“Whats got into you? Weve been married ten years! What mistress? Youre more than enough for me!”
Valerie couldnt shake the gnawing feeling that her husband was cheating. She sensed it in her bones, a restless suspicion that left her uneasy. One evening, she finally confronted him outright.
“Is it true or not?” she demanded.
He only laughed. “Whats got into you? Weve been married ten years! What mistress? Youre more than enough for me!”
David spoke with such sincerity, his smile unbroken, his eyes steady. And yet, something still didnt sit right.
Val wasnt one to leave things to chance. If there was truth to uncover, shed find itbut how?
After scouring the internet for advice, she decided to check his phone first. Nothing unusualjust idle chatter with a couple of old schoolmates, nothing to worry about.
He never even bothered with a passcode. “Why would I?” hed say. “Ive got nothing to hide.” No secret chats, no deleted messages. A bloody saint, he was.
Sometimes she wondered if she was imagining it all. But every time he came home late from work, that unease crept back in.
Her best mate, Sophie, always said, “Youre overthinking it! David adores youhed never look twice at another woman! Youre only making things worse!”
But Val couldnt shake it. Her gut told her otherwise, and the thought of sharing her husband was unthinkable.
Once, she even stalked him to his office, desperate to see if he was really working or gallivanting about. He was furious when he spotted her. “Embarrassing me in front of my colleagues!” She apologised for days, but he forgave quicklytoo quickly, maybe.
By all appearances, their life was perfect. A lovely home in Surrey, two growing kids. They shouldve been happy. But Val couldnt stop digging for trouble.
As they sayseek and ye shall find. Only, she hadnt yet.
No lipstick on his collar, no strange perfumes, no sudden changes in behaviour. But she *knew*.
If not for sheer luck, she might never have uncovered the truthreal or imagined. Time would tell.
When their youngest started Year 1, Val decided to learn to drive. Evening lessons after work, three months of practice, and she passed first time. David was so proud he bought her a carsmall, but perfect for her petite frame. Easy to park, too.
Hed never admit it, but he bought it mostly so she wouldnt ask to borrow his Audi. “You need more experience first,” hed say.
Then, one weekend, Val woke early, wanting to surprise the family with their favouritechicken and roasted vegetable pie. But she was out of flour.
Outside, frost clung to the roads, but shed grown confident driving in winter. A quick trip to the shop wouldnt hurt.
Her car wouldnt start. Back inside, the house was still asleep. She tiptoed, not waking a soul.
Walking in the cold didnt appeal, so she nicked his keys instead. Just a quick drivewhat harm could it do?
While the Audi warmed up, she wiped the windows and rummaged in the glovebox for tissues. Her hand brushed somethinga phone clattered to the floor.
Not Davids. She knew his. This one was unfamiliar.
Her first thought: *He mustve pocketed it by mistake.* But curiosity won. She pressed the button.
The first thing she saw was a text from a *Lucy*.
*”My love, I miss you so much! Come to me soonI cant wait!”*
Val blinked. No passcode. She scrolled.
Messages upon messages. A lifetimes worth.
Turns out, David finished work at five but never came home before seven. Val had never thought to check.
Nearly every day, he stopped by his precious Lucys for an hour before heading home as if nothing happened. The things he wrote to herwords Val had never heard from him.
Photos showed an older woman. Forty, easily. What on earth did he see in her?
Vals blood boiled.
She was about to storm back inside when David stepped out of the house.
Shed left a note: *Gone to the shop.* He mustve seized the chance to send Lucy another message.
Now it made senseall those evenings he “forgot” something in the car. Nearly every night, hed pop out, then return minutes later. Shed never questioned it.
He spotted her in his Audi and marched over.
“Who said you could take it? We never agreed to this!”
Seeing him only stoked her rage.
She buckled up, slammed into reverse, and hit the accelerator. The car screeched into the fence behind her. A small relief.
She stepped out, glaring at his stunned face. “Go on, then! Run to her! Lets see how much she wants you without your house or your car! Get out of my sight!”
For good measure, she hurled his keys into a snowdrift and stormed back inside.
The boys were awake but clueless. Minutes later, David tried the door.
Val locked it. “Go to *her*! Dont you dare come back!”
With nothing but slippers, a dressing gown, and a thin jacket, David trudged to Lucys. Surely shed take him in.
The door openedbut a mans voice called from inside. “Darling, you coming back? Ive been waiting!”
Turned out, Lucy had *two* men. Weekdays for David, weekends for someone else. Why waste a good day?
She gave him an apologetic look and shut the door.
Defeated, he shuffled to his mums house two streets over.
Margaret took one look and understood. She fed him, warmed him, listened to his tale of the “horrible wife” whod thrown him out over nothing, then patted his shoulder.
“Dont fret, love. Who knew Val would turn out like this? Your luck will changeyoure only thirty-five! Youll find love again, just you wait!”
So David stayed with his mum, ready to start anew. He almost felt freeuntil Val filed for child support. *Then* he realised fresh starts werent so simple.
At least Margaret hadnt abandoned him. Without her, hed have been truly lost.
