A new message from Jim appeared at the top of the screen.
“She agreed to meet again tomorrow.”
I read the words once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
She agreed to meet again.
The mysterious woman had already met with them at least once.
My hands shook so badly that I nearly dropped the phone.
The bathroom door began to open.
I placed the phone back exactly where I had found it.
Bruce stepped into the room wearing a T-shirt and rubbing his tired eyes.
“Are you coming to bed?”
“In a minute.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.
The tenderness of the gesture almost broke me.
Minutes later, he was asleep.
I lay beside him with my eyes open, listening to his steady breathing while silent tears slipped down my temples.
Perhaps Lily had misunderstood what she saw.
Perhaps the woman was connected to Jim.
Perhaps there was an explanation that had nothing to do with betrayal.
But I no longer believed I would receive the truth by asking politely.
The following morning, I pressed a cold washcloth against my forehead and told Bruce I felt sick.
He knelt to fasten Lily’s sandals.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“I need to rest.”
“We could stay.”
“No. Take Lily to the kids’ club. She’s been talking about it all morning.”
He kissed my forehead.
His lips felt cold against my skin.
After the hotel door closed, I dressed quickly, grabbed my sunglasses, and hurried downstairs.
From a window overlooking the courtyard, I watched Bruce walk Lily to the children’s activity center. He hugged her, waited until she was safely inside, and then headed away from the resort alone.
I followed him.
The Woman at the Café
Bruce walked along a narrow path lined with palm trees before turning onto a street near the coast.
I remained far enough behind that he would not notice me.
Two blocks from the resort, he entered a small seaside café.
Through the front window, I saw a dark-haired woman sitting at a corner table.
She wore a pale linen dress. A thick folder rested in front of her.
Jim was sitting beside her.
Bruce approached the table and kissed the woman on the cheek.
Something inside me shattered.
I did not stop to think.
I pushed open the café door so forcefully that the bell above it struck the glass.
Everyone turned toward me.
Bruce jumped to his feet.
“Claire?”
“So this is where you’ve been.”
“Claire, please—”
“How long?” I demanded.
The woman stared at me, startled.
I pointed at her.
“How long have you been sleeping with my husband?”
A shocked silence filled the café.
The woman’s face turned pale.
“I’m not sleeping with anyone’s husband.”
“Don’t lie to me!”
NEXT PAGE
