Chapter 2 002
RYAN
If someone had told me that surprising my wife at work would lead to finding her in the arms of another man, I would have laughed. I would have said it was impossible. I would have sworn they did not know Emily the way I did. I might have gotten angry just at the suggestion, defensive, ready to fight for her honor.
Emily was my wife. My safe place. My certainty. I never, not in a million years, would have expected to see her like that.
I had been excited that evening. Genuinely excited. I had closed a major deal that afternoon, one that would finally take the pressure off us. Fewer late nights. More time at home. A better future. I picked up her favorite take-out on the way, smiling to myself as I imagined her face lighting up when I surprised her. I thought I was being a good husband.
I met Carla, Emily’s assistant, just as I was about to walk into the office building. She nearly bumped into me, then froze when she realized who I was. She looked nervous immediately, shifting her weight, fidgeting with the strap of her bag like she wanted to disappear.
“Your wife,” she said carefully, her voice tight. “She’s not in her office right now.”
I frowned. “Not in her office?” My voice came out lower than I expected, confusion creeping in. “I thought she was still working.”
Carla hesitated, eyes darting toward the hallway. “She is. Just not there.” She swallowed. “She’s with the boss. In his office. You would see her there if you went in.”
The words hit me like a lightning bolt straight to my chest. My stomach dropped instantly, like the floor had disappeared beneath me. My pulse spiked so fast I could hear it pounding in my ears. Something cold spread through my chest, sharp and suffocating. My hands started trembling, and I clenched them into fists to steady myself.
Almost like Carla wanted me to see it. Almost like she expected this to happen.
I did not answer her. I turned and walked straight toward the office hallway, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. Every step felt heavier than the last. My mind screamed at me to stop, to turn around, to leave and pretend this moment never existed. But curiosity, disbelief, and a growing sense of dread pushed me forward.
I opened the door.
And there she was.
My Emily. My wife. Sitting in another man’s arms.
For a split second, my brain refused to process what my eyes were seeing. Then reality slammed into me all at once. My heart twisted painfully in my chest, sharp and unbearable, and then it broke completely. Something inside me cracked, something I did not know could break.
I froze. My body refused to move, refused to react the way it should have. I watched her pull away from him in a panic, scrambling to stand, her face drained of color.
“I’m sorry,” she kept saying. “I’m so sorry.”
Her boss, Fredrick, looked far too calm for the situation. There was a faint smirk on his face, like he knew exactly what he had done, like he was proud of himself for this moment. Rage flared through me instantly, hot and blinding. I could barely breathe.
Emily’s eyes met mine, wide and panicked. “Ryan, I—”
I did not let her finish. I could not. If I stayed one more second, I might have done something I could not take back. I turned on my heels and stormed out of the office, my chest tight, my thoughts spiraling out of control.
The bag of take-out felt ridiculous in my hands now. Stupid. Useless. I reached the nearest dustbin and threw it in without a second thought. The sound it made hitting the bottom felt final somehow.
By the time I reached the lobby, my hands were shaking uncontrollably. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
Carla rushed toward me again. “Mr. Ryan, are you okay? Did everything—”
I glared at her, anger flashing hot and fast. Then something in her face stopped me. Fear. Guilt. Regret. I exhaled sharply.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice low but steady despite everything.
Her face flushed immediately. “I… I did not mean for you to see that,” she whispered.
I gave her a look that could have frozen fire, then turned and walked out without another word.
“Babe, babe,” Emily’s voice called from behind me, soft and panicked, trying to stop me, trying to make me stay.
But I did not stop. I could not.
I got to the car and drove off immediately, ignoring her calls, ignoring her presence when she ran outside. I drove past her without even looking back. My vision blurred almost instantly, tears spilling over before I could stop them.
I cried like a child the entire drive home, messy and raw, gasping for breath between sobs. Every memory replayed itself cruelly. Every smile. Every promise. Every late night I had convinced myself was worth it.
I knew I had been busy. I knew I had been distracted. I knew I had missed dinners and conversations and moments that mattered. But I never expected this. I never expected Emily to betray me.
By the time I pulled into the driveway, my eyes were swollen, my chest tight with anger and grief that refused to settle.
I sat in the car for a moment, hands gripping the steering wheel, trying to breathe through the ache. Then I went inside and paced the living room, back and forth, back and forth, the silence pressing in on me. I waited for her. If she even came home.
The thought that maybe I had interrupted something worse made my stomach churn. The image of her in his arms replayed over and over, cruel and vivid. I slammed my hand against the wall once, needing the pain, welcoming it. It barely registered.
Then I heard the car door close outside.
My pulse jumped violently.
She walked in, and it almost knocked the air out of me. She looked perfect. Too perfect. Too beautiful. Her hair fell softly over her shoulders like it always did, her eyes glossy with tears. Even now, even after what I had seen, her presence did things to my chest it had no right to do.
“Baby,” she said softly, like she always did, like nothing had changed.
I stopped pacing and turned to her. My hands trembled at my sides. “Why?” I asked quietly. “Why did you do it?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
I shook my head, disbelief flooding me. “I was coming to surprise you,” I said. “To celebrate. I closed the deal, Emily. The one I told you about. The one that would change everything for us.”
She flinched, guilt flashing across her face.
“Did you even think about me?” I asked, my voice rising as I paced again. “About us?”
“I was lonely,” she said softly. “I felt neglected.”
That word shattered something inside me.
“Neglected?” I repeated. “Do you have any idea how hard I have been trying? Every single day?”
She stepped closer, tears spilling freely now. “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“You are my wife,” I said, my voice breaking despite myself. “And I do not even know who I am to you right now.”
“I made a mistake,” she whispered.
“A mistake?” I asked, incredulous. “You betrayed me.”
She cried quietly, apologizing over and over, her words blurring together.