My Husband's Mistress Invited Me to Coffee After Getting Pregnant

of my life, the tenth anniversary of Ell

e-night texts, a mysterious credit card charge from a boutique I'd never heard of, "Jolie's"... then I heard it

tos, the same necklace from Jolie's, and always always right next to my husband. Then I caught wind of THEIR baby. My carefully construc

p – he was going to take Maddie home to meet his parents. The next day, she was at my doorstep feig

e he causes. Was this revenge or survival? I thought it was both. But what would my story have in store? I sta

toasted sugar hung thick

nsations" was ten

ery. M

otographer snapped a

ad his arm around

e said to Maria, the reporter

notepad. "Indeed, Mr. H

mile. "It's a

tic brooding, stood a little awkwardly by the tiere

ere the Hayes

knot had been tightenin

art emoji. I'd told myself it was a constituent. Dan w

outique I'd never heard of, for an amount that made my b

elt.

stomers, Bren – my rock, my business partner,

t guest had left and the bakery w

e in his study, his

e's my priority, but..

Then a so

ou too,

staffer. Not

way. The sweet scent of the bakery s

cracked, and the truth

ttled in my hea

t stay. I

nough. He needed to feel

mall table in the back of the empty bakery, the

ng an affa

quick with a joke, ha

r at least, another woman

oice flat, devoid of the

disappear. S

red against the saucer.

an't just walk away. He has t

I'd found in the deepest corners of the interne

randmother's inheritance. I want

ion shifting from shock to a d

of accide

e ash. "I want a mannequin, lifelike, in a car. I w

ed at me, spee

This wasn't just esc

of him

dding. A small, intimate

ece. Dan had watched me, his eyes full of an adoration that

my back as

me across a crowded room,

y son, tears in his eyes, whisperi

ry touch, every shared lau

ce sources of wa

an. The contrast between that imagined pa

cal career on the image

wn, brick by lovin

pinged on my ph

geste

ie B

Perfect teeth,

beach vacations, trendy restaurants,

l media influen

icate gold necklace. A small

dentical to the one on the J

bought for "a

hysical thing, c

ng, carefree, unburdened by years of sha

had my

y" he was talkin

re; it was a face, a name, a constant,

edding annivers

uel

through the motions,

the fanciest restaurant in town, the one

sapphire silk that Bren sai

te with a salted caramel buttercream. Not for the bake

ssed with care, a strange

at a frie

s flickered. The small ca

k. Our reser

n-th

gh

lly buzzed. A

held up. Campaign

ate excuse. Just a

lickering candles

ache, but this time it was sharp

at a campa

ith her.

by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the hal

ning, I star

es. Not e

ori

ir of shoes, br

me at a county fair, its fur worn thin

et, the one she gave

photographs. Us smi

into sturdy ca

, a reminder of what I was l

aled, a sense of gri

t of clearing out; it

x to "Maddie Bell," her ad

d treasures, I placed a simple, unsigne

o destroy. Let her understand the

ng back. I was erasing myself from thei

last box when I hear

am's voice, still boy

, more practiced tones.

hey weren't supposed

to the back of the hall close

living room, where I was standing a

ing politician's smile tha

t last night. Th

tired but happy. "The concert was

," Liam said, oblivious

the air between us, casual

was a de

t a flicker of something – a

friend. Helping with youth

smooth. So

hteous, suddenly felt precarious. They w

ed the

Sounds like fun. I was

, his eyes scanning, perhaps noti

a small, gif

r our anniversary. Sin

ll contrition,

It felt light,

er bracelet. D

rly mean

her piece of the facade h

k you." My voice sounded h

slightly, so his lips brushed my cheek.

frown creasing his brow

," I said.

ly. I was learnin

addie said she's a huge fan of your cakes, M

Liam's head. His expres

in my stomach

y world, into my son's lif

lt heavy on my

I wanted to throw

a rictus of forced plea

blow didn't come from

th a history assignment, he was scrolling t

m, this i

the screen

n. Both of them laughing, heads thrown back, l

, a casual possessiveness t

king event." It was

date with his mistress, with o

o the way the world had just tilted on its axis for m

The irony was

hope that I had misunderstood, that it

tte

relief. There was no more ambiguity, no

re crumbled, just for a second,

ly," I managed, my vo

ollow request on my b

ie_B

n a

nterlocking heart necklace. T

ry. I'm your husband's... colleague. Dan talks about you all the time. He s

The sheer, una

affair with my husband. Sh

ji felt like a

idental slip. This

me to see her, to acknowledge her

vered over th

Not

ink she wa

fury now. It sharpened my

suddenly felt more necessar

we would connect. In a wa

ad to go to Boston for an overni

looking important. "Cru

kissed me goodbye with tha

here he

strateg

going t

he casual way he tossed off th

fool? Or did he sim

aps

ut not in a peaceful way. It was fill

ngs, trying to reconcile the life I though

nurtured over fifteen years, was curdlin

but the thought of my plan off

y. He would

school, dropped his

gone

said. "Cam

Why would he question it? His father was

call in his room. I hea

as ajar. I

alking t

mated, smiling. He was lau

twisted

nt with my husband. S

fabric of our family, t

ecious, unblemishe

ng it happen. Enc

rp and debilitating. This was

t Dan and me anymor

this web of deceit, an

who was destroying his family, was unbearable. It fueled my resolve

in a nondescript building in a war

study in controlled chaos. Quirky glasses, a dozen silver

aid, her voice calm

st, functional. No pers

ss a plain

terms," Shae st

hav

he pay

for transfer upon confirmat

on discretion and efficacy. You w

ntraceable. I walk away. A new id

package. Expens

id, my voice steady.

yebrow, her expr

color. Dressed in my clothes. In the driver's seat of a ca

tapped a pen a

ore complex. It borders on entrapment, with severe legal r

you accordingly for the additional complexity and... moral flexi

precise. "He needs to live with that guilt. Every single day fo

a long moment. I met

l commitment." She gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "We can di

xt big fundraiser," I said. "He'll be distr

, sharp smile. "Believab

ever tru

hae's office, the ques

glances, the tender touche

l been part

omponent of the "perfect family" image he ne

dation of my adult life, might have been a ca

ebrated," "adored," "cheris

or had he been t

he pain of my own potential stupidity, my

nd gestures – were they guilt offe

bakery, the charming politician hu

fully cr

y chef, had been the sweete

urned, cold a

dn't ju

ive with the ruins of

would

wasn't hard. Social media influenc

lled

e was bright, a l

his is Ell

us giggle. "Oh! Hi, Ellie! So ni

an," I said, my voice f

ence, longe

ing about," she finally stammered,

erested in denials or excuses.

oposi

deadline. Winner takes all. By his birthday, one of us will h

ning me?" Maddie's

said. "Just know that I don't play

, ambitious. She probably saw this as a challenge,

determination in her v

cold, pred

e she was playing. Or wh

he night before Dan'