Pear-Shaped Marriage.

The Setup.

Days had passed since Jason's project with Ryan kicked into high gear, and the stress was beginning to show. Jason came home late every night, his face drawn with exhaustion. Sophie, though, appeared unfazed, quietly watching the cracks widen in Jason's carefully constructed facade. She knew his downfall was inevitable, and it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down.

One particular evening, Sophie made sure her plan was in motion. She called Daniel, her brother and trusted confidant, confirming that Jason had already left the office and was most likely heading to his mistress' place—like he did every night. Her expression was unreadable as she listened to Daniel's report.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice low.

"Positive," Daniel replied. "He's not going home, Sophie. It's the same routine. Straight to her apartment after work."

Sophie nodded to herself, her mind already piecing together the final steps. "Good. Tell Ryan to call you, say it's urgent. Make sure he understands the plan."

She hung up and immediately texted Ryan:
Call Daniel. Urgent work matter. He'll tell you what to do.

Ryan didn't ask questions, knowing something bigger was at play. Within minutes, Daniel was on the phone with Ryan, setting the trap.

Meanwhile, Jason was driving through the city, his mind somewhere between the stress of work and the release he found at his mistress's apartment. The same cycle every night: stress, sex, and brief moments of escape before it all started again the next day. Tonight was no different. He pulled up to the familiar apartment complex, the one that had become his second home these last few weeks, oblivious to the fact that tonight would not go as planned.

Ryan and Daniel were already tailing him, keeping their distance as Jason's car came to a stop. Ryan's eyes narrowed as he recognized the unfamiliar building. He didn't know much about this place—it wasn't where Jason lived, that was for sure. But Daniel had been right: something was off.

"Let's see where this goes," Ryan muttered as they parked a few spaces behind.

They watched as Jason stepped out of the car, his usual swagger slightly dulled by the exhaustion that clung to him. He entered the building, not even looking over his shoulder, too comfortable in the routine he thought he had mastered. Ryan and Daniel followed, quietly slipping past the lobby after him. At the front desk, Ryan leaned in and spoke to the receptionist, putting on his best calm, businesslike demeanor.

"We're here to see Jason Reynold. He said he'd meet us here," Ryan lied, his smile disarming.

The receptionist, without batting an eye, checked her system and gave them the room number. Jason had been too predictable.

Inside the apartment, Jason's mistress wrapped her arms around him the moment he walked through the door, pressing her lips to his neck.

"Missed me?" she whispered, her voice thick with desire, though they had seen each other just the night before.

Jason gave her a tired smirk, trying to shake off the day's stress. He pulled her close, letting her guide him into the bedroom, where they quickly became lost in each other. This was their nightly ritual—a brief escape, a few stolen moments that made him forget the crumbling reality he was trying to avoid.

But then, a sharp knock on the door shattered the moment.

They froze. Jason's body tensed as he looked towards the door. No one should be knocking. No one should even know he was here.

"Who is it?" his mistress asked, panic flashing in her eyes.

Jason clenched his jaw. "I don't know. Don't answer it."

But she was already getting up, throwing on a robe as she made her way to the front door. Jason stayed behind in the bedroom, listening intently. He felt the sweat begin to bead on his forehead.

When she opened the door, she was greeted by two men: Ryan and Daniel. Ryan smiled at her, his expression calm and unassuming. "Hi, we're looking for Jason. He told us to meet him here to discuss something urgent."

She hesitated, her heart racing. She knew Jason hadn't mentioned any colleagues visiting, but the way Ryan spoke made it sound like everything was perfectly normal. A small part of her even felt a strange sense of pride—Jason was letting people from his work into this part of his life. He wasn't hiding her, not anymore.

"Uh, yeah," she stammered. "He's here. Just... give me a second."

She let them in, motioning to the living room for them to wait. Deep down, she felt a little thrill at the idea of Jason finally being open about their relationship. But when she returned to the bedroom and told Jason who was waiting in the living room, his reaction was anything but what she expected.

"You what?" Jason's voice was sharp, his face paling as he stood up abruptly. "You let them in? Are you insane?"

She blinked, taken aback by his anger. "I thought it was fine. They said it was urgent, something about work—"

"Work?!" Jason's voice rose, furious. "I didn't tell anyone to meet me here! God, do you even think before you act?"

In the living room, Ryan overheard the raised voices and calmly walked toward the bedroom door, knocking lightly.

"Jason?" Ryan's voice was smooth, unbothered. "We're just here for business. Nothing else."

Jason froze, his hands clenching into fists. He could feel the walls closing in. His brain raced for a way out, but there wasn't one. Not this time.

Jason stepped out into the living room, wearing the forced smile of a man caught off guard. Ryan was sitting calmly on the couch, while Daniel leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.

"Sorry to catch you off guard, Jason," Ryan said, his voice almost too casual. "But we needed to discuss a few urgent matters. Thought you'd be here working, not..." His eyes flickered toward the bedroom door, and Jason's stomach churned.

They talked business, or at least pretended to. Jason's mind was elsewhere, fully aware that Ryan was taking mental notes of everything—the apartment, the woman hiding in the bedroom, the tension that hung thick in the air.

When they finally left, Jason rushed back into the bedroom, his face twisted in anger. His mistress, still reeling from the strange encounter, looked at him, confused and scared.

"Why were they here? What just happened?"

"You," Jason spat, his voice venomous. "You just blew everything up! How could you be so stupid? So presumptuous? You've no idea what you've done."

She shrank back, tears welling up in her eyes as she realized the gravity of the situation. But Jason was already out the door, his mind spinning as he raced back to his car. He had to get home, had to make sure Sophie didn't hear about this first. He needed control, and fast.

But deep down, Jason knew control was slipping further and further away.