Infidelity

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow in the kitchen as Victoria prepared breakfast for Ethan. He was in a cheerful mood, humming along to his favorite cartoon theme song playing in the background. The familiar sounds of their morning routine wrapped around her like a comforting blanket, but today, there was an undercurrent of unease tugging at her.

As she stirred the oatmeal, Victoria glanced over at Daniel’s phone lying on the counter. He had left it there after hastily grabbing his keys and heading out the door that morning. A strange pull of curiosity gripped her, but she brushed it off. She had no reason to go through his things.

Yet, the longer she tried to focus on breakfast, the more that nagging feeling persisted. Finally, she took a deep breath, walked over, and picked up the phone. Her heart raced as she unlocked it with his fingerprint—something he had never thought to change.

The screen lit up, revealing a string of messages. At first, Victoria felt a rush of adrenaline. She told herself it was just work emails, something mundane and innocent. But as she scrolled through the texts, her stomach sank deeper with every word.

“Hey, can’t stop thinking about last night. I miss you,”

“Just a few more days until we can meet again. Can’t wait to feel your lips on mine.”

“You’re the best thing that’s happened to me. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. Each message felt like a knife twisting in her gut, the reality of the situation sinking in like a stone. The initial shock fizzled quickly into a dull ache that permeated her whole being. She knew—deep down, she had always sensed something was off. The late nights, the secretive phone calls, the subtle changes in Daniel’s demeanor.

Her fingers trembled as she set the phone down, the warmth of the kitchen now suffocating.

“Mommy, are we having pancakes?” Ethan’s innocent voice broke through the fog of her thoughts.

“Yes, sweetheart! Just a minute,” she replied, forcing a smile as she turned to the stove. The words felt like a foreign language, completely at odds with the turmoil inside her.

As she flipped the pancakes, her mind raced. Images of Daniel laughing, charmingly careless with his friends and coworkers, flashed before her. She remembered how he had pulled away from her—physically and emotionally—over the past few months. His excuses suddenly felt like chains binding her to a reality she was no longer willing to accept.

Ethan climbed onto a chair at the table, his bright eyes full of hope. “Can we have strawberries on top?”

“Of course, buddy!” Victoria said, her voice shaky but determined to maintain a facade of normalcy. She cut up fresh strawberries, forcing herself to concentrate on his happiness.

Once breakfast was ready, they sat down together, Ethan chattering about his plans for the day. She listened, nodding along, but her heart wasn’t in it. Instead, it was grappling with the pain of betrayal, the ghost of Daniel’s texts haunting her thoughts.

After breakfast, Victoria washed the dishes mechanically, her mind drifting. How could he do this? The question gnawed at her. She had dedicated herself to being a good wife and mother, pouring every ounce of love into their family.

As she dried her hands, Daniel’s words echoed in her mind. “You’re overthinking things.” No, she had simply been ignoring the signs, convinced that her love could bridge the distance that had grown between them.

Later that evening, as the clock ticked closer to his usual return time, anxiety twisted in her stomach. The house felt heavy with unspoken words and unresolved feelings.

When Daniel finally walked through the door, his laughter seemed forced. “Hey, I brought you something!” he called out, holding up a takeout bag. “Your favorite!”

“Thanks,” she replied, the word catching in her throat.

As they sat down to eat, Victoria tried to engage in small talk, but each question felt like it was being swallowed by the weight of her knowledge. “How was your day?” she ventured, her eyes searching his for something—an inkling of truth, perhaps.

“It was fine, just the usual grind,” Daniel said, shoving a forkful of food into his mouth. “You know how it is.”

“You’ve been really busy lately,” she pressed, her heart racing as she fought to keep her voice steady. “Is everything okay at work?”

“Yeah, just a few tight deadlines. You know how it goes.” He avoided her gaze, his eyes darting around the room.

The conversation drifted, but the tension lingered in the air, thick and palpable. Victoria felt a lump forming in her throat, the unspoken truth hanging between them.

After dinner, as Daniel went to take a shower, Victoria sat on the couch, the world outside her window fading into twilight. The bathroom door closed with a soft click, but it felt like the finality of a door slamming shut on their marriage. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall freely, knowing that this moment marked the beginning of something she couldn’t yet comprehend.

Daniel emerged a short while later, his hair damp, the scent of soap mingling with that floral perfume that still haunted her. He didn’t notice her red-rimmed eyes, nor the silence that hung heavily around them.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, his voice casual, as if they hadn’t just crossed an invisible line.

“Yeah, just tired,” she replied, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Let’s watch something together,” he suggested, flopping down onto the couch, oblivious to the heartbreak that enveloped her.

As they settled into a familiar routine, Victoria couldn’t shake the feeling of disconnection, like they were both actors playing a role in a performance neither of them believed in anymore. The truth loomed over her, suffocating and relentless, yet she remained silent, trapped in a world where denial felt safer than confronting the impending storm.

In that moment, she realized that her heart was already breaking, a slow and painful fracture that had begun long before she discovered the truth.