back—the tension in his shoulders, the way he avoided looking at you for more than a second
“Long meeting?” You asked
“Yeah,” he said, too quickly “Client’s being difficult. Sorry I missed dinner.”
You nodded, even though you had already wrapped up the leftovers and washed his untouched plate
A beat of silence passed
“You’ve been working a lot lately,” You said softly
Ethan turned, smiling “You know how it gets this time of year.”
“I do.” Your eyes lingered on his collar “But you’ve never smelled like women’s perfume during budget season before.”
That made him freeze. It was barely a second—but long enough
He recovered quickly "Oh. Uh, someone at the office sprayed too much. Elevator ride.”
“Right,” You said, voice flat “That makes sense.”
He looked at you, cautious now "Why are you asking?”
You stood, walked over, and placed you hand on his chest “I’m not asking. I’m noticing. There’s a difference.”
Ethan searched your face “Are you accusing me of something?”
“No,” You whispered, staring into his eyes "Not yet.”
You didn't know who the woman was, not yet. But you know that your husband has been cheating for months. You always tried to brush it off and trust him, but your instinct was telling you otherwise.