“Thanks, Johnny! Dunno what Id do without you,” flashed across her phone screen.
Her husbands phone buzzed right in her hand. Emily glanced down automatically. The message was from someone named Maisie. It ended with a pink heart, like a little kiss.
Emily froze. Maisie? Johnny? She mightve brushed it off as a distant relative or coworkerexcept for one thing: her husband had never mentioned anyone by that name. Or had he kept her hidden?
She looked up sharply. She needed the truth first, not to jump to conclusions. But her chest tightened with jealousy all the same.
“Whos Maisie?” Emily asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
John, sipping his tea calmly, blinked. “What?”
“Maisie,” she repeated, shoving the phone toward him. “Who is she?”
He glanced at the screen, and for just a second, something flickered in his eyes. Then he shrugged. “Oh. Thats just Mary.”
Emily went cold. “*What* Mary?”
“My ex. Its nothing, honestly.”
She set the phone down and crossed her arms. “Your ex calls you Johnny and thanks you with hearts? You think thats normal?”
John shrugged again, like it wasnt worth discussing. “Yeah. Lent her some cash. She needed help, so I helped.”
Emilys temper flared. “You gave your ex *money*?”
“Yeah, whats the big deal?”
“The big deal?!” She scoffed. “Seriously? You think its fine to dip into *our* money for some woman named Maisie?”
He finally met her eyes. “Emily, youre making a mountain out of a molehill. Weve known each other for ages. Why wouldnt I help her out?”
She laughed, but there was no joy in it. “Youre married, John. To *me*! And yet youre still wrapped up in her, your ex.”
He sighed, irritated, like he was explaining something obvious to a child. “We ended on good terms. Shes not a stranger.”
“And what am I, then?”
John stayed quiet. Emily shook her head and exhaled hard.
“How longs this been going on?”
“What?”
“Your little friendship.”
He looked away. “Weve always stayed in touch. Even before you. Just never mentioned it. Didnt wanna upset you.”
Emily felt her whole body heat with anger. “So two years of lies?”
“I didnt lie! There was just no reason to bring it up. Im not cheating. Why are you overreacting?”
She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to shout. “And how often do you help her?”
“Now and then. Small things. Fixing her laptop, setting up her Wi-Fi.”
“So my husband runs after another woman like a handyman?”
“Bloody hell!” he snapped. “I helped her, lent her money! Is that a crime? Id do the same for you!”
Emily stared at him, cold and firm. “If you dont see anything wrong with this, then weve got very different ideas of what marriage means.”
She turned and walked out of the kitchen. She couldnt stand to look at him.
That day blurred past for Emilyanger, hurt, confusion. She tried to stay calm, but one question echoed in her mind: *How did I miss this?*
John didnt act guilty. He didnt hide talking to Mary now, but he acted like it was nothing.
Over the next two weeks, the truth became clear. Her husband was often late from work. Every few days, Mary had some “urgent” problem.
“Im popping over to Marys tonight,” he said casually at dinner. “Her washing machine broke.”
Emily set her fork down and fixed him with a glare. “No other repairmen in town?”
“Come on, is it so hard to help someone out?”
“For you, no. For me, its hard to swallow.”
“Here we go again! Is this all well talk about now?”
“Yes, *again*,” she said flatly. “Because your ex *always* needs saving. At least you dont share kids.”
John sighed but kept eating. “If it were our neighbor or my mum, would you still be like this?”
“The difference is they wouldnt call you every other day.”
“Emily,” he said, tired. “Youre acting like Ive cheated.”
“I dont know if you have, but this isnt normal. And it bothers me,” she shot back.
He smirked. “You dont trust me.”
“Have you given me reason to?”
Silence fell between them.
Three days later, Mary was back.
“Mary rang,” John announced, indifferent. “Wants to buy a fridge but cant get it delivered.”
Emily turned slowly. “So youre dropping everything to play delivery man now?”
“Whats the harm?”
“John, are you *seriously* blind to this?”
“I think youre blowing things out of proportion.”
“*Im* not the one making a circus. But I wont be part of it anymore. If youre so keen to help Mary, why not move in with her? Save on petrol.”
“You mean that?”
“Absolutely.”
“So youre kicking me out?”
“No, John. Im giving you a choice. Be part of *our* family, or go your own way. But I wont have you here anymore.”
She walked out. No more falling for his games. Maybe he thought honesty meant spelling out where he was going. But to Emily, this wasnt honestyit was betrayal.
Twenty-four hours passed after their fight. Emily sat in the kitchen, staring at her phone. John hadnt called. Hadnt texted. Hed left. Maybe for good.
Ten days of silence later, she realized sometimes a breakup isnt a lossjust a lesson in never settling for less than you deserve.
