Chapter 5: A Trail of Deceit

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The promotion at work gave Ethan a new sense of purpose, but it also sharpened his awareness of the growing distance at home. Jessica's behaviour had shifted over the past year, becoming more secretive and aloof. She frequently made last-minute plans with friends, spent more time on her phone, and seemed less interested in their family life. Ethan tried to dismiss it at first, chalking it up to her busy social schedule. But the nagging feeling wouldn't go away.

One evening, after dinner, Jessica left the house in a hurry, claiming she had a "meeting" with a friend. Ethan didn't question it, but as he watched her drive away, something inside him snapped. He couldn't ignore the red flags any longer.

He decided to start paying closer attention. He checked her phone when she wasn't looking, finding only innocent messages at first, but there were gaps in her communication that made no sense—hours of time unaccounted for. Jessica always seemed to be texting someone, but she was careful to keep her phone locked or out of sight when Ethan was around.

Then one day, he got his answer.

Jessica had left her phone on the kitchen counter while she was getting ready for one of her "meetings." It vibrated, and out of curiosity, Ethan glanced at the screen. His heart stopped when he saw the name of a man he didn't recognize—a name that wasn't in her contact list but had been messaging her frequently.

Ethan opened the message thread, his hands shaking. The texts were filled with flirtation, plans for secret rendezvous, and details of their affair. They had been seeing each other for months, maybe longer.

As the reality of her betrayal set in, Ethan's mind went numb. Everything he had ignored, every doubt he had pushed aside, now came crashing down. Jessica had been cheating on him, and he hadn't even seen it coming.

He closed the messages and put the phone back where it was. His world had shifted beneath his feet, but he knew one thing for sure: he couldn't let her know that he knew—not yet.

For the first time in his life, Ethan felt completely alone in his own home.

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