The Troubled Side

Chapter 2

The drive home was normal as always
Raine had spent the entire day working as a music teacher, eagerly anticipating the moment when they would finally be able to see their wife. The thought of coming home to her warm embrace and sharing stories about their day brought a smile to Raine's face as they drove through the familiar streets. The anticipation grew with each passing minute, and their excitement was palpable.

However, as Raine pulled into the driveway, their heart sank. The house was dark, and there was no sign of their wife. Confusion and worry washed over them, wondering where she could be. Had something happened? Raine's excitement quickly turned into concern, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. They had been looking forward to this moment all day, only to be met with an empty house. They didn't mind, she would sometimes work later than they did. So they took the chance to unwind and look through everything they needed to do for Tomorrow. 

They went into their bedroom and put their bag down, only to see their laptop was dead. A slightly annoyed Huff came from them until they remembered, that Nora's computer in the guest room was probably alive or currently charging.  They then plugged up their laptop and went to use the one that belonged to their wife. 

This usually wasn't an issue, normally they would ask first, but it was only for a few minutes, and they knew the password, so what's the harm in borrowing it for a few seconds? They'd tell her about it when she got home. As they walked into the guest room of the house, their wife's laptop was indeed charging, and lying on the bed. They unplugged it and opened it up and that is what they assumed was the password. However, it was incorrect.  This confused them, because they both had the same password, and it was the date of their wedding anniversary. 

At least it was supposed to be...

Raine thought for a second then typed in Nora's birthday, and that seemed to work. No big deal, right?  However before they could even log into their email, Nora's was blowing up with so many different websites.  Raine tried to find the right tab so they could do what they needed to do but in the midst of that, they found a message browser between Nora and another woman. Usually, they'd ignore it and respect her privacy, however they saw Nora mentioning their name. Curiosity got the better of them, and they reluctantly looked through these suspicious computer chats.  The contents of these were truly heartbreaking.

Raine felt a wave of emotions crashing over them as they scrolled through the chats revealing Nora's affair. The words on the screen painted a picture of betrayal and heartbreak, leaving Raine feeling shattered. Seeing Nora's confession about her unhappiness and dissatisfaction in their marriage cut deep, as Raine realized that their relationship was not what they thought it was. The realization that Nora believed herself to be a lesbian added another layer of complexity to the situation, leaving Raine grappling with a mix of confusion and sorrow.

As Raine read through Nora's messages detailing her feelings of being bored in their marriage, a sense of helplessness washed over them. The chats painted a stark picture of a relationship that had lost its spark, leaving Raine questioning where things had gone wrong. Nora's words echoed in Raine's mind, each one like a dagger piercing their heart. The weight of Nora's unhappiness and desire for something more left Raine feeling inadequate and lost, unsure of how to move forward from this devastating revelation.

Tears welled up in Raine's eyes as they reached the end of the chats, feeling a profound sense of loss and grief wash over them. The realization that Nora was seeking fulfillment outside of their marriage left Raine feeling abandoned and alone. The pain of betrayal mixed with the ache of unmet expectations weighed heavily on Raine's heart, as they grappled with the harsh reality of their crumbling relationship. At that moment, Raine closed the laptop, close to breaking down, and the straw that broke the camel's back was Nora sending a text saying she would be staying the night with her friend who needed help. 

They started sobbing, so much that their glasses started to cloud, and all they could think about was how much of a failure they felt as a partner and spouse.  There must have been signs of unhappiness.. However, they couldn't recall anything.  The only thing they could think to do was to call the one person who always made them feel better.

They pressed her contact, and it almost immediately picked up.

"Hey rainestorm, what's up?"

"E-eda! I-ireallyneedyourightnow! A-and i-can"

"Woah... Woah, slow down.. "

"N-nora! I-its Nora, shesbeencheatingonme, andineedyourhelp!"

"She did what?! A-are you sure?"

"Y-yes.."

"... "

"P-please-icant, andi-cantbreath!"

Raine, please... Calm down, give me a second, and il be there soon"

"O-okay.. "

They told her everything, and she listened carefully taking in as many details as possible.  "I'm so sorry..but I'm going to help you, okay?" Eda said, in an attempt to cheer them up. "What do you mean?" They asked as she stood up.  "I am a private investigator, Rainey.. And I got you covered"  she said, praising herself for her work. Raine smiled a little, a small chuckle escaping from her spinning a key chain around her finger.  "You're getting a divorce, there's no question about that, but give me 2 weeks, and il have stone-cold evidence" Eda beamed, then took the computer that belonged to Nora and got in without using the password.  "How'd you do that?" Raine asked, sort of amazed. "It was easy, there's all kinds of cheat codes to jack a computer" Eda replied, and went through the computer. 

Suddenly a whole different private browser was up with chats, pictures, and videos. So much so, that Eda took off their glasses so they wouldn't see. "E-eda!! Why'd you do that?" They asked and tried to Gain back their vision. "Uh.. Just, wait for me in the living room" Eda muttered, and guided them away, after giving them back their glasses.  

As Eda delved into Nora's computer, her heart pounded with a mix of anger and disbelief. The evidence of Nora's affair, meticulously compiled by Eda, felt like a betrayal on top of a betrayal.  Her emotions swirled in a tempest of rage and jealousy, compounded by the fact that Nora had managed to marry Raine only to turn to infidelity. As she sifted through the damning proof, Eda's hands trembled with a potent mix of fury and heartache for her friend, as she knew Raine would be crush.

With a flash drive in hand, Eda accessed the trove of evidence that went back years, each piece fueling her boiling anger. The photos, messages, and documents painted a vivid picture of Nora's betrayal, intensifying her feelings of anger and jealousy. As she navigated through the files, her mind struggled to process the depth of Nora's deception.

Armed with the undeniable proof of Nora's infidelity, Eda steeled herself for the confrontation ahead. The weight of her emotions bore down heavily as she prepared to confront Nora with the evidence. Her heart, heavy with sorrow and anger, yearned for justice and closure. Nervously, she clutched the flash drive, knowing that this pivotal moment would forever alter the course of her relationship with Raine.

But she'd always be there for them.