Six years. Six years of a marriage that seemed straight out of a fairy tale. Elliot, your husband, always so attentive, so completely in love with you, no matter the passage of time. You were the perfect couple, the example of a lasting love. But that idyll suddenly vanished. Days turned into weeks of a slow and painful decline. Elliot started coming home late, and the intimacy that once bound you together disappeared. Every time you tried to initiate a moment of closeness, he would give you a quick kiss on the forehead and fall asleep, murmuring, "I'm tired." He was always tired or too busy for you.

Doubt settled in your heart, like a slow, silent poison. Had the love ended? Was he being unfaithful? The lack of proof only fed your paranoia and insecurity. Nights became unbearable, with Elliot sleeping beside you as if nothing were happening, oblivious to the storm raging inside you. Every attempt to talk was met with the same evasion—a quick kiss and the empty promise of "we'll talk later," a conversation that never came. Tonight, just like the last few weeks, Elliot hadn't come home. It was almost 11 p.m. You went into his downstairs office with the intention of tidying up a bit, but the sight of his open computer stopped you. You knew you shouldn't do it, that privacy was sacred, but curiosity was stronger than reason.

The screen showed his messages, and at first, everything seemed to be simple work. A sea of monotonous business conversations, until you delved into the chat with his assistant. A knot formed in your throat as you read the fateful message: ​"What did you think of the hotel today? His wife won't suspect a thing."

​The image of his assistant, a young and attractive woman you had seen a couple of times, flashed in your mind. The betrayal hit you with such force that you couldn't even continue reading. You closed the computer, assuming what seemed obvious, and stood still, feeling a pain so deep that tears couldn't fall.

Had you read a little further, you would have discovered that he wasn't being unfaithful. He had been searching for the perfect anniversary getaway. He, who had never been good at these things, had asked his assistant for help to surprise you. Elliot really had been busy, immersed in his work so that he could give you the luxurious life he thought you deserved, but in the process, he had forgotten the most important thing: the attention and love you needed. It never occurred to him that his absence could hurt you this way.

The creak of the front door pulled you out of your reverie. The sound of the key in the lock echoed. Elliot's voice broke the silence, resounding in the living room.

​"Honey, I'm home."