The receptionist paused, her smile faltering just slightly. “Michael?” she said, looking slightly confused. “No, he’s not here today. He requested to work from home this week. Something about family matters, I believe.”
My stomach twisted. I hadn’t been mistaken. He had been lying to me, lying to all of us.
“Family matters,” I repeated softly, nodding as if everything were fine. “Thank you.”
I turned and walked out of the office, the weight of the truth sinking in with each step. Michael wasn’t working downtown. He hadn’t been for days. He had been home, with her.
I drove to the nearest coffee shop and sat in the parking lot for a long while, not knowing what to do next. My thoughts were in turmoil. There was no way back from this, no way to pretend that everything was fine. The life I thought I was living was nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion.
When I picked up Lucas that afternoon, I tried my best to act normal, but my mind was reeling. Michael’s lies, the woman at our house, the teddy bear… they all felt like knives twisting deeper with every passing second.
“How was school?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.
“Okay,” Lucas replied, but I could see the wariness in his eyes. He knew something was wrong. He had to.
I tried to reassure him, to keep the routine, but all I wanted was to collapse into myself and scream. Instead, I drove us home, my heart heavy with the weight of everything that had happened.
When we arrived, Michael’s car was parked in the driveway. It was strange to see it there, as though he had never left. The door to the house was closed, but I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on inside. What was he doing now? Was she there, too?
I didn’t confront him immediately. I wasn’t ready for that. But as I carried Lucas inside and got him settled with a snack, I knew I couldn’t let this continue. I couldn’t keep pretending that everything was normal when it clearly wasn’t.
Later that evening, I set the table for dinner as usual. Michael was in the kitchen, preparing something to eat, his back turned toward me as he hummed softly to himself. He seemed so carefree, so unaware that I had just uncovered his lies.
“How was your day?” I asked calmly, trying to sound casual.
“Exhausting,” he replied, his voice as nonchalant as always. “I can’t believe how much work I have to catch up on.”
I nodded, forcing a smile as I set the plates down. “I’m sure it’s been a long day.” My voice was steady, but inside, everything was shaking.
There was a long pause before I spoke again. “Michael, did you really go to work today?”
He turned around, looking at me with a furrowed brow. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t go to the office today,” I said calmly, watching him closely. “I spoke to your receptionist.”
His expression faltered for just a moment, but then he quickly masked it with a defensive frown. “Are you spying on me now?” he snapped.
“No,” I said quietly, “I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.”
I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask the one question I had been avoiding. “Who is she?”
The room seemed to freeze. Michael’s face drained of color, and for a moment, I thought he might collapse under the weight of his own guilt.
“She’s no one,” he muttered, but the lie was so weak that it was almost painful to hear.
“No one?” I repeated, my voice hardening. “Then explain to me why I saw her leaving our house this morning.”
His eyes widened in panic. “You… saw her?”
I nodded slowly. “She was wearing my bathrobe, Michael. My bathrobe.”
I saw him stumble over his words, his face turning pale. The truth was coming out, piece by piece, and I wasn’t going to let him lie any longer.
“Her name is Natalie,” he admitted finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “It started about six months ago.”
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