The phone buzzed in her hand, the screen lighting up with a notification.
*”Thanks, Johnny! Dont know what Id do without you,”* flashed across the display.
It wasnt her phone. It was her husbands. The senders name was *Marigold*. A pink heart punctuated the message like a secret kiss.
Emily froze, her breath hitching. *Marigold? Johnny?* She mightve dismissed it as a distant relative or a coworkerif hed ever mentioned her before. But he hadnt. Not once.
Her grip tightened on the phone. She wouldnt jump to conclusions. She needed the truth. But jealousy coiled around her ribs like a vise.
**”Whos Marigold?”** she asked, forcing her voice steady.
Across the kitchen table, Jack looked up from his tea, blinking.
**”What?”**
**”Marigold,”** she repeated, shoving the phone toward him. **”Who is she?”**
His eyes flickeredjust for a secondbefore he shrugged.
**”Oh. Thats just Marina.”**
Emilys blood ran cold.
**”What do you mean, *just* Marina?”**
**”My ex. Its nothing.”**
She dropped the phone onto the table with a clatter, arms folding tight across her chest.
**”Your ex calls you *Johnny* and sends you hearts? You think thats normal?”**
Jack rolled his eyes. **”I lent her some money. She needed help. Big deal.”**
**”You gave your ex *money*?”**
**”Yeah, so what?”**
**”So *what*?”** She scoffed, voice sharp as shattered glass. **”You take *our* money and hand it to some woman Ive never even heard of?”**
Finally, he met her gaze.
**”Emily, youre making a mountain out of a molehill. Weve known each other forever. Why wouldnt I help her?”**
She laugheda sound devoid of joy.
**”Youre *married*, Jack. To *me*. And yet here you are, still playing knight in shining armour for her.”**
He sighed, irritation creasing his brow like she was some unreasonable child.
**”We ended on good terms. Shes not a stranger.”**
**”And what am I? A stranger?”**
Silence. Emily exhaled, the weight of it crushing her.
**”How long has this been going on?”**
**”What?”**
**”This *lovely* friendship of yours.”**
He glanced away.
**”Weve always talked. Even before you. I just didnt mention it. Didnt want to upset you.”**
Fury burned through her.
**”Two years. You hid this for *two years*?”**
**”I didnt *hide* it. There was nothing to tell. Im not cheating. Why are you overreacting?”**
She inhaled deeply, fists clenched at her sides.
**”How often do you *help* her?”**
**”Now and then. Small things. Fixing her laptop, sorting her Wi-Fi.”**
**”So my husband runs around after another woman like some handyman?”**
**”Dont be ridiculous!”** he snapped. **”I helped her, lent her cash! Is that a crime? Id do the same for you!”**
Her voice turned to ice.
**”If you dont see whats wrong with this, then we have very different ideas of what marriage means.”**
She turned on her heel and walked out. She couldnt bear to look at him.
The days blurred into a haze of anger and hurt. Jack no longer bothered hiding his calls with Marinanow it was all out in the open, treated like some mundane errand.
**”Im popping over to Marinas tonight,”** he announced over dinner, casual as ever. **”Her washing machines broken.”**
Emily set down her fork, gaze piercing.
**”Are you the only repairman in London?”**
**”Come on, is it so hard to lend a hand?”**
**”For you? No. For me? Yes.”**
**”Here we go again!”** he groaned. **”Is this all were going to talk about?”**
**”Yes. *Again*,”** she said flatly. **”Because your ex always needs *something*. Thank God you dont share kids.”**
Jack exhaled but kept eating.
**”If it was the neighbour or my mum, would you care?”**
**”The difference is *they* wouldnt call you every other day.”**
**”Emily,”** he said wearily, **”youre acting like Ive cheated.”**
**”I dont know if you have. But this isnt normal. And I wont pretend it is.”**
He smirked.
**”You dont trust me.”**
**”Have you given me reason to?”**
Silence fell like a guillotine.
Three days later, Marina reappeared.
**”Marina rang,”** Jack said offhandedly. **”Needs a new fridge delivered.”**
Emily turned slowly, eyes blazing.
**”So youre just going to drop everything and play delivery man?”**
**”Whats the big deal?”**
**”Jack, are you *blind*?”**
**”I think youre making drama out of nothing.”**
**”No. *Youre* the one making a circus. And I wont be part of it. If you want to help Marina so badly, why dont you move in with her? Save on petrol.”**
His face darkened.
**”Are you serious?”**
**”Deadly.”**
**”Youre kicking me out?”**
**”No, Jack. Im giving you a choice. Either youre in this family, or youre on your own. But I wont have you here like this.”**
She walked away before he could reply. No more lies. No more excuses.
Twenty-four hours passed without a word. Then ten days.
Emily sat in the kitchen, staring at her silent phone.
Some lessons werent about lossthey were about learning your worth.
